The document outlines a 4 step SEO checklist: 1) Research keywords and analyze competitors. 2) Optimize website structure and content for keywords. Add technical elements like sitemaps and metadata. 3) Build links from relevant websites and directories to establish reputation. Create shareable content. 4) Track rankings, traffic, revenue and ROI to optimize conversions.

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The ULTIMATE
SEO Checklist
Copyright © Main Street ROI.

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Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................3
Step 1. Research ..............................................................................................................3
Step 2. Relevance ........................................................................................................... 4
Step 3. Reputation ......................................................................................................... 6
Step 4. Revenue.............................................................................................................. 9
Want More SEO Tips? ..................................................................................................10

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Introduction
The Ultimate SEO Checklist outlines the key actions you’ll want to take to get your
website ranked in Google, so you start attracting new customers every month. The
checklist is organized around the 4 principles of effective SEO (The 4 R’s):
1. Research
2. Relevance
3. Reputation
4. Revenue
Step 1. Research
The first step is keyword research. When you pick the RIGHT keywords, you can get
ranked in Google much faster and you’ll attract more qualified leads and paying
customers. Here are the steps to brainstorm, identify, research, categorize, and test
your keyword opportunities.
First, brainstorm keywords.
o Brainstorm your core “product” and “service” keywords (buying intent)
o Brainstorm keyword “modifiers” (geography, customer segments, etc)
o Brainstorm “research” keywords
Then, find search volume.
 Use Google’s free tool to find the search volume for your keywords
 https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner
Competitor research.
 Analyze your competitors’ Title tags to see what keywords they’re targeting
 “Spy” on your competitors’ PPC keywords, so you can see what keywords are
most likely to convert into qualified leads and customers
o Recommended resource: http://www.mainstreetroi.com/spyfu
Categorize.
 Organize your keywords into categories based on product/service, etc.
Prioritize
 By search volume
 By intent (focus on keywords that people search when looking to buy/hire)
 By difficulty to get ranked in Google
o Check number of search results for allintitle: “keyword phrase”
o Fewer results = fewer competing website optimizing for that term
Test
 Test keywords with PPC to see if they convert, before investing in SEO

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Step 2. Relevance
Once you’ve selected your keywords, now it’s time to make your website relevant to
these keywords. First, you’ll want to modify your website structure, and then you’ll
want to edit all of your pages. Then, there are several technical aspects you’ll want
to make sure are fixed. And finally, you’ll want to take advantage of local SEO,
blogging, and the explosion of mobile traffic.
Website Structure
 Match up your main keyword categories to different pages of your website
o Assign “buying intent” keywords to homepage and service pages
o Assign “research” keywords to content pages (blog/article/FAQ)
 Inter-link pages in navigation and content, using keywords when appropriate
Web Page Optimization
 Title tags
o Use keywords early; 65 characters or less; unique title for each page
 Meta description
o Use keywords early; 154 characters or less; unique description for each
page
 Body copy
o Use keywords early, but don’t stuff, and use a mix of different keyword
variations.
o Provide enough content to fully satisfy the searcher’s intent
o Make content easy to read (short paragraphs, bullet points)
 Headers (H1, H2, H3, etc)
o Use descriptive headers, and incorporate keywords as appropriate. But
write more for readers than search engines. And ideally use different
keyword variation vs title tag.
 URL
o Include keyword in URL; separate words with hyphens
 Images
o Name image filenames with descriptive keywords (hyphens between
words) and create descriptive ALT tags

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Technical Aspects
 Indexing: make sure Google is finding all of your pages
o Search site:yourwebsite.com in Google
o Use ScreamingFrog: https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/
 Check website speed (aim for score of 75+)
o https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights
 Check if your website is mobile friendly
o https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/
 XML Sitemap
o Add an XML sitemap http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/
 Broken Links:
o Check for broken links w/ ScreamingFrog:
 https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/
 Canonicalization: make sure pages only load with or without “www” (not both)
 Setup Google Search Console
o https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools
 Add Schema.org markup
o https://developers.google.com/structured-data/testing-tool/
 Make HTTPS standard
Blogging for SEO
 Use Wordpress and install either “All in One SEO Pack” or “Yoast” plugin
 Host blog in sub-directory (website.com/blog/) - not a subdomain
 Target “long tail” keyword phrases (3+ words) and use keyword in headline
 Publish at least 1/month (preferably 1/week)
Local SEO
 Create a Google+ Local profile
o To set up your Google My Business listing, go to
 https://www.google.com/business/
 Ensure that Name, Address, and Phone Number are consistent
o With your website
o With other online profiles: www.moz.com/local/search

