Local SEO checklist for service businesses (2026)

Google Business Profile (10 items)

1. Primary category matches your top-money service exactly (e.g., "Plumber" not "Contractor").
2. Every secondary category you legitimately serve — up to 9 more.
3. Service area defined by ZIPs or cities, not a 25-mile radius blob.
4. Business name matches your storefront/legal name (no keyword stuffing).
5. Address matches your website, invoices, and citations exactly.
6. Phone number is a local (not 800) number, matched everywhere.
7. Hours reflect when a customer can actually reach your business; keep special hours current.
8. At least 20 photos: 5 exterior, 5 team, 5 job-in-progress, 5 finished work.
9. Products or Services listings populated with your top 10 offerings + prices.
10. Q&A section seeded with the 5 questions customers actually ask.

Reviews (5 items)

1. Use a consistent, policy-compliant review request process after completed work.
2. Owner replies within 48 hours to every review — positive AND negative.
3. Ask at the moment customers can accurately recall the completed work, using their preferred channel.
4. Negative reviews get a factual, empathetic reply — never argumentative.
5. Keywords appear naturally in review text ("emergency water heater install") — don't ask for them.

On-page SEO (7 items)

1. Unique title tag on every page, 50–60 chars, includes service + city.
2. Meta description 140–160 chars — the sales pitch, not the H1 repeated.
3. One H1 per page, matches the search intent of the URL.
4. Create location pages only where you have distinct, useful local information; do not publish near-duplicate city pages.
5. Internal links from home + service hubs to every city/service leaf.
6. NAP (name, address, phone) in the footer of every page.
7. Measure mobile performance and fix material loading, layout, and interaction issues; use Core Web Vitals as diagnostic metrics.

Citations & links (3 items)

1. Claim the listings that matter to customers in your market: Google, Apple Maps, Bing, Facebook, relevant trade directories, and legitimate local organizations.
2. Audit and correct material name, address, phone, and hours conflicts, especially after a move, rebrand, or phone change.
3. 3–5 hyperlocal links per quarter: chamber, sponsorship, local blog, supplier's dealer-locator.

Schema (2 items)

1. LocalBusiness JSON-LD on every service page (name, address, phone, hours, geo, priceRange).
2. FAQ, Service, and Breadcrumb schema wherever they legitimately match the content.

A sensible first 30 days

1. Week one: verify ownership, core business details, categories, hours, and the contact path on your website.
2. Week two: reconcile major listings and document any old phone numbers, addresses, or duplicate profiles.
3. Week three: publish or improve the service pages customers actually need, including proof of coverage and helpful FAQs.
4. Week four: launch a compliant review request routine and record baseline calls, form leads, rankings, and organic visits.

Frequently asked questions

Do citations still matter?

Accurate listings help customers find and contact a business. Prioritize the platforms your customers use and correct meaningful conflicts before chasing a large count of low-quality directories.

Should I create a page for every town nearby?

Only when the page can offer distinct information for that area. A small set of useful pages is stronger than a large set of interchangeable pages that add no value for a searcher.