Essential SEO Checklist: A Complete Guide to Optimizing Your Website
A complete SEO optimization checklist to improve your website's search engine visibility and rankings.
Before Publishing Your Site:
Site Information:
- Create a site title under 60 characters with relevant keywords
- Write a unique site description (50-300 characters) that appears in search results
- Add distinct SEO descriptions for all pages, blog posts, products, and events
- Verify proper page title formatting for browser tabs and social sharing
Design Elements:
- Upload a favicon (browser icon) for brand visibility
- Add social media share images for your site and individual pages
- Create a custom 404 page with helpful navigation links
Domain and Technical Setup:
- Connect a custom domain name
- Enable SSL security
- Link social media profiles
- Monitor and optimize URL slugs
- Configure blog post URL structure
Location Details:
- Add business address and map on Contact Page
- Create and verify Google Business Profile
Post-Publication Tasks:
Search Engine Verification:
- Set up Google Search Console
- Submit site for Google indexing
- Verify with Bing Webmaster Tools
- Connect Google Analytics
Ongoing Optimization:
Content Management:
- Regularly update site content
- Create URL redirects when changing page slugs
- Monitor search keywords and traffic analytics
Content Best Practices:
Text Optimization:
- Use strategic keywords throughout content
- Structure content with proper heading hierarchy
- Write clear, readable content
Image Optimization:
- Add descriptive alt text to all images
- Use SEO-friendly image file names
- Keep images under 500KB and pages under 5MB
Page Structure:
- Add social sharing images and SEO descriptions
- Implement tags and categories for organization
- Create internal links between relevant pages
- Optimize URL slugs for content relevance
Note: Rankings may fluctuate temporarily after implementing changes. Monitor analytics to track performance and adjust strategy as needed.
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Remember to regularly review and update your SEO strategy to maintain and improve search engine visibility.
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