Help Centre

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

SEO

SEO Checklist: 394 Things to Do

This extensive SEO checklist covers a wide range of tasks and considerations to help raise a webpage’s rank amongst search engine listings. SEO is an ongoing process, so be prepared to adapt to changing trends and search engine algorithms.

It is important to prioritise the tasks based on your website’s ranking against competitors, as well as your goals, time and resources. Regularly monitor your SEO performance, visitor response and your competitors’ SEO strategies then adjust accordingly.

Accessibility

The following procedures for WCAG conformance apply to SEO best practices as well.

Define the page layout with semantic HTML markup
Organise page content with heading tags
Use discernible text to describe hyperlinks
Ensure sufficient colour contrast between the text and background to avoid a Google penalty
Text must not be set below 12px
Provide helpful information in alt text that contributes to the web page content flow
Every button must have an accessible name
Use transcripts with Multimedia

AI and Voice Assistants

Use AI tools for keyword research
Implement AI-powered chatbots
Optimise for AI-powered search (e.g., Siri, Alexa)
Create actions and skills for voice assistants
Ensure your content is voice-friendly
Monitor user behaviour with AI

Analytics and Monitoring

Regularly analyse Google Analytics
Configure Google Search Console
Monitor website traffic
Track keyword rankings
Analyse user behaviour with heatmaps and session recordings
Set up custom alerts for SEO issues
Check for website downtime
Track conversion goals
Analyse referral traffic sources
Check for crawl errors in Google Search Console
Monitor page load speed regularly

Augmented Reality (AR)

Optimise AR content for search
Use AR schema markup
Promote AR experiences through social media
Monitor AR engagement and user interactions
Collect user feedback for AR optimisation

Bing SEO

Submit a sitemap to Bing Webmaster Tools
Optimise for Bing’s unique ranking factors
Use Bing Places for Business
Monitor and analyse Bing rankings and traffic

ChatGPT Recommendation Ranking

Positive review building
Quality backlinks
Brand referencing frequency on multiple websites
Referrals and online promotions
Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Competitor Analysis

Identify top competitors among search listings
Analyse competitor SEO strategies
Compare keyword rankings
Extract competitor backlinks
Look for opportunities to outperform competitors

Community Engagement

Participate in relevant online forums
Answer questions on Q&A sites (e.g., Quora)
Engage with comments on your blog
Build relationships with industry peers
Monitor industry-related discussions

Content Aggregation

Submit content to RSS feed directories
Use content aggregators for industry news
Create your own content aggregator
Implement RSS feeds on your website

Content Diversity

Create diverse content formats (text, images, video)
Use interactive content (quizzes, polls, surveys)
Incorporate user-generated content
Use different storytelling formats
Monitor user engagement with diverse content

Content Freshness

Regularly update and refresh old content
Add new information to outdated posts
Monitor content performance over time
Update publication dates when appropriate
Republish and promote refreshed content

Content Optimisation

Produce high-quality, original content
Identify gaps in your content strategy
Analyse competitor content
Maintain a consistent content schedule
Use LSI keywords naturally
Implement a content hierarchy
Include multimedia like images, charts, infographics, polls & quizzes and videos
Create evergreen content
Optimise content length
Adjust content based on user engagement metrics (bounce rate and time on page)
Optimise for featured snippets
Implement a blog or news section
Focus on user readability
Understand the unique needs of your niche
Address user questions comprehensively

Content Marketing

Develop a content marketing strategy
Identify target audience personas
Create a content calendar
Define content goals (awareness, engagement, conversion)
Monitor content KPIs (key performance indicators)
A/B test content headlines and formats
Test content distribution channels

Content Promotion

Share content on social media platforms
Engage with online communities and forums
Send email newsletters
Collaborate with influencers
Create infographics and share them
Run paid advertising campaigns
Participate in industry-related events
Promote content through press releases
Share content on document-sharing sites
Publish guest posts on relevant blogs
Repurpose content into different formats (e.g. videos, podcasts)

Dynamic Content SEO

Ensure search engines can crawl dynamic content
Use AJAX crawling techniques
Implement hashbang URLs for AJAX content
Provide HTML snapshots for AJAX content
Monitor dynamic content indexing

EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

Establish authorship for content
Build authority through backlinks and citations
Showcase credentials and expertise
Provide transparent and trustworthy information
Monitor and improve EEAT factors over time

