Ultimate SEO Checklist: Top 6 Tips to Rank Your Website

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a highly effective method to accomplish this goal. But where do you start? With our ultimate SEO checklist, you’ll have all the top tips to rank your website higher on search engines and attract more potential customers.
Welcome, small business owners! If you’re looking to improve your website’s visibility and drive more traffic, you’ve come to the right place. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about SEO. From setting up essential tools to mastering technical SEO, we’ve got you covered. Let’s get started!

How to Use This SEO Checklist?

Before diving into the details, We will understand how to use this checklist effectively. Each section addresses a different aspect of SEO, ensuring you cover all bases. Follow these steps, and you’ll be well on your way to improving your site’s search engine rankings.
Start by assessing your current SEO efforts and identifying areas that need improvement. Prioritise tasks based on their impact on your overall SEO strategy. Finally, track your progress and adjust your approach as needed to ensure continuous improvement.

1. SEO Basics Checklist

To do well with SEO, make sure you nail the basics. If you don’t, your website might have a tough time ranking. Here are some simple but vital SEO tasks that are key to a successful SEO strategy:

Create accounts on Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools

First things first, you need to set up Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. These free tools provide valuable insights into your website’s performance on search engines.

They help you monitor your site’s indexing status, identify and fix issues, and understand how users find your site.

Set Up Google Analytics

Next, install Google Analytics to track and analyse your website’s traffic. This powerful tool provides essential data on user behaviour, helping you make informed decisions about your SEO strategy. With Google Analytics, you can identify which pages are performing well and which need improvement.

Link your Google Search Console (GSC) to Google Analytics for valuable SEO insights directly within your Google Analytics dashboard.

Install SEO Plugin for WordPress

If you’re using WordPress, install an SEO plugin like Yoast or Rank Math which is a must for your website. These plugins simplify many aspects of SEO, from creating meta tags to generating sitemaps. Configure the plugin to suit your needs and follow its recommendations to optimise your site further.

Generate and Submit a Sitemap

A sitemap is a file that lists all your website’s pages, helping search engines crawl and index your site more efficiently. Generating a sitemap for your website and submitting it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools is crucial for enabling search engines to locate and index all of your content effectively.

Craft a Robots.txt File

A robots.txt file tells search engines which pages they should and shouldn’t crawl. Create a robots.txt file and upload it to your website’s root directory. This step helps prevent search engines from indexing duplicate or irrelevant content, improving your site’s overall SEO.

Review Search Console for Manual Actions

Manual actions are penalties applied by Google for violating its guidelines. Regularly check Google Search Console for any manual actions and address them promptly. Resolving these issues can help improve your site’s rankings and restore lost traffic.

Verify Google’s Ability to Index Your Website

Finally, make sure that Google can index your website. Use the “Inspect URL” tool in Google Search Console to check if your pages are being indexed correctly. If there are any issues, fix them to ensure that all your content is accessible to search engines.

2. Keyword Research Checklist

Keyword research involves discovering potential search terms that are pertinent to your business and clientele. This process encompasses locating, categorising, and ranking keywords to inform your overall keyword strategy.

Below is a checklist outlining the key tasks essential for achieving SEO success through effective keyword research:

Identify Your Competitors in the Market

Start by identifying your competitors and analysing their websites. Look at the keywords they’re targeting and gauge their SEO performance. This information will help you understand the competitive landscape and inform your keyword strategy.

Discover Your Primary ‘Money’ Keywords

Next, identify your main ‘money’ keywords – the ones that drive the most traffic and conversions. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs or SEMrush to find high-volume, low-competition keywords relevant to your business. For example, if you have a plumbing business in Sydney and you want to do SEO for plumbers this would be the few-money keyword for you.

Focus on these keywords to maximise your SEO efforts.

Uncover Long-Tail Keyword Variations

Long-tail keywords are extended and precise phrases with typically lower search volumes but a higher likelihood of leading to conversions. Discover long-tail keyword variations related to your main keywords. These keywords can help you attract highly targeted traffic and improve your chances of ranking higher on search engines.

Generate a Keyword Map

A keyword map is a visual representation of your target keywords and their corresponding pages. Create a keyword map to ensure that each page on your website targets a specific keyword. This step helps you avoid keyword cannibalisation and ensures that your content is optimised for search engines.

