Do your key pages ask for a clear next step?
It checks for an action or useful enquiry form on the pages most likely to sell.
What Check Engine measures
The test needs a supported prose language. A recognised call to action or a form with at least 2 fields counts as a next step. Pages without either are reported separately. When actions exist, it checks whether all their labels are generic, such as Submit or Continue. Ordinary links are kept out of that label test. For example, a form with 2 fields can count as a next step without a separate action button.
Targets are the homepage and recognised selling pages intended for search. When none match, the check uses up to 5 shallow indexable pages. It reads recorded action labels and forms. Completing a purchase or submitting an enquiry needs a separate test.
How to read the result
Missing actions are high severity and weak labels medium. It does not test whether the destination completes a sale, whether an off-site service works or whether a particular button colour attracts attention.
Why it matters
An action label tells a visitor what they can do next. A form or link can already serve that job, which is why the presence test allows more than a single style of sales button.
How to fix it
Choose the next useful action for each key page. Name it in words that explain the result, and link it to the correct form, booking page or product step. Test that route yourself. Keep labels consistent with what happens after clicking, rather than adding a vague action just to satisfy the presence test.
What we found in field audits
Problems in Conversion & landing pages were found on 13 of the 14 sites we audited. These are area totals. Read the field-audit method.
Method note
backend/seo_engine/checks/conversion.py, calls_to_action, revision 0bb8e8d3.
Common questions
Can a form count as my page's next step without another button?
Yes. A form containing 2 fields or more can qualify without another action button. Test the destination yourself.
Are generic action labels as serious as having no action?
No. Missing actions are high severity, while weak labels are medium. Read the wording in the context of its destination.
Which pages are checked for missing calls to action?
The homepage and selling pages are preferred. Otherwise, 5 shallow indexable pages is the fallback cap.