The Complete SEO Checklist

Following an SEO checklist helps you stay on top of everything needed to improve your website. This guide covers all important parts of SEO, like technical setup, on-page steps, and finding the right keywords.

It works well for blogs, online stores, local businesses, affiliate sites, and most other websites, too. But before you begin, here’s how to make the best use of it:

How to Use This SEO Checklist

We used this exact checklist and grew our website traffic by 189.12% in just 30 days. It also helped us rank for hard-to-win keywords like “on-page SEO.”But don’t worry — you don’t need to do everything. Just pick the parts that matter most to your website.

Here’s a quick way to choose:

• If you’re just starting, focus on SEO basics, keywords, and on-page steps.
• If you have content but not much traffic, look at the content checklist.
• If your site is slow or has problems, check the technical SEO section.
• If you already know SEO and want more traffic, try link-building and advanced tips.

SEO Basics Checklist

Use these tools and ideas to get your site ready for SEO.

1. Set Up Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free and powerful SEO tool. It shows how your site is doing on Google. With it, you can:

• See which keywords bring visitors.
• Submit your sitemap.
• Fix errors.
• Check site speed and other issues.

If you’re serious about SEO, this tool is a must.

2. Install Bing Webmaster Tools

Next, set up Bing Webmaster Tools. Bing isn’t as big as Google, but millions of people still use it. Getting more data about your site is always helpful.

3. Set Up Google Analytics

Google Analytics helps you see how people find and use your site.

It shows you:

• How much traffic you get.
• Which pages are most visited.
• If your traffic is growing or dropping.
• Which websites send you visitors.
• How long people stay on your site.

It’s a great tool to understand what’s working and what needs fixing.

4. Install Yoast SEO (For WordPress and Shopify)

Yoast is a popular SEO plugin. It makes it easy to improve your website for search engines.
It helps with:

• Keywords
• Sitemaps
• Robots.txt

5. Know What You Want to Achieve (Set KPIs)

It’s important to know what results you want from SEO. Here are some things you can track:

• Organic Traffic: more people visiting from Google.
• Brand Awareness: more people seeing your name online.
• Backlinks: getting links from other trusted sites.
• Keyword Rankings: seeing if your pages rank well.

You can also check things like bounce rate, speed, and sales. Knowing your goals helps you see if your efforts are working.

6. Start Rank Tracking

If keyword rankings are important to you, use a rank-tracking tool. There are many available, and some are great for local businesses too.

For example, Semrush’s Map Rank Tracker shows how your business ranks by location. Tracking your ranks helps you understand your progress.

7. Get a Free Semrush Account

Semrush is one of the best tools for SEO. Even the free version gives you great features.

Here’s what you can do with it:

• Check Your Competitors: See their top keywords and backlinks.
• Fix Your Site: Run audits to find problems like slow speed or broken links.
• Analyze Backlinks: Check which sites link to you and if any are bad.

It’s a helpful tool to improve your website. And once you get used to it, you can upgrade for more features.

Keyword Research Checklist:

1. Know Who You’re Targeting

Before you choose keywords, think about who your ideal customer is. What are they searching for? What problems do they have? What kind of words do they use? Also, where do they spend their time online — search engines, social media, or forums? Understanding these things helps you pick better keywords that match their needs.

2. Use Google Suggest to Find More Keywords

When you start typing a keyword into Google, you’ll see a list of suggestions appear. These are based on what people often search for. You can use these suggestions to find longer and more detailed keyword phrases that many people are looking for.

3. Try the Backlinko Keyword Tool

Backlinko offers a free keyword research tool where you can enter a general topic. The tool then shows you many related keywords. You also get helpful info like how many people search for the keyword and how much advertisers pay for it. This makes it easier to choose the right words for your content.

4. Look in Online Communities

Sites like Reddit, Quora, and forums are full of real people talking about their problems and questions. Search for phrases like “how to,” “I wish,” or “where can I” to find what people need help with. These phrases can be great ideas for content and useful keywords too.

5. Use Semrush to Find Easy Keywords

Semrush is a keyword research tool. You can use the free version for a few searches daily. It shows how hard it is to rank for a keyword, how often people search for it, and more. Look for keywords that are easy to rank for and still get good traffic.

