National Stained Glass Consulting Group
| Change | Details |
|---|---|
| Articles removed | Articles section and all article pages removed from site and zip |
| Case Studies removed | Case Studies link removed from all footers; case-studies.html excluded from sitemap and zip |
| Resources removed | Resources link removed from all footers; resources.html excluded from sitemap and zip |
| Security page removed | Church & School Security page removed from site; excluded from sitemap, zip, and index OfferCatalog |
| May 8, 2026 | |
| Sitemap expanded | faqs.html and privacy-policy.html added to sitemap.xml; all lastmod dates updated to 2026-05-08 |
| HSTS added | Strict-Transport-Security header added to .htaccess โ 1 year, includeSubDomains |
| SEO report re-rated | All scores updated for live domain; overall improved 49 → 66 (F → D+) |
| May 8, 2026 (v3) | |
| FAQPage schema deployed | Added to all 6 remaining service pages: Inspections, Photography, Restoration, Protective Coverings, Project Mgmt — plus new faqs.html page created |
| Google Business Profile | Claimed and configured at business.google.com |
| Sitemap submitted | Submitted to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools |
| Contact form fixed | mailer.php rewritten using native PHP mail() โ PHPMailer library incompatible with server PHP version |
| Form recipient updated | Primary recipient: karl@stainedglassconsulting.com; BCC: webmaster@stainedglassconsulting.com |
| Inspections heading | "Common Stained Glass Damage We Document" โ "Common Stained Glass Damage We Have Documented" |
| Image fixes | Inspections gallery IMG_4289-zoom.webp fixed; Protective Coverings hero image fixed |
| Copyright year | Dynamic JavaScript copyright year implemented (auto-updates each new year) |
| 404 page | Custom 404 error page with drop-shadow styling added |
✓ Scores re-evaluated against live domain (stainedglassconsulting.com — May 8, 2026). HTTPS active, gzip compression active, browser caching active, HSTS added. Previous localhost overall score: 49/100. Key remaining gaps: FAQPage schemas only deployed on 1 of 7 pages, no Google Business Profile, no Content-Security-Policy, no CDN.
This report documents all SEO and AEO implementations on the NSGCG website, with the goal of establishing NSGCG as the authoritative, AI-cited source for stained glass consulting nationwide.
File: /robots.txt
Tells search engine crawlers they can access all pages and directs them to the sitemap for efficient crawling.
File: /sitemap.xml โ 12 indexable pages (updated May 8, 2026)
| Priority | Pages |
|---|---|
| 1.0 | Homepage |
| 0.9 | Appraisals |
| 0.8 | Contact, Services hub, About, FAQs |
| 0.7 | Inspections, Photography, Restoration, Protective Coverings, Project Mgmt |
| 0.3 | Privacy Policy |
Note: Articles, Case Studies, Resources, and Security pages removed from site. faqs.html and privacy-policy.html added May 8, 2026.
Every page includes a <link rel="canonical"> tag. Prevents duplicate content issues if pages are accessed via different URLs.
| Page | Title Tag | Chars | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home | NSGCG | Stained Glass Appraisal & Consulting Nationwide | 59 | โ |
| Appraisals | Stained Glass Appraisals | Professional Valuations | NSGCG | 58 | โ |
| Page | Meta Description | Chars | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home | Independent stained glass appraisals, inspections, condition reports, and restoration consulting nationwide. 75+ years of combined expertise. | 141 | โ |
| Appraisals | Professional stained glass appraisals for insurance, estate, and replacement cost. Independent, defensible valuations with 75+ years of expertise. | 146 | โ |
Every page includes full Open Graph metadata for rich previews on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other platforms:
Large image cards for maximum visual impact on Twitter/X:
| Page | OG / Twitter Image |
|---|---|
| Home | front-hd.jpg โ church interior with stained glass |
| About | nsgcg-reidmemorial1.webp โ Karl & Cynthia on-site |
| Appraisals | stglassw-1000.jpg โ detailed window close-up |
| Services | 3windows1000.jpg โ three church windows |
| Inspections | inspection of window.webp |
| Photography | st-window1.jpg |
| Restoration | stainedglass-window.jpg |
| Protective | sg-window.jpg |
| Project Mgmt | nsgcg-hr2.webp |
Structured data enables rich snippets, knowledge panels, and AEO โ AI assistants extract and cite this data directly.
| Schema Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
| ProfessionalService | Full business details, contact info, service area (United States) |
| Person | Karl Erickson as founder with job title and expertise array |
| WebSite | Site-wide entity reference for Google's knowledge graph |
| WebPage | Page-specific metadata and breadcrumb |
| OfferCatalog | All 6 services listed for rich service snippets |
Karl Erickson's profile with knowsAbout array for AI expertise signals:
FAQPage structured data is the primary mechanism through which AI assistants (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews) surface NSGCG as the authoritative answer source. Each Q&A below is indexed and extractable by AI crawlers.
