SEO Checklist: A Practical Website Review

Use this checklist to find specific problems and assign practical fixes. Record the affected URL, evidence, action, and completion date. The priority labels below are a workflow, not Google’s ranking weights.

Start with access and indexing

Confirm important public pages load successfully and contain the expected information.
Check for accidental noindex settings, login requirements, or crawler blocks on pages intended for search.
Use Search Console URL Inspection for a page-specific investigation.
Keep the sitemap aligned with the canonical URLs you want indexed.
Check redirects after genuine URL moves and repair broken internal links.

Robots.txt manages crawling; it does not reliably keep a URL out of search results or protect private information. Choose indexing controls and authentication for their intended purposes.

Review the content and search appearance

Give each page a clear job and an accurate main heading.
Answer the reader’s question and state conditions that change the answer.
Verify dates, prices, availability, specifications, and external claims.
Use a descriptive page title and a useful meta description.
Remove repeated phrases, unsupported promises, and content that exists only to target slight keyword variants.

There is no universal keyword-density target, minimum word count, or six-word title limit. Google does not use the keywords meta tag. Ordinary duplication is not automatically a spam penalty, but redundant URLs and copied material still need thoughtful handling.

Check links and site structure

Make important pages reachable through normal links.
Use concise link text that describes the destination.
Review duplicate versions and use appropriate canonical signals where needed.
Choose external references because they support the content.
Avoid buying links or arranging link schemes to manipulate rankings.

Do not use an arbitrary 50- or 100-link ceiling as an audit rule. Assess whether links are useful and navigable. A domain ending such as .edu or .gov is not a reason by itself to pursue a link.

Review images, mobile use, and performance

Use relevant images with accurate alt text where they communicate information.
Keep important explanations in text rather than only inside graphics.
Test navigation, forms, and content on a phone and with a keyboard.
Check that essential information is available on the mobile version.
Review Core Web Vitals: loading, responsiveness, and layout stability. Use real-user data where available and lab tests to investigate problems.

Check business details and evidence

Keep contact details, service descriptions, and team information accurate.
Use Business Profile only for an eligible business and location.
Make supported structured data agree with the visible page; test it without promising a rich result.
Review factual explanations that AI search or other services could quote without context.

Measure and maintain

Save the original before a substantial edit. Verify the published version and record the change. Compare relevant search pages and queries over consistent periods, then connect them with completed inquiries or sales. Repeat checks when the business, website, or source guidance changes.

For a step-by-step page review, see how to optimize a web page.

Sources and review date

Reviewed and updated November 4, 2026 by Webdesign Phoenix.