The 2026 Evidence Checklist for Cabinet Maker SEO

A portfolio-heavy cabinet maker site should be technically reviewable before more content is added. These checks focus on whether important pages can be discovered, loaded, interpreted, and reached from relevant project examples.

Check: Portfolio image delivery Evidence required: A sample of major service pages and project galleries, original image dimensions, delivered image dimensions, file format, file weight, and a mobile PageSpeed Insights review.

Pass/fail condition: Pass when images are sized close to their displayed dimensions, modern formats such as WebP or AVIF are used where the stack supports them, the largest visual is not unnecessarily oversized, and the page remains usable while images load.

Fail when full-size originals are routinely sent to small display slots or essential portfolio content becomes difficult to use on mobile. Severity: High for image-heavy landing pages. Owner: Web developer or site administrator.

Corrective action: Resize source assets for their actual placements, generate responsive variants, compress carefully enough to preserve finish and joinery detail, and lazy-load below-the-fold media where appropriate.

Validation step: Retest the same page template on mobile, compare delivered dimensions with rendered dimensions, and visually inspect representative wood grain, edge detail, and finish texture. Tools: ShortPixel, Squoosh, PageSpeed Insights.

Check: Structured data accuracy Evidence required: The visible business name, address or service-area configuration, contact details, page purpose, any existing JSON-LD, and a record of which schema types are currently implemented.

Pass/fail condition: Pass when markup uses applicable schema types, matches the visible page, and does not label a custom project, service, or business as something it is not. Fail when markup contains unsupported claims, stale business information, fabricated reviews, or a Product representation for content that is not actually a product offering.

Severity: Medium because incorrect markup can create ambiguity even when it does not produce a rich result. Owner: SEO lead with developer review. Corrective action: Remove unsupported properties, align LocalBusiness or other applicable markup with the visible content, and keep structured data descriptive rather than promotional.

Validation step: Test the deployed markup with Google Rich Results Test where relevant and inspect the rendered source. Treat Schema.org vocabulary as a reference for meaning, not as a promise of search visibility. Tools: Schema.org, Google Rich Results Test.

Check: Mobile usability and Core Web Vitals diagnostics Evidence required: Mobile PageSpeed Insights results, Search Console page experience or Core Web Vitals reporting when available, and manual tests of navigation, galleries, forms, and contact actions on a phone-sized viewport.

Pass/fail condition: Pass when key pages can be navigated and used without blocked controls, unreadable text, unstable gallery interactions, or avoidable performance problems. Fail when important calls to action, image galleries, or forms are difficult to use on common mobile layouts.

Severity: High for pages that receive meaningful mobile traffic. Owner: Web developer. Corrective action: Fix layout shifts, oversized assets, blocking scripts, inaccessible controls, and mobile interaction defects in the affected template rather than chasing a score in isolation.

Validation step: Repeat the field-oriented and lab diagnostics and complete the same user journey manually after deployment. Tools: PageSpeed Insights, Search Console.

Check: Internal link paths from projects to services Evidence required: Crawl data, a list of indexable project pages, their internal links, and the destination used for the primary cabinetry service context.

Pass/fail condition: Pass when relevant project pages include descriptive links to the service or category page that genuinely explains the work shown, and important service pages are reachable through normal site navigation.

Fail when galleries are isolated, links rely on vague anchors, or project pages point to unrelated destinations. Severity: Medium to high depending on how much of the site is isolated. Owner: SEO lead or content manager.

Corrective action: Add contextual links from real project descriptions to the cabinet maker SEO hub only where that destination is relevant, and repair broken or orphaned navigation paths. Validation step: Re-crawl the site and manually confirm that a reader can move from a representative project to the relevant service context without using search. Tools: Screaming Frog, Ahrefs.

Carpenter service and project pages should help a prospective client understand what the shop actually builds, how the work differs by scope, and which evidence supports each claim.

Check: Distinct service and project pages Evidence required: The current service list, project categories, Search Console query themes, and examples of genuinely different estimating or client questions.

Pass/fail condition: Pass when a dedicated page exists only for a genuinely distinct service or project type with its own scope, evidence, questions, and next step. Fail when materially different services are collapsed into one vague page or when near-duplicate pages exist only to target wording variations.

Severity: High when the page structure hides an important service; lower when the difference is mainly editorial. Owner: Business owner with the content or SEO lead. Corrective action: Consolidate overlapping pages and create a focused page only when the service is real, distinct, and supported by project evidence. Validation step: Compare retained pages side by side and confirm each answers a different client need.

Check: Image alternative text and surrounding context Evidence required: Representative portfolio images, their alternative text, captions where used, and nearby project copy. Pass/fail condition: Pass when informative images have concise text that describes what is visibly relevant and surrounding copy supplies useful material or project context.

Fail when meaningful images are unlabeled, descriptions repeat generic phrases, or text claims details not shown or verified. Severity: Medium, with accessibility as the primary reason to correct meaningful omissions.

