Small and large businesses have different marketing needs, but there is a basic marketing checklist for businesses to follow as they develop a marketing foundation. Any time I do a marketing audit, these are the items I review.
Website
Website Basics
In today’s day and age, you need a website. The functionality of the website varies business to business, but should always include basic information including a home page, contact form, contact information, an about page and a product/service page. As the business grows, the website content should as well, expanding on industry knowledge through blogs to assist in search engine rankings.
Depending on whether the company sells products or provides service, the website should also allow scheduling/purchasing/contact information to capture leads.
Optimized Website
Once a website has been created, the next step is to optimize the content. In a perfect world, websites are built around a search engine-focused foundation, however that is rarely the case.
Optimized content should always include the following:
- Optimized headings and titles based on keyword research. Keyword clusters should include both short-tail and long-tail queries. Ideal terms have high search volume and low competitive keyword difficulty.
- Internal linking. The backbone of SEO is relevance and authority in what the user is searching for. When you create compelling content relevant to your business that links from page to page, it demonstrates knowledge in the industry to web crawlers.
- Backlinks. This refers to websites that link to your site. The more backlinks you acquire, the more authority you build in that space.
- Blogs. Create compelling content, attract relevant users to your site. Simple as that. Not including the extensive keyword research, formatting, proofing, and copywriting, of course.
- Alt text. This is imperative for accessibility.
- Metatags. Optimized titles and relevant meta descriptions ensure an increased click-through rate from searches.
Google Business Profile
Creating a Google Business Profile is a crucial component to local SEO. Your GBP is what is shown in web or map searches. For example, searching “real estate offices near me” will show all companies that have categorized as Real Estate in the area in which you are searching. The GBP displays the company’s location, contact information, and link. An insider secret is that Google favors Google, the more you utilize their products, such as sharing updates to your business profile, the higher your company’s chance is of being seen.
The kicker with GBP, though, is that businesses can only create one if they have a physical location. Therefore these profiles are not for anyone who works from their home whether it’s art, freelance, or anything that doesn’t operate out of an official storefront or office space.
Social Media
Whether it’s TikTok, Meta, LinkedIn, X… you should have at least one social media channel in a platform that’s relevant. When crafting content for social media, note that different posting capabilities (ex: character limits/image dimensions) that should be considered. You should aim for consistent branding, such as colors, fonts, and messaging. Follow trends when you can, including trending (but also relevant) hashtags and audios for a greater reach and increase in visibility.
Social media profiles should include a cohesive bio with links to the website. Utilize programs like LinkTree if you’re wanting to link to more than just one page.
Client List
Earlier I noted that websites should include a contact form. Businesses should keep contact lists including but not limited to leads, current customers/clients, dormant customers, and segments specific to the company. Client lists allow mass communication to targeted audiences. Direct communication through email marketing is a great way to share updates and promotions.
There are many avenues to explore when doing a marketing audit. This checklist is items I like to focus on in my initial audits to see what my clients are doing well, as well as focus areas to build on. Optimizing these items provide a strong foundation for organic traffic to build on over time.
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