Checklist
The Complete SEO Checklist
Save this page, print it, or just run through it once a quarter. Every item here is something that actually moves the needle — no filler, no vague advice like "create quality content."
🔧 Technical SEO
- Site loads in under 2.5 seconds (Largest Contentful Paint)
- HTTPS enabled site-wide, no mixed content warnings
- Mobile-friendly on all major screen sizes
- XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
- robots.txt doesn't block important pages (or AI crawlers, if desired)
- No broken internal links (404s)
- Canonical tags set correctly on every page
- No duplicate content across pages
- 301 redirects used correctly for moved/removed pages, with no redirect chains
- Core Web Vitals passing in Search Console
📝 On-Page SEO
- Unique, descriptive title tag on every page (under 60 characters)
- Unique meta description on every page (under 160 characters)
- One H1 per page, matching the actual topic
- Logical H2/H3 structure for scannability
- Primary keyword appears naturally in the first 100 words
- Alt text on all meaningful images
- Descriptive, keyword-relevant URL slugs
- Internal links to relevant related pages
- Clear, contextual call-to-action
📄 Content Quality
- Content matches the actual search intent (informational, navigational, transactional)
- Answers the core question directly, without unnecessary preamble
- Includes real examples, not just generic statements
- Sufficient depth for the topic's competitiveness (short answers for simple queries, 1,500+ words for competitive topics)
- No keyword stuffing or unnatural repetition
- Reviewed and updated within the last 6 months
- FAQ section included where relevant, with visible Q&A
🔗 Off-Page & Authority
- Backlink profile reviewed for spammy or toxic links
- Active link-building or exchange strategy (e.g. via NOXEL Forge)
- Brand mentions checked for unlinked citations worth reclaiming
- No purchased links from low-quality link networks
🤖 AI Search (GEO)
- robots.txt allows relevant AI crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot) if desired
- Key concepts have clear, standalone definitions
- Content uses structured lists/tables where relevant
- FAQPage schema implemented where questions are genuinely visible
- Facts are accurate, specific, and up to date
📊 Measurement
- Google Search Console connected and checked at least weekly
- Tracking rankings for keywords tied to real business value
- Reviewing queries with high impressions but low click-through rate
- Quarterly full site audit scheduled
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I run through this checklist?
A full pass quarterly, plus every time you launch a new page or make significant site changes. Core technical items should be checked monthly.
Can this checklist be automated?
Most technical and on-page items can be automatically scanned by an SEO audit tool. Content quality and link building still require human judgment.
What's the most commonly skipped item on this checklist?
Checking Google Search Console regularly. It's free and gives direct feedback on what's working, but many site owners only check it when something breaks.