SEO Checklist for Small Businesses in Sri Lanka: 25 Things to Do

You don't need a big budget to get the SEO basics right. This checklist covers 25 things a small Sri Lankan business can do, in roughly the order they matter. Tick them off one by one.

Google Business Profile (do these first)

1. Claim and verify your Google Business Profile.
2. Choose the most specific primary category, such as "Dental clinic" rather than "Health".
3. Add accurate hours, including Poya day and public holiday hours.
4. Use your real business name, without stuffing keywords into it.
5. Add at least 10 good photos: outside, inside, team, products.
6. List your services or products with short descriptions.
7. Add your WhatsApp or phone number and website link.

Website basics

1. Use HTTPS. Your site should load with the padlock in the browser.
2. Make it mobile friendly. Test every page on an ordinary phone, not just your own.
3. Check speed. Run your homepage through PageSpeed Insights. See website speed for Sri Lankan mobile users.
4. Give every page a unique title tag with the main keyword near the start. Guide: title tags and meta descriptions.
5. Write a meta description for every important page.
6. Use one clear H1 on each page that says what the page is about.
7. Show your name, address and phone in the footer, exactly as on Google.

Content

1. Create one page per main service, not one page listing everything. See service pages that rank.
2. Use the words customers use. "Dental clinic Nugegoda", not "oral healthcare solutions".
3. Answer common questions on your pages: price ranges, timings, process.
4. Add an About page with real people, qualifications and history.
5. Link your pages to each other where it helps the reader.

Tracking

1. Set up Google Search Console and submit your sitemap. Guide: Search Console for beginners.
2. Set up Google Analytics 4 with conversions for calls, WhatsApp clicks and forms. Guide: GA4 setup.
3. Check monthly which searches bring you visitors.

Reviews and reputation

1. Ask every happy customer for a Google review, with a direct link. See how to get more Google reviews.
2. Reply to every review, good and bad, politely and quickly.
3. List your business consistently on key directories and social profiles. See local citations.

What to skip for now

• Buying backlinks
• Writing dozens of short blog posts
• Creating a page for every town you've never served
• Changing your website platform "for SEO" without a clear reason

Check where you stand

Run our free SEO health check on your homepage. It tests HTTPS, titles, meta descriptions, headings, mobile setup, speed, structured data and sitemaps in about 30 seconds.

If you'd like someone to work through this list for you, see our Local plan, designed for small businesses that serve a local area.