Owner: Content manager or site administrator. Corrective action: Rewrite alternative text around the visible subject and keep contextual copy factual rather than keyword-stuffed. Validation step: Inspect the page with images hidden or through an accessibility review and confirm the remaining text stays accurate.

Check: Material and process decision content Evidence required: Shop-approved information about materials, finishes, hardware, joinery, installation constraints, maintenance, and limits on what the business offers.

Pass/fail condition: Pass when the page explains useful tradeoffs a prospective client can apply during design or estimating. Fail when the copy is generic, copied from suppliers, or makes superiority claims the carpenter cannot support.

Severity: Medium to high when the page is used early in qualification. Owner: Content lead with a carpenter or estimator as factual reviewer. Corrective action: Replace generic language with shop-specific decision information and distinguish available options from project-dependent recommendations.

Validation step: Have the subject-matter reviewer confirm the content against current estimating and production practice.

Check: Broken project and inquiry paths Evidence required: Crawl data, internal-link reports, live project buttons, contact actions, and server responses. Pass/fail condition: Pass when important internal links resolve to live, relevant destinations and the user can move from a project to a service or inquiry path without interruption.

Fail when an important path returns a 404 response, points to an unrelated destination, or strands the visitor. Severity: High on project and conversion paths. Owner: Web developer or site administrator.

Corrective action: Restore the intended page where it still belongs, update the internal link, or redirect only when a genuinely equivalent destination exists. Keep broader service context aligned with the /industry/home/carpenter strategy already referenced in this section.

Validation step: Re-crawl the affected paths and manually complete the same journey from service page to project page to inquiry action.

Local visibility depends on accurate business information, useful location context, a complete profile, and legitimate customer feedback. Profile activity can support customer understanding, but it should not be presented as a guaranteed or official ranking lever.

Check: Google Business Profile category fit Evidence required: The current primary and secondary categories shown in the live profile, the services actually offered, and the customer-facing description of the business.

Pass/fail condition: Pass when the primary category is the most specific available category that accurately describes the core business, such as Cabinet Maker when that category is available and correct, and secondary categories are also truthful.

Fail when a broad or unrelated category is chosen only to chase visibility. Severity: High because category mismatch can misdescribe the business. Owner: Business owner or profile manager. Corrective action: Review the categories currently available inside Google Business Profile and select only those that accurately fit the operation, including Furniture Maker or Kitchen Remodeler only when they genuinely apply.

Validation step: Confirm the live profile reflects the intended category set and that the website supports the same service description. Tools: Google Business Profile Manager.

Check: Business information and service-area accuracy Evidence required: Live profile name, address visibility settings, phone, website destination, hours, service areas, and corresponding website contact information.

Pass/fail condition: Pass when the profile matches real-world business information and service areas describe where the business actually serves customers. Fail when locations, addresses, or market names are invented for search coverage or conflict with the website.

Severity: High. Owner: Business owner or profile manager. Corrective action: Correct stale fields and remove nominal markets that do not represent genuine service coverage. Create a dedicated location page only for a real location with useful location-specific information; do not create a page for every market label automatically.

Validation step: Compare the profile, contact page, and any genuine location pages for consistency after edits are published. Tools: Google Business Profile Manager.

Check: Project photos and profile updates Evidence required: Recent approved project photos, photo rights or permissions, profile posts if the feature is available, and the corresponding project record.

Pass/fail condition: Pass when photos are authentic, accurately captioned, and useful to customers evaluating style, materials, or capabilities. Fail when stock imagery is presented as shop work, captions misstate location, or the team publishes updates solely to simulate activity.

Severity: Medium. Owner: Profile manager with project lead approval. Corrective action: Publish truthful shop and installation imagery when it helps a prospective customer understand the work, and use neighborhood or city context only when it is accurate and appropriate to disclose.

Geo-tagging or a posting cadence should be treated as an operating choice, not a guaranteed ranking tactic. Validation step: Open the public profile and verify that images, captions, and project context match the internal record. Tools: Mobile Phone, GBP App, GeoImgr.

Check: Review request practice Evidence required: The customer list eligible for a review request, the request copy, sending rules, any automation settings, and examples of how positive and negative feedback are handled.

Pass/fail condition: Pass when eligible customers are asked consistently for honest feedback without incentives, pressure, review gating, or instructions to include search phrases. Fail when only satisfied customers are selected, negative feedback is suppressed, or customers are told what to write.

Severity: High because manipulative review practices create policy and trust risk. Owner: Business owner or customer experience lead. Corrective action: Replace selective or keyword-directed requests with a neutral request process sent at an appropriate point after the project experience, and keep private service recovery separate from whether someone may leave a public review.

Validation step: Audit the request workflow from customer eligibility through message delivery and confirm both favorable and critical feedback remain possible. Tools: Podium, BirdEye.

Off-page work should be grounded in real relationships and verifiable references. A link is useful when it exists because a designer, association, publication, supplier, or collaborator has a legitimate reason to mention the shop, not because the placement merely looks authoritative.

Check: Partner and collaborator references Evidence required: A list of designers, architects, builders, fabricators, or other collaborators with completed work, the pages where those relationships are already described, and permission to reference the relationship where needed.

