--- title: "Online Reputation Audit Checklist (Step by Step) | BRANDprotecto" description: "A 10-step reputation audit checklist: profiles, access, accuracy, reviews, replies, complaint themes, branded search, mentions, competitors and an action plan." url: https://brandprotecto.com/blog/online-reputation-audit-checklist updated: 2026-10-28 publisher: BRANDprotecto (info@brandprotecto.com) --- # Online Reputation Audit Checklist: 10 Steps You Can Do Yourself [Home](https://brandprotecto.com) / [Blog](https://brandprotecto.com/blog) / Brand monitoring Brand monitoring # Online Reputation Audit Checklist: 10 Steps You Can Do Yourself Check every profile, review platform and branded search result in one structured pass, then turn the findings into a short, prioritized action plan. By the BRANDprotecto editorial team · Published October 28, 2026 · Last reviewed October 28, 2026 · 6 min read ## In short - Start by listing every profile and listing, then check who controls each one before looking at reviews. - Record review volume, rating, recency and reply habits per platform and location, using the same definitions everywhere. - Tag negative reviews by theme to separate recurring problems from one-off incidents. - Check page one of searches for your brand name and use Search Console to see which branded searches bring visitors. - Finish with a short action plan ordered by risk: access, wrong information, sensitive reviews, recurring themes, then volume and search. An online reputation audit checklist has ten steps: list every profile and listing, check who controls each one, confirm the business details are accurate, measure review volume, rating and recency per platform and location, audit your replies, find recurring complaint themes, review what a search for your brand name shows, check mentions beyond reviews, compare yourself with a few competitors, and finish with a prioritized action plan. ## Before you start - **Scope:** which brands, locations and countries are included. - **Period:** for reviews, a fixed window such as the last 12 months; for profiles and search results, their current state. - **One spreadsheet:** one tab per step below, with the date each check was made. - **One owner:** a single person responsible for finishing the audit and presenting the plan. Do the searches signed out of your accounts and note the device and location you searched from, so the next audit can be compared with this one. ## Step 1: List every profile and listing Search for your brand name on its own, with each city you serve, and with words such as reviews and complaints. Check maps, the review platforms that matter in your industry, directories, marketplaces and social networks. For each result, record the platform, the location, the URL and whether anyone in the company recognizes it. - Is every location present on Google and on the review platforms your customers actually use? - Are there duplicates? Google's [guidelines for representing your business](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?hl=en) say not to create more than one page for each location of your business, either in a single account or in multiple accounts. - Are there profiles for closed or moved locations, or for old brand names? - Are there profiles that nobody in the company knew about? ## Step 2: Check ownership and access For every profile, write down who controls it and which login manages it. Access problems block every other fix, so settle them first. - Is the primary owner an account the company controls, rather than a former employee or an agency's login? - Does everyone who has access still need it? - Are profiles verified, and does the company know which login manages each platform? - If someone outside the company controls a profile, start recovering access now, before you need to change anything urgently. ## Step 3: Check that business information is accurate Wrong hours or a wrong phone number create complaints that have nothing to do with your service. For each location, compare the name, address, phone, website, hours, holiday hours and categories with reality. - Does the name reflect the real-world name used consistently on the storefront, as Google's guidelines require? - Are names and categories consistent across locations? The same guidelines ask businesses to maintain consistent names and categories across all of their locations. - Are updates from Google or edits suggested by the public waiting for your review? Our guide to [fixing wrong Google Business Profile information](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/fix-wrong-google-business-profile-info) explains how to check who controls a profile, review Google's updates and suggested edits, and resolve duplicates. ## Step 4: Measure reviews per platform and location Record the same figures for each platform and location: What to record Why it matters Total number of reviews How much evidence a reader has Average rating The headline number shown on the profile New reviews in the last 90 days Whether the feedback is current Date of the latest review A long gap may suggest customers are not being asked Average of reviews received in the period Where the overall rating is heading One- and two-star reviews in the period Early warning of a local problem Google's page on [review scores](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4801187?hl=en) says the score is the average of all ratings published on Google for that place or business, and that after a new review it may take up to 2 weeks to get an updated score. Other platforms can calculate ratings differently, so keep each platform on its own row. Our article on [how many 5-star reviews it takes to raise a rating](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/how-many-reviews-to-raise-rating) explains the arithmetic behind the average. ## Step 5: Audit your replies - What share of the reviews in the period received a reply, at each location? - What was the median time from review to reply? - Were negative reviews answered, or only positive ones? - Do replies repeat the same paragraph, reveal customer details, argue, or promise things that never happened? - Who wrote them? Google's help page on [managing customer reviews](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474050?hl=en) notes that replies appear as coming from the business rather than from the person, and that the reviewer is notified when you reply. There is no official benchmark for reply coverage or speed. Set your own target, write it down and measure every location against it. ## Step 6: Find recurring complaint themes Read the negative and mixed reviews from the period and tag each one with the topics it raises, such as waiting, staff, quality, price, cleanliness, billing or communication. Count the themes per location. A theme that repeats across months or locations is a pattern and belongs in the action plan. Our guide to [analyzing customer reviews](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/how-to-analyze-customer-reviews) describes the tagging method step by step. Note the positive themes too. They show what customers value and what you should protect when you change processes. ## Step 7: Review branded search results Search for your brand name, your brand with each main city, and your brand with words such as reviews, complaints and scam. For page one of each search, classify every result as owned (your website and profiles), third-party