E-commerce SEO

Optimise product titles and descriptions
Use high-quality product images
Implement structured data for products
Organise product categories
Enable product reviews and ratings
Implement product schema markup
Optimise the checkout process
Use breadcrumb navigation
Implement rich snippets for products
Optimise for mobile commerce

Email Marketing

Build and segment email lists
Create compelling email subject lines
Use personalised email content
Include clear CTAs in emails with direct links to the website for instant action
Test different email send times
Monitor email open rates and click-through rates
A/B test email campaigns
Optimise email content for mobile

Google Discover Optimisation

Create visually appealing content
Optimise headlines for Google Discover
Use high-quality images in content
Avoid clickbait and misleading content
Monitor Google Discover performance

Google Maps Optimisation

Verify business information
Use high-quality images on Google Maps
Encourage reviews and ratings
Respond promptly to Google Maps reviews
Monitor Google Maps insights

Image Optimisation

Use descriptive alt-text
Compress and size images for optimal loading
Serve WebP Images
Specify image dimensions to avoid CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift)
Use an image sitemap
Add captions to images

Influencer Marketing

Identify relevant industry influencers
Gradually build long-term relationships with influencers – establish familiarity and gain their trust
Provide influencers with free valuable content
Reach out to influencers for collaboration
Promote influencer collaborations
Measure the impact of influencer campaigns

International SEO

Implement hreflang tags for multilingual sites
Use ccTLDs (country-code top-level domains)
Optimise currency and pricing for international customers
Geotarget content for specific regions
Consider cultural and language nuances

Keyword Research

Conduct industry-specific keyword research
Analyse keyword competition
Create a list of long-tail keywords
Prioritise keywords based on relevance and search volume
Determine target keywords
Consider user intent for each keyword

Knowledge Graph Optimisation

Create a knowledge graph for your brand
Use structured data for knowledge panels
Ensure accurate information in knowledge graphs
Monitor and manage knowledge graph updates

Knowledge Panel Optimisation

Claim and verify your knowledge panel
Ensure accurate and up-to-date information
Use high-quality images for the panel
Encourage knowledge panel edits (if necessary)
Monitor knowledge panel visibility

LinkedIn SEO

Optimise your LinkedIn profile
Use relevant keywords in your LinkedIn summary
Share industry-specific content on LinkedIn
Engage with LinkedIn groups
Publish LinkedIn articles

Link Building

Build high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites
Disavow toxic backlinks
Monitor competitors’ backlinks
Create shareable content
Guest post or podcast on relevant websites that can return targeted traffic
Engage in influencer marketing
Use social media for link promotion
Monitor and respond to brand mentions
Build internal links for site structure
Leverage broken link-building opportunities
Submit infographics to infographic sites to receive free backlinks
Run a PPC campaign

Local SEO

Claim and optimise Google My Business
Encourage customer reviews and ratings
Optimize NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) consistency
Create local content (blogs, articles)
Get featured in local news publications
Get listed in local directories
Geo-tag images and videos
Include product and service details in local business schema
Use markup for multiple locations
Optimise for “near me” searches
Host local events or sponsorships
Optimise for voice search with local intent
Specify business hours in the schema
Build relationships with local influencers
Collaborate with local businesses
Join local business associations

Mobile App SEO

Optimise app store listings (ASO)
Encourage app reviews and ratings
Use deep linking for app promotion
Promote the app on your website
Monitor app analytics

Mobile Device Optimisation

Ensure mobile-friendly design with a special focus on user experience
Optimise for mobile page speed
Use responsive design
Test your website on various mobile devices of different sizes
Optimise mobile navigation
Implement AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) if suitable
Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool
Monitor mobile traffic and rankings
Ensure structured data works on mobile devices

On-Page SEO

Optimise page titles with target keywords at the beginning – ensure each title is unique
Craft unique compelling meta-descriptions
Use header tags appropriately
Create SEO-friendly URLs
Ensure keyword placement in content with a maximum density of 2%
Add keyword-rich anchored internal links, and 5-8 external links to authority sites
Use targeted keywords in media file names and alt-text
Implement mobile-friendly design
Use schema markup for rich snippets
Optimise for voice search

