Technical SEO Checklist

A robust Technical SEO checklist is essential for maintaining website health. This article will provide a comprehensive checklist, covering critical aspects such as site speed, mobile optimization, structured data, and more. With practical tools and techniques, you’ll be well-equipped to audit and improve your site’s technical SEO.

Comprehensive Checklist Covering Essential Technical SEO Aspects

Site Speed

Optimize Images:
- Compression: Use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to compress images without losing quality.
- Formats: Use modern image formats like WebP for better compression and quality.
- Lazy Loading: Implement lazy loading to defer offscreen images until the user scrolls to them.
Minimize HTTP Requests:
- Combine Files: Merge CSS and JavaScript files to reduce the number of requests.
- Inline Critical CSS: Inline the critical CSS required for the initial load to reduce render-blocking resources.
- Reduce Plugins: Limit the number of plugins on your site to reduce unnecessary requests.
Leverage Browser Caching:
- Caching Policy: Set up caching policies to store frequently accessed resources in the user’s browser.
- Expiry Headers: Use expiry headers to specify how long browsers should cache your files.
Enable Compression:
- GZIP Compression: Enable GZIP compression to reduce the size of your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.
- Brotli Compression: Use Brotli compression for even better performance compared to GZIP.
Optimize CSS and JavaScript:
- Minify Files: Remove unnecessary characters from CSS and JavaScript files using tools like UglifyJS or CSSNano.
- Defer JavaScript Loading: Defer non-critical JavaScript until after the page has loaded.

Mobile Optimization

Responsive Design:
- Flexibility: Ensure your website adapts to different screen sizes and orientations.
- Consistency: Maintain a consistent user experience across devices.
- Implementation: Use CSS media queries to adjust layouts based on screen size.
Viewport Configuration:
- Meta Tag: Include a viewport meta tag to control layout on mobile browsers.
- Scalability: Ensure your content scales correctly on different devices.
Mobile Speed Optimization:
- Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP): Implement AMP for faster load times on mobile devices.
- Mobile-Specific Features: Utilize features like touch-friendly buttons and simplified navigation.

Structured Data

Implement Schema Markup:
- Schema.org: Use schema.org vocabulary to add structured data to your website.
- Rich Snippets: Enhance search result appearances with rich snippets like reviews, events, and products.
Test with Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool:
- Validation: Ensure your structured data is correctly implemented and free of errors.
- Improvements: Regularly test and update structured data to maintain accuracy.
Use JSON-LD Format:
- Preferred Format: Use JSON-LD for structured data, as recommended by Google.
- Implementation: Embed JSON-LD script in your website’s head section.

Crawling and Indexing

Create and Submit XML Sitemap:
- XML Sitemap: Create a comprehensive XML sitemap and submit it to Google Search Console.
- Updates: Keep the sitemap updated with new and removed pages.
Use Robots.txt:
- Configuration: Properly configure the robots.txt file to manage crawling.
- Access: Ensure important pages are not blocked by the robots.txt file.
Check for Crawl Errors:
- Monitoring: Regularly monitor and fix crawl errors in Google Search Console.
- Reports: Use tools like Screaming Frog to generate detailed crawl reports.

Rendering

Ensure JavaScript and CSS Accessibility:
- Unblocked Resources: Make sure JavaScript and CSS files are not blocked by robots.txt.
- Testing: Use tools like Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool to check resource accessibility.
Use Server-Side Rendering (SSR):
- JavaScript-Heavy Sites: Improve rendering for JavaScript-heavy sites by implementing SSR.
- Frameworks: Utilize frameworks like Next.js or Nuxt.js for server-side rendering.
Check Mobile Rendering:
- Mobile-Friendly Test: Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to ensure proper rendering on mobile devices.
- Adjustments: Make necessary adjustments based on test results.

Website Security

Implement HTTPS:
- SSL/TLS Certificates: Ensure your site uses HTTPS by installing SSL/TLS certificates.
- Redirects: Set up 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS to maintain SEO value.
- Mixed Content: Ensure all content on HTTPS pages is served securely to avoid mixed content issues.
Regular Security Audits:
- Vulnerability Scans: Conduct regular security scans to detect vulnerabilities.
- Updates: Keep all software, including CMS and plugins, updated to the latest versions.
- Security Plugins: Use security plugins to monitor and protect your site.

Internal Linking

Ensure Logical Internal Links:
- Structure: Create a clear and logical internal linking structure.
- Navigation: Facilitate easy navigation for users and search engines.
Use Descriptive Anchor Text:
- Keywords: Use relevant keywords in your anchor text.
- Clarity: Ensure anchor text clearly describes the linked content.
Avoid Broken Links:
- Audits: Regularly check and fix broken links using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs.

Canonicalization

Implement Canonical Tags:
- Duplicate Content: Prevent duplicate content issues by using canonical tags.
- Preferred Version: Indicate the preferred version of pages to search engines.
Check Duplicate Content:
- Audits: Regularly audit your site for duplicate content issues.
- Consolidation: Consolidate similar content using canonical tags or redirects.

Tools and Techniques for Auditing Website Health

Google Search Console:
- Monitoring: Monitor crawl errors, indexing status, and other technical issues.
- Reports: Use various reports to gain insights into your site’s performance.
Google PageSpeed Insights:
- Speed Analysis: Analyze and optimize your website speed.
- Recommendations: Follow provided recommendations to improve performance.
Screaming Frog SEO Spider:
- Site Audits: Perform comprehensive site audits.
- Crawl Analysis: Analyze crawling data to identify issues.
GTmetrix:
- Performance Evaluation: Evaluate and improve site speed and performance.
- Detailed Reports: Get detailed reports on load times and performance metrics.
Moz Pro:
- Technical Audits: Conduct site audits and track technical SEO issues.
- Optimization: Use recommendations to optimize site performance.
Ahrefs:
- Site Analysis: Analyze site structure, identify technical issues, and track performance.
- Backlink Monitoring: Monitor backlinks and track their impact on SEO.
Schema Markup Validator:
- Validation: Check and validate your structured data implementation.
- Error Fixing: Fix any errors to ensure accurate structured data.

Improving Site Speed for an Online Retailer

Problem: An online retailer faced high bounce rates due to slow site speed.

Solution:

Image Optimization: Compressed and converted images to WebP format.
HTTP Requests: Combined CSS and JavaScript files to reduce the number of requests.
Browser Caching: Enabled browser caching for static resources.
Compression: Implemented GZIP compression for faster load times.
CSS and JavaScript Optimization: Minified CSS and JavaScript files.

Results:

Page Load Time: Reduced from 5 seconds to under 2 seconds.
Bounce Rate: Decreased by 20%.
Conversion Rate: Increased by 15%.

Mobile Optimization for a Local Business

Problem: A local business website was not optimized for mobile devices, leading to poor user experience and low mobile rankings.