neutral or positive, or third-party negative, and note anything outdated or inaccurate. If you use Google Search Console, its performance report shows which searches bring people to your site. Google's help page on [dimensions and data groupings](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/17011259?hl=en) describes a filter that separates queries by whether the search term included your brand name. It isn't available for sites with a low number of impressions, and Google notes that some queries might be classified incorrectly. Without it, use the Queries containing filter described on the page about [advanced filtering and comparison](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/17011165?hl=en) , keeping in mind that filtering by query omits anonymized queries, so totals are approximate. If page one shows negative content that is inaccurate, see our guide on [negative search results for your business name](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/negative-search-results-business-name) . ## Step 8: Check mentions beyond reviews Look for your brand in news, forums, community groups and social networks during the audit period. Record each relevant mention with the date, source, tone and whether it needs a response. For ongoing coverage, Google Alerts can [email you when new results for a topic show up in Google Search](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/4815696?hl=en) . Set alerts for the brand name, common misspellings and key product names. Our guide on [monitoring brand mentions for free](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/monitor-brand-mentions-free) suggests a simple weekly routine. ## Step 9: Compare with competitors Choose two or three competitors that customers would realistically consider instead of you, and record the same public data for them: review count, average rating, recent volume, reply habits and the themes in their reviews. Use only public information and never contact their reviewers. The aim is context: whether a theme is a problem everyone in your category faces, or one where you can stand out. ## Step 10: Build a prioritized action plan Turn the findings into a short list, ordered by risk and effort: - **Access and control:** profiles you cannot manage, or that former staff or agencies control. - **Wrong information:** hours, phone numbers, addresses and duplicates that send customers to the wrong place. - **Unanswered and sensitive reviews:** especially those about safety, health or discrimination. - **Recurring themes:** each with an operational owner and a deadline. - **Review volume and recency:** a consistent way of asking every customer for a review. - **Search results and mentions:** outdated or inaccurate content to raise with the publisher. For every item, record the owner, the deadline and how you will confirm it is done. Repeat the full audit at least once a year, and a shorter version of steps 4 to 6 every month. If you would rather start from a snapshot, BRANDprotecto offers a [free audit of your Google reviews and business profile](https://brandprotecto.com/audit/start) , with a basic Brand Health Score (0–100); the remaining steps in this list are still yours to complete. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is an online reputation audit? It is a dated snapshot of how your business looks to someone researching it online, checked against what should be true. Its purpose is decisions rather than a score: by the end you should know which problems exist, which matter most and who will fix them. Repeating it with the same definitions shows whether things are getting better. ### How often should a business do a reputation audit? A practical rhythm is a full audit at least once a year, and again after major changes such as a rebrand, a move, a new location or a public incident. In between, a short monthly check of review figures, replies and complaint themes catches problems early. Keep the same spreadsheet and definitions so each audit can be compared with the last. ### Who should carry out a reputation audit? Give it to one person who can see across platforms and locations and has time to finish it, for example someone in marketing or operations with access to the profiles. Location managers can add local context, and an outside reviewer can bring fresh eyes, but one internal owner should keep the spreadsheet, present the plan and follow up on actions. ### Do I need paid tools for a reputation audit? Not for a single location or a small network. A spreadsheet, Google Business Profile, Google Search Console and Google Alerts cover most of this checklist. Tools mainly save time when you have many locations or platforms, because collecting and tagging reviews by hand takes longer as volume grows. Whatever you use, keep definitions identical from one audit to the next. ## Sources - [Guidelines for representing your business on Google — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177?hl=en) (checked October 28, 2026) - [Understand review scores for local places & businesses — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/4801187?hl=en) (checked October 28, 2026) - [Manage customer reviews — Google Business Profile Help](https://support.google.com/business/answer/3474050?hl=en) (checked October 28, 2026) - [Performance report (Search results): Dimensions and data groupings — Search Console Help](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/17011259?hl=en) (checked October 28, 2026) - [Performance report (Search results): Advanced filtering and comparison — Search Console Help](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/17011165?hl=en) (checked October 28, 2026) - [Create an alert — Google Search Help](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/4815696?hl=en) (checked October 28, 2026) Prepared by the BRANDprotecto editorial team with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Platform rules and laws change: always confirm the current wording at the source. This article is general information, not legal advice. ## See how your business looks online Request a free reputation audit. We look at your Google Business Profile and your Google reviews and email you the summary with your Brand Health Score and the main problem areas within one business day. [Start free audit](https://brandprotecto.com/audit/start) ## Related articles [Brand monitoring Reviews on Apple Maps and Bing Places: What Business Owners Can Manage Apple Maps and Bing show ratings for your business too, but neither works like Google. Here is what you can claim, see, report and fix on each one. November 9, 2026 · 8 min read](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/apple-maps-and-bing-reviews-business-owners) [Brand monitoring How to Get Alerts for New Reviews Across Google, Yelp and Facebook A hands-on setup guide for new-review alerts on Google, Yelp and Facebook, plus a simple routing plan for who sees which alert and how fast they reply. November 5, 2026 · 7 min read](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/review-monitoring-alerts-setup) [Brand monitoring Social Listening vs Brand Monitoring: What's the Difference? Brand monitoring tells you what was just said about you so you can respond. Social listening looks at patterns over time. Here is how they differ and where to start. November 2, 2026 · 7 min read](https://brandprotecto.com/blog/social-listening-vs-brand-monitoring)