SEO Checklist 2026: 40 Things to Check Before You Spend Money on Anything Else

How to use it: audit each section honestly, fix the red items first, then schedule the rest. Most sites get the biggest gains from sections 1–3 before touching content or links.

1. Setup and measurement

1. Google Search Console verified for the exact domain, with the XML sitemap submitted.
2. GA4 installed once (not twice) with conversion events for forms, calls and purchases.
3. Core Web Vitals field data reviewed in Search Console → Experience.
4. A fixed list of 20–50 target keywords tracked monthly.
5. A baseline recorded: indexed pages, organic sessions, enquiries, top rankings.

2. Technical foundation

1. Site served over HTTPS with no mixed content; one canonical hostname (www or non-www) with the rest redirecting.
2. robots.txt not blocking important pages, CSS or JavaScript.
3. Search Console “Pages” report reviewed: important pages indexed, junk pages not.
4. Canonical tags present and self-referencing on every indexable page.
5. No redirect chains or loops; old URLs 301 to the best current page.
6. Core Web Vitals passing on mobile for key templates (LCP ≤ 2.5 s, INP ≤ 200 ms, CLS ≤ 0.1).
7. Images sized, compressed and served in modern formats (WebP/AVIF) with width/height set.
8. Render-blocking scripts deferred; unused plugins and scripts removed.
9. Mobile layout checked on a real phone: no horizontal scroll, readable text, tap targets 44 px+.
10. Structured data valid and matching visible content (Organization, Article, Product, FAQ, Breadcrumb as relevant).

If several of these fail, read what technical SEO is or get a technical audit.

3. Site structure

1. Clear hierarchy: every important page reachable within three clicks of the home page.
2. One page per topic/intent — no two pages competing for the same keyword.
3. Descriptive, consistent URLs (lowercase, hyphens, no parameters where avoidable).
4. Main navigation links to the commercial pages that matter most.
5. Breadcrumbs on deep pages.
6. No orphan pages: every indexable page has at least one internal link.

4. Keyword and intent mapping

1. Each target keyword mapped to one URL with its intent noted (informational, commercial, transactional, local).
2. Search results checked for each priority keyword: does the ranking page type match yours?
3. Long-tail and question variants collected for each page (People Also Ask is a free source).
4. Gaps identified: valuable keywords with no page yet.

5. On-page optimisation

1. Unique title tag per page, ~50–60 characters, primary keyword near the front, brand at the end.
2. Unique meta description, ~140–155 characters, written to earn the click.
3. Exactly one H1 per page, matching the page’s purpose.
4. Logical H2/H3 structure that reads as an outline.
5. Primary keyword and natural variants in the first 100 words, headings and body — without stuffing.
6. Descriptive alt text on meaningful images.
7. Internal links to related pages with descriptive anchor text; links from your strongest pages to the ones that need help.
8. External links to credible sources where you cite facts.
9. Clear next step on every commercial page (enquiry, call, quote).

6. Content quality

1. Content answers the query better than the current top results — more useful, not just longer.
2. Direct answer in the first sentence of each section (helps snippets and AI citations).
3. Original insight, data or examples that competitors don’t have.
4. Author shown with credentials; facts sourced; dates visible.
5. Thin, outdated or duplicate pages consolidated or refreshed rather than left to rot.

7. Local SEO (if you serve an area)

1. Google Business Profile complete: categories, services, hours, photos, posts, Q&A.
2. Name, address and phone consistent across site, profile and directories.
3. A page per location or service area with genuinely local content.
4. Review process in place; every review answered.

See our full guide to local SEO.

8. Authority

1. Backlink profile reviewed; spammy links from past campaigns disavowed only if clearly harmful.
2. A realistic plan to earn links: digital PR, data, expert commentary, partnerships, local coverage.
3. Brand mentions monitored and unlinked mentions reclaimed.

Printable version

Copy this page into your project tracker, or ask us for the spreadsheet version. If you would rather someone else works through it, our monthly SEO packages cover every item above with itemised reporting.

Frequently asked questions

Need the checklist done for you? Book a free consultation — we’ll tell you which items are costing you the most.