Local SEO Checklist for Small Businesses: 42 Things to Do This Week

Print this. Tape it to your wall. Check off one section per day. By the end of two weeks every box is ticked and your local visibility starts compounding.

This Week: Profile Foundation (10 items)

1. Verify your business with Google (postcard, phone, or video)
2. Set the correct primary category
3. Add 3-5 additional categories
4. Confirm NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency across web
5. Set service-area or business-address mode correctly
6. Write a 700-char description with primary keyword + city
7. Add a local phone number (not just toll-free)
8. List your website URL
9. Set complete business hours (including special hours for holidays)
10. Upload your logo and cover photo (1200×900 px minimum)

This Week: Services & Trust Signals (8 items)

11. List 15+ services with one-line descriptions
12. Enable all applicable attributes
13. Add your founding year, license number, certifications
14. Upload 30+ photos (exterior, interior, team, work)
15. Add products if applicable (especially for retail)
16. Seed 8 Q&A entries with natural-language answers
17. Link to your website with proper UTM tracking
18. Add booking link if you accept appointments

Week 2: Reviews & Engagement (10 items)

19. Set up a review request system (email/SMS after service)
20. Reply to every existing review
21. Set a 24-hour reply SLA for new reviews
22. Coach customers to mention service + city in their reviews
23. Post your first Google Post (Offer type)
24. Schedule weekly posts for the next 4 weeks
25. Add a "review on Google" link to your email signature
26. Print a QR code linking to your review form
27. Respond to any unanswered Q&A on your profile
28. Report any fake or spam reviews

Week 2: Citations & Off-Profile (8 items)

29. Submit to Yelp with identical NAP
30. Submit to Better Business Bureau
31. Submit to Angi / HomeAdvisor (if home services)
32. Submit to industry-specific directories
33. Claim your Facebook business page
34. Claim your Apple Maps listing
35. Claim your Bing Places listing
36. Build 3-5 local backlinks (chamber, sponsorships)

Ongoing: Track & Iterate (6 items)

37. Set up rank tracking for 10 target keywords
38. Watch your Google Business Profile insights weekly
39. Re-run AI optimization quarterly
40. Audit categories every 6 months
41. Refresh photos monthly
42. Re-engage past customers for review velocity

That's 42. Most of our customers complete this in 2-3 weeks and see measurable Local Pack improvement by week 4.