A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | |
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1 | Checklist for making your site local-search-friendly - Copyright 2017 Phil Rozek - LocalVisibilitySystem.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | X | General / site-wide | Notes / recommended reading | |||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Does the site seem worth keeping? | Keep Your Site, Lose at Local SEO: When Must You Rebuild? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Google Analytics installed? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Google Webmaster Tools (AKA "Search Console") installed? | Sometimes you can't tell and just need to try to log into GWT or ask the webmaster. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Site shows when you search for the company by name? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Most content is crawlable text? | As opposed to animations or images of text, for example. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Good amount of content on all important pages? | Several hearty paragraphs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Title tags not too long? | 50 Examples of Title Tags That Rock at Local SEO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Title tags reflect services / location(s)? | The title tag of your "Services" page shouldn't just read "Services," for example. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Title tags unique / not too repetitive? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | Name/address/phone info on every page? | 10 Guidelines for Putting NAP Info on Your Site for Local SEO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | Name/address/phone info marked up w/ Schema? | http://www.microdatagenerator.com/local-business-schema/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Correct itemtype attribute for Schema NAP? | How to Pick (or Improvise) the Right Schema.org Markup for Your Local Business | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | Business hours easy to find? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | Plenty of internal links to subpages (and not just in the main menu / navigation)? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | Relevant / unique H1 tag on every page? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | Are paragraphs broken up with subheaders (like H2s)? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | No splash pages, autoplay videos, pop-ups, music, or noises? | The "back" button is an enemy to SEO and to more business. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | Everything reads naturally, with not too many keywords stuffed in? | Just use your eyes, ears, and best judgment. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | Anchor text of links isn't overly "SEO-ed"? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | No hidden text? | In other words, keywords that you see in the source code but not onthe page. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | Google the business by name: no irrelevant or useless sitelinks appear? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
24 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
25 | Technical | Every Local SEO Diagnostic You’ll Ever Need to Know (Plus Some) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
26 | Do all pages seem to be indexed? | Type into Google site:yourwebsitename.comand see if all your pages show up. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
27 | No mirror sites? | AKA sites that are nearly identical to your "main" site, but use a different site name. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
28 | No unnecessary other sites? | Microsites for Local SEO: the Pros and Cons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
29 | No indexed staging sites or unneeded subdomains? | Type into Google site:yourwebsitename.com -www | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
30 | Robots.txt file allows the whole site, or at least all JS and CSS resources? | https://yoast.com/dont-block-your-css-and-js-files/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
31 | Robots.txt file allows /wp-admin, /wp-includes, and /wp-content/plugins? | If using Wordpress! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
32 | No crawl delay in robot.txt file? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
33 | No reason to believe the site's been hacked? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
34 | Proper canonicalization? | http://searchengineland.com/8-canonicalization-best-practices-in-plain-english-44475 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
35 | If using Wordpress, are pages static pages, and not blog posts? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
36 | Do important pages load within 2 seconds? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
37 | Domain does not forward to a different address when you type it in the address bar? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
38 | Not a Flash site? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
39 | No duplicate pages? | 12 Kinds of Duplicate Content in Local SEO: Which Ones Are Trouble? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
40 | Static URLs? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
41 | No broken links? | http://www.brokenlinkcheck.com/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
42 | XML sitemap uploaded? | You should see it at yoursite.com/sitemap.xml | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
43 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
44 | Mobile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
45 | Mobile-friendly? | https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
46 | Says "Mobile-friendly" in the SERPs? | http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2014/11/helping-users-find-mobile-friendly-pages.html | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
47 | No major issues in Google's testing tool? | https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
48 | Not frustrating to use and read if you're a visitor? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
49 | Prominent click-to-call links? | http://www.mobilexweb.com/blog/click-to-call-links-mobile-browsers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
50 | Are the click-to-call links obvious? | http://buttonoptimizer.com/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
51 | Is it easy to access subpages? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
52 | No significant content missing from mobile site? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
53 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
54 | Structural | How to Structure Your Site for Local Search Visibility That Lasts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
55 | Not a "portal" site? | Your site should be self-contained and not just link to other sites you might own. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
56 | Do they have a blog? | Even if it's a ghost town. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
57 | Blog on the same domain? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
58 | Important "Service" pages under no more than 1 subdirectory? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
59 | Subdirectory names simple and concise? | How NOT to Structure Your URLs for Local Rankings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
60 | No duplicate pages under different page names? | https://www.mattcutts.com/blog/canonical-link-tag/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
61 | URLs spelled correctly? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
62 | Page names simple and concise? | How to Name Your Local Landing Page(s) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
63 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
64 | Homepage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
65 | No Flash intros, autoplay videos, interstitials, music, or noises? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
66 | Good title tag? | 50 Examples of Title Tags That Rock at Local SEO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
67 | At least a couple of fat paragraphs about services? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
68 | Discernible call-to-action? | A click-to-call button, or a big phone number, or a link to a "Contact" page, etc. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
69 | Is their USP discernible? | USP = "unique selling point." Why should visitors choose our client? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
70 | Is it immediately clear where they're located (at least roughly)? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
71 | Links to popular services / subpages? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
72 | Relevant anchor text for those links? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
73 | OK photos? | Most people don't like a sea of text on a website. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
74 | Prominent photos link to relevant subpages, when appropriate? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
75 | Relevant / unique H1 tag? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
76 | Embedded Google map (of the business, not address)? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
77 | Review badges / widgets / links to reviews? | Ultimate List of Review Widgets and Badges for Your Local Business Website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
78 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
79 | Other pages | 21 Pages a “Small Local Business” Site Needs for Tip-Top Local Visibility | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
80 | A page for every specific service offered? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
81 | Service pages substantial and detailed? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
82 | A page for each location / branch? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
83 | Location pages have plenty of location-specific content? | 16 Ways to Create Unique “Local” Content for Cities Where You Want to Rank | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
84 | Location pages have correct embedded Google maps? | Embed the map found on your Google Places page, not just a map of your address. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
85 | A page for each practitioner / professional? | A page for John Doe DDS, a page for Jane Doe DMD, etc. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
86 | "Reviews" or "Testimonials" page? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
87 | If a service-area business, is there a "city page" for each of the top few target cities? | "Service-area business": you travel to your customers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
88 | If products are sold, is there a page for each product? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
89 | Do product pages have correct Schema.org/Product markup? | http://schema.org/Product | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
90 | Reasonable number / quality of existing "city pages"? | 25 Principles of Building Effective City Pages for Local SEO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
91 | No smaller pages that might be better off combined into one big page? | Google and people like detail. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
92 | No blog posts that might be more effective as static pages? | All other things being equal, pages seemto rank better than posts. (Not sure why.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
93 | If blogging, are their blog posts spammy or use keywords repetitively in the titles? | Writing blog posts to try to rank for main search terms is pointless. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
94 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
95 | Google Analytics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
96 | Enough recent visits to conclude that Analytics is installed properly? | What you don't want to see is a flatline or 2 visits in a week. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
97 | No ghost-referrer spam? | http://www.ohow.co/what-is-referrer-spam-how-stop-it-guide/ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
98 | Synced with Google Search Console? | View "Behavior" -> "Site Content" -> click a button. GA and GSC are synced if you see data. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
99 | No dramatic and long-lasting drop-offs in traffic in the last 6-12 months? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
100 |