A Step-by-Step Guide to Improving Your Rankings
You don’t need to be an SEO expert to improve your website’s visibility.
You just need a process.
At Root Company, we know that not every small business is ready to pay for a full-service monthly SEO package. But that doesn’t mean you have to wait to get started. With the right tools and checklist, you can run your own SEO audit and uncover real opportunities to boost your rankings, traffic, and online presence.
Here’s our go-to SEO audit checklist for small businesses—designed to be approachable, actionable, and effective.
1. Technical SEO Basics
Before search engines can rank your site, they need to crawl and index it properly.
Check the following:
- Is your site mobile-friendly?
→ Use Google’s Lighthouse Insights - Is your site secure (HTTPS)?
→ Your URL should start with “https://” and show a padlock in the browser. - Does your site load quickly?
→ Test with PageSpeed Insights and aim for under 3 seconds. - Is your sitemap submitted to Google?
→ Check or submit it in Google Search Console. - Is your robots.txt file blocking important pages?
→ Use tools like Screaming Frog or visit yourdomain.com/robots.txt to check.
2. On-Page SEO
Each page should be optimized to target a specific keyword or search intent.
Review for each key page (homepage, service pages, top blog posts):
- Page has a unique and keyword-focused title tag (under 60 characters)
- Page has a compelling meta description (under 160 characters)
- One H1 headline per page, using your primary keyword
- Keywords appear naturally in body text, subheadings, and image alt tags
- Page has internal links to related pages on your site
- URL is clean and descriptive (e.g., /services/dog-training vs. /page1?id=abc123)
3. Content Audit
Google rewards helpful, original content that matches user intent.
Review your blog and core pages for:
- Outdated or thin content (less than 300 words)
- Pages with duplicate content or overly similar topics
- Missing FAQs, customer testimonials, or clear CTAs
- Lack of visual content (images, video, graphics)
- Content that answers real questions your audience is searching for
4. Local SEO (If You Serve a Local Area)
If your business depends on local customers, local SEO is critical.
Check the following:
- Your Google Business Profile is claimed and fully filled out
→ Add hours, photos, services, and a compelling business description - Your name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across your website and directory listings
- You have location-specific content or landing pages (e.g., “Plumbing Services in Ann Arbor”)
- You’re actively collecting Google reviews and responding to them
5. Backlink Profile
Backlinks (other websites linking to yours) are a major trust signal for Google.
Use free or low-cost tools like Ahrefs,Semrush, or SpyFu to check:
- Do you have any backlinks at all?
- Are they coming from reputable, relevant websites?
- Are there toxic links (links that you purchased and have received notice about) that should be disavowed?
- Have your competitors earned links from local directories, blogs, or industry sites you could pursue?
Start small: Focus on quality over quantity. A few great local or industry links can go a long way.
6. Analytics & Tracking
You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
Make sure you have:
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) installed and tracking properly
- Google Search Console connected to monitor search performance
- Defined conversion goals (form submissions, phone clicks, etc.)
- Clear monthly reports on traffic, top-performing pages, and rankings
Bonus: Quick Wins You Can Do This Week
- Fix broken links (use a plugin or tool like Ahref’s Free Broken Link Checker)
- Optimize image file names and add descriptive alt text
- Add your business to 3–5 new reputable directories
- Update a top blog post with new content and re-promote it
- Add a keyword-rich FAQ section to your most important service page
Want Help With Your SEO Audit?
You don’t need an enterprise-level budget to make meaningful SEO improvements. With this simple audit checklist, you can take control of your website’s performance, identify missed opportunities, and start building a stronger search presence—one fix at a time.
At Root Company, we love helping small businesses grow smarter. If you need support turning this checklist into a full strategy, we’re here to help.
Book a free SEO strategy call and we’ll review your checklist results together—then give you personalized next steps to improve your rankings.
Book your free strategy call now »