You don’t need to be everywhere online. You need to be in the right places, done well. This checklist covers the essentials — the things that, if missing or neglected, are costing you customers right now.
1. Your Website Foundation
The website is still the center of your digital presence. Everything else points to it or depends on it.
- Fast load time — PageSpeed score above 80 on mobile (test at pagespeed.web.dev)
- Mobile-friendly — more than 60% of searches happen on mobile
- HTTPS / SSL — no “Not Secure” warning in the browser
- Clear call-to-action — visitors should know exactly what to do next
- Contact information visible — phone, email, or form above the fold
- About page — people buy from people; make it personal
- Services page — clearly describe what you do and who it’s for
2. Google Business Profile (Free, High Impact)
If you’re a local business and you haven’t claimed and optimized your Google Business Profile, you’re invisible to a massive chunk of potential customers.
- Claimed and verified your listing
- Business name, address, phone are accurate and consistent
- Business hours are up to date (including holidays)
- At least 10 photos uploaded (logo, storefront, team, products/services)
- Services and products listed with descriptions
- Responding to reviews (all of them — positive and negative)
- Posting updates at least once a month
A well-optimized Google Business Profile can appear in the “local pack” — the map + 3 results at the top of Google search — which gets 44% of all clicks for local searches.
3. On-Page SEO Basics
You don’t need to be an SEO expert. You just need to cover these fundamentals.
- Each page has a unique title tag (under 60 characters)
- Meta descriptions written for humans, not just robots (under 160 characters)
- Main keyword appears naturally in headings and body copy
- Images have descriptive alt text
- Site has a sitemap.xml submitted to Google Search Console
- robots.txt is present and not blocking pages you want indexed
4. Social Media (Pick 1–2, Do Them Well)
The mistake most businesses make is trying to maintain 5 social channels and doing all of them poorly. Pick the one or two where your customers actually are.
- Profile is complete (logo, bio, link to website)
- Consistent posting schedule (even 2x/week is fine if it’s consistent)
- Engaging with comments and messages within 24 hours
- Mixing content types: tips, behind-the-scenes, testimonials, offers
For most service businesses: LinkedIn + Facebook or Instagram + Google Business depending on your audience.
5. Lead Capture
You’re spending time and money getting people to your website. Are you capturing their information?
- Contact form (not just a phone number or email link)
- Booking / scheduling option for consultations
- Newsletter or email list signup
- Clear privacy policy (legally required if collecting data in most jurisdictions)
6. Reviews and Social Proof
93% of consumers say online reviews influence their purchase decision.
- Actively asking satisfied customers for Google reviews
- Testimonials displayed on your website
- Case studies or portfolio showcasing past work
- Response strategy for negative reviews (acknowledge, don’t argue)
7. Analytics
If you’re not measuring, you’re guessing.
- Google Analytics 4 installed and tracking
- Google Search Console connected and sitemap submitted
- Monthly review of which pages get traffic and which don’t
- Tracking conversions (form submissions, phone calls, bookings)
How many of these does your business have covered? If you’re missing more than a few, reach out to us — we can audit your current digital presence and build a prioritized plan to fill the gaps.
