Resource · 45-point checklist

The 45-Point Local SEO Checklist for Service Businesses

This is the exact list we run on every new Vibe22 client during their $499 Visibility Jumpstart. Every item is doable yourself if you set aside a focused weekend — or skip the work and let us run it for you.

45 items across 5 sections·15 min read·Updated May 2026

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→ Foundation (7 items)→ Google Business Profile (10 items)→ On-Page SEO (10 items)→ Schema & Technical (8 items)→ Content & Authority (10 items)

Foundation (7 items)

These have to be right before anything else matters. If you skip these, GBP optimization and content work get half the lift.

  • HTTPS / SSL on every page

    15 min (most hosts)

    Mixed-content pages get penalized. Force https:// site-wide.

  • Site loads in under 2.5s on mobile (LCP)

    1–4 hrs

    Google Core Web Vitals threshold. Run PageSpeed Insights with the mobile profile.

  • Mobile responsive — no horizontal scroll

    30 min audit

    Test every page on a 375px viewport.

  • Google Search Console verified

    20 min

    Add the property, submit your sitemap, watch coverage report weekly.

  • Google Analytics 4 installed + key events configured

    45 min

    Phone clicks, form submits, email clicks marked as conversions.

  • XML sitemap submitted to GSC

    15 min

    Auto-generate via Next.js or your CMS. Re-submit when you add pages.

  • robots.txt allows AI crawlers (GPTBot, Google-Extended, PerplexityBot, ClaudeBot)

    5 min

    No Disallow rules for these. They're how you get cited in AI Overviews.

Google Business Profile (10 items)

GBP is 80% of local SEO impact for service businesses. Most owners spend 10 minutes on it once and never return. These 10 items are the gap.

  • Primary category matches your highest-value service

    5 min

    Not "general contractor" if you primarily do roofing. Specific > generic.

  • 3–5 secondary categories listed

    10 min

    Each captures a different long-tail search. GBP allows up to 9.

  • 750-char GBP description with city + primary service

    20 min

    Front-load the keyword. Use natural language — not keyword stuffing.

  • Service list with 100+ char description per service

    60 min

    Each service is its own ranking opportunity. Write a paragraph for each.

  • 20+ photos: storefront, team, work, equipment, before/after

    30 min if you have photos

    Geotag photos with EXIF data when shot on-site.

  • Logo + cover photo set, both at recommended dimensions

    20 min

    Logo: 250×250px. Cover: 1024×576px. Don't stretch a low-res file.

  • Hours match your real availability — including holidays

    5 min/holiday

    Update for Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. Mismatch = trust signal lost.

  • 1+ GBP post per week (offers, news, events)

    15 min/week

    Post freshness is a ranking signal. 100-word posts with a photo work best.

  • 8–10 owner-seeded Q&As covering common pre-purchase questions

    45 min

    Pricing range, service areas, certifications, warranty.

  • Owner response on every review (good and bad)

    5 min/review

    Even a one-line "thanks Mike!" counts. Negative reviews need professional, brief replies.

On-Page SEO (10 items)

Every page needs these. Most websites get half right and call it done. The other half is what separates page 1 from page 2.

  • Unique title tag per page, 50–60 chars

    30 min for a small site

    Format: [Service] [City] | [Brand]. Example: "Water Damage Restoration Mississauga | Acme Restoration"

  • Meta description per page, 140–160 chars

    30 min

    Pitch the click. Include the city + service + a differentiator (24/7, certified, etc.)

  • Single H1 per page matching the user's search intent

    15 min

    Not your brand name. The user's search.

  • H2/H3 hierarchy that mirrors your content outline

    15 min

    Don't skip levels. Don't use H4+ unless deeply nested.

  • Internal links — every page links to 3–5 related pages

    45 min

    Pillar page + supporting articles. PageRank flows through links.

  • Image alt text on every image (descriptive, not keyword-stuffed)

    20 min

    "Crew installing furnace in Markham basement" — not "best HVAC Markham."

  • Canonical tag on every page

    10 min if your CMS does it

    Prevents duplicate-content issues. Self-referencing on most pages.

  • No broken internal links (run Screaming Frog or use Ahrefs free)

    30 min

    404s waste crawl budget and frustrate users.

  • Click-to-call phone number above the fold on mobile

    10 min

    <a href="tel:..."> wrapping the visible number.

  • Service-area cities mentioned naturally in body content

    20 min/page

    Don't list 30 cities at the bottom — that's 2010 SEO. Mention 3–5 cities organically per page.

Schema & Technical (8 items)

AI Overviews and rich results pull from schema first. Most local sites have zero schema beyond the default theme markup.

  • LocalBusiness or specific subtype schema

    30 min

    Use the most specific subtype available — Plumber, Restaurant, MedicalClinic, etc.

  • Organization schema with logo + sameAs links

    15 min

    sameAs links your social profiles + GBP — establishes brand identity.

  • Service schema for each service line

    45 min

    Each service is a separate entity. Helps Google understand your offerings.

  • FAQPage schema on a top-converting page

    60 min

    Earns rich-result snippets AND is the highest AI-citation trigger.

  • Breadcrumb schema across all pages

    20 min

    Shows breadcrumbs in SERPs, improves CTR.

  • Review/AggregateRating schema (if you have ≥10 reviews)

    15 min

    Stars in SERPs lift CTR 15–35%.

  • /llms.txt published at site root

    30 min

    Emerging standard for AI crawlers. Tell them what to index and cite.

  • Validate all schema with Google Rich Results Test + Schema.org validator

    15 min

    Bad schema is worse than no schema.

Content & Authority (10 items)

These compound monthly. Don't expect overnight results — but if you do these for 6 months you'll be the dominant local result.

  • Service × city combination pages (one per high-value combo)

    4–8 hrs/page

    5 services × 8 cities = 40 pages. Each unique, each 800+ words.

  • Author bylines + Person schema on long-form content

    15 min/page

    E-E-A-T signal AI engines look for. Adds 12+ AI citation points.

  • About page with founder story, certifications, team

    2 hrs

    Trust signal. Most service businesses skip this. Don't.

  • Contact page with full NAP + service area map

    45 min

    Embedded Google Map. Form. Phone. Email.

  • Blog with 1+ post per month — solving real customer problems

    4 hrs/post

    Not generic "5 Tips for X" filler. Real problems your customers face.

  • Update existing content twice a year (datePublished + dateModified)

    30 min/page

    Recency signal for both Google and AI engines.

  • Local citation consistency (NAP matches across 30+ directories)

    4 hrs initial, 30 min/quarter

    Yelp, BBB, Yellow Pages, Foursquare, industry directories. Use BrightLocal or Whitespark to scan.

  • Backlinks from 5+ local sources (chamber, partners, sponsorships)

    Ongoing

    Local relevance > domain authority for local SEO.

  • Customer testimonials + case studies on dedicated pages

    1 hr/case study

    With photos, names, and real metrics. Generic stars-only widgets don't cut it.

  • Video on at least one key service page

    2 hrs total

    Even 30 seconds. Google rewards page-time, and video makes pages stickier.

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