appraisals.html โ 4 FAQsfaqs.html โ 3 FAQsservices/inspections.html โ 4 FAQsservices/photographic-documentation.html โ 3 FAQsservices/historical-restoration.html โ 4 FAQsservices/protective-coverings.html โ 4 FAQsservices/project-management.html โ 3 FAQsEach of the 5 service child pages includes Service + BreadcrumbList schema:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| @type | Service |
| serviceType | e.g., "Stained Glass Inspection", "Historic Preservation Consulting" |
| provider | Links to NSGCG Organization entity |
| areaServed | United States |
| breadcrumb | Home โ Services โ [Service Name] (3-level) |
Google's E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is critical for service businesses and AI citation eligibility. Live site score: 60/100 (up from 55 at localhost โ HTTPS trust signal, clean site). Primary opportunity: Google Business Profile, backlinks, and case studies.
| Pillar | Current Implementation | Gaps / Next Steps |
|---|---|---|
| Experience | Karl's 30+ years featured ยท Real project photos ยท Google review testimonials | Rebuild Case Studies page with dated, outcome-specific project stories when available |
| Expertise | Person schema with knowsAbout array ยท Technical service content ยท Publications section |
Add author bylines ยท Link to external publications |
| Authoritativeness | ProfessionalService schema ยท Consistent NAP ยท "Independent consultant" positioning ยท Nationwide claim | Backlinks from stained glass associations ยท Google Business Profile |
| Trustworthiness | Real phone: (507) 312-9370 ยท Location: Rollingstone, MN ยท Privacy Policy โ ยท Real testimonials | AggregateRating schema once reviews are collected on-site |
Live site performance score: 80/100 (up from 66 at localhost). gzip via mod_deflate, browser caching via mod_expires, and HTTPS are all active on cPanel. Next gains require a CDN โ Cloudflare free tier would push this to ~90.
Homepage includes a preload hint for the hero image to reduce LCP time:
loading="lazy"object-fit: cover prevents distortion on all images| Page | Canonical | OG Tags | JSON-LD | Favicon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| index.html | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| about.html | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| appraisals.html | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| services.html | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| contact.html | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| faqs.html | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| privacy-policy.html | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| services/inspections.html | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| services/photographic-documentation.html | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| services/historical-restoration.html | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| services/protective-coverings.html | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| services/project-management.html | โ | โ | โ | โ | โ |
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Google Rich Results Test | Validate JSON-LD structured data and preview rich snippets |
| Schema.org Validator | Check schema syntax and completeness |
| Facebook Sharing Debugger | Preview Open Graph tags as Facebook/LinkedIn see them |
| Twitter Card Validator | Preview Twitter large image card rendering |
| PageSpeed Insights | Core Web Vitals โ LCP, CLS, FID scores |
| XML Sitemap Validator | Validate sitemap.xml structure and reachability |
| Google Search Console | Monitor indexing, coverage, and search performance (live site) |
| Priority | Action | Impact | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔴 High Priority | |||
| Done | Implement FAQPage schema on all 7 pages โ Appraisals ✓, FAQs ✓, Inspections ✓, Photography ✓, Restoration ✓, Protective Coverings ✓, Project Mgmt ✓ — faqs.html also created as a new standalone page | AEO โ all service pages now AI-citation eligible; significant E-E-A-T and AEO score boost | ✓ Complete |
| Done | Claimed Google Business Profile at business.google.com | Local SEO, Maps visibility, star ratings, E-E-A-T Authoritativeness | ✓ Complete |
| Done | Submitted sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools | Confirms indexing, surfaces crawl errors, unlocks keyword rank data | ✓ Complete |
| High | Add Content-Security-Policy header to .htaccess โ start with report-only mode, then enforce | Security score +8 pts; required for A-grade security rating | ⚠ Pending |
| High | Fix Project Mgmt title tag (61 chars): "Stained Glass Project Mgmt & Spec | NSGCG" | Core SEO โ prevents SERP truncation | ⚠ Pending |
| 🟡 Medium Priority | |||
| Medium | Deploy Cloudflare free tier as CDN โ proxy DNS through Cloudflare dashboard | Performance +8โ12 pts; HTTP/2, image compression, DDoS protection, free SSL renewal | ⚠ Pending |
| Medium | Fix Inspections meta description (162 chars) โ trim 2 chars to stay under 160 | Core SEO โ mobile SERP truncation fix | ⚠ Pending |
| Medium | AggregateRating schema โ add after Google Business Profile reviews are collected | Star ratings in SERPs, significant CTR boost | ⚠ Pending |
| Medium | Add sameAs links in JSON-LD once social profiles are created (LinkedIn, Facebook) | Knowledge panel eligibility, E-E-A-T Authoritativeness | ⚠ Pending |
| Medium | Backlink building: stained glass conservation orgs, church architecture magazines, historic preservation directories | Domain authority โ highest long-term value for ranking competitive keywords | ⚠ Pending |
| Medium | Rebuild Case Studies page with real, dated, client-outcome stories | E-E-A-T Experience signals; Content score boost | ⚠ Pending |
| 🟢 Low Priority / Future | |||
| Low | Convert remaining JPG hero images to WebP (tiffany1600, stglassw series) | Images score +5; LCP improvement on image-heavy pages | ⚠ Pending |
| Low | VideoObject schema if video testimonials or project walkthroughs are added | Video rich snippets in SERPs | ⚠ Pending |
| Low | Rebuild Church/School Security page with real examples when available | Content breadth, E-E-A-T Trust, protective coverings upsell | ⚠ Optional |