SEO Checklist

Verify ownership of your domain in Google Search Console so you can monitor indexing, submit sitemaps, and catch ranking drops early.

Generate an XML sitemap listing every indexable URL on your site and submit it in Search Console. This accelerates discovery of new content.

Create a robots.txt at the root of your domain that blocks non-public areas (admin, staging, cart) and references your sitemap URL.

Redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS with a 301. Google treats HTTPS as a minor ranking factor and browsers flag HTTP sites as 'Not secure'.

Check the Pages report weekly for 404s, 5xx errors, and soft 404s. Redirect or repair broken URLs so crawl budget is spent on pages that matter.

Add a self-referencing canonical tag to every page. This prevents duplicate content issues from URL parameters and paginated versions.

Test your top pages in Google's Mobile-Friendly Test. Mobile-first indexing means Google uses the mobile version for ranking.

Keep LCP under 2.5s, INP under 200ms, and CLS under 0.1. Poor Core Web Vitals directly hurt rankings on mobile search.

Add JSON-LD schema for Article, Product, FAQ, Breadcrumb, and LocalBusiness where applicable. Schema unlocks rich results and raises CTR.

If you serve multiple countries or languages, add hreflang tags so Google serves the right version to each audience.

Look for thin pages (tag archives, empty categories, search results) that pollute your index. Noindex them or remove entirely.

Pick one primary keyword for each page and match search intent precisely. Supporting keywords cluster naturally once the primary is locked.

Include the primary keyword near the front of the title. Keep under 60 characters so it does not get truncated in search results.

Each page needs a unique meta description under 160 characters. It will not rank you, but it heavily influences click-through rate.

Every page should have exactly one H1 containing the primary keyword. Use H2 and H3 for subsections in a logical hierarchy.

Describe what the image shows and include your keyword naturally when relevant. Alt text helps accessibility and image search rankings.

URLs should be 3-5 words, lowercase, hyphenated, and match the primary keyword. Avoid dates, IDs, and stop words.

Every new page should receive at least 3-5 internal links from existing relevant pages and link out to related content.

Link with relevant anchor text like 'SEO audit guide' rather than 'click here'. Google uses anchor text as a ranking signal.

Answer common questions in 40-60 word paragraphs. Use tables and lists where they match query intent. Structured answers earn position zero.

Convert images to WebP or AVIF, compress without visible loss, and serve properly sized versions for each viewport.

Maintain a spreadsheet mapping every target keyword to a specific URL. Prevents keyword cannibalization and clarifies where new content fits.

Look at the top 10 ranking pages for each keyword. If they are all how-to guides, a product page will not rank. Match the dominant content type.

Build one comprehensive pillar page per major topic, surrounded by 5-15 focused cluster articles that link back. This architecture wins topical authority.

Start with low-competition, long-tail keywords (4+ words) where you can rank fast. Use those wins to build authority for shorter head terms.

Update top-performing posts with current stats, new examples, and expanded sections. Content refresh often lifts rankings more than new posts.

Include real author names, bios, credentials, and links to social profiles. Especially important for YMYL (health, finance, legal) content.

Long-form content earns more backlinks, ranks for more keywords, and drives longer dwell times. Only when the topic justifies the length.

FAQs help you rank for question variants, earn People Also Ask placements, and add Schema.org/FAQPage markup for rich results.

Original studies, surveys, and proprietary data become backlink magnets. One good data piece can earn links for years.

Use Ahrefs, Semrush, or Google Search Console to list every domain linking to you. Disavow spammy or unnatural links.

Find sites mentioning your brand without linking and politely ask them to add a link. Highest-conversion outreach you can do.

Target sites in your niche with real traffic. A single link from a relevant domain outperforms 10 links from irrelevant blogs.

Build pages designed to earn links: calculators, original research, definitive guides. One linkable asset can compound for years.

Find broken outbound links on relevant sites and suggest your page as the replacement. High success rate with minimal effort.

Submit to industry-specific directories and aggregators. Avoid paid low-quality directories, but niche-relevant ones still pass authority.

Guest on 3-5 relevant podcasts per quarter. Each episode usually links back to your site in the show notes.

Claim your listing, add photos, complete every field, choose the right category, and respond to every review.

Your Name, Address, and Phone number must match exactly across every directory, social profile, and citation.

Ask every satisfied customer for a Google review. Quantity, recency, and response rate all influence local rankings.

List your business on Yelp, BBB, Apple Maps, Bing Places, and industry-specific local directories.

If you serve multiple cities, build a unique landing page for each with localized content, testimonials, and embedded maps.