SEO Checklist

Site is accessible via HTTPS

Every page should load over HTTPS. Mixed content warnings hurt trust and may affect rankings.

XML sitemap exists and is submitted to Google

Submit via Google Search Console → Sitemaps. Helps Google discover all your important pages.

robots.txt is correctly configured

Ensure you're not accidentally blocking important pages from being crawled.

No broken internal links (404s)

Crawl your site regularly and fix or redirect any broken links.

Page speed is acceptable (LCP < 2.5s)

Use Google PageSpeed Insights. Core Web Vitals are a ranking factor.

Mobile-friendly design

Google uses mobile-first indexing. Test with Google's Mobile-Friendly Test.

Canonical tags on duplicate content

Use rel=canonical to consolidate duplicate or similar pages into one authoritative URL.

No redirect chains (max 1 hop)

Update internal links and backlinks to point directly to the final URL.

Unique title tag (50–60 chars) on every page

Include your primary keyword near the beginning of the title.

Unique meta description (120–160 chars) on every page

Summarize the page and include a call-to-action. Affects click-through rate.

One H1 tag per page containing the primary keyword

The H1 should clearly describe the page's main topic. Don't use it more than once.

H2/H3 headings used to structure content

Use heading hierarchy to break up content and signal subtopics to Google.

Primary keyword in the first 100 words

Mentioning your keyword early signals relevance. Don't force it - write naturally.

Images have descriptive alt text

Alt text helps Google understand images and improves accessibility.

Internal links to related pages

Link to 2–5 relevant internal pages per post to distribute PageRank and aid navigation.

Open Graph tags set (og:title, og:description, og:image)

Controls how your page appears when shared on social media.

Content matches search intent

Does the page format (article, product page, list) match what searchers expect for the target keyword?

Content is comprehensive and covers the topic thoroughly

Cover subtopics searchers care about. Use tools like People Also Ask for content ideas.

Content is original, not duplicated

Avoid copying content from other pages. Duplicate content dilutes ranking signals.

Content is regularly updated

Update key pages annually at minimum. Fresh content signals relevance for time-sensitive queries.

Structured data (schema markup) added

Use JSON-LD to add Article, Product, FAQ, or other schema types to earn rich results.

FAQs or People Also Ask content covered

Answer common questions about your topic - they can appear as rich results in Google.

Homepage has the most internal links pointing to it

Your homepage should be the most internally linked page - it's your authority hub.

Important pages are reachable within 3 clicks from homepage

Deep pages get less crawl budget and fewer internal link signals.

Anchor text is descriptive (not just 'click here')

Use keyword-rich, descriptive anchor text for internal links.

External links open in new tab and have rel=noopener

Protect users from tab-napping attacks with rel='noopener noreferrer'.

No toxic or spammy backlinks pointing to your site

Monitor your backlink profile and disavow clearly harmful links if necessary.

Google Business Profile claimed and complete

Claim your listing, add photos, hours, categories, and respond to reviews.

NAP consistent across all directories

Name, Address, Phone number must be identical everywhere (website, GMB, Yelp, etc.)

LocalBusiness schema markup added

Adds structured data for your business name, address, phone, and hours.

Location keyword in title tag and content

Include your city/region in titles and content for local queries like 'plumber in London'.