One site audited, one page optimised, one real change in Search Console

The situation

Take a site you know — a local business, your college, your own — and do the work in order: is it even indexed, what do people actually type, one page rewritten on-page, the technical basics checked, a content outline that would beat the top three, and one real optimisation in Search Console where a page gets impressions but no clicks.

What you'll be able to show

• Tell an indexing problem from a ranking problem
• Build a keyword list from autocomplete and real enquiries, labelled by intent
• Do a complete on-page pass and a technical basics check
• Make one real change from Search Console data

What you need

• A search engine, its autocomplete, and the site: operator
• One site you can view, and ideally one you control
• Google Search Console for a site you control (or its demo)

Tasks

1. 1Indexed or not
   Search site: followed by the domain. Count indexed pages against how many the site actually has. Say whether the site has an indexing problem or a ranking problem.
   A correct result: Two counts and a one-line diagnosis.
2. 2What people type
   Type three phrases about the business into a search box and write down every autocomplete suggestion. Read the last twenty enquiries the business received. Build a list of ten real phrases, each labelled informational, commercial or transactional.
   A correct result: Ten phrases with intent labels and their sources.
3. 3One page, on-page
   Rewrite one real page's title to under 60 characters with the phrase near the front, write a 150-character description, confirm exactly one h1, and add three internal links to related pages.
   A correct result: The new title, description, the h1 check, and three links.
4. 4Technical basics
   Open robots.txt and the sitemap, check the padlock, try a deliberately wrong address and see whether it returns a real 404, open the homepage on a phone. Write what you would fix first and why.
   A correct result: Five checks with results and one prioritised fix.
5. 5Beat the top three
   Pick one search term. Read the top three ranking pages and write what each answers. Outline a page that answers all of it plus the People also ask questions. Judge honestly whether yours would be the best result.
   A correct result: Three summaries, an outline, and an honest verdict.
6. 6The real change
   In Search Console (or a demo), find one page with many impressions and few clicks. Rewrite its title and description. Record the before numbers and check back in two weeks.
   A correct result: The page, its before impressions and clicks, the rewrite, and the two-week follow-up date.

What to hand in

The diagnosis, the keyword list, the on-page rewrite, the technical checklist, the outline with verdict, and the Search Console change with before numbers.

How it is marked