Introduction: Why Technical SEO Matters
When it comes to SEO, most people focus on keywords and content. But without a
solid technical foundation, even the best content can struggle to rank. That’s where
technical SEO comes in—it ensures search engines can crawl, index, and understand your website.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through a
15-step technical SEO checklist to improve your website’s health and give it the best chance of ranking high on Google.
🛠️ The 15-Step Technical SEO Checklist
1️⃣ Ensure Your Website is HTTPS Secure
Security matters! Switch to
HTTPS by installing an SSL certificate. Google prefers secure websites, and visitors trust them more.
✅ Tip: Check if your site shows a padlock in the browser.
2️⃣ Optimize Website Speed
A slow website hurts user experience and SEO.
✅ Use tools like
Google PageSpeed Insights or
GTmetrix to check load times.
✅ Optimize images, enable caching, and use a fast hosting provider.
3️⃣ Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly
More than 60% of users browse on mobile.
✅ Use
Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check your site.
✅ Ensure text is readable, buttons are easy to tap, and images resize properly.
4️⃣ Fix Crawl Errors in Google Search Console
Crawl errors prevent search engines from indexing your site.
✅ Check
Google Search Console regularly under the
Coverage report.
✅ Fix broken pages (404 errors), redirects, and server issues.
5️⃣ Create and Submit a Sitemap
A
sitemap.xml file helps Google understand your website structure.
✅ Generate a sitemap using
Yoast SEO or
Rank Math (for WordPress).
✅ Submit it via Google Search Console.
6️⃣ Optimize Your Robots.txt File
This file tells search engines what to crawl and what to ignore.
✅ Ensure important pages aren’t accidentally blocked.
✅ Keep it clean and minimal—block unnecessary folders (like /wp-admin/).
7️⃣ Use a Clean URL Structure
SEO-friendly URLs are simple and descriptive.
✅ Example:
❌
yoursite.com/?p=123
✅
yoursite.com/seo-checklist/
✅ Include keywords naturally in URLs.
8️⃣ Check for Duplicate Content
Duplicate pages can hurt SEO.
✅ Use tools like
Siteliner or
Screaming Frog to identify duplicates.
✅ Use
canonical tags to consolidate similar pages.
9️⃣ Implement Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Schema helps search engines understand your content better.
✅ Use
schema.org markup for reviews, products, events, and more.
✅ Tools:
Google’s Rich Results Test or
Yoast SEO.
🔟 Optimize for Core Web Vitals
Google’s Core Web Vitals measure user experience.
✅ Focus on:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) – Page speed
- FID (First Input Delay) – Interactivity
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) – Visual stability
✅ Tools: Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse.
1️⃣1️⃣ Fix Broken Links (404 Errors)
Broken links hurt SEO and user trust.
✅ Use
Screaming Frog or
Ahrefs to scan for broken links.
✅ Update or remove them.
1️⃣2️⃣ Enable Browser Caching
Caching reduces load time by storing static files in the user’s browser.
✅ Enable it through your server or a caching plugin like
WP Rocket or
W3 Total Cache.
1️⃣3️⃣ Optimize Image SEO
Large images slow your site down.
✅ Compress images with
TinyPNG or
ShortPixel.
✅ Use descriptive
alt text for accessibility and SEO.
1️⃣4️⃣ Set a Preferred Domain (www or non-www)
Choose one domain version to avoid duplicate content issues.
✅ Example:
Either
https://www.yoursite.com or
https://yoursite.com (not both).
✅ Set it in Google Search Console.
1️⃣5️⃣ Monitor Website Health Regularly
SEO is an ongoing process.
✅ Set up alerts in
Google Search Console.
✅ Perform monthly SEO audits.
✅ Stay updated with algorithm changes via
Google Search Central Blog.
✅ Final Thoughts
Technical SEO isn’t just a one-time task—it’s the
foundation of your entire website. By following this 15-step checklist, you’ll improve your site’s performance, help search engines crawl your pages effectively, and provide a better experience for your visitors.
💡
Want a free website audit? Reach out, and we’ll help you optimize your site for SEO success!
