The Ultimate SEO Checklist 2020
Contents
Download the pdf version here
An overview of SEO checklist
ON PAGE SEO CHECKLIST
1. Create a unique domain name
Having an unique website name will help in creating a brand.
2. Keep Domain and all URLs as either www or non-www
Maintaining a consistent domain version will help in ranking in the search engines.
3. Optimizing logo size and the logo file name
Helps reduce bounce rate and improves the speed of the site’s page.
4. Include Your Keyword In Your URL
It helps in improving the site’s search visibility and increases the click-through-rate.
5. Use Short URLs
URL should be descriptive yet short and should contain the target keyword. Keep it as short as possible.
6. Optimize the Meta description tag
Use keywords in the meta description and it will help in ranking on all the search engines.
7. Embed Title Tag Modifiers
Add words or phrases to rank for long tail keywords.
8. Optimize your site structure for site links
Helps Google to pick the most important pages to list as site links.
9. Use Your Keyword Once In the First 150 Words
As Google emphasizes on the first 150 words, make sure to add your keyword once.
10. Use the Keyword in the H1, H2 or H3 Tags
Using keywords in the heading tags helps to increase the relevancy for the keyword.
Giving Alt attributes to the images will help Google understand better about the image.
12. Use Semantic markup
It’s a way to write and structure your HTML. Helps in SEO.
13. Use Synonyms and LSI Keywords
Increase relevancy of content and rank for long tail keywords.
14. Use short and descriptive URL Permalink
Helps in better click-through rate.
15. Use hyphens to differentiate words in URL structure
The structure of the URL is important. So, keep your URLs simple and optimize by using hyphens.
16. Check for duplicate content
Having unique and good quality content will help in ranking in Google.
17. Use Internal Links
Helps in establishing relevance and reduces bounce rate.
Helps in establishing authority and increases readability.
Allows visitors to share your content online easily.
20. Install Rank Math (or a similar SEO plug-in)
Helps you optimize your site for ON page factors.
21. Create a sitemap
Helps Google find all the pages in your website.
22. Find a primary keyword to target
The right keyword helps you rank easily and get the most no. of visitors.
23. Understand ‘search intent’
Helps in understanding visitor need and providing relevant information to visitors.
24. Write a compelling title tag and description
Helps user understand the topic and improves CTR.
25. Add schema markup
To enhance SERP visibility.
26. Use short sentences and paragraphs
Makes the content appealing and easier to understand.
27. Focus on readability
Improves user engagement, reduces bounce rate and improves ranking.
28. Write a kick‐ass intro
Helps Google find all the pages in your website.
29. Setup Google search console
Helps track the performance of your site in Google search.
30. Install bing webmaster tools
Its effective features like the keyword-research tool makes it worth optimization.
TECHNICAL SEO CHECKLIST
31. Identify Crawl Errors
Solving the errors will improve the site’s ranking.
32. Use optimized robots.txt
This helps in not showing certain files or page folders in Google.
33. Create HTML site map
Helps in better navigation and indexing of the site.
34. Use Country TLD extension
Helps boost country specific ranking of your site.
To improve navigation of your site.
36. Submit XML sitemap
Helps speed up the indexing and also quickly informs Google about the changes that is done on the website.
37. Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly
Improves user experience and search engine ranking.
38. Fix Broken Links
Broken links stops the web page from indexing.
39. Secure Your Site With HTTPS
Helps boost the rank on search engine as your site provides secure service.
40. Fix Duplicate Meta Tags
Find and remove duplicate Meta tags.
41. Check Your Site’s Loading Speed
Helps in improving bounce rate and in turn, helps in SEO.
42. Make your website responsive
In the mobile era, making the website responsive helps you in reducing bounce rate across all platforms.
OFF PAGE SEO CHECKLIST
43. Guest Posting
Secures you good quality high authority links.
44. Submit to Google local listing
Helps in local SEO and establishing authenticity.
45. Set up Search console (webmaster tools) account
Webmaster tools list indexed pages, internal and external links, problems with your site and more.
46. Reverse engineer your Competitor’s Back links
Find quality websites to get back links from.
47. Build Contextual Back links With Link Roundups
Drives attention to the website and gets shares.
48. Become a Podcast Guest
Brings more exposure to your website.
49. Mention Influencers In Your Blog Posts
Creates buzz and drives attention of influencers. They may share your blog post too.
50. Get business reviews
Reviews on local websites helps to get leads.
Helps in SEO by diversifying your link profile. Do bookmark regularly over a period of time.
Diversifying brand profiles establishes trust.
53. Join relevant forums and Q/A websites and engage
Helps you in local SEO and gets you a backlink.
54. Use Google business reviews
Positive reviews can increase brand trust resulting in higher conversion.
55. Set up RSS feed
Helps in promoting and sharing your content thereby providing attribution link back to the website.
56. Choose appropriate host
To avoid downtime of the website.
57. Use Google disavow tool
Helps disavow unnatural and spam links from the site.
58. Search for broken link building opportunities on Wikipedia
Helps in local SEO and establishing authority.
59. Create infographics to generate back links
Helps in procuring authority links of high quality.
60. Check and review Google analytics account
Reviewing regularly will provide an in-depth analysis of the website’s performance, traffic sources etc.
61. Use Google keyword planner to find untapped keywords
Helps in keyword research for your brand.
If you have done most of these and are unsure what you have missed then you can use a SEO audit tool to check. You can use our free SEO audit tool too.
