The guide

SEO checklist for small business.

A practical checklist in the order I would fix things. Work from the top, because later steps do not help if the early ones are broken.

How to use it: go through each section in order and tick off what is already true. Anything left unticked is a fix to make. Use Google Search Console and PageSpeed Insights, both free, to check.

1. Crawling and indexing

Your site loads over https, and the other versions (http, with or without www) redirect to one.
robots.txt does not block pages you want found.
You have an XML sitemap listing only the pages you want indexed, and it is submitted in Search Console.
Your important pages show as indexed in Search Console.
No important page is set to noindex by mistake, and each page has one canonical URL.
Broken pages are fixed or redirected.

2. Speed and mobile

The site is easy to use on a phone: readable text, tappable buttons, no sideways scrolling.
Core Web Vitals are in the good range: LCP of 2.5 seconds or less, INP of 200 milliseconds or less, CLS of 0.1 or less.
Images are compressed and sized correctly. The main image at the top is not lazy-loaded.

3. On-page basics

Every page has one clear H1 and a unique title that says what the page is about.
Meta descriptions describe what the visitor will find.
Each service or product has its own page with a descriptive URL.
Images have useful alt text.
Important pages are linked from your homepage and menu, with descriptive link text.

4. Local

Your business name, address, phone number and hours are the same everywhere they appear.
Your service area is stated on the site.
Your Google Business Profile is claimed, complete and matches your website.
You ask happy customers for reviews and reply to them.

5. Structured data

Organization or LocalBusiness markup (JSON-LD) is on your site.
Markup matches what is visible on the page.
You tested it with Google’s Rich Results Test or the Schema Markup Validator.

6. Content

Each page answers a question your customers actually ask.
Key answers are short and direct, near the top of the page.
Prices, hours and details are current.

7. AI answers

robots.txt allows search and retrieval bots such as OAI-SearchBot, Claude-SearchBot and PerplexityBot, if you want to be cited.
Your business is described the same way across your site and profiles.
Important content is real text, not only inside images or scripts.

8. Measure

Search Console and analytics are set up and you own them.
Each month, you check clicks, impressions, indexed pages and Core Web Vitals.
You track calls, bookings or messages, not just visits.

Want this done for you? My SEO audit covers it and gives you a prioritised list of fixes. Or contact me.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first thing to fix in SEO for a small business?

Make sure search engines can crawl and index your important pages. Nothing else matters if those pages are not in the index.

How often should I check my SEO?

A monthly look at Search Console is enough for most small businesses: clicks, impressions, indexed pages and Core Web Vitals.

Do I need a developer to follow this checklist?

Some items, such as titles, alt text and Business Profile details, you can do yourself. Others, such as redirects, speed and structured data, usually need a developer.

Is local SEO different from regular SEO?

It builds on the same foundation but adds local signals: consistent business details, a complete Google Business Profile, LocalBusiness markup and reviews.

Does this checklist help with AI answers?

Yes. A crawlable, clearly structured site with short, direct answers and consistent business details is easier for AI tools to understand and cite. Nobody can guarantee a citation.

Want this checklist run on your site?

I will audit it and send you a plain-language list of what to fix first.

Hire Me