Examine Ranking Pages Intent

Understanding the intent behind ranking pages is crucial for effective keyword research. There exist four search intent categories:

1. Navigational: Looking for something specific.
2. Informational: Seeking to gather knowledge.
3. Transactional: Intending to perform a particular action.
4. Commercial: Research before making a purchase.

Analyse the top-ranking pages for your target keywords and identify the type of content they offer. This information will help you create content that meets users’ needs and ranks higher on search engines.

Assess SERP Landscape

Analyse top-ranking pages for target keywords to understand content trends and formats.

Identify SERP features like snippets and panels to enhance your content strategy for better visibility and engagement.

Group Keywords and Content Planning

In developing a robust content strategy, it’s crucial to organise keywords into meaningful groups and strategise the type of content to create for each group.

• Group Keywords: Sort keywords into groups by topic.
• Choose Content Types: Decide what to create for each group (like blogs, product pages, or guides) to match what users want.
• Improve Existing Pages: Make current content better by adding the right keywords to get seen more and keep users interested.

Prioritise Keywords

By selecting high-opportunity keywords that strike a balance between search volume, difficulty, and business relevance, you can drive significant organic traffic to your site.

• High-Opportunity Keywords: Identify keywords that offer substantial search volume, align with your business goals, and are feasible to target given the competition level.
• Low-Hanging Fruit: Focus on keywords with decent search volume and lower competition levels. These keywords present quick wins and can help boost your site’s visibility in search results efficiently.

Continuous Monitoring and Updating

Utilise SEO tools to track keyword rankings, ensuring your pages are optimised for success. Regularly refine and expand your keyword list by leveraging performance data and seizing new opportunities. Stay ahead by adapting your strategy to reflect industry trends and evolving customer behaviours.

Uncover Frequently Asked Questions

People often use search engines to find answers to their questions. Identify common questions related to your target keywords and create content that addresses these queries.

Utilise resources like AnswerThePublic and the “People Also Ask” feature on Google to discover pertinent inquiries.

Analyse the Level of Difficulty in Ranking

Finally, evaluate the ranking difficulty of your target keywords. Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to assess the competition for each keyword. Focus on keywords with lower difficulty scores to increase your chances of ranking higher on search engines.

3. Technical SEO Checklist

Technical SEO is essential for building a strong foundation and ensuring your website is accessible and properly indexed. Here are key technical guidelines to help you achieve optimal performance.

Ensure HTTPS is in Use

HTTPS is a secure version of HTTP, providing encrypted communication between your website and users.
Ensure that your website uses HTTPS to protect user data and improve your site’s search engine rankings. Many search engines, including Google, prioritise secure websites in their search results.

Check for Duplicate Versions of Your Site

Duplicate site versions can confuse search engines and dilute your SEO efforts. Check for duplicate site versions in Google’s index and set up appropriate redirects to consolidate them.

This step helps ensure that search engines recognise a single version of your website.

Identify Duplicate Content

Identify duplicate content and use tools like Copyscape or Siteliner.

Address any issues by implementing proper canonicalisation or modifying the content accordingly.

Locate and Resolve Crawl Errors

Crawl errors occur when search engines encounter issues while trying to access your website. Use Google Search Console to find and fix crawl errors.

Resolving these issues ensures that search engines can crawl and index your site effectively.

Enhance Your Website’s Speed

The speed of your website plays a crucial role in enhancing user experience and impacting search engine rankings. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix to analyse your site’s speed and identify areas for improvement.

Implement the recommended changes to enhance your site’s performance.

Check Canonical Tags

Ensure correct usage of canonical tags to prevent duplications. Each page should have a self-referencing canonical tag unless directed elsewhere. This practice enhances search visibility and maintains site credibility.

Address Broken Internal and Outbound Links

Broken links have the potential to adversely affect both your site’s user experience and SEO performance. Regularly check for and fix broken internal and outbound links using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs. This step ensures that users and search engines can navigate your site without encountering dead ends.

Identify and Rectify HTTP Links on HTTPS Pages

Having HTTP links on HTTPS pages can create security issues and confuse search engines. Find and fix any HTTP links on your HTTPS pages to maintain a secure browsing experience and improve your site’s SEO.

Confirm mobile optimisation for your website

With more users accessing websites on mobile devices, it’s essential to ensure that your site is mobile-friendly. Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to analyse your site’s mobile performance and implement any recommended changes. Having a mobile-friendly website not only improves user experience but also elevates your search engine rankings.

