How Do You Know You’re Performing SEO Right? There’s no doubt about your skills. You’ve been doing this for a while, and the results speak for themselves. But even for a genius, those sneaky little eye tricks can happen, and you might miss a few key areas. Areas that, in SEO, could be the difference between search engine rankings at the top or staying in the shadows.
Google is hungry for helpful content, and you’ve got to give it what it craves. To help you make sure you’re on the right path, we’ve broken this checklist down into sections based on their SEO focus area. Let’s dive in.
Basic SEO Practices Checklist To Keep Your Website Optimized Year-Round
If you don’t build a strong foundation, everything you build on top of it will eventually crumble. With proper website optimization, you can get your SEO strategy on track. Here’s the detailed breakdown:
1. Make Sure Your Website is Indexed by Google
If Google can’t find your website, it can’t show it to anyone. Indexing is the process by which Google “reads” and stores the content of your website in its search engine. If your site isn’t indexed, it’s invisible to search engines and won’t show up in search results.
How to check if your site is indexed:
- Go to Google and type in site:yourdomain.com (replace yourdomain.com with your actual website address).
- If you see pages listed in the search results, your site is indexed.
- If no results show up, your website is either not indexed or there’s an issue with indexing.
How to ensure indexing:
- Make sure your website doesn’t have any settings that block search engines (like a noindex tag in the code).
- Use Google Search Console to submit your website’s URL and check for any indexing issues.
- Create a sitemap and submit it to Google Search Console to make indexing easier.
Optimize Page Titles and Meta Descriptions
Page titles and meta descriptions are what show up in search engine results. If these aren’t optimized, your pages might get overlooked.
Page Titles:
- Your website should have a distinct title for each page.
- Titles should be between 50-60 characters so they’re not cut off in search results.
- Include your target keyword early in the title, and make sure it clearly explains what the page is about.
Meta Descriptions:
- Meta descriptions are short summaries (around 150-160 characters) of the page content that include your main keyword. They appear below the page title in search results.
- Even though Google doesn’t use meta descriptions as a ranking factor, a compelling meta description can increase your click-through rate (CTR).
How to optimize:
- Make sure every page on your website has a unique title and description.
- Include keywords naturally in both titles and descriptions.
3. Use Clean, User-Friendly URLs
Your website’s URLs should be simple, easy to understand, and reflect the content of the page. Avoid messy URLs with a bunch of random numbers or special characters, as they’re harder for both users and search engines to understand and will affect your search engine rankings.
How to create clean URLs:
- Use hyphens (-) to separate words (e.g., www.yourwebsite.com/best-seo-tips is better than www.yourwebsite.com/bestseotips).
- Avoid using unnecessary parameters or numbers in the URL unless they’re needed (like a product ID in an eCommerce store).
Bonus Tip: Make sure your URLs match the content on the page. If your page is about “Best SEO Tips,” the URL should reflect that exactly.
4. Implement Alt Text for All Images
Alt text (alternative text) is a description of an image that helps search engines interpret its content. It’s also used for accessibility, helping screen readers describe images for visually impaired users.
Why it’s important:
- Google can’t “see” images, so it relies on alt text to understand them.
- Proper alt text can help your images show up in Google Image Search, driving more traffic to your site.
How to implement alt text:
- For every image on your site, add a short, descriptive alt text that includes relevant keywords (but don’t keyword stuff!).
- Make the alt text natural and relevant to the content of the image. For example, if it’s an image of a person working on SEO, use alt text like “SEO expert working on a computer.”
- Don’t leave alt text blank or use the default text like “image1.”
5. Ensure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly
Google has switched to mobile-first indexing, meaning it looks at your website’s mobile version first when determining how to rank it. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, it could hurt your search engine rankings.
How to make your site mobile-friendly:
- Make sure the text is legible without zooming and buttons are easy to click on small screens.
- Avoid pop-ups that can be hard to close on mobile devices.
- Test your website on multiple mobile devices to ensure the experience is seamless.
6. Create an XML Sitemap and Submit It to Search Engines
An XML sitemap is like a map for search engines, guiding them through all the pages on your website. It tells Google what content is available and helps it index your site more effectively.
How to create an XML sitemap:
- If you’re using a CMS like WordPress, plugins like Yoast SEO or RankMath can automatically generate an XML sitemap for you.
- If you’re building your website manually, you can use tools like Screaming Frog or XML-Sitemaps.com to create your sitemap.
How to submit your sitemap:
- Once your sitemap is ready, go to Google Search Console and submit it under the “Sitemaps” section.
- This allows Google to crawl and index your site more effectively.
Also Read, Black Hat SEO vs. White Hat SEO: Risks and Rewards
Keyword Research Checklist: The Heart Of SEO
Without the right keywords, it won’t matter how good your content is. You need to know who you’re targeting your content to for the best results, and that starts with keyword research.
