A step-by-step SEO framework you can implement this week

This checklist works for moving companies that handle residential or commercial relocations and operate within defined service areas. It's designed for companies with an existing website who need direction on what to optimize first—not for companies building from scratch.

If your moving company doesn't have a Google Business Profile yet, start there (Task 1). If you've been doing SEO for 6+ months and aren't ranking for your service area keywords, skip to the Audit section of this checklist to diagnose what's missing.

The checklist assumes you have basic website access (CMS, analytics, Google Search Console). If you're outsourcing SEO work, use this list to evaluate whether your agency is addressing the right tasks in the right order.

This phase establishes the baseline that everything else builds on. Most moving companies skip these tasks and jump to content creation, which is why they stay invisible in local search.

Local Setup (Complete in Week 1):

• Claim and verify your Google Business Profile with your primary service area address
• Add all service areas with full addresses for each location (or use service area polygons if multi-city)
• Write a 160-character description focused on your service types (residential moving, long-distance, etc.)
• Upload 5-10 high-quality photos of your team, trucks, and completed moves
• Add business categories (moving company is primary; add local movers if available)
• Verify your phone number and website URL match across your site and GBP
• Create a current NAP (Name, Address, Phone) citations audit for your top 3 competitors—identify which local directories they're listed in
• List your business on Google My Business, Apple Maps, and 5 relevant local directories (moving industry aggregators, local business listings)

Technical Basics (Complete by Week 4):

• Install Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console; verify site ownership
• Test mobile responsiveness on phone, tablet, and desktop; fix any issues that break navigation
• Optimize page load speed (target: under 3 seconds on mobile 4G); compress images and enable caching
• Add title tags and meta descriptions to top 10 service pages (each under 60 and 155 characters)
• Implement LocalBusiness schema markup on your homepage and contact page
• Create an XML sitemap and submit to Google Search Console

By month 2, your GBP is live and verified. This phase focuses on building trust signals and capturing search intent through service area pages and customer reviews.

Service Area Pages and Local Content:

• Create a service area landing page for each city you serve (minimum 300 words, include neighborhood-specific details)
• Embed a Google Map of the service area on each landing page
• Optimize page titles and H1s with city name + service type (e.g., "Long-Distance Moving in Denver, CO")
• Add FAQ schema to service area pages (5-8 questions about moving to that city, logistics, regulations)
• Link all service area pages to your GBP profile using relevant anchor text
• Build internal links from service pages to related service pages (e.g., residential to senior moving, corporate to storage)

Review Generation System:

• Send review request emails to past customers (week 1 of each month) with a direct link to your GBP
• Follow up with customers who didn't respond after 1 week
• Respond to all reviews (positive and negative) within 48 hours
• Aim for 1-2 new reviews per week; track in a simple spreadsheet
• Address negative reviews promptly and professionally, offering services without being defensive

On-Page Optimization (Ongoing):

• Audit top 15 pages for keyword usage; add target keywords to H2s and body copy naturally
• Add internal links from 5+ existing pages to your newest service area pages
• Optimize image alt text on all service area pages for keyword relevance

At this stage, your foundation is solid, you have consistent reviews flowing in, and you're ranking for core local keywords. This phase focuses on building domain authority and capturing adjacent search intent.

Content Strategy:

• Create a resource section with guides: "How to Prepare for Moving Day," "What to Pack First," "Interstate Moving Regulations"
• Target lower-volume, intent-rich keywords (e.g., "moving checklist," "packing tips for fragile items") with 800-1500 word posts
• Link each guide back to your service area pages and money pages
• Aim for 1-2 new pieces of content per month, prioritizing topics that address customer objections or FAQs

Authority and Backlinks:

• List your moving company on industry-specific sites (Moving.com, Thumbtack, Angie's List)
• Reach out to local business directories, chambers of commerce, and civic organizations for profile mentions and links
• Ask satisfied customers to mention you on their personal blogs, social media, or business reviews if relevant
• Pitch your "How to Pack" or seasonal moving guides to local bloggers and journalists for coverage and backlinks

Ongoing Optimization:

• Monitor Search Console for new search impressions and click-through rates; optimize underperforming pages
• Track ranking positions for 10-15 core keywords (service type + service area); set monthly targets
• Run competitive analysis quarterly to identify new service area opportunities or ranking gaps

Quick Wins (High ROI, Low Effort):

• Optimize your GBP profile (2-3 hours) → typically visible in search results within 2-4 weeks
• Add service area pages with local keywords (1-2 hours per page) → low competition words often rank within 4-6 weeks
• Set up review request email system (1 hour) → builds review velocity with zero ongoing effort per customer
• Fix technical issues flagged in Search Console (varies; 1-4 hours) → removes ranking barriers immediately

Medium-Term Investments (Medium ROI, Medium Effort):

• Build internal linking structure (4-6 hours) → improves crawlability and distributes authority across pages
• Optimize existing service pages (1-2 hours per page) → incremental ranking improvements for established pages
• Create 3-5 foundational resource guides (20-30 hours total) → begin capturing mid-funnel search intent

Long-Term Plays (Cumulative ROI, High Effort):

• Backlink outreach and relationship building (ongoing, 5+ hours per month) → strengthens domain authority over 6-12 months
• Expand content library to 20+ resources (30-50 hours) → compounds topical authority and organic traffic
• Full competitive analysis and keyword mapping (4-6 hours quarterly) → identifies new opportunities and refines strategy

In our experience, most moving companies see measurable improvement (5-10 new inquiries per month) within 3 months of completing the Foundation and Growth phases. Results vary by market competitiveness, service area size, and existing online reputation.

The checklist above outlines the framework. For the complete 47-task list with task descriptions, difficulty ratings, estimated time per task, and dependency ordering, download the moving company SEO spreadsheet below. You can import it into Asana, Monday, or a simple Google Sheet to track progress and assign tasks to your team or agency.

The spreadsheet includes:

• All 47 tasks broken down by phase and category
• Difficulty rating (1-5) and estimated time per task
• Checkbox for completion and date completed
• Notes column for results or blockers
• Linked resources for each task (e.g., how to set up schema, GBP best practices)

Use this to hold yourself or your SEO agency accountable. If your agency isn't addressing these tasks in order, ask why. If you're doing this yourself, prioritize Foundation and Growth tasks before scaling content creation.

Q: What if I've already done some of these tasks?
A: Start from your actual baseline. If your GBP is optimized and you have 20+ reviews, skip to the Growth phase. Use the checklist to audit what's missing, not as a linear to-do list. The order matters only within each phase.

Q: How long until we see results?
A: Most moving companies see a measurable change (more calls, higher GBP visibility) within 6-8 weeks of completing the Foundation phase. This depends heavily on local competition, whether you already have an online presence, and how consistently you execute reviews. Markets with less SEO-savvy competitors see results faster.

Q: Can we skip the service area pages and just optimize our homepage?
A: No. Moving companies rank locally, not nationally. Service area pages signal to Google that you serve specific regions. Without them, you're competing as if you serve everywhere (or nowhere). Create at least one service area page for your top three cities before building other content.

Q: Which tasks are most important if we only have 5 hours per week?
A: Allocate 2 hours to GBP management (photos, reviews, posts). Use 2 hours to build and optimize service area pages. Use 1 hour for technical fixes. Defer backlink outreach and content creation until Foundation is complete.