TomHow / Tools / Local SEO checklist
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.
Seven checks, one next action
01 / Your checks
Your seven
checks
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01
Choose one service and one genuine area.
Record Service, area and the exact landing-page address.
Read the check and the next action
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.
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.
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02
Check that Google can index that page.
Record Date checked, indexed/not indexed/unknown, and the reason Google reports.
Read the check and the next action
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.
Next action. Resolve the specific fault before requesting indexing. An accepted request is not proof that the page is indexed or will rank.
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03
Review the Business Profile you are eligible to use.
Record Profile link, incorrect details and who can update them.
Read the check and the next action
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.
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.
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04
Compare the right searches over equal periods.
Record Both date ranges, relevant queries, clicks, impressions and position.
Read the check and the next action
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.
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.
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05
Make the offer easy to evaluate.
Record The unanswered buyer question and the evidence needed to answer it.
Read the check and the next action
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.
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.
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06
Follow the enquiry path on a phone.
Record Route tested, date, result and whether an enquiry actually arrived.
Read the check and the next action
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.
Next action. Fix a broken contact path before buying more traffic. Count a link click separately from a received enquiry, qualified opportunity and payment.
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07
Check one AI answer with its context.
Record Exact question, observed answer, cited page and any incorrect fact.
Read the check and the next action
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.
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.
02 / The detail
The detail,
when you want it.
Who wrote this checklist?
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.
How do the ticks work?
Find the page → Check the evidence → Choose 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.
Choose one useful next action.
Turn the checks into work
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.
Local starter