The Local SEO Checklist for Canadian Small Businesses
Local SEO isn't one big project. It's a short list of things done well and kept up. Here's the checklist, in the order that usually matters most.
When someone searches for a service 'near me', Google's local results are shaped by three broad factors it describes publicly: relevance (how well your business matches the search), distance, and prominence (how well known and well reviewed you are). You can't move your shop closer to every customer, but you can do a lot about relevance and prominence.
1. Google Business Profile
- Claim and verify your profile at business.google.com.
- Pick the most specific primary category, and add accurate secondary ones.
- Fill in hours (including holiday hours), service area, phone, website and a description in plain language.
- Add real photos of your work, team and location, and keep adding them.
- List your services or products with short descriptions.
2. Reviews
- Ask every customer, the same way, not only the ones you expect to be happy. Selective asking breaks Google's policy.
- Make it easy with your direct review link.
- Reply to reviews, especially critical ones, calmly and specifically.
- In Canada, emailed review requests need consent under CASL; a purchase in the last two years usually counts, and the email needs an unsubscribe.
3. Consistent name, address and phone
Your business name, address and phone number should be written the same way on your website, Google, Apple Maps, Bing Places, Yelp, YellowPages.ca, Facebook and other directories. Conflicting details make every listing less trustworthy to search engines and to customers.
4. Website basics
- A unique page title and meta description for each important page.
- One clear main heading per page that says what you do and where.
- Your phone number and address in the footer of every page.
- A clear call to action: call, book or request a quote.
- A page for each main service, rather than one page that lists everything.
- A mobile-friendly layout. Most local searches happen on phones.
5. Structured data
LocalBusiness structured data (schema.org markup) states your name, address, phone and hours in a format machines read directly. It helps search engines, and AI assistants, understand your business without guessing.
6. Track it
Re-check the basics on a schedule and watch the trend, not one day's result. Rankings move with competitors, seasons and algorithm updates.
Our free local SEO audit checks your website against most of this list in about a minute.
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