0%
Your checklist progress
0 of 0 complete
✓ How to use this checklist
This is the exact checklist I run through for every website — split into the three pillars of SEO: on-page, off-page, and technical. Tick items off as you complete them; your progress is tracked at the top. Work top to bottom, and don't move to link building until your on-page and technical foundations are solid.
1 On-Page SEO Checklist
On-page SEO is everything you control on the page itself — content, HTML tags, and internal structure. Get these right first; they're the highest-leverage wins.
Unique, keyword-focused title tag
50–60 chars, primary keyword near the front, compelling to click.
Meta description written for clicks
140–160 chars, includes the keyword and a clear reason to click.
Single, descriptive H1
One H1 per page that matches search intent for the target keyword.
Logical heading hierarchy (H2/H3)
Structure content so both readers and crawlers can scan it.
Short, readable URL slug
Lowercase, hyphenated, keyword-rich, no dates or stop-word clutter.
Primary keyword in first 100 words
Confirms relevance early without keyword stuffing.
Helpful, in-depth content
Answers the query fully and better than the pages currently ranking.
Descriptive image alt text + compression
Accessibility, image search, and faster load times.
Internal links to related pages
Pass authority and help users (and Google) find related content.
At least one relevant external link
Cite credible sources to support your claims.
Structured data / schema where relevant
Article, FAQ, HowTo, Product, Review markup for rich results.
No keyword cannibalization
Only one page targets each primary keyword.
2 Technical SEO Checklist
Technical SEO makes sure Google can crawl, render, and index your site quickly and correctly. Without it, great content can stay invisible.
Verify the site in Google Search Console
Your source of truth for indexing, queries, and errors.
Submit an accurate XML sitemap
List canonical, indexable URLs only.
Check robots.txt isn't blocking key pages
One wrong line can deindex a whole section.
Fix Coverage / indexing errors
Resolve 'Discovered – not indexed', soft 404s, and excluded pages.
Pass Core Web Vitals
LCP, INP, and CLS in the green on mobile and desktop.
Confirm mobile-friendliness
Responsive layout, tappable targets, no horizontal scroll.
Serve everything over HTTPS
No mixed-content warnings.
Set correct canonical tags
Consolidate duplicates and parameter URLs.
Use 301s for moved pages; fix broken links
Preserve equity and kill 404 dead-ends.
Control duplicate & thin content
Noindex or consolidate low-value pages.
Keep important pages shallow
Reachable within ~3 clicks of the homepage.
Validate structured data
Use the Rich Results Test to catch errors.
3 Off-Page SEO Checklist
Off-page SEO builds authority and trust through signals from other sites. Focus on quality and relevance over raw quantity.
Audit your current backlink profile
Know your referring domains, authority, and anchor spread.
Earn links with digital PR & guest posts
Pitch original data, expert commentary, and genuinely useful pieces.
Build relevant, non-spammy citations
Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) for local businesses.
Run a competitor backlink gap analysis
Find domains linking to rivals but not to you.
Keep anchor text natural & diverse
Avoid over-optimised exact-match anchors.
Encourage brand mentions & reviews
Unlinked mentions and reviews build trust and E-E-A-T.
Disavow only truly toxic links
Use sparingly — most low-quality links are best ignored.
Promote content on social & communities
Distribution drives the visibility that earns natural links.