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 Verify your listing
 Complete ALL available fields
 Do NOT keyword stuff in your company name!
 Make sure to add relevant categories
o List of categories: http://blumenthals.com/Google_LBC_Categories
 Add relevant keywords and a call-to-action to profile Description
o But ensure the description reads naturally
 Be sure to set up a separate listing for each geographical location
 Check to see if you have any duplicate listings; if so, merge them as needed
 If you travel to your clients, consider adding a “Service Area” section of your
website with separate pages for each town/area that you service.
Step 3. Reputation
Once you’ve selected your keywords and optimized your website, the next step is to
establish your website reputation. The main criteria Google uses to judge your
website’s reputation are the links pointing from other websites to your website.
Below are our recommended guidelines for getting authentic links, so you establish
a trusted reputation with Google.
Link Criteria
 Trusted Domains: Avoid building too many “self-created” links; the highest
quality links are from trusted websites that have used “editorial discretion.”
 Relevant Domains: Aim to get links from domains that are relevant to your
business (industry, location, etc)
 Diverse Domains: Aim to get links from many unique domains, rather than
lots of links from a handful of sites
 Anchor Text: Avoid over-concentrated anchor text.
 Deep Links: Build links to a variety of pages on your website (not just your
homepage)

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Directories
 Submit to major national business directories
o Resource: Top 50 Local Citation Websites (US, UK, Canada)
 https://www.brightlocal.com/2013/09/11/top-50- local-
citation-sites/
 Submit to local directories
o Resource: Local Citation Websites for Top 100 USA Cities
 https://www.brightlocal.com/2015/03/31/local-citation- sites-
for-top- 100-usa- cities/
 Submit to industry-specific directories
o Resource: Best Niche Citation Websites for 41 Business Categories
 https://www.brightlocal.com/2014/10/09/top-citation- sites/
Offline Relationships
 Personal contacts
 Associations
 Business partners
 Sponsorships
Guest Blogging
 Reach out to warm contacts and ask to contribute article
 Research in Google (search: “[keyword]” + “guest post”)
 Outreach, follow up, submit, promote, say thanks, repeat
Competitor Research
 Use these tools to identify your competitors’ links and anchor text – so you can
get those links too
o Open Site Explorer - https://moz.com/researchtools/ose/
o Ahrefs - https://ahrefs.com/
Create Linkworthy Content (“Linkbait”)
 Top X lists
 In-depth guides
 Research or survey results
 Infographics
 Viral video

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Social Media 101
 Create accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest
 Build your network on an ongoing basis
 Make your web pages sharable (use AddThis.com)
 Stay engaged with your audiences
Reputation Management 101
 Publish branded content to own the Top 10 results for your brand keywords
 Get authentic positive reviews on an ongoing basis
 Monitor your reputation on an ongoing basis
 Respond immediately to complaints
 Identify the root cause of any problems (prevent future complaints)

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Step 4. Revenue
At this point, we’ve covered the 3 main steps to get ranked in Google. Once you’re
ranking in Google, the final step is to turn your rankings and clicks into customers
and revenue…
 7 Key Factors to Increase Conversions
1. Attention-Getting Headline
2. Customer-Focused Copy
3. Unique-Selling Proposition
4. Irresistible Offer
5. Clear Call-to-Action
6. Social Proof (testimonials, endorsements, etc)
7. Credibility Indicators
Tracking
 Rankings
o Google Analytics + Webmaster Tools
o RankRanger (www.rankranger.com)
 Traffic
o Google Analytics: Traffic Sources > Search > Organic
 Revenue
o eCommerce Analytics tracking
o Phone tracking
o CRM tracking
 Return on Investment (ROI)
o Add up your SEO costs
o Add up your SEO revenue
o ROI = (Revenue – Costs) / Costs

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Want Help with SEO?
Click below to request a Free Search Engine Optimization Quote:
https://www.mainstreetroi.com/seo-quote/
Or call 888-405-0307 to speak with a consultant.
To Your Success!
Phil Frost
Main Street ROI