Free SEO Checklist: 52 Checks for Technical, On-Page, Content and Links

How to use this checklist

Work top to bottom. Crawling and indexing first: nothing else matters if pages cannot be found.
Fix by template. If many pages share a problem, fix the template or plugin setting once.
Verify, don't assume. Open the page, check the source, use Search Console.
Prioritise by impact. Items affecting indexing and the most valuable pages come first.
Repeat quarterly, and after any redesign, migration or major plugin update.

Bizsenti AutoSEO's AI SEO audit and technical SEO audit check many of the on-page and technical items automatically, and the rank tracker covers the measurement section.

What this checklist does not do

It does not cover every possible SEO task, and a ticked box does not mean a page will rank. Rankings depend on competition, relevance, quality and many other factors. Use the Google Search Central documentation linked below as the authoritative source for Google-specific guidance.

If you only have an hour: the first ten items

Not everyone can work through 52 checks. These ten give the most protection for the least time, in order.

Check key pages are indexed (URL Inspection in Search Console).
Confirm no important page has a noindex directive.
Read your robots.txt for blanket blocks.
Confirm one version of the site (HTTPS, one hostname) with redirects.
Check titles and meta descriptions exist and are unique on key pages.
Make sure each key page has one clear H1.
Test the site on a phone.
Verify your Google Business Profile details match your website (local businesses).
Submit a clean sitemap in Search Console.
Connect Search Console and note your baseline impressions and clicks.

Everything else builds on these.

Where to focus by site type

Site type	Emphasise	De-emphasise at first
Local service business	Google Business Profile, local pages, reviews, consistent business details	Blog volume
E-commerce	Indexing control for filters, category content, product data, speed	Thin blog posts
SaaS	Commercial pages, comparison pages, docs indexing, technical rendering	Generic top-of-funnel posts
Publisher or blog	Content quality, authorship, internal linking, freshness	Local signals
Brochure site	Titles, descriptions, service page depth, a few relevant links	Technical micro-optimisation

Items that are often overrated

Use judgment so you do not spend weeks on low-value checks.

Meta keywords: not used by Google for ranking.
Exact character counts: titles and descriptions are rewritten or truncated by display, not penalised for length.
A perfect speed score: fix real problems in field data, do not chase 100.
Keyword density targets: write naturally for the topic.
Hundreds of directory links: relevance beats volume.
Word count targets: a page should be as long as it needs to be to answer the query.

A quarterly routine

Re-run through sections 1 and 2 (crawling, indexing, site health).
Review the Page indexing report and Core Web Vitals report in Search Console.
Check your top ten pages for outdated facts.
Review rankings and Search Console queries.
Update the checklist with anything that changed on the site.
Choose three items to improve next quarter.

Use the resource

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2. Site health and experience

The whole site uses HTTPS with a valid certificate
Pages are mobile-friendly (readable text, tap targets, no horizontal scroll)
Core Web Vitals reviewed in Search Console and PageSpeed InsightsFocus on real-user data where available.
Images are compressed and sized appropriately; below-the-fold images lazy-load
No broken internal links
A helpful custom 404 page returns a real 404 status
Intrusive pop-ups do not block content on mobile

3. On-page basics

Every page has a unique, descriptive title (roughly under 60 characters so it is not truncated)
Every key page has a unique meta description that reads like a useful summary
Each page has one clear H1 that matches its topic
Subheadings are logical and not skipped or used only for styling
URLs are short, readable and consistent
Images have descriptive alt text where they convey information
Internal links use descriptive anchor text, not "click here"
Open Graph and Twitter card tags set for shareable pages

4. Content quality

Each target keyword has one page assigned to it (no accidental competition between pages)
Pages match the search intent for their keyword (guide, product, comparison, tool)
Content is original, accurate and more useful than the pages currently ranking
Claims are backed by sources or experience; statistics are real and cited
Authors are named with relevant credentials where it matters
Content has a visible published or updated date and is kept current
Thin, duplicate or outdated pages are improved, merged or removed
Real customer questions are answered directly with a clear first sentence

5. Structured data

Organization (or LocalBusiness) structured data is present and accurate
Article, Product, BreadcrumbList or other types are used only where they match visible content
Structured data validates in Google's Rich Results Test and has no errors

6. Local SEO (if you serve local customers)

Google Business Profile is claimed, verified and complete
Business name, address and phone are identical on your site, profile and directories
Primary and secondary categories on the profile are correct
A steady process collects and replies to customer reviews
Location or service-area pages contain real, unique local detail
Local keywords are tracked for both Google Maps and organic results

7. Links and reputation

Backlink profile reviewed in Search Console Links report
Links earned from relevant, reputable sites; no paid or manipulative links
Lost valuable links investigated and recovered where reasonable
Unlinked brand mentions identified and outreach attempted
Internal links point from strong pages to important ones

8. Measurement

Search Console is verified and monitored
Analytics is installed and key actions (calls, forms, purchases) are tracked
Target keywords are tracked by location and device
A baseline is recorded and progress is reviewed monthly
Changes are logged so results can be connected to actions

Progress is saved in this browser only; nothing is sent to our servers.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common failed item?

Accidental noindex or blocked pages, duplicate titles across a template, and missing descriptions. They are also the cheapest to fix.

Do I need to tick every box?

No. Treat it as a menu ordered by importance. Start with crawling and indexing.

Is my progress saved?

Yes, in your browser on this device only. Clearing site data resets it. Nothing is sent to our servers.

Can I download the checklist?

Yes. Use the CSV button to download it, or print to PDF from your browser.

Do I need to complete every item?

No. Prioritise crawling, indexing and the pages that matter most to your business.

How often should I run through it?

Quarterly, and after major site changes.

Sources and references

Written by the Bizsenti AutoSEO editorial team. Last reviewed November 2026. Third-party facts can change; check the linked sources for the latest.

Free SEO Checklist: 52 Checks You Can Tick Off