The local SEO checklist

1. Consistency

• Same business name everywhere — no keyword stuffing in the name.
• Same address format, including suite or floor.
• Same primary phone number; old numbers removed or redirected.
• One canonical domain, with the other redirected.
• Hours correct, including festival closures.

2. Google Business Profile

• Verified, with the most specific primary category.
• Secondary categories only for services you actually deliver.
• Services listed with a short description each.
• Ten or more real photographs: exterior, interior, team, work.
• Products or menu filled where relevant.
• Q&A seeded with the questions customers actually ask.
• Booking or quote link points to a page that works on a phone.

3. Reviews

• A short review link saved on the counter phone.
• Staff ask at handover, in person.
• Every review answered within two working days.
• Negative reviews answered calmly, with a specific next step.
• No bought, swapped or staff-written reviews.

4. Pages

• One page per service you genuinely sell.
• One page per area only where you have real work or a real route.
• Each page names the locality in the title, H1 and first paragraph — once, naturally.
• Embedded map or a clear address block on the contact page.
• Internal links from articles to the relevant service page.

5. Citations

• Google Business Profile
• Bing Places
• Apple Business Connect
• The two or three directories your customers actually use
• Your own site’s contact page, matching every detail

6. Measurement

• Profile: calls, direction requests, website clicks.
• Site: which pages produce calls and forms.
• Search Console: queries containing your locality.
• Review count and average, month on month.

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