A local SEO checklist for small businesses in the GTA

Local SEO is how your business shows up when people nearby search for what you sell. For most small businesses in Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto, it brings in more enquiries than any other kind of marketing. Use this checklist to find the gaps.

Your Google Business Profile

• Claimed and verified, with the correct primary category.
• Name, address and phone number exactly match your website.
• Opening hours, services and service areas filled in.
• At least ten real photos, with new ones added every month.
• A steady flow of recent reviews, each with a reply.

Our guide on getting your business on Google Maps covers this step by step.

Your website

• Each main service has its own page, with a clear heading that says what you do and where.
• If you serve several cities, each has a genuinely useful page of its own, not a copy with the name swapped.
• Your address and phone number appear on every page, usually in the footer.
• The site loads quickly on a phone and every button is easy to tap.
• Contact forms are short and work. Test them yourself every month.
• Page titles and descriptions are written for people, not stuffed with keywords.

Across the web

• Your business is listed on the main Canadian directories and on industry sites, with the same details as your website.
• Old addresses and phone numbers are updated everywhere.
• Local organisations, suppliers and partners link to your website where it makes sense.

Tracking

• Google Search Console is set up, so you can see which searches you appear for.
• You track calls and form enquiries, not only visits, so you know what is working.

Where to start

If you only have an hour, start with your Google Business Profile and your contact forms: they have the fastest effect on enquiries. If you would like a second pair of eyes, our SEO team can review your local search set-up on a free 30-minute call.