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The Local SEO Checklist for Canadian Trades (2026)

Published Sep 2, 2026 · Last updated Sep 23, 2026 · 5 min read

This is the same checklist we run when we take on a new client. Work through it in an afternoon and you'll be ahead of most competitors in your city. It's also the companion to our free emailed version — if you'd rather have it in your inbox, the form below has you covered.

1. Google Business Profile basics

Primary category is specific (not "Contractor")
All secondary categories added
Service list matches what you actually sell
Photos: 10+ recent, real job photos
Hours, phone and website identical to your site
One Google Post published this week

2. Reviews

Ask every customer, same day, by text
Reply to every review, good or bad
Flag policy-violating reviews
Never buy or fake reviews — Google catches up eventually

Here is how to get more Google reviews.

3. Citations

Name, address and phone identical on Yellow Pages, BBB, Houzz, HomeStars and your municipal directories
No duplicate listings
Old addresses corrected everywhere you can

4. On-page signals

A clear page for each service you offer
City + service in title tags
LocalBusiness schema on the homepage
Fast on a phone — test your own site on cellular

5. Follow-up systems

Missed calls get an instant text back
Quotes get a follow-up in 48 hours
Past customers hear from you quarterly

See how missed-call text back works.

When to get help

If you've worked through this list and you're still not on page one, the problem is usually consistency, not knowledge. That's what we do all day — and the free audit is the fastest way to see where you stand. Get my free GBP audit →

Jonathan Larose-Sabourin

I run Loonglade Web Studio, where I build websites for Canadian trades and handle the local SEO around them — Google Business Profile optimization, review requests, and missed-call text-back. I also build the tools behind the studio, including a business directory platform and an automated site-generation pipeline. I'm based in British Columbia, and I write about what actually gets local businesses found and called.

Work with Jonathan →

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