How to use this checklist
A checklist is only useful if each line can be answered with yes or no. That is why every item below has a pass mark. 'Improve page speed' is a wish; 'the key templates pass Core Web Vitals in the field data' is a check.
Work through the phases in order. Record the result of each check in a simple spreadsheet with three columns: pass, fail, or not applicable. The fails become your to-do list.
You need very little to start:
- Google Search Console, verified for the whole domain. It is free, and most checks below rely on it. Google's guide to getting started with Search Console explains the set-up.
- PageSpeed Insights for speed and mobile checks.
- A crawler, a tool that walks through your site like a search engine and lists every URL with its status, title and headings. Several have free versions for small sites.
A small brochure site can be checked in a day. A shop with thousands of products will take longer, but you can check templates (product page, category page, article) rather than every single URL.
Phase 1: crawling and indexing
Before anything else, Google has to be able to reach your pages, read them and keep them in its index. Problems here quietly cancel out everything else you do. Google summarises the minimum in its technical requirements: the page must not block Googlebot, must return a working status code and must contain indexable content.
If several checks in this phase fail, or the site has gone through a recent rebuild, that is usually a sign the technical side needs specialist attention; our page on technical SEO explains what that work involves.
| Check | Where to look | Passes when |
|---|---|---|
| Domain property verified | Search Console settings | The domain property exists and shows data |
| One preferred version of the site | Type http://, https://, www and non-www versions into a browser | All variants redirect in one step to the same HTTPS address |
| XML sitemap submitted | Search Console, Sitemaps report | Status reads success and it lists only pages you want indexed |
| robots.txt not blocking key areas | yourdomain.co.uk/robots.txt | No important folder, script or stylesheet is disallowed |
| No stray noindex tags | Crawler export, URL Inspection | Only deliberate pages (thank-you, account, search results) carry noindex |
| Important pages indexed | Search Console, Pages report | Every page that matters shows as indexed; exclusions are understood |
| No broken internal links | Crawler, filtered on 4xx status | Zero internal links point to missing pages |
| Redirects are clean | Crawler, filtered on 3xx status | No chains of several hops and no internal links pointing at redirects |
| Duplicates consolidated | Crawler, canonical column | Each piece of content has one canonical URL that points to itself |
Phase 2: keywords and site structure
Once Google can read the site, the next question is whether the site is organised around what people actually search for. This phase is about the shape of the website rather than individual sentences.
- A keyword map exists. Passes when there is a list of the main searches you want to be found for, each assigned to exactly one page. If you have no such list, our guide to building an SEO strategy covers how to create one.
- One page per intent. Passes when no two pages target the same search. Two near-identical service pages compete with each other and usually both underperform.
- Every core service has its own page. Passes when a visitor searching for one specific service lands on a page about that service, not a general list.
- Customer language, not internal jargon. Passes when page names use the words customers type. A firm may say 'residential conveyancing'; many buyers search 'solicitor for buying a house'. Use both where it reads naturally.
- Shallow, logical structure. Passes when every important page can be reached within three clicks from the home page.
- Readable URLs. Passes when addresses are short, lower-case and descriptive, such as /services/commercial-leases/, in line with Google's advice on URL structure.
- No orphan pages. Passes when every page in your sitemap receives at least one internal link from another page.
Phase 3: the content of each page
Now check the pages one by one, starting with the ten that matter most commercially. Each check below should pass on every key page. The distinction between work on the page and work elsewhere is explained further in our guide to on-page vs off-page SEO.
| Check | Where to look | Passes when |
|---|---|---|
| Unique, descriptive title | Crawler, title column | Every title is different, names the topic early and reads like a label, not a list of keywords |
| One clear H1 | Crawler, H1 column | Exactly one main heading that matches what the page is about |
| Direct answer near the top | Read the page | The first paragraph answers the main question without scrolling |
| Headings follow the reader's questions | Read the outline of headings alone | The headings on their own tell the story of the page |
| Evidence of real expertise | Read the page | Specific details, a named author or reviewer, and nothing a competitor could copy word for word |
| Meta description written | Crawler, description column | Each key page has its own summary that would make a searcher click |
| Images described | Crawler, images report | Meaningful images have alt text that describes them; decorative ones do not need it |
| Useful internal links | Read the page | The page links to the next logical page with descriptive anchor text |
| Clear next step | Read the page on a phone | Contact, booking or purchase is obvious without hunting for it |
Phase 4: trust, authority and local presence
Search engines show pages they can trust. Part of that comes from the site itself and part from what the rest of the web says about you.
- Who is behind the site is clear. Passes when an about page names the people, their relevant experience and how to reach the business. A limited company also has legal disclosure duties for its website, such as showing its registered name; check the current requirements with your accountant or company secretary.
- Contact details are consistent. Passes when name, address and phone number match exactly on the website, Google Business Profile and major directories.
- Google Business Profile complete (if you serve customers locally). Passes when categories, services, opening hours and photos are filled in and the profile is verified. Our Google Business Profile guide walks through each field.
- Reviews are genuine and answered. Passes when reviews come from real customers and recent ones have a reply.
- Links come from relevant places. Passes when the sites linking to you are ones a customer might also read: trade bodies, local press, suppliers, partners. A sudden pile of links from unrelated sites is a fail, not a pass; Google's spam policies explain why.
Phase 5: measuring and maintaining
A checklist completed once and filed away loses value within months. Sites change, plugins update, new pages are added in a hurry. This last phase turns the checklist into a routine.
- Analytics and Search Console are connected and the key conversions (enquiry form, phone click, purchase) are tracked. Passes when you can see which pages produce enquiries, not just visits.
- A baseline is recorded. Passes when you have written down clicks, impressions and conversions for the last three months, so later changes can be compared fairly.
- Speed is monitored. Passes when the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console shows key templates as good. Our guide to website speed explains the metrics.
- A rhythm is agreed. Passes when someone owns the checks and a date is in the diary.
A practical rhythm: glance at Search Console for errors monthly, repeat phases 1 and 3 every quarter, and go through the whole list once a year or after any significant change to the site.
Website checklist for a launch or a new page
Launches are where avoidable mistakes happen, because everyone is rushing. Keep this shorter website checklist next to the developer on launch day.
Before the site or page goes live
- The page has its own title, H1 and meta description.
- Staging and test versions are password protected, not merely hidden.
- If the site replaces an old one, every old URL has a mapped redirect to its closest new equivalent. For a full rebuild, our page on website migration covers the process.
- Forms are tested and enquiries actually arrive in the right inbox.
- The page has been read on a phone by someone who did not write it.
On the day and the week after
- Any site-wide noindex or password used during development has been removed.
- The sitemap is updated and resubmitted in Search Console.
- Key pages have been checked with URL Inspection and, where needed, submitted for indexing.
- Search Console is watched for a sudden rise in errors or not-found pages.
Common mistakes when working through an SEO checklist
- Treating every item as equally important. A missing alt text is not in the same league as a noindex tag on your main service page. Fix blockers first.
- Chasing a tool's score. Automated scores reward what is easy to measure. A page can score highly and still fail to answer the question a customer asked.
- Ticking boxes without a pass mark. 'Looked at the titles' is not a result. 'All 40 service page titles are unique and under about 60 characters' is.
- Stopping at the list. A checklist tells you what is wrong. It does not tell you what to build next, which competitors to outdo or where the commercial opportunity lies. That is the difference between a checklist and an SEO audit with judgement behind it.