The exact 47-point audit we run on every new Florida childcare client before we touch their marketing. Check off each item to score your center and see exactly where you're losing families.
Google Business Profile
Website Conversion
VPK & School Readiness
Step Up For Students
Local SEO
Social Media
Reviews & Reputation
47
Audit checkpoints
7
Categories
Free
No email required
Your score:
0 / 47
📍Google Business Profile10 points
✓
GBP is claimed and verified by your center
Search your center name on Google. If there's a "Claim this business" button, it's unclaimed. Verify via postcard, phone, or video.
Must-do
✓
Primary category is "Child Care Agency" or "Day Care Center"
This is the single most important GBP field after your business name. Check it in your GBP dashboard under Edit Profile → Business Category.
Multiple categories help you appear in broader local searches. Add every category that genuinely applies to your center.
Must-do
✓
All services listed: VPK, Infant Care, Toddler, Preschool, School Readiness, Step Up
Go to Edit Profile → More → Services. Add every program individually. Parents search services directly from GBP listings.
Must-do
✓
Description includes city name, programs, scholarships accepted, and a CTA
750 characters max. Include your city, main programs, scholarship programs (VPK, School Readiness, Step Up), and "call to schedule a tour." See our GBP template in the article on ranking #1.
Must-do
✓
15+ photos uploaded with keyword-rich file names
Rename photos before uploading: e.g. "palm-bay-daycare-classroom-toddlers.jpg" not "IMG_4857.jpg." Include exterior, classrooms, playground, staff, and children learning.
Must-do
✓
At least 10 Google reviews with an average of 4.5+ stars
Reviews are the #1 local ranking factor. If you have fewer than 10, starting a review campaign is your highest-priority SEO task right now.
Must-do
✓
Every review has been responded to within 48 hours
Responding to reviews — positive and negative — signals active engagement to Google and builds trust with prospective parents who read them.
Important
✓
At least 1 new GBP post published per week
Weekly posts keep your profile active and your local ranking climbing. Posts should include a CTA: "Book a tour," "Call us," or "Learn more." Seasonal content performs best.
Important
✓
Q&A section has at least 5 questions answered by you
Google allows anyone to add Q&A to your profile. Add your own questions and answer them before strangers do — and before parents find unanswered questions.
Quick win
🌐Website Conversion10 points
✓
Tour booking CTA is visible above the fold on the homepage
A visitor should be able to book a tour or find your phone number without scrolling. If they have to hunt, you're losing leads. Test this on your phone right now.
Must-do
✓
Homepage H1 includes city name, "daycare" or "preschool," and your center name
Example: "[City] Daycare & Preschool for Infants to Pre-K | [Center Name]" — tells Google exactly what you are, where, and who.
Must-do
✓
Phone number is clickable on mobile (tel: link)
Wrap your phone in <a href="tel:+14075550100">. If a parent has to manually dial your number from your website on their phone, that's friction that costs you calls.
Must-do
✓
Page speed scores 80+ on mobile (test at pagespeed.web.dev)
Slow sites rank lower and convert less. Every second of load time increases your bounce rate. Compress images, use fast hosting, and minimize third-party scripts.
Must-do
✓
Trust signals visible on homepage: Google stars, DCF license, years in operation
Parents decide in seconds whether to trust you. Star ratings, your license number, and years of experience remove doubt immediately. These belong above the fold.
Must-do
✓
Meta description on every page — unique, under 160 characters, with a CTA
Meta descriptions show in Google search results. They don't directly affect ranking but they directly affect click-through rate. Every page needs one that makes parents want to click.
Important
✓
2–3 specific, outcome-focused testimonials on the homepage
Not generic 5-star quotes. Testimonials that mention a child's name, a milestone, a specific teacher, or a specific outcome. These convert hesitant parents better than anything else on the page.
Important
✓
SSL certificate active (site loads on https://)
Google penalizes sites without SSL. Parents see "Not secure" in their browser if you don't have it. Free via Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, or your hosting provider.
Must-do
✓
LocalBusiness or ChildCare schema markup on homepage
Structured data tells Google definitively what your business is. Can produce rich snippets in search results. Use Google's Schema Markup Testing Tool to verify.
Important
✓
Contact form works and triggers an email notification when submitted
Test every form on your site right now. Submit it and check that you receive the notification within 5 minutes. Broken forms are silent lead killers — you never know what you're missing.
Must-do
🎓VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten)6 points
✓
Dedicated VPK page exists as a standalone URL (not just a homepage mention)
e.g. yoursite.com/vpk-program/ — its own page, not a bullet point on your programs page. This is the #1 VPK SEO requirement.
Must-do
✓
VPK page H1 includes "Free VPK," city name, and center name
"Free VPK Program in [City], FL | [Center Name]" — this exact structure captures the highest-intent VPK searches.
Must-do
✓
VPK page explains eligibility, how to get a certificate, and how to enroll at your center
The most helpful VPK pages become the most-visited. Walk parents through the ELC portal, the certificate process, and exactly what to do next to enroll with you.
Must-do
✓
VPK page has at least 8 FAQs with schema markup
FAQPage schema can generate expanded rich results in Google — taking up more search result space and driving more clicks. Questions like "Is VPK really free?" and "Can my child do VPK and regular daycare?"
