Eight things to check. Most of them you can do yourself. None of them require a degree in marketing. A lot of SEO advice is written for other SEO people. This is not that.
1. Your Google Business Profile
This is the listing that appears in Google Maps and local searches. It shows before your website does on mobile, which makes it probably the single most important thing on this list.
- You have claimed and verified your Google Business Profile listing
- Your business name matches your website and your signage exactly
- Your primary category is specific, not vague (not just 'Restaurant' but the type of restaurant)
- Your address, phone number and website URL are correct
- Your opening hours are accurate, including Bank Holidays
- You have added at least ten photos, including inside, outside, your product or service, and ideally your team
- You have responded to every review you have received
- Your business description mentions what you do and where you are, in natural language
2. Local directory listings
Google uses consistency as a trust signal. If your business name, address and phone number appear differently across different websites, that creates noise. NAP consistency matters more than most owners realise.
- You are listed on Yell.com with correct details
- You are listed on Bing Places (Bing has a real share of local searches, especially on desktop)
- You are listed on Apple Maps via Apple Business Connect
- If you are a hospitality or tourism business, you have a current TripAdvisor listing
- If you are eligible, you are listed on the Bath BID directory
- If you are in hospitality or tourism, you are listed on Visit Bath
- Your name, address and phone number are identical across every listing
3. Your website basics
You do not need a technically perfect website. You need one that Google can read without problems and that loads quickly enough for people not to leave before it finishes.
- Your website loads in under three seconds on a phone (test it on Google PageSpeed Insights, it is free)
- Your website works properly on mobile
- Every important page has a unique title tag that includes what the page is about and mentions Bath
- Every page has a short meta description (the text that appears under your link in Google results)
- Your address and phone number appear on your website, ideally on every page in the footer
- Your website address starts with https, not http
- There are no broken links on your main pages
4. Your service pages
One page trying to cover everything is less effective than separate pages for each main thing you offer. Google cannot rank a page that is vague about what it is for. This is one of the most common issues we find when we audit a small business website.
- You have a separate page for each main service or product category
- Each page mentions Bath and relevant local context naturally in the copy
- Each page makes it obvious what someone should do next (call, book, enquire)
- Your pages contain real, useful information, not just marketing copy
- You have not copied content from other websites onto your pages (duplicate content hurts both pages)
5. Reviews
Reviews matter for two reasons. They influence Google's local ranking. And they influence whether someone picks you after they have found you. Both matter.
- You have a process for asking satisfied customers to leave a Google review
- You respond to every review, including negative ones, calmly and professionally
- Your review count is broadly competitive with similar Bath businesses
- You are not incentivising or faking reviews (Google will penalise your listing if it detects this)
6. Content and blogging
You do not need to publish every week. A few well-written, specific posts per year will do more than a high volume of thin content.
- You have a blog or news section on your website
- Your content answers real questions Bath customers ask, not just content for the sake of it
- If you rely on seasonal visitors, you have content targeting Bath's peaks (Christmas market, summer, events)
- You publish seasonal content weeks or months in advance, not during the season itself
- Your posts link through to relevant service pages on your own site (internal linking spreads authority)
7. Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool that shows you how Google sees your website. It tells you which searches are bringing people to your site, whether there are any errors Google has found, and whether your pages are being indexed properly.
- You have set up and verified Google Search Console for your website
- You have submitted your sitemap so Google knows which pages to index
- You check it at least monthly for errors or indexing issues
- You know which search terms are already bringing visitors to your site
8. AI search
More people are using tools like ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews to find businesses and plan visits. It is worth knowing whether your Bath business appears in them.
- You have searched for your business type in ChatGPT and in a Google AI summary
- Your website content is written clearly enough that an AI tool could confidently summarise what you do and recommend you
- You have FAQ content somewhere on your site that answers specific questions
What to do with your results
If most of this is ticked, you are in good shape. Keep the momentum going: consistent reviews, occasional content, and a monthly check of your Search Console data. If there are gaps, start with sections 1 and 3. Google Business Profile and website basics have the most immediate impact and are things you can fix yourself without any specialist help.