Doorstep Score

How we score

Your score is out of 100, split across four sections. Every check is listed below with its points, what we look at, and what counts as fixed.

Website 35, Google profile 30, Reviews 20 and Trust 15.

When we can't run a check

If there's nothing to check, for example you have no website or no Google listing, those checks score 0 and are listed as "not checked" rather than failed. If we couldn't get access, for example your robots.txt asks crawlers not to read your site, or Google's service is busy, those checks are left out and your score is scaled to 100 from the points we could check. We say so on the report when that happens.

Checks that don't apply to you, such as company checks for a sole trader, are left out of the total.

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Your Google details

Your Google profile and review checks, and the score that includes them, are worked out fresh from Google every time you open your report. We don't store them. What we do keep is your site score: your Website and Trust checks only (46 points, without the phone-number comparison, which uses Google's data), scaled to 100.

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Score bands

  • 0 to 49: You’re hard to find. Some of it is quick to fix.
  • 50 to 74: Customers can find you, but some of them go elsewhere before they call.
  • 75 to 100: You’re in good shape. These are the things that keep you there.

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Website (35 points)

  1. Your homepage didn’t load when we tried it

    5 points
    What we look at
    We load your homepage once with a plain browser-like request and a 5-second limit.
    Fixed when
    Your homepage loads within 5 seconds.
    Type
    Fix first
    Check ID
    web.reachable@1

  2. Browsers show your site as “Not secure”

    3 points
    What we look at
    We request the http:// address and check it ends up on https:// with a working certificate.
    Fixed when
    Anyone typing http:// is sent to https://, and the certificate is valid.
    Type
    Fix first
    Check ID
    web.https@1

  3. Your homepage isn’t set up for phone screens

    4 points
    What we look at
    We look for the viewport tag and for fixed page widths in the styles on your homepage.
    Fixed when
    Your homepage has a viewport tag and nothing fixed wider than 480 px.
    Type
    Fix first
    Check ID
    web.mobile@1

  4. Your page title doesn’t say what you do or where

    4 points
    What we look at
    We read your homepage title and look for a word for what you do and a place name.
    Fixed when
    Your homepage title names what you do and a town or area, such as “Plumber in [your town]” (an example).
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    web.title_local@1

  5. Your main heading doesn’t say what you do

    1 points
    What we look at
    We read the main (H1) headings on your homepage.
    Fixed when
    Your homepage has one main heading that names your service.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    web.h1@1

  6. Your homepage has no local business data for search engines

    4 points
    What we look at
    We read JSON-LD scripts on your homepage and look for LocalBusiness (or a more specific business subtype) with a name and telephone.
    Fixed when
    Your homepage has LocalBusiness structured data with your name and phone number.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    web.schema_localbusiness@1

  7. The number on your site isn’t the one on your Google profile

    4 points
    What we look at
    We compare phone numbers on your site with the one on your Google profile, live, each time the report is viewed.
    Fixed when
    A number on your site matches the one on your Google profile. We compare them live and don’t store Google’s.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    web.nap_match@1

  8. Your site doesn’t name the areas you cover

    2 points
    What we look at
    We look for place names on your homepage and up to 3 linked pages.
    Fixed when
    A page or section names at least 2 towns or areas.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    web.service_area@1

  9. Your homepage is heavy for mobile data

    2 points
    What we look at
    We time the first response and add up the size of the page and the files it loads from your own domain.
    Fixed when
    Your homepage and its files come to under 2.5 MB, and it starts arriving in under 0.8 seconds.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    web.weight@1

  10. Add a short “About us” paragraph AI assistants can quote

    Not scored
    What we look at
    We look for one short paragraph that says who you are, what you do, where, and for how long.
    Fixed when
    One paragraph, under 120 words, with your name, what you do, your area and years trading.
    Type
    Try this (not scored)
    Check ID
    web.llm_ready@1

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Google profile (30 points)

  1. We couldn’t find you on Google Maps

    8 points
    What we look at
    We look you up on Google Maps from the name and town you typed, and you pick the right listing.
    Fixed when
    You pick your listing from the suggestions when you run the check.
    Type
    Fix first
    Check ID
    gbp.found@1

  2. Google lists you as closed

    4 points
    What we look at
    We read the business status on your Google listing.
    Fixed when
    Google lists you as open.
    Type
    Fix first
    Check ID
    gbp.operational@1

  3. Your Google category isn’t one for your type of business

    4 points
    What we look at
    We compare your main Google category with the categories that fit your type of business.
    Fixed when
    Your main Google category is one we expect for your type of business, such as Plumber or Cafe.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    gbp.category@1

