SEO doesn't have to be overwhelming. This checklist covers the steps that matter most for a small business, in roughly the order to do them. Work through it at your own pace, or let us handle it.
1. Set up your tracking
- Google Search Console is set up and verified
- Google Analytics 4 is installed
- Form submissions and phone clicks are tracked as conversions
2. Google Business Profile
- Profile claimed and verified
- Primary and secondary categories chosen carefully
- Every service listed with a short description
- Hours, phone, website and service area accurate
- At least 10 real photos, with new ones added monthly
- A post published at least every couple of weeks
- Every review answered
3. Consistent business information
- Business name, address and phone identical on your website, Google and directories
- Listed on the main directories for your industry and area
- Old or duplicate listings fixed or removed
4. Your website basics
- Loads quickly on a phone
- Works well on small screens
- Uses HTTPS
- Phone number and contact form easy to find on every page
- No broken links or pages returning errors
5. Service and location pages
- One page for each main service
- Pages for the main towns or areas you serve, each with genuinely useful local content
- Each page has a unique title tag including the service and location
- Each page has a compelling meta description
- One clear H1 per page
- Each page answers common questions: cost, timeline, what's included
6. Reviews
- A simple way to ask every happy customer for a review
- A link or QR code that goes straight to your review page
- A habit of responding within a few days
7. Structured data
- LocalBusiness or Organization schema on your site
- FAQ schema on pages with FAQ sections
8. Content
- A short list of the questions customers ask most
- At least one helpful article or FAQ answering each
- Internal links from articles to the relevant service page
9. Local links and mentions
- Chamber of commerce and local association memberships
- Sponsorships of local events or teams
- Partners and suppliers linking to your site
10. AI search visibility
- Asked ChatGPT and Gemini who they recommend for your service in your area
- Business details clear and consistent enough for AI tools to describe you accurately
- AI crawlers allowed in robots.txt
Our free AI Visibility Check helps with this step.
11. Review monthly
- Check Search Console for new errors and top searches
- Note which pages bring in leads
- Update one older page with fresh information
Need a second opinion?
Get a free 4-Point Growth Audit and we'll show you which items on this list will make the biggest difference for your business.
