SEO Checklist

Check that your website is securely encrypted with HTTPS to protect user data and improve search ranking.

Use canonical tags to tell search engines which version of duplicate pages should be indexed.

Generate an XML sitemap and submit it to search engines to help them discover and index your pages.

Create a robots.txt file to guide search engines on which parts of your site to crawl and index.

Ensure your website is fully responsive across all devices to improve user experience and rankings.

Identify and fix broken links and 404 errors to improve user experience and site crawlability.

Improve your website's loading speed to enhance user experience and search rankings.

Add structured data markup to help search engines understand your content better.

Identify and resolve duplicate content to prevent search engines from penalizing your site.

Set up and use Google Search Console to monitor and optimize your website's presence in search results.

Provide an HTML sitemap accessible via a link in the footer to help users navigate your site.

Use rel='prev' and rel='next' to indicate paginated content for better indexing.

Create unique, descriptive titles that include target keywords within 50-60 characters.

Write unique meta descriptions that encourage clicks with a clear call to action.

Add correct language attributes to help search engines understand your content's language.

Configure viewport meta tag correctly for proper mobile display.

Add social media metadata to control how your content appears when shared.

Create a logical hierarchy with properly formatted headings that include target keywords.

Create and properly implement favicon and Apple/Windows touch icons for better branding.

Ensure the charset is declared correctly as UTF-8 at the top of all HTML pages.

Research and identify relevant keywords that your target audience is searching for.

Develop valuable content that addresses user needs and provides genuine value.

Structure content with short paragraphs, bulleted lists, and sufficient white space.

Incorporate target keywords in the first 100 words and throughout the content without keyword stuffing.

Include descriptive, keyword-rich alt text for all images to improve accessibility and SEO.

Add FAQ sections that address common user questions and can be featured in search results.

Proofread all content to maintain professionalism and user trust.

Compress images and use modern formats like WebP to improve page loading speed.

Use lazy loading to defer offscreen images and improve page load performance.

Set width and height attributes on images to prevent layout shifts during page load.

Create descriptive, keyword-rich URLs that are easy for users and search engines to understand.

Create a logical internal linking structure that helps users and search engines navigate your site.

Use descriptive keywords in anchor text instead of generic phrases like 'click here'.

Link to high-quality external resources to provide additional value to users.

Regularly check for and fix broken internal and external links.

Add breadcrumb navigation to improve user experience and help search engines understand your site structure.

Use rel='noopener' or rel='noopener noreferrer' for external links with target='_blank' for security.

Ensure your website automatically adjusts to different screen sizes and devices.

Verify your site passes Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to ensure good mobile rankings.

Specifically optimize loading speed on mobile devices, which may have slower connections.

Use font sizes that are easy to read on small screens without zooming.

Make sure buttons and interactive elements are large enough for easy tapping on mobile.

Avoid pop-ups that cover the main content, especially on mobile, as Google may penalize this.

Set up and verify your Google Business Profile to improve local search visibility.

Make sure your business name, address, and phone number are consistent across all online platforms.

Add your business to relevant local directories and citation sites.

Include location-specific keywords in your content, meta tags, and headings.

Encourage customers to leave reviews and respond to them promptly and professionally.

Implement LocalBusiness schema markup to help search engines understand your local business information.

Create unique, keyword-rich titles and descriptions for all products.

Organize products into logical categories to improve user navigation and search engine understanding.

Implement product schema markup to enhance search results with price, availability, and reviews.

Add descriptive filenames and alt text to product images and optimize for speed.

Avoid duplicate product descriptions by writing unique content for each product.

Add customer reviews and ratings to build trust and add fresh content to product pages.

Utilize semantic elements like header, nav, main, section, article, and footer for better SEO and accessibility.

Design helpful error pages that guide users back to working pages on your site.

Clean up HTML, CSS, and JavaScript comments before production to reduce file size.

Check all pages for HTML validity to identify and fix potential issues.

Ensure your website displays correctly when various adblockers are enabled.

Reduce HTML file size by removing unnecessary whitespace and comments.

Use media queries and flexible layouts to ensure the website works on all devices.

Provide optimized styling for when users print content from your website.

Ensure all element IDs on a page are unique to prevent JavaScript and CSS issues.

Keep CSS in external files rather than using inline styles or <style> tags.

Combine and minify CSS files to reduce HTTP requests and file size.

Use appropriate loading techniques to prevent CSS from blocking page rendering.

Check CSS files for errors and warnings to ensure standards compliance.

Keep JavaScript in external files instead of mixing with HTML code.

Reduce JavaScript file size by removing unnecessary characters and whitespace.

Use async or defer attributes to prevent JavaScript from blocking page rendering.

Provide alternative content for users who have JavaScript disabled.

Prefix classes used in JavaScript with 'js-' to separate behavior from styling.

Make sure core functionality works without JavaScript enabled.

Ensure text has sufficient contrast with background colors (WCAG AA or AAA standard).

Use headings (H1-H6) in the correct hierarchical order for both accessibility and SEO.

Implement specific HTML5 input types for different data (email, tel, date, etc.).

All form inputs should have associated label elements or aria-label attributes.

Run your website through accessibility testing tools like WAVE or axe.

Test website navigation using only the keyboard, ensuring all elements are accessible.

Ensure focus states are visible for keyboard navigation or provide custom alternatives.

Optimize total page size including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and images.

Use preload, prefetch, and preconnect to optimize resource loading.

Keep cookies small and limit the number of cookies used by your domain.

Optimize your website to achieve a Google PageSpeed score of at least 90 for both mobile and desktop.

Minimize and manage third-party scripts that can slow down your website.

Use a CDN to serve assets from locations closer to your users.