Technical SEO Checklist for High-Performing Websites

You've invested heavily in content. Your blog publishes weekly. Your keyword research is meticulous. Your backlink profile is growing.

Yet your organic traffic flatlines. Rankings fluctuate wildly. Google Search Console shows crawling errors you don't understand.

The problem isn't your content. It's your foundation.

Technical SEO is the invisible architecture that determines whether Google can find, understand, and rank your content. No amount of brilliant content matters if your technical foundation is broken.

This checklist covers the seven non-negotiable technical SEO elements that separate high-performing websites from digital ghost towns.

1. Site Speed: The Make-or-Break Metric

Speed isn't just user experience—it's a direct ranking factor. Google's data shows 53% of mobile visitors abandon sites taking longer than 3 seconds to load.

Your speed checklist:

• Mobile load time under 2.5 seconds (use Page Speed Insights)
• Desktop load time under 1.8 seconds
• Compress all images (use WebP format where supported)
• Enable browser caching
• Minimize JavaScript and CSS files
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) for global audiences

Quick win: Run your homepage through Google Page Speed Insights. If you score below 85 on mobile, speed is costing you rankings and conversions.

2. Mobile-First Indexing: Design for the Majority

Google now primarily uses the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking. If your mobile experience is an afterthought, you're invisible to most searchers.

Your mobile checklist:

• Responsive design that adapts to all screen sizes
• Touch-friendly navigation (buttons large enough to tap easily)
• No intrusive interstitials that block content on mobile
• Mobile page speed under 3 seconds
• Text readable without zooming
• All functionality works on mobile (forms, menus, checkout)

Reality check: 67% of B2B website traffic and 81% of B2C traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site isn't mobile-optimized, you're leaving the majority of potential customers behind.

3. Site Structure and Navigation: Help Google Understand Your Hierarchy

Google needs to understand how your pages relate to each other. A clear site structure helps search engines crawl efficiently and understand your topical authority.

Your structure checklist:

• Logical URL hierarchy (example: /services/seo/technical-seo-checklist)
• Breadcrumb navigation on all pages
• XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
• HTML sitemap in footer for users
• Internal linking between related content
• No orphan pages (pages with zero internal links)
• Maximum 3-4 clicks from homepage to any page

Pro tip: Your most important pages should have the most internal links pointing to them. This signals importance to Google and distributes link equity strategically.

4. Indexability: Ensure Google Can Actually Find Your Pages

What good is great content if Google can't access it? Indexability issues silently kill organic visibility.

Your indexability checklist:

• Robots.txt file allows crawling of important pages
• No accidental no index tags on critical pages
• Canonical tags properly implemented to avoid duplicate content
• 404 errors fixed or redirected appropriately
• XML sitemap updated and submitted to Google Search Console
• No blocked CSS or JavaScript files in robots.txt
• HTTPS security certificate properly installed

Warning sign: If pages you expect to rank aren't appearing in Google at all, check your indexability first before assuming it's a content or authority issue.

5. Structured Data: Speak Google's Language

Structured data (schema markup) helps Google understand what your content means—not just what it says. This can lead to rich snippets, featured snippets, and better visibility.

Your structured data checklist:

• Organization schema on homepage (logo, contact info, social profiles)
• Article schema on blog posts (headline, author, publish date, image)
• Product schema for e-commerce (price, availability, reviews)
• Local Business schema for brick-and-mortar locations
• FAQ schema for Q&A content
• Breadcrumb schema for navigation paths
• Test all markup using Google's Rich Results Test

Quick win: Adding FAQ schema to existing content can earn rich snippets without creating new pages. This often increases click-through rates by 30%+.

6. Core Web Vitals: Google's User Experience Report Card

Core Web Vitals are Google's official user experience metrics. They measure loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability.

Your Core Web Vitals checklist:

• LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Under 2.5 seconds
• FID (First Input Delay): Under 100 milliseconds
• CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Under 0.1

How to check: Use Google Search Console's Core Web Vitals report to see which pages need attention. Most issues can be fixed with image optimization, removing render-blocking resources, and reserving space for dynamic content.

7. Security and HTTPS: The Non-Negotiable Foundation

Google has explicitly stated that HTTPS is a ranking factor. Beyond rankings, security builds trust with visitors and protects your data.

Your security checklist:

• SSL certificate properly installed and auto-renewing
• All internal links use HTTPS (not mixed HTTP/HTTPS)
• 301 redirect from HTTP to HTTPS versions
• Security headers properly configured
• Regular security updates and patches
• No mixed content warnings in browser

Critical: If your site shows "Not Secure" in the browser address bar, fix this immediately. It destroys trust and hurts rankings.

Putting It All Together: Your 30-Day Technical SEO Action Plan

Don't try to fix everything at once. Follow this prioritized approach:

Week 1: Foundation

• Run full site audit using Screaming Frog or Ahrefs Site Audit
• Fix critical errors (404s, server errors, blocked pages)
• Ensure HTTPS is working sitewide

Week 2: Speed

• Optimize images across the site
• Enable caching and compression
• Test mobile and desktop speed improvements

Week 3: Structure

• Review and optimize internal linking
• Update XML sitemap and resubmit to Google
• Fix any navigation or breadcrumb issues

Week 4: Enhancement

• Implement structured data markup
• Monitor Core Web Vitals and address issues
• Set up ongoing monitoring in Google Search Console

The Bottom Line

Technical SEO isn't glamorous, but it's essential. Think of it like building a house: you can have the most beautiful furniture and artwork, but if the foundation is cracked, the roof leaks, and the doors don't open properly, nobody will want to live there.

Your content is the furniture. Your technical SEO is the foundation. Both matter—but the foundation comes first.

Start with this checklist. Fix what's broken. Then watch your content finally get the visibility it deserves.

Ready to Fix Your Technical SEO Foundation?

If your website has been underperforming despite great content, technical issues are likely the culprit.

Media Junkie conducts comprehensive technical SEO audits that identify exactly what's holding your site back—and provides a clear roadmap to fix it.

Book a Free Technical SEO Audit
We'll analyse your site's technical health and deliver a prioritized action plan showing exactly which fixes will move the needle on your organic visibility.

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