Discovery
Robots, sitemaps, links, redirects and status codes determine how URLs are found.
SeattleSEO.us field guide
Technical SEO Checklist
A prioritized technical SEO checklist covering crawling, indexing, rendering, performance, metadata, internal links and structured data.
Practical guidance
Verify what search engines can access before expanding what you publish.
A checklist is a starting point, not a diagnosis. Reconcile crawl data with server behavior, index reports, rendered pages, analytics and the business purpose of each URL before changing controls.
By SeattleSEO.us · Updated
Consolidation
Canonicals, parameters, duplicates and language rules determine which version can earn visibility.
Experience
Rendering, speed, accessibility and mobile behavior affect users and search systems.
Inspect the HTTP response
Check the canonical URL returns a successful response, alternate versions redirect correctly and missing pages return 404. Confirm that important content, a clear title and one main heading appear in the rendered page.
Reconcile discovery and index controls
Compare the sitemap against indexable pages and internal links. Check robots.txt, noindex directives and canonicals independently; a robots block is not a reliable way to remove an already indexed URL.
Test complete journeys
Follow links from the navigation through a service page to the inquiry form. Verify success and error states, keyboard operation and mobile layout. Confirm that a form success means the request was actually saved.
Use field data for performance claims
Inspect available real-user Core Web Vitals and diagnose representative templates. A successful build or a small image file does not establish that real visitors pass Core Web Vitals.
Your review checklist
Use these points to record findings and decide what needs attention.
- Crawl the canonical host
- Reconcile index coverage
- Test rendered templates
- Validate canonicals and redirects
- Review internal-link depth
- Check structured data and real-user performance
Questions, answered
Before the next step.
Should every warning be fixed?+
No. Prioritize issues that affect important pages, users or measurement; many crawl-tool notices are contextual.
How often should a site be audited?+
Monitor continuously where possible and perform focused reviews before and after material releases, migrations or template changes.
Does structured data guarantee rich results?+
No. It can clarify eligible visible content, but search engines decide whether and how to show enhanced results.
Sources and further reading
Keep exploring