1. Find High-Volume, Low-Competition Keywords That Align With Your Goals
Before diving into specific keywords, you need to know the lay of the land. Some keywords are searched by millions, but they also have tons of competition. Other keywords may be less popular but much easier to rank for.
How to approach this:
- High-Volume Keywords: These are the big players. They get a lot of searches, so ranking for them can drive tons of traffic. But they’re also super competitive, which means you might need a stronger website authority to rank for them.
- Low-Competition Keywords: These may not get as much search traffic, but they’re easier to rank for. You’ll have a much better chance of showing up in search results for these keywords, especially if your website is new or doesn’t have a lot of backlinks yet.
How to find them:
- Use some SEO tools and analytics like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Google Keyword Planner to get a list of keywords in your niche. Look for terms that have a high search volume but relatively low competition.
- Focus on finding keywords that are relevant to your content, product, or service. You want to align with your overall SEO goals.
2. Don’t Ignore Long-Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are the hidden gems of SEO. They are longer, more specific phrases that people search for. They don’t get as much search volume individually, but when you combine them, they can bring in steady, highly targeted traffic.
Why long-tail keywords matter:
- Lower competition
- Better conversion
How to find long-tail keywords:
- Use tools like Google Autocomplete or Answer the Public to find common phrases people are searching for.
- Check out related searches at the bottom of Google’s search results page. These can help you find variations of your main keywords.
Understand User Intent Behind Keywords
This is where many people mess up: They focus only on keywords without considering what the user actually wants when they search for that term.
Types of user intent:
- Informational: The user seeks knowledge or answers (e.g., “how to do keyword research”).
- Navigational: The user aims to access a specific site (e.g., “Facebook login”).
- Transactional: The user intends to take action, like making a purchase (e.g., “buy SEO tools online”).
How to understand user intent:
- When looking for keywords, think about what the user is trying to achieve. Are they looking for information? Or are they ready to make a purchase? Your content should match this intent to increase your chances of ranking and converting.
4. Analyze Competitor Keywords for Opportunities
Sometimes, the best way to find keywords is by seeing what your competitors are doing. You can learn a lot by analyzing the keywords that are working for them.
How to analyze competitor keywords:
- Enter your competitor’s domain into a keyword research tool like SEMrush or Ahrefs to see their top-ranking keywords.
- Look at the pages they rank for and check if you can create better, more in-depth content around those keywords.
Content & On-Page SEO Checklist: Crafting Content That Works
Having the right keywords is just the start. How you use those keywords and structure your content is what makes the difference. This is where on-page SEO steps in. Here’s a detailed checklist to help you in website optimization and on-page SEO:
1. Ensure Keyword Placement in Titles, Headers, and Throughout Your Content
Keywords should be strategically placed in your content, including the title, headers, and body text.
How to do it:
- Title: Include your main keyword near the beginning of your title. It should read naturally, though—don’t force it in.
- Headers: Use your keywords in H1, H2, and H3 headers. This helps search engines understand the structure of your content and signals important sections.
- Body content: Naturally incorporate keywords throughout the text. Use them in the first 100 words, and sprinkle them throughout the body of the content where it makes sense.
2. Avoid Keyword Stuffing—Focus on Natural, Readable Content
Keyword stuffing makes your content hard to read and frustrating for users, and search engines are getting better at detecting it. Google’s algorithm penalizes websites that use excessive keywords in unnatural ways. This leads to a poor user experience and lower rankings.
How to do it:
- Focus on natural language and create content that reads smoothly.
- Use variations of your keywords (like synonyms and related terms) to avoid repeating the same word over and over.
- If a keyword doesn’t fit naturally into a sentence, don’t force it. It’s more important to keep the content readable and helpful.
3. Use Multimedia Like Images, Videos, and Infographics to Make Your Content More Appealing
Multimedia doesn’t just make your content more visually appealing—it also enhances the user experience and helps communicate information more effectively. Images, videos, and infographics can improve engagement and increase the time users spend on your page.
How to do it:
- Use relevant images to complement your text. For example, a blog post on “SEO Tips” might include screenshots, charts, or photos of tools.
- Embed videos or links to YouTube tutorials that explain complex topics.
- Include infographics that summarize information or explain a process visually. These are highly shareable and can boost your site’s backlinks.
Technical SEO Checklist: Tuning Up Your Website for Peak Performance
You can have the best-looking website and top-notch content, but if your technical SEO performance isn’t up to par, everything could run slower and less efficiently. Here’s your checklist to make sure your website’s engine is running smoothly:
1. Improve Your Website’s Loading Speed
No one likes a slow website. If your site takes too long to load, visitors will bounce before they even see your content. Plus, Google takes page speed into account when ranking websites.
How to improve loading speed:
- Compress images: Large image files slow down your site. Use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim to reduce image sizes without losing quality.
- Enable browser caching: This stores parts of your website in users’ browsers, so they don’t have to reload everything each time they visit.
- Use a content delivery network (CDN): A CDN stores copies of your site on different servers around the world, speeding up load times for users far from your main server.
- Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files: This removes unnecessary characters in your code, making files smaller and faster to load.
2. Implement Structured Data for Rich Snippets
Structured data helps search engines understand your content better. Rich snippets can help website optimization, making it stand out in search results, and increasing your click-through rate (CTR).
How to implement structured data:
- Use Schema.org markup: Schema.org provides the standard for structured data. It helps you mark up things like articles, product pages, and reviews.
- JSON-LD format: This is the easiest and most recommended format for adding structured data. It doesn’t interfere with your HTML, making it simple to implement.
3. Fix Broken Links and Redirect Loops
Broken links (404 errors) and redirect loops can harm your user experience and hurt your search engine rankings. When search engines encounter these issues, it can affect how your pages are indexed.
How to fix them:
- Find broken links: Use tools like Screaming Frog SEO Spider or Google Search Console to identify broken links.
- Fix broken links: Update or remove any broken internal or external links.
- Check redirects: Make sure that if you’ve moved a page, the old URL redirects to the new one with a 301 redirect (permanent). Avoid redirect chains, as they can slow down your site.
4. Ensure Your Website Has a Secure Connection (HTTPS)
Security is a big deal, both for your visitors and for Google. Websites with a secure connection (HTTPS) are trusted more by search engines and users.
How to ensure HTTPS:
- Get an SSL certificate: SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is what enables HTTPS. You can get an SSL certificate from your hosting provider or purchase one from companies like Let’s Encrypt or Comodo.
- Switch to HTTPS: After installing the SSL certificate, update your website’s internal links and references to HTTPS.
5. Optimize Your Robots.txt File and Sitemap
Both the robots.txt file and XML sitemap help search engines crawl and index your website. While the robots.txt file tells search engines which pages they’re allowed to crawl, the XML sitemap acts as a map, showing them which pages are important and need to be indexed.
How to optimize:
- Robots.txt: Check your robots.txt file to ensure it’s not blocking important pages (e.g., avoid blocking your homepage or key landing pages).
- XML Sitemap: For better website optimization, make sure your XML sitemap includes all the important pages you want indexed, and that it’s submitted to Google via Search Console.
Link Building & Off-Page SEO Checklist
Off-page SEO is key to boosting your site’s reputation, and at the heart of this strategy is link building. Quality backlinks from authoritative sites can make all the difference in how well your site ranks. Here’s a detailed checklist:
1. Earn High-Quality Backlinks from Authoritative Sites
When a reputable site links to yours, it’s like a vote of confidence, telling search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy.
How to do it:
- Create valuable, shareable content that others want to link to. High-quality blog posts, infographics, research papers, or case studies are great ways to naturally earn backlinks.
- Reach out to authoritative sites in your niche and ask for a link. This can be done through email outreach or relationship-building with site owners and content creators.
Avoid Shady Link-Building Practices—Focus on Natural Link Acquisition
While backlinks are important, not all links are good for your SEO. Avoid “black-hat” SEO tactics that try to manipulate link building by buying links, participating in link farms, or engaging in spammy practices. These can lead to penalties from search engines.
How to do it:
- Focus on earning links organically. Rather than paying for backlinks, work on creating valuable content that naturally attracts links.
- Avoid practices like link swapping or link farms where the goal is to artificially inflate your backlink profile. Google is getting better at spotting these tactics.
3. Engage with Industry Influencers and Ask for Collaborations or Mentions
Influencer marketing isn’t just for social media. In SEO, engaging with influencers or thought leaders in your industry can help you get quality backlinks and mentions that enhance your site’s credibility.
How to do it:
- Build relationships with influencers in your niche. Engage with their content on social media, comment on their blogs, or reach out directly with helpful information.
- Ask for mentions or backlinks. Once you’ve built a relationship, ask if they would mention your content in their articles, social media posts, or podcasts.
4. Use Social Media to Amplify Your Content and Attract Attention
Social media is a great tool for promoting your content and attracting backlinks. When your content gets shared widely, it increases the chances of getting noticed by other authoritative websites.
How to do it:
- Share your content across all relevant social platforms. Tailor your message for each platform to reach a wider audience.
- Join niche-specific communities on platforms like Facebook, Reddit, or LinkedIn, and share your content when it’s relevant to the discussion.
- Use hashtags on platforms like Instagram and Twitter to increase your content’s visibility and reach a larger audience.
Also Read, Future SEO Trends to Watch out for in 2025
Boost Your Rankings With Virtual Oplossing-Your Partner For SEO Success!
We recommend focusing on all of the above for a balanced, well-rounded SEO performance. That said, we understand that SEO can be overwhelming, and sometimes you’ll need to prioritize certain areas based on your specific goals. But don’t worry—SEO isn’t a one-time job. Come back to this guide whenever you’re ready to take the next step. You’ll find new insights and areas for improvement every time. So, keep learning, keep optimizing, and above all, keep feeding Google the best content it’s ever tasted.