Do you want to optimize your website for Google in 2024? If yes, then do check out the SEO checklist. It is a comprehensive checklist that includes all areas of SEO, such as SEO basics, technical SEO, On-page SEO, Keyword Research, Off-page, Local SEO, and Mobile SEO.
How to use this SEO Checklist?
First of all, write or print these pointers somewhere and start working on them one by one to optimize your website. Go through the entire list and create your own customized SEO checklist to cut down the extra burden.
Here are the inclusions of the SEO checklist for 2024:
- SEO Basic Checklist
- Technical SEO Checklist
- On-Page SEO Checklist
- Keywords Research Checklist
- Off-Page SEO Checklist
- Local SEO Checklist
- Mobile SEO Checklist
Let’s talk about them in a more detailed manner:
SEO Basic Checklist
1. Understand basic SEO concepts and key terms
SEO is a code of conduct that you may implement on your website to ensure that search engines can easily access, crawl, and index your content.
The overall purpose of SEO is to improve websites in terms of content and usability so that both users and search engines are satisfied.
2. Add and verify your website with Google Search Console
Google offers a Google Search Console service that provides webmasters with a number of tools and data to help them optimise their websites for Google search free of cost.
You can use the Google search console to see what Google knows about your website, assess your Google rankings, uncover and correct crawling and indexing mistakes, and notify Google about website updates.
3. Add and verify your website with Bing Webmaster Tools
While not as well-known as Google, Bing is the second most popular search engine and one to consider.
Bing has a suite of tools that you may use to improve the appearance of your website on Bing Search. These are known as Bing Webmaster Tools, and they work similarly to GSC.
4. Setup Google Analytics and learn how to use basic SEO reports
You’ll need analytics and reporting tools to track your SEO performance, and Google Analytics is the finest tool to utilise (and it’s free).
Installing the Google Analytics code on your website and familiarising yourself with basic SEO reports is the first step.
5. Check for Google Penalties
Making sure your website isn’t penalised by Google is one of the most basic SEO tasks you should do right away.
Google imposes various fines (both manual and algorithmic) as a sort of ‘punishment’ on websites that breach its Guidelines.
If your website has been penalised by Google, you may need to take a different path to recover (if possible) before continuing with the SEO checklist.
Technical SEO Checklist
6. Check your permalink structure and make your URLs SEO friendly
The URL of a webpage is referred to as a permalink. It’s termed a permalink since it’s not anticipated to change over the course of the page’s lifespan.
You should check and double-check that all of your website pages have The following are features of SEO-friendly URLs:
- They’re concise and descriptive.
- Keywords are included.
- They divide the words using hyphens (-).
7. Check the “Coverage Report” in the Google Search Console for errors
If there are any issues with crawling and indexing, it will have a negative impact on your SEO.
It can have a significant impact on your rankings; therefore, checking the Coverage report in the Google search dashboard for inaccuracies is something you should do on a frequent basis.
8. Check and optimize your robots.txt file
Robots.txt is a file designated in your site’s root folder that instructs search engines on which pages of your site they can crawl and index.
A robots.txt file misconfiguration might result in major issues or possibly the de-indexing of your website from search engine results.
9. Check the visibility of your website on Google
If you’re employing WordPress as your CMS, you should double-check the robots.txt file and the visibility settings in WordPress to make sure you’re not mistakenly blocking search engines from accessing your content.
10. Install SSL and make sure that your website is HTTPS
One of the well-known ranking variables is having an SSL certificate set up on your website.
Any information transmitted between your website and server is secured with an SSL.
If you haven’t already done so, making the switch to HTTPS should be at the top of your to-do list.
For SEO purposes, simply installing an SSL certificate on your website is not enough; you must do so correctly to risk losing your present ranks.
11. All unnatural links must be “Nofollow” on your website
Another thing to double-check is that any links in your comments section have the nofollow attribute.
Comments are beneficial to SEO and should be permitted on your blog, but any outgoing links must be nofollow to prevent a Google penalty for “unnatural links.”
A nofollow link tells search engines not to give the target website any PageRank (or link juice).
The INSPECT option of Google developers’ tools is the simplest approach to check.
12. Optimize your XML sitemap and submit it to Search Engines
An XML sitemap is a file that consists of your site’s pages that search engines must be aware of.