  4. Your Google profile doesn’t link to your website

    4 points
    What we look at
    We check your Google listing has a website and that it is the same site you gave us.
    Fixed when
    Your Google profile links to the same website we checked.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    gbp.website@1

  5. Your Google profile has no phone number

    3 points
    What we look at
    We check your Google listing shows a phone number.
    Fixed when
    Your Google profile shows a phone number.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    gbp.phone@1

  6. Your Google profile has no opening hours

    4 points
    What we look at
    We check your Google listing has regular opening hours.
    Fixed when
    Your Google profile has regular opening hours.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    gbp.hours@1

  7. Your Google profile has fewer than 5 photos

    3 points
    What we look at
    We count the photos Google shows for your listing, up to its limit of 10.
    Fixed when
    Google shows at least 5 photos on your profile. It only gives us up to 10, so we can’t count higher.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    gbp.photos@1

  8. Try a profile description that names your main service and town

    Not scored
    What we look at
    Advice only. Google doesn't give us enough to score this.
    Fixed when
    Advice only. Google doesn’t give us enough to score it.
    Type
    Try this (not scored)
    Check ID
    gbp.description@1

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Reviews (20 points)

  1. You have fewer than 25 Google reviews

    7 points
    What we look at
    We compare your Google review count with a threshold set for your type of business.
    Fixed when
    You have at least the number set for your type of business (usually 25) Google reviews, the number we look for in a business like yours.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    rev.count@1

  2. Your average Google rating is under 4.5

    6 points
    What we look at
    We read your average Google rating.
    Fixed when
    Your average Google rating is 4.5 or more.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    rev.rating@1

  3. None of the reviews Google shows first are from the last 3 months

    4 points
    What we look at
    We look at the dates of the reviews Google shows first (up to 5).
    Fixed when
    At least one of the reviews Google shows first is under 90 days old.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    rev.recent@1

  4. Reply to every review, the good ones too

    Not scored
    What we look at
    Advice only. Google doesn't share owner replies with us.
    Fixed when
    Advice only. Google doesn’t share owner replies with us.
    Type
    Try this (not scored)
    Check ID
    rev.replies@1

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Trust (15 points)

  1. Your site doesn’t show your company number

    3 points
    What we look at
    Only for limited companies and LLPs: we look for your registered name and company number on your site. Sole traders and partnerships show as not applicable.
    Fixed when
    Your site shows your registered company name and number. Limited companies have to (reg. 25, Company, LLP and Business (Names and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2015).
    Type
    Fix first
    Check ID
    trust.company_disclosure@1

  2. Companies House lists your company as not active

    4 points
    What we look at
    We look up the company number on your site at Companies House. If there isn't one, we search by name and ask you to confirm the match.
    Fixed when
    Your Companies House record is active with no insolvency history, and the name and postcode match your site.
    Type
    Fix first
    Check ID
    trust.ch_status@1

  3. We couldn’t find you on the ICO fee-payer register

    3 points
    What we look at
    We search the ICO's public fee-payer list, refreshed daily. Some businesses are exempt, so we only ever say we couldn't find you.
    Fixed when
    Your name or registration number is on the ICO fee-payer register.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    trust.ico_fee@1

  4. We couldn’t find a privacy notice on your site

    2 points
    What we look at
    We look for a link to a privacy notice.
    Fixed when
    Your site links to a privacy notice.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    trust.privacy@1

  5. Your site doesn’t mention the relevant scheme

    2 points
    What we look at
    For types where customers expect a scheme (gas work and Gas Safe, electrical work and NICEIC or NAPIT, or regulated financial advice and the FCA), we look for it on your site.
    Fixed when
    Your site mentions the scheme. If you’re registered, say so and show your number.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    trust.expected_claim@1

  6. A scheme on your site has no number or link next to it

    1 points
    What we look at
    For each scheme your site mentions, we look for a number or a link next to it. A claim on its own never adds points.
    Fixed when
    Every scheme you mention has a register number or a link next to it.
    Type
    Worth doing
    Check ID
    trust.claims@1

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Schemes and review sites

We only read your own website. If it mentions Gas Safe, NICEIC, NAPIT, TrustMark, Which? Trusted Traders, Checkatrade, Trustpilot or the FCA, we show "claim shown, verify here" with a link to the scheme's own site. We don’t confirm a claim, because we don’t contact those schemes. A claim on its own never adds points; showing a number or link next to it does. Scheme checks apply only to relevant types. When none apply, they are left out of the score.

We check two public registers directly: Companies House and the ICO register of fee payers.

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