Tradie Website Design Checklist

SEO Actions to Take on Your Website

Optimising your website for search engines is crucial for improving visibility and attracting organic traffic. Google Search is made up of complex algorithms, but at the heart of it all, search engines are aiming to rank the best and most relevant websites. Make it easier for both users and Google Search to see value in your website with our on-site SEO checklist.

On-site SEO Checklist

Get your website is primed for success with our top six SEO essentials.

1. Identify Your Keywords

The foundation of effective SEO starts with thorough keyword research. Begin by identifying relevant keywords that your target audience is searching for. These will need to be incorporated naturally into your content, including titles, meta descriptions, and throughout the body of your pages.

  • Brainstorm your Keywords, including your locations, your main business and the services you offer.
  • Compile a final list of keywords relevant to your business.

Want a professional keyword list to work from? Ask us to conduct keyword research for you.

2. One Page for Each Service

A well-organised website structure is essential for both user experience and search engine crawling. Ensure your site has a logical hierarchy, with clear categories and subcategories.

  • Ensure you have a page for each of your services.
  • Identify the keywords relevant to each page.
  • Use the keywords in relevant places eg. headings and sparingly in body text (do not overuse!)
  • Have a balance of words and text, aiming for 600 – 1000 words per page.

3. Logical Heading Structure

Ensure your headings are properly structured. This is essential for both readability and SEO. Headings are numbered from H1 onwards (eg. H1, H2, H3, etc.) Your H1 tag should contain the primary keyword and summarize the page’s content. Use H2s and H3s to break up sections and improve readability, incorporating secondary keywords where relevant. This hierarchical structure helps search engines understand the importance of your content and how it’s organized, improving the chances of ranking higher.

  • Have only one Heading 1 (H1) on each page – at the top.
  • Logically use headings thereafter, for example, a H3 should have a H2 above it, do not skip from H1 to H3.

4. Review Your Metadata

Each page on your website has metadata; often this is left blank. Your metadata communicates the content of a website for search engines. Your users will see the title and description on the search engine results page (SERP).

Complete the metadata for each of your pages. If you have trouble finding this in your website, ask your web developer for help. For those with a DIY website, search the help files for instructions.

Metadata: Title

  • Write a maximum of 65 characters (including spaces).
  • Include your keywords (eg. your services and/or location).
  • Each page must have its own unique title (do not duplicate them).

Metadata: Description

  • Write a maximum of 150 characters (including spaces)
  • Put your keyword near the beginning of the text.
  • Each page must have a unique description.

5. Add “alt text” For Images

Alt text, or alternative text, describes the images on your website. This is for two purposes, for screen readers for disabled users and for search engines. It is also an opportunity to add relevant keywords in the web page. But don’t overdo it. Make sure that the words you use do describe your image.

  • Ensure each image has an alt text completed

Having trouble finding alt text field on your website? Ask your web developer or search your website’s help files for instructions.

6. Site Speed

Site speed is a critical ranking factor that can significantly impact user experience. Slow-loading pages lead to higher bounce rates and can hurt your search engine rankings. Aim to have your website pages load within three seconds or less.

  • Check your website speed with: Google’s PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix
  • To fix slow websites:
    • Talk to your Website Developer
    • Optimise your images with tools such as TinyPNG
    • Optimise your videos, ensure they do not autoplay, and host them on external sites like, YouTube & Vimeo.
    • Check you have a fast website hosting plan

Key Takeaways

Taking the time to add SEO elements to your website will go a long way towards contributing to your success online. It will help your website to start ranking in Google Search for all your services. Plus it will contribute to your Google Business Profile appearing more often in Google’s Map Pack, also known as Local SEO.

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