Technical SEO is about making sure search engines can find, crawl and understand your website. Good content cannot rank if technical problems get in the way. This checklist covers the essentials for a small business site.
1. Make sure the right pages can be indexed
Check that important pages are not blocked by robots.txt and do not carry a noindex tag by mistake. Equally, keep thin utility pages such as carts, account pages and empty archives out of the index.
2. Submit an XML sitemap
A sitemap lists the pages you want indexed. It should contain only live, indexable, canonical pages. Submit it in Google Search Console and check the report for errors.
3. Use HTTPS and one version of each address
Your site should load over HTTPS, and the www and non-www versions should redirect to a single preferred address. Use canonical tags so duplicate versions of a page point to the main one.
4. Write unique titles and descriptions
Every important page needs its own descriptive title and meta description that match the content. Duplicate or missing titles make it harder for search engines and users to tell pages apart.
5. Use headings properly
Each page should have one clear main heading, with subheadings that describe the sections. Headings are for structure, not for fitting in keywords.
6. Build a clear site structure and internal links
Group related pages together and link between them using descriptive link text. Every important page should be reachable from other pages, not just from the sitemap.
7. Improve speed and Core Web Vitals
Compress and correctly size images, use caching, remove scripts you do not need and test regularly. Google’s Core Web Vitals measure loading (LCP), responsiveness (INP) and visual stability (CLS).
8. Check mobile usability
Most searches happen on phones. Make sure text is readable, buttons are easy to tap and nothing scrolls sideways.
9. Fix broken links and redirects
Replace or remove broken links, and use 301 redirects when a page address changes. Avoid long redirect chains.
10. Add structured data where it fits
Structured data helps search engines understand your content, but only mark up what is visible on the page, such as your organisation, services or articles.
11. Track what is happening
Set up Google Search Console and Google Analytics so you can see which pages are indexed, what people search for and how visitors behave.
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