6. Find Keywords That Are Questions

People often search by asking questions. Tools like “Answer The Public” and Semrush help you find these question-based keywords. For example: “How do I fix a leaking tap?” These are great for blog posts because your content can directly answer these questions.

7. Check What Topics You Already Cover

Topical authority means how trusted your website is for a specific topic. You can use a Google Sheet with data from Google Search Console to see what topics you already rank for and where you’re missing content. This shows where you can create more content to improve your site’s trust in a topic.

On-Page SEO Checklist

1. Add Your Keyword in the URL

Your page’s web address (URL) should include the main keyword. It helps Google understand your content. For example, if your keyword is “SEO checklist,” use a URL like example.com/seo-checklist.

2. Keep URLs Short

Short URLs are better. They’re easier for people to read and remember. Research also shows that shorter URLs often rank better in search engines.

3. Put the Keyword at the Start of the Title

Your title tag is important for SEO. It’s best to place your main keyword at the beginning of the title so that it stands out. It tells both users and search engines what your page is about right away.

4. Use Words That Make Titles Stand Out

Add words like “best,” “top,” “guide,” or the current year to your title. These words grab attention and can make people more likely to click on your page in search results.

5. Use the Keyword in the First 150 Words

Start your content by using the main keyword early — ideally in the first few lines. This helps search engines quickly understand your topic and gives readers confidence that they’ve found what they were looking for.

6. Put the Keyword in Headings (h1, h2, or h3)

Headings help organize your content and make it easier to read. Add your keyword in at least one heading — like h1, h2, or h3. It helps both Google and your readers understand what the section is about.

7. Make Your Images Clear for Google

Images help your content look better. But Google can’t actually “see” what’s in an image like we can. That’s why you need to help Google understand your images. One way is by naming your image files properly — for example, if your picture is of a spinach omelette, name it something like spinach_omelette.png. Then, when you add it to your page, give it a short description in the alt text, like “spinach omelette on a plate.” This helps your content show up in Google Image search too.

8. Use Similar Words and Related Terms

Using the same keyword too many times can hurt your page. So instead, use different words that mean the same thing. For example, if your keyword is “how to start a blog,” you can also use phrases like “starting a blog,” “how to create a blog,” or “launch a blog.” You should also use words that are related to the topic, like “writing,” “content,” or “website.” These help Google better understand what your content is really about without repeating the same phrase over and over.

9. Link to Trusted Websites

Adding links to well-known websites can make your content stronger. For example, if you use a statistic or mention a topic you don’t explain fully, link to a site like Wikipedia or Google for more details. These links show readers that you’ve done your research, and it tells Google that your content is connected to reliable sources. While it may not boost rankings directly, it improves the overall experience for your readers.

10. Link to Your Own Pages Too

Every time you post new content, try linking to 2–5 related pages on your own website. This helps visitors explore more of your site and also helps Google understand how your pages connect. For example, if you mention “on-page SEO,” link those words to a full guide you’ve written about it. It gives both people and search engines useful direction and context.

11. Break Up Your Content Into Short Sections

Long blocks of text are hard to read. That’s why it’s better to break your content into smaller parts. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and clear headings. This makes your page easier to read, especially on phones. When your content is easy to read, people stay on your site longer, which is good for your rankings, too.

12. Use Popular Content Styles That Work Now

The type of content people like to read keeps changing. Right now, many people are tired of low-quality posts written by AI. Instead, they want helpful content made by real experts. This includes things like personal stories, case studies, or original research. If you create detailed and honest content, like reviewing tools you’ve actually used, people are more likely to read it and share it.

13. Share Something New and Helpful

Google now wants content that gives something extra, not just a copy of what’s already online. This is called “information gain.” It means giving readers new, useful information they haven’t seen before. For example, instead of writing a basic “video SEO tips” article, you can share your personal experience or expert advice. This makes your content more valuable and helps it rank better.

14. Add Images, Videos, and Other Visuals

People enjoy content that includes pictures, videos, or charts. It makes your page more fun and easier to understand. Plus, Google also likes content that includes multimedia. So try to add helpful visuals like infographics, screenshots, or even short videos when you can. These not only help explain your points better but also keep people engaged.

