1
Technical Foundation
-
Site loads over HTTPS (secure connection)
-
Site is mobile-friendly (test in Chrome DevTools or Lighthouse)
-
Core Web Vitals pass (LCP, INP, CLS)
-
No major JavaScript rendering issues for content
-
Site works without www and with www (one redirects to the other)
Test your Core Web Vitals at PageSpeed Insights. For mobile testing, use Chrome DevTools Device Mode or Lighthouse.
2
Indexing & Crawlability
-
Site verified in Google Search Console
-
XML sitemap exists and is submitted to Search Console
-
Robots.txt file exists and isn't blocking important pages
-
No critical pages have "noindex" tags accidentally applied
-
No orphan pages (pages with no internal links pointing to them)
Check Search Console → Pages for coverage errors. Crawl your site with Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, or SEO Minion.
3
On-Page Essentials
-
Every page has a unique, descriptive title tag
-
Every page has a unique meta description
-
Every page has exactly one H1 tag
-
Heading hierarchy is logical (H1 → H2 → H3)
-
Images have descriptive alt text
-
Internal links use descriptive anchor text
4
Content Quality
-
No thin content pages (pages with little or no unique value)
-
No duplicate content issues (same content on multiple URLs)
-
Canonical tags are correctly implemented
-
No broken internal links (404 errors)
-
Content is up to date (no outdated information)
Check GA4 → Engagement → Pages and screens to find low-performing pages that might need improvement or consolidation.
5
Local SEO
-
Google Business Profile claimed and optimized
-
NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistent across web
-
Local business schema implemented on site
-
Listed in relevant local directories
Skip this section if your business is purely online with no local presence.
Download This Checklist
Get a PDF version to work through during your next SEO audit.