SEO Tasks
SEO Tasks — Complete SEO optimization tasks
Help for claimed shop owners to understand, act on, and track SEO improvements for your physical store.
This document explains the SEO Tasks and SEO Audit pages you see in your shop admin. It’s written for non-technical owners/managers so you can quickly understand what each item means, why it matters, and what to do next.
Quick summary — what you’ll get from this page
A checklist of high-impact SEO tasks (title/meta, hours, contact, photos, keywords, reviews, sitemap, etc.) you can complete to improve local search visibility.
A site audit report that scores your website (0–100) and highlights technical issues.
Visual charts showing trends (score over time, sitemap URL counts, HTTP status distribution, images missing ALT).
Detailed samples: sitemap URLs, on-page title & meta, H1s, images with missing ALT, duplicate titles, and a raw HTML sample.
Exportable PDF/CSV reports you can share with your web developer or marketing team.
How to use this guide (one-page workflow)
Run an audit to get a baseline technical score and list of issues.
Scan the top-priority items: HTTP status, site accessibility, missing sitemap, and very low score elements.
Work the task checklist — use the page links (UI buttons) to edit the website content or local listing items (title, hours, phone, photos, reviews).
Mark tasks complete in the checklist once you’ve updated your content or listing.
Re-run the audit to validate changes and watch the score and charts for improvement.
Export the audit or checklist (PDF/CSV) if you need to hand it off.
What the audit score means
Good (≥ 75) — Most critical issues addressed. Keep monitoring and keep content fresh.
Average (40–74) — There are problems that may harm search visibility or user experience (fix medium-priority issues).
Poor (< 40) — Urgent attention needed (site availability, indexability, heavy technical problems).
The score is a composite of multiple checks (on-page, images, sitemap, HTTP status, structured data, etc.). Treat the score as a diagnostic starting point rather than a guaranteed ranking predictor.
Key audit sections (what they are & what to do)
1. HTTP Status & Availability
What it shows: The HTTP response (200, 301, 404, 5xx) and fetch timing. Why it matters: If the site is unreachable or returns errors, search engines and customers can’t access your site. Action: Ensure the homepage returns a healthy 200; fix redirects; resolve server errors; speak with your hosting provider or web developer for 5xx issues.
2. Sitemap
What it shows: Whether a sitemap.xml was found and a sample of URLs it contains.
Why it matters: The sitemap helps search engines find and index your pages.
Action: If none found, generate and upload a sitemap (many CMSs have plugins). Make sure the sitemap includes your important pages (home, contact, category/product pages).
3. On-page checks (title, meta description, canonical, H1s)
What it shows: The homepage title, meta description, canonical tag, H1 count and text. Why it matters: Titles and meta descriptions affect click-through and relevance. H1s and canonical tags affect indexing and duplicate content handling. Actions & best practices:
Title: 50–60 characters, include primary keyword and city when relevant (e.g., “Bakery & Cakes — Downtown CityName”).
Meta description: ~120–160 chars: short benefit + call-to-action (e.g., “Freshly baked goods daily. Order online or visit our Downtown shop.”).
H1: One clear H1 per page that reflects page purpose.
Canonical: Use canonical tags to point to the preferred URL for duplicate content.
4. Duplicate Titles
What it shows: Titles that appear on multiple URLs in your site sample. Why it matters: Duplicate titles confuse search engines and dilute rankings. Action: Give each important page a unique title that reflects its content (product names, categories, city/location info).
5. Images (ALT attributes, sizes, status)
What it shows: Sample of images found, whether they have alt attributes, file size, and response status.
Why it matters: alt text improves accessibility and gives search engines context; overly large images slow page speed.
Action:
Add descriptive
alttext for each important image (e.g., “Exterior of [Your Shop] on Main Street”).Compress large images to improve load times without sacrificing quality.
6. Sitemap link table & sampled page checks
What it shows: Clickable sample URLs from sitemap and whether they were actually fetched (status code & content length). Why it matters: Confirms that pages listed in the sitemap are live and indexable. Action: Fix pages returning errors and update sitemap accordingly.
7. Raw HTML sample
What it shows: A snippet of the website HTML content captured during the audit (safe for debugging). Why it matters: Helps a developer inspect meta tags, structured data, and markup issues. Action: Share this with your web person if complex fixes are needed.
Charts — how to read them
Score over time: Shows audit score trend. Upward trend = improvements working.
Sitemap URL count: If stable or increasing (expected as you add pages), fine. Sudden drop may indicate pages were removed or blocked.
HTTP status distribution: Shows how many pages returned 2xx vs 3xx/4xx/5xx. Aim for mostly 2xx.
Images missing ALT over time: Shows whether you’re improving image accessibility.
Practical SEO Tasks checklist (owner-friendly)
Complete these to improve local discoverability and user experience.
Priority (quick wins)
Technical / developer tasks
Suggested copy examples
Title (homepage):
My Craft Bakery — Fresh Bread & Pastries | Downtown CityNameMeta description:
Freshly baked artisanal bread and pastries in Downtown CityName. Order online or visit us today. Call +1-234-567-8901.Image ALT:
Interior view of My Craft Bakery showing display of pastries
Reviews — short scripts to respond
Positive: “Thank you, [Name]! We’re delighted you enjoyed [product/service]. Looking forward to your next visit!”
Negative: “We’re sorry to hear about your experience, [Name]. Please contact us at [phone/email] so we can make this right.”
Be calm, polite, and offer contact offline to resolve details.
When to contact support or a developer
Audit shows frequent 5xx errors, timeouts, or site is unreachable.
You’re unsure how to create or upload a sitemap, fix canonical tags, or add structured data.
If you need help compressing images and implementing lazy loading to speed pages.
Reporting & sharing
After running an audit, download the PDF or export the task list to share with your web developer or marketing person.
Keep a record of audit dates and results to measure improvements.
FAQ (short)
Q: Does a better audit score guarantee higher rankings? A: No single metric guarantees ranking. The audit identifies technical and on-page issues that help search engines index and understand your site. Fixing them improves the chance of better visibility when combined with good content, reviews, and local listings.
Q: How often should I run audits? A: After major changes (new site content, site redesign), or every few weeks while actively updating content.
Q: What is the fastest way to improve visibility? A: Fix critical issues (site availability & sitemap), ensure accurate business info (name, phone, hours), add high-quality photos, and get/respond to reviews.
Next steps (quick checklist for owners)
Run the audit now to get the baseline score.
Complete the Priority (quick wins) items today.
Share the audit PDF with whoever manages your website to fix technical items.
Re-run audit in 1–2 weeks to check improvements.
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