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Platform, Website, and GMB Checklist

This checklist covers the complete workflow for setting up and optimizing a marketing website platform, from foundational design through technical SEO and performance monitoring.

Phase 1: Foundation & Design​

  • Design Standards - Ensure website meets brand standards, accessibility, and quality design principles. See Design Standards Reference for detailed checklist.

  • Key Pages - Create all essential website pages including service pages, location pages, and audience pages. See Key Pages Reference for complete list.

  • User Experience Standards - Verify intuitive navigation, legibility, and social proof elements. See User Experience Standards Reference for detailed checklist.

Phase 2: Technical Infrastructure​

  • SSL Certificate - Verify SSL certificate is correctly installed and active for secure browsing.

  • URL Structure - Ensure proper URL hierarchy and site structure for SEO.

  • Privacy Policy - Create and implement privacy policy (required for paid advertising). See Privacy Policy Reference for resources.

  • Sitemap.xml - Ensure sitemap.xml is properly installed and submitted to search engines.

  • Robots.txt - Verify proper robots.txt file is in place to guide search engine crawlers.

  • SEO Plugin - Confirm SEO plugin (like Yoast) is installed and configured on CMS.

Phase 3: Content & SEO Setup​

  • Google Business Profile - Ensure GMB is fully set up, accurate, and complete.

  • Meta Titles and Descriptions - Ensure all pages have unique, optimized meta titles and descriptions.

  • Image Optimization - Optimize all images for speed and include relevant alt tags for accessibility and SEO.

  • Internal Linking - Implement effective internal linking strategy, especially to key service and location pages.

Phase 4: Performance Optimization​

  • CDN Implementation - Confirm Content Delivery Network (CDN) is in use for faster global content loading.

  • Page Speed Check - Monitor website page speed and ensure it meets industry performance standards.

  • Performance Scan - Run comprehensive site performance scans via tools like GTMetrix and Pingdom. See Performance Scan Reference for tools.

  • Mobile-Friendly Check - Verify website is mobile-responsive and performs well across all devices. See Mobile-Friendly Check Reference for testing tool.

Phase 5: Technical Audit​

  • Initial Site Crawl - Perform comprehensive site crawl to identify technical SEO and structural issues.

  • 404 Check - Identify and resolve broken links (404 errors) to maintain site health.

  • Redirect Chain Audit - Ensure there are no redirect chains, improving site speed and crawl efficiency.

  • Duplicate Content Check - Identify and resolve minimal, duplicate, or thin content issues.

  • Keyword Stuffing Check - Monitor for and remove any signs of keyword stuffing or black hat manipulation.

  • Thank You Pages Configuration - Set conversion 'thank you' pages to noindex to avoid traffic skewing.

Phase 6: Monitoring & Conversion​

  • Bot Traffic Check - Monitor to ensure no significant bot or spam traffic is impacting analytics accuracy.

  • Live Chat Widget - Install live chat widget to improve conversion and tracking. See Live Chat Widget Reference for options.

Reference Documents​