lvwzhen / seo-checklist

SEO Checklist

SEO Checklist

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1. Basic Setup 🏗️

Domain and Hosting 🌐

• Choose a memorable and brand-related domain name
• Use reliable hosting services to ensure 99.9% uptime
• Ensure the domain has HTTPS encryption
• Set up domain-specific email to enhance professionalism
• Consider using Internationalized Domain Names (IDN) for different language markets
• Implement DNS prefetching to improve page load speed

Website Structure 🗺️

• Use a clear site structure and navigation
• Create a simple URL structure
• Implement breadcrumb navigation
• Use XML sitemaps
• Ensure a flat site structure with no more than three levels of depth
• Create an HTML sitemap to improve user accessibility
• Use canonical tags to handle duplicate content
• Set up and optimize a favicon

Search Engine Tools 📊

• Set up Google Search Console
• Set up Bing Webmaster Tools
• Submit website sitemap
• Check for crawling errors
• Analyze search traffic and keywords

2. Technical SEO ⚙️

Crawling and Indexing 🕷️

• Submit XML sitemaps to Google and Bing
• Create and optimize the robots.txt file to ensure Googlebot is not blocked
• Ensure important pages are not blocked by noindex tags
• Fix 404 error pages to ensure the site is running smoothly
• Use Google Search Console to check indexing status
• Implement structured data (Schema.org)
• Use hreflang tags to handle multilingual content
• Implement dynamic rendering to improve the indexing of JavaScript content
• Automate the update of XML sitemaps

Website Speed Optimization ⚡

• Use PageSpeed Insights and Core Web Vitals to analyze speed
• Compress images and use WebP format
• Enable browser caching and Gzip compression
• Use a CDN to speed up access
• Reduce HTTP requests
• Optimize CSS and JavaScript files
• Use lazy loading
• Implement Critical CSS
• Consider using HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 protocols

Mobile Optimization 📱

• Ensure responsive design
• Use Google Mobile-Friendly Test tool
• Optimize mobile page load speed
• Implement AMP technology (if applicable)
• Ensure appropriate touch element spacing
• Optimize mobile font size and line spacing
• Consider implementing Progressive Web App (PWA) technology
• Optimize mobile images for size and resolution

3. Keyword Research 🔍

Keyword Discovery 💡

• Use keyword tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush for research
• Identify long-tail and short-tail keywords
• Analyze competitor keywords
• Track keyword trends
• Study user search intent
• Use Google Trends to analyze seasonal keywords
• Consider optimizing long-tail keywords for voice search

Keyword Selection 🎯

• Choose relevant and high-search-volume keywords
• Distribute keywords across relevant pages
• Create a keyword matrix
• Use LSI keywords and semantic related terms
• Consider keyword difficulty and competition
• Select keywords based on the user journey stage (awareness, consideration, decision)
• Optimize localized keywords for different geographical locations
• Utilize 'People Also Ask' questions

4. On-Page Optimization 📝

Content Optimization ✒️

• Use unique titles for each page (within 60 characters), avoid keyword stuffing
• Write compelling meta descriptions (150-160 characters) relevant to the content
• Include keywords in the first paragraph and H1 tag
• Organize content with H2 and H3 tags
• Ensure content is original and high-quality, free from spam, with expert sources
• Regularly update content to maintain relevance and timeliness
• Optimize image ALT text
• Use structured content formats like tables and lists
• Implement content differentiation strategies to provide unique value
• Consider using Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools to optimize content relevance
• Use content scoring tools to evaluate content quality

URL Structure 🔗

• Create concise, descriptive URLs, avoiding excessive parameters
• Include keywords in URLs
• Use 301 redirects to fix broken URLs
• Implement canonical URLs to avoid duplicate content issues
• Consider using HTTPS protocol-first HSTS strategy
• Handle URL parameters to avoid duplicate content issues

Internal Linking 🧩

• Use keyword-rich anchor text
• Increase internal links to important pages
• Fix broken internal links
• Create content pillars and topic clusters
• Implement reasonable internal linking depth
• Use internal link analysis tools to optimize link structure
• Consider implementing dynamic internal linking strategies