After that, you must ensure that your XML sitemap is correctly optimised and valid before submitting it to Google and Bing.
13. Optimize your menu and site structure
When inspecting your website, don’t forget to optimise your site structure if you want to be a true SEO expert.
When completing an SEO audit, this mistake is found all the time.
A good site structure has no more than three tiers and allows every website link to be accessed in three clicks or less from the homepage.
14. Check for Sitemap errors in Google Search Console
It’s not over once you’ve submitted your sitemap to Google. Check the Google Search Console for sitemap problems on a regular basis.
15. Enable Breadcrumbs menus on all your posts and pages
A breadcrumb menu is a short navigational menu that is commonly found at the top of a page. It shows how to return to the homepage from the current page.
Breadcrumb menus are beneficial to the user experience and, as a result, to SEO.
Breadcrumbs are popular with Google, and they encourage that you use them on your site.
16. Check that all your pages define a canonical URL
Canonicalization is a more complex SEO concept, but it’s one that’s critical to master.
Canonical URLs can help you overcome duplicate content issues, safeguard your content when other websites use it (with or without your permission), and they’re the sole way to tell Google which domain you prefer.
17. Implement Href lang if your website is available in more than one language
If the content on your website is available in multiple languages, you must utilise hreflang tags to inform Google about the localised versions of your page.
Failure to do so may cause indexing troubles because Google may become confused if the same page is available in many languages.
They typically get it correct, but by using hreflang, you can reduce the chances of any problems.
18. Check and improve the loading speed of your website
You should check and optimise your website loading speed as much as feasible as part of a technical SEO audit.
The speed with which a page load is a well-known Google ranking component as well as an important user experience aspect.
Every second that a website is slow loses money and customers.
19. Check and optimize your 404 page
When a page on your site cannot be found, the 404 Page is displayed. This could be due to a user mistyping a URL or a page being removed from your site and no longer accessible.
For the optimal user experience, make sure your 404 page is informative and provides customers with alternate options for finding what they’re searching for.
On-Page SEO Checklist
20. Optimize your pages’ titles (including the homepage)
The most significant SEO component is page title optimisation. Include your goal keywords in your title to help search engines and readers understand what the page content is all about.
You should also follow these best practices in addition to employing keywords in the title:
- A unique title tag should be used on each page of your website.
- The title of a page should appropriately describe the content of the page.
- The titles of your articles should be short and helpful (typically less than 60 characters)
Don’t forget about your homepage while optimising your titles!
21. Optimize your meta description (including the homepage)
Meta descriptions appear in search results and are an excellent way to ‘introduce’ your website to users.
By using your existing content and rankings, good meta descriptions can enhance your CTR (click-through rate) and bring you more search engine traffic.
22. Check your brand name on Google
Looking for your brand name on Google and reviewing the results is a check that you should make (and that not many people do).
You must guarantee that nothing unpleasant (such as a negative review) appears for your brand name, as this can harm both your reputation and your SEO.
23. Optimize your website for Google site links
Sitelinks are another approach to boost the visibility of your website on Google.
Although you cannot directly select which site links are displayed for your website, you can direct Google to display the site links you desire.
24. Optimize your posts for Google featured snippets using lists
Google enjoys displaying lists at the top of its search results. This is most often the case with how-to articles, suggestions, or postings that contain lists.
Try looking for “SEO Tips,” “Technical SEO Checklist,” and “How to Become an SEO Expert” on Google, for example.
25. Check and optimize the H1 tag for all pages (including the homepage)
The H1 Tag is one of the easy-to-optimise on-page SEO elements.
The H1 tag is the page’s first crucial element, and it usually has the same value as the title.
SEO for the H1 Tag is simple:
- The H1 tag must match or differ slightly from the page title.
- Make sure your H1 tag is accessible to users and not hidden.
- Your H1 element should be styled differently than the rest of the headings.
- Each page should only have one h1 tag.
26. Check and optimize your page headings
You should also optimise your post’s other headings in addition to the H1 tag. The H2 and H3 headings are commonly used for this.
Follow these SEO guidelines:
- When other tags, such as bold or italic, are better suited, don’t use heading tags.
- Don’t go overboard with the headings. When it comes to organisation, navigation, and making the page content easier to read, use headings.