Implement an SEO-Friendly URL Structure

An SEO-friendly URL structure makes it easier for search engines to understand your site’s content. When creating URLs, opt for descriptive, keyword-rich ones that are easy to read and remember. Avoid using special characters or unnecessary numbers in your URLs.

Incorporate Structured Data

Structured data helps search engines understand your site’s content better, leading to improved search visibility. Use Schema.org markup to add structured data to your website.

This step can enhance your search results with rich snippets, increasing click-through rates.

Assess Your Site’s Crawl Depth

Crawl depth refers to the number of clicks it takes to reach a page from your homepage. Keep your site’s crawl depth as shallow as possible to ensure that search engines can easily access all your content. Aim for a maximum crawl depth of three clicks.

Look Out for Temporary 302 Redirects

302 redirects are temporary and can confuse search engines if used incorrectly. Check for temporary 302 redirects on your site and replace them with permanent 301 redirects where appropriate. This step ensures that search engines recognise the correct version of your content.

Detect and Rectify Redirect Chains and Loops

Redirect chains and loops can cause crawling issues and negatively impact your site’s SEO. Use tools like Screaming Frog to find and fix redirect chains and loops. This step helps ensure that search engines can crawl your site efficiently.

4. Content & On-Page SEO Checklist

Your website’s ranking and organic traffic heavily rely on valuable content and an excellent on-page user experience. Prioritise meeting the criteria below and emphasise crafting quality content for users, not just search engines.

Identify and Correct Duplicate, Missing, and Shortened Title

Title tags are crucial for SEO, as they help search engines understand your content. Find and fix duplicate, missing, and truncated title tags using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs.

Make sure that every page has a distinctive and descriptive title tag for better search engine visibility and user engagement.

Discover and Fix Duplicate and Absent Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions offer a concise summary of your content, impacting click-through rates. Find and fix duplicate and missing meta descriptions using SEO tools. Write compelling meta descriptions for each page to entice users to click on your search results.

Identify and Fix Multiple H1 tags

H1 tags are essential for SEO, as they signal the main heading of a page. Ensure that each page has only one H1 tag and fix any instances of multiple H1 tags.

Use descriptive, keyword-rich H1 tags to improve your site’s SEO.

Enhance Title Tags, Meta Tags and Page Content

Optimise your title tags, meta tags, and page content to enhance your site’s SEO. Incorporate relevant keywords in a natural way and steer clear of keyword stuffing to maintain authenticity and enhance search engine optimisation efforts. Write engaging, informative content that meets users’ needs and encourages them to spend more time on your site.

Conduct A Thorough Content Audit

Regularly audit your site’s existing content to identify areas for improvement. Remove or update outdated content, and ensure that all your pages are relevant and valuable to users.

A well-maintained site signals to search engines that your content is fresh and reliable.

Confirm All Website Images Have Alt Text

Alt text is crucial for assisting search engines in interpreting the content of your images. Ensure that all your images use descriptive, keyword-rich alt text. This step improves your site’s SEO and provides a better user experience for visually impaired users.

Optimise Internal Linking

Internal linking helps search engines discover and index your content more effectively. Improve your internal linking structure by adding relevant links between related pages. This step also helps users navigate your site and find valuable content.

Identify and Resolve Keyword Cannibalisation Problems

Keyword cannibalisation occurs when multiple pages on your site target the same keyword, diluting your SEO efforts.

Find and fix keyword cannibalisation issues by consolidating content and optimising each page for a unique keyword.

Locate and Fix Orphan Pages

Orphan pages are pages that aren’t linked to any other page on your site, making them difficult for search engines to find. Find and fix orphan pages by adding internal links to them.

This step ensures that all your content is accessible to search engines and users.

Regularly Update Your Website’s Content

Keep your website content updated regularly to ensure its freshness and relevance. Remove outdated information and add new content to reflect the latest trends and developments in your industry. Updated content signals to search engines that your site is active and valuable.

5. Link Building & Off-Page SEO Checklist

For effective SEO results, overlooking off-page SEO is not an option. While commonly associated with link building, off-page SEO encompasses more than just that aspect.

Examine the Link Profiles of Your Competitors

Link building is essential for improving your site’s authority and search engine rankings. Start by analysing your competitors’ link profiles using tools like Ahrefs or Moz.

