You can write the best article on the internet and still get no traffic if search engines cannot find, render or understand it. Technical SEO is the foundation under every other SEO effort. This checklist is ordered by priority, so you fix what blocks visibility first and polish later.
Key takeaways
- Fix crawling and indexing problems first; nothing else matters if pages are blocked.
- Then clean up architecture, duplicates, speed, mobile and security.
- Add structured data and clear page signals so search engines and AI answer systems can extract your content accurately.
- Re-audit regularly; sites decay as they grow.
Tools you need
- Google Search Console (free, essential): indexing reports, sitemaps, Core Web Vitals, manual actions.
- A crawler such as Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to mimic search engine crawling.
- PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse for performance.
- Rich Results Test and Schema validator for structured data.
- Server logs (optional but powerful) to see what bots actually crawl.
Priority 1: crawlability and indexing
1. Make sure important pages are indexable
Check for accidental noindex meta tags or X-Robots-Tag headers, often left over from a staging site. In Search Console, review the Pages report and understand every "Excluded" reason.
2. Audit robots.txt
Do not block CSS, JavaScript or important directories. Remember that robots.txt prevents crawling, not indexing, so it is the wrong tool for hiding pages. Reference your sitemap in the file.
3. Submit a clean XML sitemap
Include only canonical, indexable, 200-status URLs. Keep it updated automatically and submit it in Search Console. Our small business website guide covers this setup on new sites.
4. Fix server errors and broken pages
5xx errors waste crawl budget and lose rankings. Find 404s that still receive links or traffic and redirect them to the best matching page.
5. Resolve redirect problems
- Use 301 redirects for permanent moves.
- Avoid redirect chains and loops.
- Redirect HTTP to HTTPS and choose one version (www or non-www).
- When redesigning or migrating, map every old URL to its new equivalent.
6. Use canonical tags correctly
Every indexable page should have a self-referencing canonical, and duplicate or parameter URLs should point to the preferred version. Never canonicalise to a page that redirects or is noindexed.
Priority 2: site structure and content signals
7. Build a logical architecture
Important pages should be reachable in three clicks or fewer from the home page. Group content into clear topics and link related pages together so authority flows to key pages.
8. Fix orphan pages
Pages with no internal links are hard to discover. Add contextual links from relevant articles and hub pages.
9. Write descriptive, readable URLs
Use short, lowercase, hyphenated words that describe the page, such as /blog/technical-seo-checklist. Avoid random IDs and unnecessary parameters.
10. Eliminate duplicate and thin content
Consolidate near-duplicates, use canonicals or redirects, and either improve or remove pages that offer little value.
11. Unique titles and meta descriptions
Write a unique, accurate title and a compelling description for every page. Google may rewrite them, but good ones improve click-through. Our free meta tag generator helps you draft them.
12. Use headings sensibly
One clear H1 per page, with H2 and H3 sections that outline the content. Headings help users and assistive technology scan the page.
13. Optimise images
Descriptive file names and alt text, modern formats, correct dimensions and lazy loading below the fold. Add image sitemaps if images drive traffic.
14. Link with descriptive anchor text
Say what the target page is about rather than "click here".
Priority 3: performance and experience
15. Pass Core Web Vitals
Target LCP of 2.5 seconds or less, INP of 200 milliseconds or less and CLS of 0.1 or less. See the full guide to improving website speed.
16. Mobile-first parity
Google primarily uses the mobile version for indexing. Ensure mobile pages contain the same content, structured data, metadata and links as desktop, and that tap targets and text are readable.
17. Avoid intrusive interstitials
Full-screen pop-ups that block content frustrate users and can hurt performance.
18. Render important content in HTML
If your site relies heavily on client-side JavaScript, confirm Google can see your main content using the URL Inspection tool. Prefer server-side rendering or static generation for key pages.
Priority 4: security and trust
19. HTTPS everywhere
Valid certificate, no mixed content, HSTS where appropriate and secure cookies.
20. Security hygiene
Keep CMS, plugins and servers patched; hacked sites get flagged and drop from results. Read about common threats in our cybersecurity guide.
21. Clear trust pages
About, contact, privacy policy, terms and author information help users and reinforce experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trust.
Priority 5: structured data and answer-engine readiness
22. Add relevant structured data
Use JSON-LD for Organization, WebSite, Article or BlogPosting, BreadcrumbList, FAQ, Product, LocalBusiness and others that match visible content. Validate with the Rich Results Test. Never mark up content that users cannot see.
