How to use this checklist
This checklist is organized by category and roughly ordered by impact within each section. If you're auditing your own site for the first time, start with Technical SEO — fixing crawlability and indexing issues unlocks the value of everything else on this list. If your site is already technically solid, jump to whichever category matches your current goal.
Quick tip
Don't try to fix everything in one sitting. Pick the top 5 unchecked items in Technical SEO first — they tend to have the highest impact-to-effort ratio.
1. Technical SEO (14 items)
Technical issues cap how much of your content Google can even see. Start here.
✓
XML sitemap exists and is submitted in Google Search Console, with no errors.
✓
robots.txt isn't blocking important pages — review it manually, not just by assumption.
✓
No accidental noindex tags on pages you want ranked.
✓
Canonical tags are consistent — no conflicting or self-referencing errors across templates.
✓
Site is crawlable in under 3 clicks from the homepage to any important page.
✓
No orphan pages — every important page has at least one internal link pointing to it.
✓
HTTPS is enforced site-wide with no mixed-content warnings.
✓
301 redirects (not 302) used for any permanently moved URLs.
✓
No redirect chains longer than 1 hop.
✓
Core Web Vitals pass — LCP under 2.5s, CLS under 0.1, INP under 200ms.
✓
Mobile usability errors are resolved in Search Console's Mobile Usability report.
✓
Structured data (schema) implemented for key page types — products, articles, FAQs, local business.
✓
No duplicate content across parameter URLs, print versions, or staging environments.
✓
404 errors are monitored and fixed or redirected where appropriate.
Want a deeper dive on this category? See our full Technical SEO service page.
2. On-page SEO (12 items)
Once the technical foundation is solid, on-page elements help Google (and users) understand exactly what each page is about.
✓
Title tags are unique across every page, 50–60 characters, with primary keyword near the front.
✓
Meta descriptions are written for every important page (150–160 characters) — not auto-generated.
✓
One H1 per page, matching search intent.
✓
Header structure is logical — H2s and H3s nested properly, not skipped or used for styling only.
✓
URLs are short, readable, and keyword-relevant — no query strings or ID numbers where avoidable.
✓
Images have descriptive alt text — not keyword-stuffed, but genuinely descriptive.
✓
Images are compressed and served in modern formats (WebP/AVIF) where supported.
✓
Internal links use descriptive anchor text rather than "click here."
✓
Each page targets one primary keyword/topic — no cannibalization between pages.
✓
Above-the-fold content matches the title and search intent immediately.
✓
Outbound links to authoritative sources exist where relevant (builds topical trust).
✓
Page load speed tested on real mobile devices, not just lab tools.
5. Local SEO basics (5 items)
Skip this section if you don't serve a local customer base. Otherwise, these are non-negotiable.
✓
Google Business Profile is claimed and fully completed — categories, hours, photos, services.
✓
NAP (name, address, phone) is consistent across the website and all directories.
✓
Location pages exist for each service area, with unique content (not duplicated templates).
✓
Review generation is active and reviews are responded to.
✓
Local schema markup is implemented (LocalBusiness type).
For a deeper local SEO walkthrough, see our Local SEO service page.
What to do next
If you've gone through this checklist and found more than a handful of unchecked items, don't try to fix everything at once. Prioritize by impact: technical and indexing issues first, then on-page fundamentals, then content depth, then off-page authority.
Faster option
If you'd rather skip the manual audit, our free 200-point website analysis runs through this entire checklist (and more) automatically and tells you exactly what to fix first.