Technical SEO Checklist:

Good technical SEO can help your website rank better on Google. The best part? Fixing most issues is not hard if you follow this checklist.

1. Check for Crawling and Indexing Errors

Sometimes Google has trouble seeing your pages. If it can’t see a page, it won’t show it in search results. If Google can see your page but doesn’t add it to search, that’s an indexing problem. You can find these issues in the “Indexing” section of Google Search Console. If an important page is blocked (like by robots.txt), fix it quickly.

2. See How Google Views Your Page

Your page may look fine to you, but not to Google. If Google can’t fully view it, the page won’t rank. Use the “Inspect URL” tool in Google Search Console. It shows what your page looks like to Google. If you see problems like “indexing not allowed,” fix them.

3. Make Sure Your Website Works on Mobile

Google checks how your site works on phones before anything else. If it doesn’t work well on mobile, your site won’t rank well.

Tips to help:

• Use designs that work on all screen sizes.
• Write short sentences and small paragraphs.
• Don’t use pop-ups that block the screen.

4. Fix Broken Links

Broken links are bad for both SEO and users. Use a free tool like DrLinkCheck.com to find broken links. Fix or remove them right away.

5. Use HTTPS for Your Site

HTTPS makes your site safe and is a ranking factor for Google. If your site doesn’t use HTTPS yet, make the switch now. If you’re building a new site, use HTTPS from the start.

6. Check How Fast Your Site Loads

A slow site can hurt your ranking. Use PageSpeed Insights to test your site speed. It shows your scores for desktop and mobile. It also gives tips on how to make your site faster.

7. Add Schema Markup to Your Pages

Schema helps Google understand your content better. It can also help you get special results in search, like star ratings. Using schema can be tricky, so try a schema-testing tool to make it easier.

Bonus: Easy-to-Follow SEO Tips for Better Results

Now that you’ve learned the basics, let’s look at some helpful SEO tips that can give your site a nice boost.

1. Make Your Website Easy and Enjoyable to Use

Some people think Google looks at how users behave on your site, like how long they stay or how often they click your links. Even if this isn’t confirmed, one thing is sure: a better user experience helps your site.

If people don’t click your link in search results, they’ll never read your content or buy from you. If they do visit and stay longer, you have a better chance of turning them into customers.

Here’s how to get more clicks:

• Use titles that make people curious.
• Write a short and catchy description.
• Add helpful tags like star ratings with schema.
• Aim for featured snippets with simple answers.

To keep people on your site longer:

• Write useful and clear content.
• Use short sentences and paragraphs.
• Add pictures or graphics.
• Use buttons, links, and menus to help people find things easily.

2. Remove Useless Pages from Your Site

Google has said that having too many low-quality pages can hurt your rankings. That’s why every page on your site should be helpful.

Look out for these types of pages:

• Empty category or tag pages.
• Old blog posts with no value.
• Pages with copied or repeated content.
• Product pages with no sales.
• Pages with very little useful info.

If you find pages like these, it’s better to remove or improve them. A clean, high-quality website performs better in search results.

3. Refresh and Share Old Content Again

Do you have blog posts that haven’t been updated in a while? Try this trick: Pick a post that’s not doing well. Then update it with new info, better pictures, and improved formatting. Make it more helpful and easier to read. Once done, treat it like a new post—share it again. We did this with one of our blog posts, and the traffic increased by over 1,000%! So don’t ignore your older content. A quick update can give it new life and better results.

Take Action with This SEO Checklist

Want to do more with SEO? Here are some other guides to help you go further:

• Technical SEO – Fix problems that stop search engines from reading your site.
• On-Page SEO – Learn how to improve each page for better rankings.
• Link Building – Find out how to get strong, helpful links to your site.

Conclusion:

Using a clear SEO checklist is a great way to keep your website on track and grow your online presence. From finding the right keywords to fixing your site’s setup, every step matters. And while you can start with these tips on your own, working with trusted experts can take your results even further.

That’s where Engage Coders comes in.

Our skilled SEO team handles everything from audits and keyword research to content and advanced SEO strategies. Whether you run a local business or an online store, we’ll build a custom plan that fits your needs.

Ready to grow your business online?
Let Engage Coders take your website to the top. Contact us today and let’s get started!