Important
✓
VPK page has a tour booking CTA at the top and bottom
"Reserve Your VPK Spot" or "Book a Tour" — once at the top for parents who are ready, and once at the bottom for parents who read the whole page first.
Important
✓
VPK enrollment is promoted on social media and GBP every July–August
Peak VPK search volume is July–August. Your content calendar must have daily VPK posts during this window. If you miss this, you miss 60% of your annual VPK enrollment opportunity.
Important
📋School Readiness / 4C / ELCOC5 points
✓
Dedicated School Readiness page exists using all local naming variations
The page must use "School Readiness," "4C," "ELC voucher," "[County] ELC," and "childcare assistance" naturally throughout. One page can rank for all of them.
Must-do
✓
Your center is listed in your county's ELC provider directory
Every county's Early Learning Coalition has a searchable provider directory. Parents use it to find approved centers. Listing is free. Not being there means missing families who are ready to enroll.
Must-do
✓
School Readiness page links directly to your county's ELC application portal
Don't make parents figure out the application themselves. Link directly to elcoforangecounty.org, elcbrevard.org, or whatever your county's ELC is. This is trust-building in action.
Important
✓
Page includes eligibility requirements and a clear offer to help parents apply
"Not sure if you qualify? Call us — we help families navigate the application every day." This converts the page from information into a reason to call you.
Important
✓
Gold Seal Quality Care accreditation pursued or achieved (if not yet)
Gold Seal centers receive higher reimbursement rates from School Readiness and are prominently displayed in ELC directories. It's a competitive moat that takes time to earn but pays off indefinitely.
Important
📚Step Up For Students5 points
✓
Center is registered as an approved Step Up For Students provider
Register free at stepupforstudents.org. You cannot accept Step Up scholarships without this. Do this before marketing that you accept them.
Must-do
✓
Dedicated Step Up For Students page on your website
This is the highest-competition-per-visitor ratio in Florida childcare SEO. Parents searching "Step Up For Students daycare [city]" are ready to enroll. Almost no centers have this page.
Must-do
✓
FES-UA (unique abilities) section on Step Up page for children with disabilities
FES-UA awards $10,000–$34,000 per year for children with qualifying diagnoses. Parents of these children are desperate for providers. A dedicated section or page targeting "FES-UA preschool [city]" is a significant untapped opportunity.
Must-do
✓
Page explains the Award ID process and how to use a scholarship at your center
"Have your Award ID? Call us at [phone] and we'll walk you through the rest." Removing friction at the enrollment step directly converts page visitors into phone calls.
Important
✓
Step Up content promoted on social media in February (application open season)
Step Up applications open in February. Post "We accept Step Up For Students scholarships" content in January and February to reach families the moment they start searching.
Important
🔍Local SEO & Citations6 points
✓
NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is identical on every online listing
Check your GBP, Yelp, Facebook, Care.com, Winnie, Apple Maps, and Bing Places. Every single listing must be character-for-character identical — including suite numbers, abbreviations (St. vs Street), and formatting.
Must-do
✓
Listed on Care.com, Winnie, Wonderschool, and ChildcareCenter.us
These childcare-specific directories rank well for local childcare searches. Many parents start their search here. Free listings on all of them.
Important
✓
Yelp, Apple Maps, and Bing Places listings are claimed and complete
Apple Maps is used by every iPhone. Bing Maps is used by a significant share of desktop searchers. Yelp ranks prominently for local searches. All three are free to claim and optimize.
Important
✓
Neighborhood and nearby-city landing pages created for hyper-local SEO
If you're in Palm Bay, you should have pages or content targeting Port Malabar, West Melbourne, and Viera — nearby areas whose residents might drive to your center. Hyper-local pages have almost no competition.
Important
✓
At least 2 new reviews collected per month consistently
Review velocity matters more than total count. Consistently collecting 2 new reviews per month over 12 months beats collecting 25 in one burst and then stopping. Build a system, not a campaign.
Must-do
✓
Florida Division of Early Learning licensed provider search listing is accurate
Parents and researchers cross-check DEL listings. Confirm your center's information is accurate at floridaearlylearning.com. An inaccurate listing undermines trust.
Quick win
📱Social Media & Content5 points
✓
Facebook and Instagram business pages are complete with consistent branding
Profile photo (your logo), cover photo (your building or classroom), complete bio with city, phone, and website link. Incomplete social profiles look abandoned and reduce trust.
Must-do
✓
Posting 3+ times per week consistently (not in bursts)
Consistent posting signals to the algorithm that your account is active and rewards you with more reach. Three mediocre posts per week beats 10 great posts in one week followed by silence.
Must-do
✓
Content mix includes classroom moments, staff spotlights, parent tips, and enrollment CTAs
A 70/20/10 split works well: 70% value/community content, 20% trust-building content (testimonials, staff), 10% direct enrollment asks. Too many enrollment posts and families tune out.
Important
✓
Reels or short-form video published at least twice per month
Short-form video (Reels, TikTok) is the highest-reach content format on every platform right now. A 15-second classroom moment or teacher introduction reaches far more people than any static post.
Important
✓
Facebook page has "Book Now" or "Send Message" button enabled
Your Facebook page's call-to-action button should make it as easy as possible to contact you or request a tour directly from Facebook — without visiting your website first.
Quick win
🎉
You've completed the full audit!
A perfect score means your center's marketing foundation is strong. If you found gaps, those are your biggest enrollment opportunities. Want us to handle the gaps for you?