Identify the sources of their backlinks and look for opportunities to acquire similar links.

Perform a Link Intersect Analysis

A link intersect analysis helps you find websites that link to your competitors but not to you. Use tools like Ahrefs to conduct a link intersect analysis and identify potential link-building opportunities. Reach out to these websites and pitch your content for a backlink.

Turn Brand Mentions into Backlinks

Unlinked mentions are instances where your brand is mentioned but not linked to. Use tools like Ahrefs or Google Alerts to find unlinked mentions and reach out to the website owners, requesting a link. This step helps you build high-quality backlinks and improve your site’s authority.

Discover Fresh Link Building Prospects

Continuously look for new link-building opportunities to grow your site’s authority. Participate in industry forums, guest blog on relevant websites, and create shareable content that attracts natural backlinks. Building a diverse backlink profile is crucial for long-term SEO success.

Create a Pitching Strategy, Develop Content & Send

To successfully pitch a guest post, personalise your outreach by tailoring your pitch to each site and mentioning specific details about their content or audience. Craft a compelling email subject line to grab attention, and clearly explain how your guest post will benefit their readers. Develop relevant content ideas that align with the host site’s topics, and prepare brief outlines for each proposed article. Introduce yourself and your expertise succinctly, highlight previous guest posts if applicable, and keep your pitch clear and concise. If there’s no reply after a week or two, consider sending a friendly follow-up email.

Writing and Optimising Your Guest Post

Write Your Guest Post

• Follow Guidelines: Adhere to any content guidelines provided by the host site to ensure your post meets their standards.
• Create High-Quality Content: Write an informative, well-researched, and engaging post that provides value to the readers.
• Incorporate Relevant Links: Naturally include valuable links to your site without over-optimisation, maintaining a balance that adds value without appearing spammy.

Optimise for SEO

• Use Target Keywords: Strategically include relevant keywords throughout your article to improve its search engine visibility.
• Optimise Your Author Bio: Write a keyword-rich author bio and include a link back to your site to enhance SEO and drive traffic.

Handle the Publication Process

To handle the publication process smoothly, ensure you submit your article on time according to the agreed-upon deadlines, and be readily available to collaborate with the site’s editor for any necessary revisions.

Promote Guest Post

Promote your guest post effectively, share it on your social media channels to reach a wider audience and actively engage with the comments section to interact with readers and foster engagement.

Monitor Results

Monitor the results of your guest post and use tools like Google Analytics and Ahrefs to track traffic and backlink quality. Evaluate the performance of your guest post against your initial goals to determine how well your efforts are meeting your objectives.

Build and Maintain Relationships

Build and maintain relationships, always send a thank you note to the host site after your post is published. If the guest post is successful, propose ideas for future posts or other collaboration opportunities.

6. Local SEO Checklist

Establish and Optimise Your Google Business Profile

A Google Business Profile helps improve your local SEO and makes it easier for customers to find your business.

Set up and optimise your Google Business Profile by providing accurate information, adding high-quality photos, and encouraging customer reviews.

Website Optimisation for Local SEO

For effective website optimisation for local SEO, incorporate location-based keywords in your titles, headers, meta descriptions, and content. Optimise your contact page by ensuring your name, address, and phone number (NAP) information is consistent with your Google Business Profile listing and easily accessible. Implement local business schema markup to help search engines understand and display your business information accurately. Additionally, if you serve multiple locations, create dedicated pages for each location to enhance your local search visibility.

Monitor Your Local SEO Performance

To monitor your local SEO performance, track your rankings for local keywords using tools like Google Search Console or SEMrush.

Analyse traffic from local searches with Google Analytics to determine how much traffic is coming from local searches and which pages are driving it.

Engage with the Local Community Online

Engage with the local community online by participating in local forums and groups on platforms like Nextdoor or local Facebook groups. Feature local events or news on your blog to demonstrate your involvement and interest in the community.

To Sum Up

Congratulations! You’ve made it through the ultimate SEO checklist. Now it’s your time to utilise this knowledge into action. Follow these steps consistently, and you’ll see significant improvements in your website’s search engine rankings.
Remember, SEO is an ongoing process. Keep learning, stay updated with the latest trends and continuously optimise your site to stay ahead of the competition.
By implementing this checklist, you’ll not only improve your website’s visibility but also attract more potential customers and grow your business. Happy optimising!