Free working checklist / Reviewed 6 September 2026

Before you buy more traffic, check the route to an enquiry.

Seven practical checks for a small service business. Find out whether the first problem is discovery, an unclear offer or a contact path that does not work.

Written by Thomas Howcroft, based in Stevenage. Use it yourself or share the link with the person who looks after your website. There is no email signup.

Find the pageCheck the evidenceChoose one action

Tick a step when you have reviewed it, not when it has “passed”. Ticks stay only in this page session. Nothing is scanned, sent or saved by this checklist. You can print it from your browser.

Your seven checks

  1. 01

    Choose one service and one genuine area.

    Write the service a customer would buy and the place you actually serve. For example, an emergency plumber serving Stevenage. Choose the page that should answer that search.

    Record
    Service, area and the exact landing-page address.
    Next action
    If several pages make the same promise, decide which page owns the service. Do not create near-identical pages for every neighbouring town.
  2. 02

    Check that Google can index that page.

    Use URL Inspection in your own Search Console property. Read the indexing result, canonical address and last crawl. If you lack access, record that limit rather than guessing.

    Record
    Date checked, indexed/not indexed/unknown, and the reason Google reports.
    Next action
    Resolve the specific fault before requesting indexing. An accepted request is not proof that the page is indexed or will rank.
  3. 03

    Review the Business Profile you are eligible to use.

    If you have an eligible profile, check the real business name, category, service area, hours and website link. Keep details consistent with what customers can actually expect.

    Record
    Profile link, incorrect details and who can update them.
    Next action
    Correct inaccuracies through the authorised owner. Do not add keywords to the business name or invent a location. If your business is not eligible, mark this step not applicable.
  4. 04

    Compare the right searches over equal periods.

    In Search Console, filter to the page and inspect the queries. Compare the last complete 28 days with the previous 28 days. Separate impressions, clicks and average position.

    Record
    Both date ranges, relevant queries, clicks, impressions and position.
    Next action
    Low rankings, irrelevant queries and few clicks are different problems. A falling overall click rate can reflect more low-ranking impressions, not simply a worse title.
  5. 05

    Make the offer easy to evaluate.

    Read the page as someone who has never met you. It should explain the service, genuine area, who it suits, what happens next and evidence you are allowed to share.

    Record
    The unanswered buyer question and the evidence needed to answer it.
    Next action
    Add useful scope, process or a clearly labelled example. Use permissioned customer proof when available. Never turn a sample into a claimed client result.
  6. 06

    Follow the enquiry path on a phone.

    Open the page on a small screen and use its contact route. Check labels, email destination and any form confirmation. If you submit a test to your own system, label it as a test and confirm receipt.

    Record
    Route tested, date, result and whether an enquiry actually arrived.
    Next action
    Fix a broken contact path before buying more traffic. Count a link click separately from a received enquiry, qualified opportunity and payment.
  7. 07

    Check one AI answer with its context.

    Ask a relevant customer question in the AI search service you use. Save the exact question, date, service and visible cited sources. Check whether its description of your business is accurate.

    Record
    Exact question, observed answer, cited page and any incorrect fact.
    Next action
    Correct a verifiable source error or a missing useful explanation on your site. One answer is an observation, not an AI visibility score or proof that all users see the same answer.

Turn the checks into work

Choose one useful next action.

Write down the finding, the dated evidence, the person responsible and how you will check the result. Fix an inaccessible or broken route before polishing a page that customers cannot reach. Where evidence is missing, the next action may be to obtain access or measure properly.

Example format: “The enquiry link goes to an old inbox. Website owner to update it. Confirm the new route opens the correct address and a clearly labelled test arrives.” This is a hypothetical example, not a client result.

For a fuller explanation, read the search measurement guide. For a documented professional review, see the GBP 350 local visibility starter.

What this checklist can and cannot tell you

It helps organise an investigation. It cannot guarantee rankings, enquiries, revenue or an AI citation. Results vary by location, timing and the systems used. Google describes local ranking through relevance, distance and prominence; its AI search guidance builds on ordinary search foundations.

Check the primary guidance: Google local ranking, Business Profile eligibility and Google AI search features.

Want Tom to do the review?

The GBP 350 starter covers one website, one eligible Business Profile and one primary area, with up to five pages reviewed. You receive a baseline and prioritised repair plan. Implementation is agreed separately.

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