- On a page, you don’t have to employ all of the heading types. Depending on the length and type of your material, you may only use H1s.
- The best method is to strike a balance between the use of headings and other formatting elements.
27. Make sure that your target keyword is included in your first paragraph
It is one of the most basic SEO content ideas. Including the keywords you want your page to be recognised for on Google in the first paragraph makes it more relevant for both search engines and consumers.
It’s not necessary to go overboard; just mentioning your target term once or twice would suffice.
28. Beautify your content (formatting and styling) and make it easy to read
Throwing content and graphics on a page isn’t the best strategy to create a page that will rank well on Google.
You should improve your formatting and layout so that users have a pleasant experience. You don’t have to go all out; make sure that your sites are readable on all devices.
Use the various formatting elements to enhance your content and avoid using too small fonts to read.
29. Optimize your images
It’s necessary to optimise your images. Although search engines are developing their ability to understand what an image is about, there are three factors to keep in mind when optimising images for SEO:
- Optimize the Image Filename
- Optimize the Image file size
- Optimize the Image Alt Text
30. Create a dedicated image sitemap and submit it to Google
You must also submit your photos to Google, in addition to building an XML sitemap for your website.
You have the option of include the images in your main XML sitemap or creating a separate picture sitemap.
31. Check your internal linking strategy
One of the favourite SEO strategies of SEO experts is internal linking. The approach is simple; all you have to do is link your website pages together to form a mini web.
Google considers pages with a high number of internal links to be the most significant pages on your site.
Make sure your anchor text is optimised when adding internal links.
32. Give credit to other high-quality websites
This is true Google SEO advice, and these are the exact terms they used.
To put it another way, they encourage webmasters to link to other high-quality websites on the Internet.
The justification is simple: it aids their algorithm in placing essential websites at the top of the search results.
Keyword Research Checklist
33. Understand what are SEO keywords
Understanding what SEO keywords are and how to identify the RIGHT keywords for your website or business is the first step before getting your hands dirty and starting keyword research.
34. Understand what are long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords account for 70% of all searches, which means that if you don’t understand what they are or how to target them properly, you’re reducing your chances of generating any significant traffic from search engines.
35. Learn how to use the outcome of keyword research to optimize your content
To get the most benefits from your keyword research, you need to understand how to use the results to improve your content.
Stick to these simple guidelines:
- Use your target keyword in the page title
- Use your target keyword in the page URL
- Use your target keyword in the H1 tag
- Use relevant keywords and synonyms in your text
- Use Long-tail keywords in your H2 and H3 headings
- Use LSI keywords in your content
- Use relevant keywords in the image ALT Text
36. Learn how to perform keyword research
It’s the right moment to get your hands dirty and undertake keyword research once you’ve mastered the fundamentals and have a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish.
The end goal is to create a keyword list that you can use to optimise your existing pages as well as keywords to target with new content.
This combination is what will ensure SEO success in the long run.
Off-Page SEO Checklist
37. Learn the basic link building concepts
You should familiarise yourself with basic link building concepts in addition to knowing the necessity of link development for rankings.
You must do the following:
- Recognize the distinction between a good and a bad link.
- Recognize the distinction between white hat and black hat link building.
- Understand the difference between regular links and those with a ‘nofollow’ attribute.
- The finest links you can acquire are natural links.
38. Get links from high authority websites
How to obtain links that can positively influence your rankings is an important item on the off-page SEO checklist.
This is one of the most difficult and time-consuming aspects of SEO, but it is crucial.
39. Review your link profile to identify and remove bad links
Things might get a little confusing when you’re trying to build links to your website. You can wind up with ‘bad links’ on your profile, which might land you in trouble.
As a result, it’s a good idea to examine your link profile on a frequent basis and take action as needed.
Local SEO Checklist
40. Optimize your logo for local SEO
Although this isn’t the most significant component in local SEO, every little bit helps.
Use the ALT text in your logo to provide extra information about your company’s location.
41. Add NAP information (Name, Address, Phone Number) on ALL your pages
Local SEO benefits from whatever indications you can provide to Google about your location.
Ensure your complete address data (street number, postcode, state, country, phone number, fax number, and email) are available as text (not an image) in a prominent position on all of your website pages.
