80%
are not mobile-friendly
Four out of five fail a basic mobile usability check, on the device most local searches happen on.
1 in 5
expose their admin login
20% leave the WordPress admin login open to the public internet, an unlocked front door.
51/100
average SEO score
The typical local business site is barely halfway to what search engines reward.
37%
have no meta description
More than a third give Google nothing to show under their name in search results.
Methodology: 58,541 United States local business websites, 90,632 automated audits, 2026. Each site was checked for mobile usability, page performance, indexability (sitemap, meta data), security headers, exposed admin access, and structured data. 36% of the sites run on WordPress.
What the numbers say
Mobile is where local business is lost
80% of the sites we audited fail a basic mobile usability check. Local searches, "near me", "open now", "emergency", overwhelmingly happen on a phone. A site that does not work on one is not a smaller version of the business online. It is a closed door.
One in five leaves the back door open
20% of these sites expose their WordPress admin login to the public internet. For a business holding customer names, appointments, or payment details, that is not just a technical oversight. It is the most common way small-business sites get compromised.
Google is left to guess
37% ship pages with no meta description and 35% have no sitemap at all. Together that means Google has to guess what the page is about and may not even know new pages exist. The businesses that write real titles and descriptions win the click by default.
How the major industries score
Average SEO score by industry, out of 100. Real estate came in last of every category we measured. We have taken apart several of these in detail, with the exact mistakes and how to fix them.
| Industry | Sites audited | Avg SEO score | Teardown link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate | 7,016 | 41 | See the teardown → |
| Auto Repair | 4,908 | 44 | - |
| Electrician | 3,510 | 46 | See the teardown → |
| House Cleaning | 2,644 | 47 | - |
| Roofing / Contractors | 4,894 | 55 | See the teardown → |
| Dental | 6,603 | 57 | See the teardown → |
Where does your site land?
Free technical audit of your website against the same checks we ran on all 58,541. We show you exactly where you stand and what to fix first. No contract required.
Get Your Free AuditOr call (434) 236-9027