23. Write extractable, direct answers
Search features and AI assistants favour pages that answer questions clearly: short definitions near the top, descriptive headings, lists and tables, and up-to-date facts with sources.
24. Maintain entity consistency
Use consistent business name, address, logo, social profiles and descriptions across your site and profiles. Link them with sameAs in Organization schema.
25. Monitor and keep content fresh
Track impressions, clicks, indexing and Core Web Vitals in Search Console. Update outdated articles rather than letting them decay.
Internationalisation and special cases
- Multilingual sites: use hreflang annotations and separate URLs per language.
- Pagination and filters: avoid infinite crawl spaces from faceted navigation; control parameters.
- JavaScript frameworks: test rendering; provide HTML for key content.
- Staging sites: protect with passwords, not just robots.txt.
A simple audit routine
- Crawl the site and export errors, redirects, duplicates and missing metadata.
- Review Search Console indexing and Core Web Vitals reports.
- Fix blocking issues, then redirects and canonicals.
- Improve performance for your top templates.
- Add or repair structured data.
- Resubmit the sitemap and request indexing for key pages.
- Monitor for four to eight weeks and repeat quarterly.
Reading the Search Console indexing report
The Pages report in Google Search Console tells you why URLs are not indexed. These are the most common reasons and what to do:
| Status | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Crawled, currently not indexed | Google saw the page but chose not to index it, often because quality or uniqueness is low | Improve content depth, add internal links, remove near-duplicates |
| Discovered, currently not indexed | Google knows the URL but has not crawled it yet | Improve internal linking and site speed; wait or request indexing for key pages |
| Duplicate without user-selected canonical | Several similar pages; Google picked one | Add canonical tags or consolidate |
| Page with redirect | The URL redirects elsewhere | Normal, but remove redirecting URLs from the sitemap and internal links |
| Excluded by noindex tag | A noindex directive is present | Remove it if the page should rank |
| Not found (404) | The page no longer exists | Redirect to the best replacement, or leave as 404 if it has no value |
| Soft 404 | The page looks empty or like an error but returns 200 | Add real content or return a proper 404 |
Internal linking that helps both users and crawlers
- Link from high-traffic pages to the pages you want to rank.
- Use descriptive anchor text such as "technical SEO checklist" rather than "read more".
- Add a related-articles section to every post.
- Build hub pages: one in-depth guide that links to detailed supporting articles, which link back.
- Audit orphan pages quarterly and add links.
- Do not stuff links; each should be useful to a reader at that moment.
Structured data: which types to use first
| Page type | Schema type |
|---|---|
| All pages | Organization, WebSite, BreadcrumbList |
| Blog posts | BlogPosting or Article, with author and dates |
| FAQ sections | FAQPage (only for visible questions and answers) |
| Products | Product with offers, price and availability |
| Local business | LocalBusiness with address, hours and phone |
| Services | Service with provider and area served |
| Tutorials | HowTo where the page genuinely follows steps |
Support for rich results changes over time, so always check Google's current documentation and test with the Rich Results Test.
Crawl budget: when it matters and when it does not
Small sites with a few hundred pages rarely need to worry. Crawl budget becomes a concern for very large sites, sites with infinite filter combinations and sites that generate many low-value URLs. Typical fixes: block endless parameter combinations, remove thin tag pages, fix redirect chains, keep the sitemap clean and make the server fast so bots can fetch more per visit.
Migration checklist (redesigns and platform changes)
- Crawl the old site and save every URL, title, description and traffic figure.
- Decide the new URL structure and create a one-to-one redirect map.
- Keep titles, headings and content of high-performing pages largely intact.
- Build on a staging site protected by a password, not only by robots.txt.
- Test redirects, canonicals, sitemaps and structured data before launch.
- Launch, submit the new sitemap and monitor Search Console daily for a few weeks.
- Fix 404s that appear and keep redirects for at least a year.
Preparing for AI-driven search
- Answer questions directly near the top of the page in a sentence or two, then expand.
- Use clear headings, lists and tables that are easy to extract.
- State facts with sources and keep them up to date.
- Show real authorship and credentials; people and machines both look for trust signals.
- Keep your brand name, description and profiles consistent across the web.
- Allow reputable crawlers in robots.txt if you want your content to be referenced.
Want a professional audit?
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