42. Make sure that NAP information is consistent across all channels
When presenting your name, address, and phone number on numerous channels throughout the web, it’s critical to utilise the same information and structure. For instance, on your website, Google My Business page, Yelp, Facebook, and other social media platforms.
43. Add a Google map to the contact information page
Ensure to include a Google map and text content on the contact us page that includes your company’s name, address, and phone number.
44. Register your company with Google My Business
If you want your business to appear in the Google maps snippet (in the search results) and Google maps, this is critical.
45. Use Schema to give more information about your local business to Google
You should apply the proper schema depending on the type of local business.
More information regarding local business schemas can be found on Google and schema.org.
46. Register your website with relevant directories
Aside from Google My Business, there are a number of other reliable directories where you may list your website and provide Google with geographic signals.
Useful directories include:
- Bing Places for Business allows you to register your website.
- Obtain a listing in local directories for your company.
- Create a Facebook page for your local business.
- Yelp for Business Owners is free of cost service that allows you to register your business.
- Foursquare for Business is a free service that allows you to keep track of where you are.
47. Encourage and reply to every single review on all platforms
Authentic reviews can help your local SEO rankings significantly.
You must encourage users to leave reviews on many platforms (Google My Business is one of the most significant). You must also respond to any reviews (whether positive or negative) on ALL sites.
You can encourage your consumers to post a review on their preferred site by offering incentives such as a 5% discount on their next purchase or reminding them through SMS or email.
48. Seek mentions (links) from the local press
Any references (backlinks) you can collect from reputable websites in your city are a powerful indicator for your Local SEO.
You might acquire a link from a local (online) newspaper or a magazine in your niche, for example.
Mobile SEO Checklist
49. Run the Google mobile-friendly test
Google’s mobile-friendly test is a free tool that checks your website and gives advice on how to make it more mobile-friendly.
It’s just a test to look for fundamental mobile usability issues like small text sizes, but it’s a start.
50. Check your mobile speed using different tools
For consumers on mobile devices, loading speed is critical. Your goal is to have your website load in under 3 seconds on mobile.
It’s not easy, and you may need to enlist the services of a developer to arrive at that figure, but it’s well worth it.
If you haven’t already done so, put all of the following tips for boosting your page speed, including lazy loading for pictures and optimising your image file size, at the top of your list.
Here are some resources to help you figure out how long it takes for your website to load on a mobile device:
- Page speed data from Google
- Test your smartphone speed with Google.
- GTMetrix is a software company that analyses data.
Don’t forget to look at the Google search console’s speed reports (under Enhancements).
51. Test your mobile website on different resolutions
In addition to checking your mobile speed, you should also evaluate how your website looks at different resolutions.
Make sure the text is large enough to read on mobile devices, that there are no horizontal scroll bars, and that the buttons are simple to click.
The Google Chrome Developer Tools are the ideal tool for this job.
52. Check popup usage on mobile
Mobile websites that employ a lot of popups and banner ads are penalised by Google.
Before presenting any advertising, ensure sure you don’t use popups on mobile and that there is enough content in the user’s viewport.
53. Check that your CTA on mobile are visible and easy to access
The success of a website depends on the use of call to action (CTA) buttons and messages. At the end of the day, you want to optimise your website so that you may profit from the traffic it generates.
Because mobile users account for the majority of your traffic, make sure your CTA buttons and messages are visible and accessible to them.
This implies you may need to change your mobile design to arrange your CTA in places where it may be viewed, such as using sticky footers.
54. Consider implementing Accelerated Mobile Pages
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMPs) is a phrase that refers to a new method of creating mobile-friendly sites that load faster than standard mobile pages.
At the centre of AMP is AMP HTML, a stripped-down version of standard HTML that improves page performance when served in the browser.
In the ‘top stories carousel,’ ‘host carousel,’ and rich snippets,’ Google favours AMP pages.
If you have a news-oriented website, you should carefully consider AMP. You don’t have to if you don’t want to because it can make things more complicated.
Conclusion
Hopefully, by now, you must become aware of each and every aspect of SEO and what all an SEO checklist should have in 2022. Please be informed that you will require help from SEO experts. Therefore, if you need SEO company for checking these lists, F5 Digi Solutions is always here to help you. Get in touch and optimize your website for Google hassle-free!