5. Link Building 🔗

Acquiring High-Quality Backlinks 🏆

• Create valuable content to avoid spam links
• Build industry partnerships
• Use guest blogging and content marketing
• Submit the site to high-quality directories
• Participate in industry forums and community discussions
• Create and share infographics
• Run digital PR campaigns to gain media coverage
• Leverage social media influence to build natural links

Monitoring Backlinks 👁️

• Use tools to monitor link quality
• Remove low-quality backlinks
• Regularly review backlink reports
• Exchange high-quality links
• Use Google Search Console backlink reports
• Control link acquisition speed to avoid unnatural link growth
• Analyze competitor link strategies

6. Local SEO 📍

Optimizing Google My Business 🏢

• Complete Google My Business profile including address, phone number, and business hours
• Upload high-quality images and videos
• Encourage and respond to customer reviews
• Regularly update business information
• Use Google Posts feature
• Utilize Google My Business product catalog feature
• Optimize the Q&A section of Google My Business

Local Directory Registration 🗂️

• Ensure consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information
• Register with Bing Places, Apple Maps, etc.
• Build local backlinks
• Participate in local community events
• Get coverage in local news media
• Utilize industry-specific local directories
• Consider using local structured data markup

7. Content Strategy 📚

Content Creation 🖋️

• Regularly publish high-quality content
• Use multimedia (images, videos, infographics) to enhance content appeal
• Create content clusters
• Research topics of interest to your audience
• Develop long-form content
• Create FAQ pages
• Implement content localization strategies
• Consider using user-generated content (UGC)
• Develop interactive content (quizzes, calculators, etc.)

Content Distribution 📤

• Promote content on social media
• Use email marketing to distribute content
• Collaborate with industry influencers
• Regularly re-promote older content
• Use content aggregation platforms
• Consider paid promotion for high-value content
• Use collaboration tools to improve distribution efficiency
• Develop platform-specific content

8. Analytics and Reporting 📊

Setting Up and Using Analytics Tools 🔧

• Install and configure Google Analytics (GA4)
• Use Google Search Console to monitor indexing status
• Set KPIs (organic traffic, bounce rate, conversion rate)
• Regularly analyze data
• Set up custom dashboards and reports
• Integrate CRM data to track the full customer journey
• Use heatmaps and session recording tools to analyze user behavior
• Set conversion goals and funnel analysis

SEO Reporting 🗒️

• Generate monthly SEO reports
• Identify successes and areas for improvement
• Adjust SEO strategy based on data
• Track competitor performance
• Analyze user behavior and conversion paths
• Implement predictive SEO analysis
• Create automated real-time SEO dashboards

9. User Experience Optimization 🎨

Page Load Speed 🚀

• Optimize server response time
• Reduce HTTP requests
• Use asynchronous loading and lazy loading
• Optimize CSS and JavaScript files
• Implement preloading and preconnecting
• Use service workers to enhance offline experience
• Implement resource hints like preload and prefetch

Page Design 🎨

• Ensure a clean, user-friendly design
• Use an easy-to-navigate layout
• Ensure cross-browser compatibility
• Perform A/B testing to optimize user experience
• Improve website accessibility (WCAG guidelines)
• Implement micro-interactions and animations to boost engagement
• Consider using emotional design principles

10. Preventing and Handling Spam Content 🚫

Avoiding Spam Content Policies

• Do not use cloaking
• Avoid doorway pages
• Do not misuse expired domains
• Do not use hidden text and links
• Avoid keyword stuffing
• Do not use spam links
• Prevent bot traffic
• Do not include malware
• Avoid misleading functionality
• Do not use duplicate content
• Avoid deceptive redirects
• Manage user-generated content

Security and Privacy

• Implement SSL certificates
• Regularly update CMS and plugins
• Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication
• Implement firewalls and security plugins
• Comply with data protection regulations (GDPR)