Pass/fail condition: Pass when outreach asks for a factual project or partner reference that the other organization can verify and the resulting link or mention is editorially relevant. Fail when the shop requests unrelated links, pays for undisclosed placement, or invents a partnership.

Severity: Medium. Owner: Business development lead or owner. Corrective action: Identify real shared projects that deserve a case study, partner page, or resource reference and propose an accurate reciprocal narrative without requiring a link as a condition of collaboration.

Validation step: Review the published mention for factual accuracy, correct business naming, and a working destination. Tools: Email, Hunter.io.

Check: Association profiles and memberships Evidence required: Current membership or eligibility records, live organization profile, business description, and website destination. Pass/fail condition: Pass when a profile on AWI, the Architectural Woodwork Institute, NKBA, the National Kitchen and Bath Association, or another relevant body reflects a genuine current relationship and accurate shop information.

Fail when a badge, membership, credential, or relationship is implied without evidence. Severity: High for unsupported credentials; otherwise medium for stale profile data. Owner: Business owner or operations administrator.

Corrective action: Update only genuine profiles and remove unsupported membership language from the website or directory listings. Validation step: Confirm the organization profile and the shop website describe the relationship consistently. Tools: AWI Website, NKBA Website.

Check: Editorial project features and earned mentions Evidence required: A publishable project package, approved photography, accurate credits, project facts, and a shortlist of publications or platforms where the project is genuinely relevant.

Pass/fail condition: Pass when a submission is tailored to the publication and all project facts, collaborators, and rights are accurate. Fail when the pitch makes unsupported performance claims, misstates credits, or submits unrelated material merely to obtain a backlink.

Severity: Medium. Owner: Marketing lead with project owner approval. Corrective action: Prepare factual project notes and image permissions, then pitch only outlets whose audience and editorial scope fit the project.

Treat any resulting link as an earned reference, not a guaranteed search outcome. Validation step: Check the published feature for accurate credits, image rights, business naming, and destination links. Tools: PRLog, HARO, Houzz.

Use these as quick corrections only after the evidence review identifies a genuine gap. They do not replace the core service, technical, local, or authority checks.

Quick check: Project-photo refresh Evidence required: Recent approved project images and the live business profile or portfolio area where they will appear. Pass/fail condition: Pass when the published imagery is authentic, current, and representative of the services being promoted.

Fail when imagery is stale, misleading, or unsupported by project records. Severity: Medium. Owner: Business owner or content coordinator. Corrective action: Select 10 representative images from real work and publish them where they help a prospective client evaluate the carpenter.

Treat the update as content maintenance, not an official ranking requirement. Validation step: Review the public presentation and confirm the images match the service descriptions. Operational estimate: 30 minutes.

Quick check: Consultation path Evidence required: The header, service pages, project pages, mobile layout, and the live inquiry destination. Pass/fail condition: Pass when the primary contact action is visible, accurate, and functional.

Fail when key pages end without a usable next step or the action breaks on mobile. Severity: High. Owner: Web developer or site administrator. Corrective action: Add or repair the primary consultation action without manipulative urgency. Validation step: Test the complete path on representative devices. Operational estimate: 15 minutes.

Quick check: Internal links to priority services Evidence required: Homepage links, navigation paths, and the service pages the business most needs prospects to understand. Pass/fail condition: Pass when the top 3 priority services are reachable through clear, descriptive internal links in relevant locations.

Fail when important services are buried, orphaned, or linked only through vague labels. Severity: Medium. Owner: SEO or content owner. Corrective action: Add natural internal links from appropriate high-level pages to the priority services.

Validation step: Crawl the site and manually confirm each link resolves to the intended page. Operational estimate: 20 minutes.

Use these as cross-checks against the main checklist rather than as extra points.

• Residential and commercial intent mixed together. Evidence: current service navigation and sample inquiries. Fail when materially different buyer questions share one vague page. Severity: medium. Owner: content lead. Corrective action: separate the page only when scope and reader needs are genuinely distinct. Validation: confirm each retained page has unique scope, proof, and next steps.
• Stock photography presented as evidence of craftsmanship. Evidence: image library and project records. Fail when a visitor could reasonably mistake stock imagery for completed shop work. Severity: high. Owner: marketing lead. Corrective action: replace it with authorized original work or label contextual imagery accurately. Validation: match each portfolio image to a real project record or an explicit non-project purpose.
• Portfolio performance ignored. Evidence: mobile tests, image delivery data, and key gallery interactions. Fail when heavy media interferes with navigation, forms, or viewing essential project details. Severity: high. Owner: web developer. Corrective action: optimize the affected assets and template. Validation: repeat the same user journey on mobile after deployment.
• Local category or directory information drifts from reality. Evidence: live profile categories, directory listings, and website service descriptions. Fail when a general Contractor label or any other category misstates the shop's primary work. Severity: medium to high. Owner: profile manager. Corrective action: update only fields the platform offers and only when the category accurately applies. Validation: compare the public listing with the actual services and website wording.