· 6 min read
SEO advice online is usually either too basic or too technical to action. This checklist sits in between. Work through it top to bottom and revisit it every few months.
Technical
The foundation. If this is broken, nothing else compounds.
- Loads in under three seconds on mobile
- Fully responsive, no pinching or zooming on a phone
- HTTPS enabled with no browser security warning
- Unique, descriptive title tag and meta description on every page
- XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
- robots.txt exists and is not blocking important pages
- Broken links and 404s checked periodically
- Images compressed with descriptive alt text
- One canonical version of the site, not www and non-www competing
On-page
This is where most small business sites lose ground, and where a proper website build pays for itself.
- Each core service has its own dedicated page
- Titles and headings use the words customers search, not internal jargon
- One clear H1 per page
- Content answers the obvious questions asked before someone enquires
- A clear call to action on every page, not buried at the bottom
- Internal links connect related pages, such as an article to its service page
- Contact details appear consistently across the site
Content
- The homepage says what you do and who for, above the fold
- A regularly updated articles or resources section
- Written for customers first, search engines second
- Service pages carry enough detail to be genuinely useful
- Real photos of real work rather than stock imagery
Local
- Google Business Profile claimed, complete and categorised accurately
- Service area set to where you actually operate
- Name, address and phone identical across web listings
- Suburb and service area named naturally in page content
- A steady, recent flow of reviews with replies
What to do with the gaps
Fix technical items first, then on-page, then content. If several items are unticked and you would rather not work through them alone, we can audit the site and prioritise the list. See our SEO service or start a project.