Easy to Follow SEO Checklist for MSMEs 2025

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can feel overwhelming for micro, small, and medium businesses. You know it’s important, but where do you start? If you plan to work with an SEO specialist or want to improve your website’s ranking, this SEO checklist will help you guide the conversation and ensure you focus on the right areas.

Use this SEO checklist to ask the right questions, understand key SEO areas, and make informed decisions about your website’s visibility and performance.

Basic but Powerful SEO Practices for Small Businesses

We have compiled a checklist for small business owners to keep their websites SEO healthy even when they don’t have an SEO expert on their team, they can still manage to rank on search engines.

1. Keyword Research: Finding the Right Search Query

Best Tools: Google Keyword Planner (free), Ubersuggest (free), Ahrefs (paid), SEMRush (10 free searches every day)

Your website won’t rank without the right keywords. You need queries that your customers search for.

✔ Focus on high-volume, low-competition keywords that bring in targeted visitors.
✔ Use long-tail keywords (e.g., “best coffee shop in Tallinn” instead of just “coffee shop”).
✔ Check keyword volume, competition, and intent using free tools.

Example: A small bakery shouldn’t just target “cakes.” Instead, use “custom birthday cakes in [your city]” to attract local buyers.

2. Image Optimization: Website Speed Matters

Best Tools: Squoosh (free)

Large images slow down your website, which hurts SEO and user experience.

✔ Compress images before uploading to reduce file size.
✔ Use descriptive alt text so search engines can understand the image.
✔ Choose the right format: WebP is the best format for uploading images on a website.

Example: A fashion boutique uploads product images without resizing them. The page takes too long to load, and visitors leave. By compressing images, loading time improves, leading to a better user experience.

3. Page Structure: One Title Tag per Page (H1)

Best Tools: Detailed SEO Chrome Extension (free)

Your website’s structure helps search engines understand your content.

✔ Each page should have only one H1 tag—usually the main headline.
✔ Use headings in a right order (H2, H3, H4, H5, H6).
✔ Make sure your tile (H1 tag) includes your focus keyword.

Example: A law firm’s homepage has multiple H1s, confusing Google. Fixing this helps search engines rank your content better.

4. Meta Titles & Descriptions: The First Impression

Best Tools: Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress (free), Rank Math for WordPress (free)

Meta titles and descriptions appear in Google search results, they must be optimized.

✔ Keep meta titles under 60 characters and descriptions under 160 characters.
✔ Include keywords naturally in your meta description and title and make it engaging.
✔ Avoid duplicate titles and meta descriptions across pages.

Example: A beauty salon’s homepage title says “Home – Welcome.” Instead, it should say “Best Hair Salon in [City] – Book Your Appointment Today.”

5. Internal Linking: Boosting Engagement & Rankings

Internal links help search engines navigate your site and keep visitors engaged.

✔ Link to relevant blog posts, service pages, and contact forms.
✔ Use descriptive anchor text (e.g., “learn more about wedding photography” instead of “click here”).

Example: A travel agency has a blog post about “Top 10 Destinations in 2024” but doesn’t link to its booking page. Adding an internal link increases conversions and strengthens SEO authority.

6. Mobile Optimization: Over 60% of Traffic is Mobile

Best Tools: Google Mobile-Friendly Test (free)

If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing potential customers.

✔ Ensure your site resizes properly on all devices (desktops, personal computers, tablets, mobiles, etc).
✔ Check for text that’s too small to read or buttons that are too close together.
✔ Speed up mobile loading times by using lightweight images.

Example: A small café’s website looks great on a desktop but is impossible to navigate on a phone. Making it mobile-friendly enhances user experience and helps with SEO.

7. Redirects: Keep Your Website Error-Free

Best Tools: WordPress Redirection Plugin (free)

Removing a page without a redirect can lead to broken links, frustrating visitors, and hurting SEO.

✔ If you delete a page, redirect it to the most relevant existing page.
✔ Use 301 redirects for permanent changes.
✔ Avoid sending users to unrelated pages, as this can harm user experience.

Example: A small business removes an outdated service page without setting up a redirect. Visitors clicking old links see a “404 error,” leading to lost leads and lower SEO rankings.

Conclusion: SEO Checklist for MSMEs

SEO doesn’t have to be complicated. This checklist helps MSMEs to focus on the most important SEO areas, so you can improve rankings, get more visitors, and turn them into customers.

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– Author: Mari-Liis Vaher