Quick answer: Technical SEO is the groundwork that lets search engines find, crawl, render and index your pages. This checklist groups 30 checks into seven areas: crawling, indexing, site structure, URLs and redirects, speed, mobile, and security and markup. Work through them with Search Console, a crawler and your browser’s developer tools, fix the problems that affect the most important pages first, and repeat the check every few months.
Good content and links do little if Google cannot reach your pages or gets confused about which version to show. Technical problems are also easy to introduce by accident: a theme update, a new plugin or a careless robots.txt edit can quietly remove pages from search. A regular check catches these before traffic drops.
Tools you will need
You do not need expensive software for most of this list.
- Google Search Console for crawl errors, index status, sitemaps and manual actions. Our Search Console guide covers setup.
- A desktop crawler such as Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free up to 500 URLs) to see your site the way a bot does.
- Your browser’s developer tools for status codes, headers and page weight.
- Google’s PageSpeed Insights and Mobile-Friendly Test for quick spot checks.
Crawling: can search engines reach your pages?
1. robots.txt is not blocking important content
Open yoursite.com/robots.txt. Look for Disallow lines that block whole sections by mistake, such as /blog/ or /wp-content/. Blocking CSS and JavaScript files stops Google rendering pages properly, so allow them.
2. robots.txt points to your sitemap
Add a Sitemap: line with the full URL. It helps any crawler find it, not only Google.
3. XML sitemap exists and is clean
Your sitemap should list only canonical, indexable URLs that return a 200 status. Remove redirects, 404s and pages marked noindex. Submit it in Search Console and compare the submitted count with the indexed count.
4. No important pages rely on JavaScript links alone
Navigation built only with JavaScript click events may not be followed. Use normal <a href> links for anything you want crawled.
5. Crawl errors are reviewed
In Search Console, check the Crawl Errors report for server errors and not found URLs. A handful of 404s is normal. A spike, or 404s on pages that used to get traffic, needs attention.
6. Server responds reliably
Repeated 5xx errors tell Google your server is struggling, and it will crawl less. If you see them, talk to your host or look at what is overloading the site.
Indexing: are the right pages in the index?
7. Compare indexed pages with what you expect
A site:yoursite.com search gives a rough count, and the Index Status report in Search Console gives a better one. Far more pages than you have suggests duplicates or thin archive pages. Far fewer suggests blocking or quality problems.
8. No accidental noindex tags
Check templates for <meta name="robots" content="noindex">. On WordPress, look under Settings, Reading, for the option that discourages search engines. It is often left on after a site moves from staging.
9. Canonical tags are correct
Each page should have a canonical tag pointing to itself or to the preferred version. Watch for canonicals that all point to the homepage, which is a common theme bug.
10. Thin and duplicate pages are handled
Tag archives, author archives with one author, internal search results and print versions add little. Noindex them or remove them so search engines spend their time on pages that matter.
11. Parameter URLs are under control
Sorting, filtering and tracking parameters can create thousands of near duplicate URLs. Use canonical tags, and the URL Parameters tool in Search Console if you understand exactly what each parameter does.
Site structure: can bots and people find their way?
12. Important pages are within three or four clicks of the homepage
Your crawler’s crawl depth report shows how deep pages sit. Deep pages get crawled less often and pass less authority.
13. No orphan pages
Pages with no internal links pointing to them are hard to find. Compare your sitemap with your crawl to spot them.
14. Internal links use descriptive anchor text
“Click here” tells Google nothing. Use words that describe the page you are linking to.
15. Breadcrumbs are in place on deeper sites
Breadcrumbs help users and give search engines a clear picture of hierarchy. They can also show in search results with the right markup.
16. Pagination is handled sensibly
For paginated series, use rel="next" and rel="prev" links, or offer a view all page if it loads quickly.
URLs and redirects
17. One preferred hostname
Your site should resolve to one version only: with or without www, and on HTTPS if you have it. All others should 301 redirect to it.
18. Clean, readable URLs
Short, lowercase URLs with words rather than ID numbers are easier to share and understand.
19. No redirect chains
A redirect that points to another redirect wastes crawl time and loses a little value at each step. Point old URLs straight to the final destination.
20. Permanent moves use 301s
Temporary 302 redirects are fine for genuinely temporary changes. For anything permanent, use a 301.
21. Broken internal links are fixed
Your crawler will list internal links that return 404. Update the link rather than relying on a redirect.
Speed
22. Server response time is reasonable
A slow time to first byte usually points to hosting, heavy plugins or slow database queries. Caching helps a great deal. Our WordPress speed guide covers the common fixes.
23. Images are compressed and sized correctly
Large images are the most common cause of heavy pages. Resize them to the dimensions they display at and compress them.
24. Text files are compressed and cached
Turn on gzip for HTML, CSS and JavaScript, and set browser caching headers for static files.
25. Render blocking scripts are kept to a minimum
Load non essential scripts at the bottom of the page or asynchronously so the content appears first.
Mobile
26. Pages pass the Mobile-Friendly Test
Google has used mobile friendliness as a ranking signal for mobile searches since April 2015. Test your main templates, not just the homepage.
27. Mobile visitors see the same content
If you run a separate mobile site, make sure it has the same important content and uses the correct rel="alternate" and canonical annotations. Responsive design avoids this problem entirely.
28. No intrusive pop-ups on mobile
Full screen overlays that hide content on small screens frustrate visitors and make your pages harder to use.
Security and markup
29. HTTPS is set up properly
Google confirmed HTTPS as a light ranking signal in 2014. More importantly, it protects your visitors. Check for mixed content warnings and make sure every HTTP URL redirects.
30. Structured data is valid
Schema.org markup for your business, products, reviews or articles can earn rich results. Test it with Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool and fix errors before relying on it.
How to prioritise the fixes
A 30 point list can feel like a lot. Sort issues by impact:
- Anything stopping indexing: robots.txt blocks, noindex tags, server errors. Fix these first.
- Problems on high value pages: your service, product and top landing pages.
- Sitewide template issues: one fix in a theme can correct hundreds of pages.
- Housekeeping: redirect chains, minor 404s, thin archives.
Keep a simple record of what you changed and when. If traffic moves, you can match it against your changes.
FAQ
How often should I run a technical SEO check?
A full check every three to six months suits most small business sites. Check again after any redesign, platform change or migration.
Do I need a developer for this?
Many checks are simple settings. Redirect rules, server configuration and template fixes are easier with a developer, especially if mistakes could take the site offline.
Is technical SEO more important than content?
They work together. Technical work makes sure your content can be found and indexed. It cannot make weak content rank.
Need a second pair of eyes?
If you would rather have someone else run the checks and fix what they find, our SEO audit process covers all of this and more. See how we help businesses get found in search.
