Website Maintenance Checklist for the New Year
Hey there! It's that time of year when we all need to give our websites a little TLC. Think of it as a wellness check for your digital home. Here's what you should look at:
Website Maintenance Basics (But They Matter!)
Check your footer to verify the copyright year auto-updated.
Check for and fix any broken links (I use this free tool – it’s not fancy but it’s worked great for years!).
Review older blog posts and give them a refresh if needed. Search engines reward updated content, and so do humans.
Review older blog posts and give them a refresh if needed. Search engines reward updated content, and so do humans.
Review your website policies. Under laws like the CCPA, they must be updated regularly.
Make sure your contact forms are working and that submissions are actually landing in your inbox. This one gets overlooked a lot.
Do a quick performance check. Slow-loading pages, oversized images, or clunky layouts can quietly hurt both user experience and visibility.
Let’s Talk About AI Search
AI-powered search has changed how people discover local businesses. Instead of typing short phrases, people are asking full, conversational questions like:
“Who’s a good electrician near me?”
“Is there a local party planner who offers free consultations?”
“What’s the best real estate agent in my area?”
This means clarity matters more than ever. Rather than stuffing pages with keywords, focus on creating helpful content that clearly explains what you do, who you serve, and how someone can work with you.
One well-written page that answers common customer questions will perform better than several thin, keyword-heavy pages. AI search tools understand context and intent, so write like you’re talking to a real person who’s deciding whether to contact you.
Here’s What You Can Do:
Get your site registered with both Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. Both are free and incredibly helpful. Bing matters because it’s used by tools like ChatGPT, Meta AI, and Siri.
Write your page descriptions like you’re explaining your services to a potential customer. Clear beats clever.
Add FAQ sections to your key pages to answer things like pricing ranges, service areas, booking steps, and what to expect. These help both visitors and AI-powered search.
Read your content out loud. Does it sound natural, helpful, and current?
Checklist for Squarespace Users
Double-check your SEO settings for each page. Squarespace makes this easy, but it’s not automatic.
Use the preview tool to see how your site looks on mobile. Most visitors will see it there first.
Make sure your images have descriptive alt text that explains what they show. This helps with accessibility and search.
Consider adding a search bar if your site has more than a few pages or blog posts.
Keep an eye on your analytics so you understand how people are using your site and which pages are doing the heavy lifting.
If you are using custom code or third-party tools, make sure they are still supported and not slowing things down.
Your website is often the first impression people get of your business - make it a good one! These updates don't have to happen all at once. Pick a few tasks each month to keep things manageable and your site will stay fresh all year long.
Need help with any of these? Feel free to reach out - keeping websites happy is what I do!