Page Speed

Measure web hosting server speed: TTFB Time to First Byte (< 200 milliseconds) and Distribution of Webpage Components
Check load speed metrics: FCP First Contentful Paint (< 1.8 seconds), LCP Largest Contentful Paint (< 2.5 seconds), FID First Input Delay (< 100 milliseconds), CLS Cumulative Layout Shift (< 0.1)
Compress Images
Reduce HTTP Requests
Minify JavaScript, CSS, and HTML
Enable Browser Caching
Use a CDN Content Delivery Network
Optimise database tables

PDF SEO

Insert descriptive keywords in PDF filenames separated by hyphens not spaces
Add metadata to PDFs
Use text-based content in PDFs
Include links to your website in PDFs
Compress PDFs for faster loading
Create an HTML version of the content

Podcast SEO

Use relevant keywords in podcast titles and descriptions
Request a backlink in exchange for the podcast
Submit podcasts to directories (Apple Podcasts, Spotify)
Share podcasts on your website
Encourage reviews and ratings
Monitor podcast download and listener metrics

Reddit SEO

Participate in relevant subreddit communities
Share valuable content on Reddit
Avoid spammy self-promotion
Engage in discussions and answer questions
Build a positive Reddit profile

Reviews

Monitor online reviews and ratings
Respond to customer reviews promptly
Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews
Address negative feedback professionally
Monitor social media mentions
Manage the online brand presence

Semantic SEO

Use semantic keyword research
Create content clusters around semantic topics
Use natural language in content
Implement structured data for semantic search
Monitor semantic search trends

Site Architecture

Follow a silo or cluster structure to maximise a search engine’s crawl budget
Remove low-quality and no-value add pages
Set pillar / cornerstone / flagship content
Use internal linking within content clusters
Create an HTML sitemap to avoid orphaned content
Ensure breadcrumbs for navigation
Optimise product category pages
Implement a search function
Use footer navigation effectively
Improve content relevancy

SlideShare SEO

Optimise your SlideShare profile
Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions for presentations
Include links to your website in presentations
Share presentations on relevant topics
Engage with the SlideShare community
Monitor presentation views and engagement

Social Media SEO

Optimise social media profiles
Use keywords in social media posts
Create engaging visuals and videos
Use relevant hashtags
Link to your website
Encourage social sharing of content
Monitor social media trends
Interact with the audience
Monitor analytics

Social Sharing

Add social sharing buttons to web content
Optimise social media meta tags
Measure social media sharing
Monitor social media engagement
Use social media advertising
Implement social bookmarking

Structured Data

Implement structured data for articles
Use review markup for product pages
Create event schema for events
Implement local business schema
Use recipe schema for food-related content
Optimise job postings with schema
Implement video schema markup

Structured Snippets

Implement structured snippets for products
Use FAQ schema for frequently asked questions
Create how-to guides with structured data
Monitor structured snippet performance
Optimise for table snippets

Syndication

Syndicate content to relevant platforms
Seek partnerships for content sharing
Submit articles to news aggregators
Share content on content curation sites
Use content distribution networks

Technical SEO

Submit an XML sitemap to search engines
Implement an SSL certificate
Use a robots.txt file to block the indexing of pages that may attract the wrong traffic
Optimise for mobile-first indexing
Create a custom 404 error page
Fix broken links (404 errors)
Find and link orphaned pages
Use canonical tags for similar content on multiple pages
Optimise URL structure

User Experience (UX)

A positive UX can engage the web page visitor which will result in lower bounces and a higher click-through rate.

Optimise site navigation
Ensure a responsive design
Improve site search functionality
Implement breadcrumbs for navigation
Eliminate excessive decorative elements for mobile users
Use clear and concise calls to action
Conduct user testing
Follow site accessibility procedures
Ensure a secure and trustworthy website

User-generated Content

Encourage user-generated content (reviews, comments)
Moderate user-generated content
Highlight user-generated content on your site
Engage with users who contribute content

Video SEO

Optimise video titles and descriptions.
Create compelling video thumbnails
Add transcripts and closed captions
Use appropriate video tags
Host videos on YouTube and embed them
Promote videos on social media
Create a video sitemap

Virtual Events SEO

Optimise event descriptions for search
Use event schema markup
Promote virtual events on social media
Create event landing pages
Monitor virtual event performance
Collect attendee feedback for future optimisation

Visual Search Optimisation

Optimise images for visual search
Use descriptive file names and alt text
Implement image recognition technology
Monitor visual search trends
Promote visual content on social media

Voice Commerce (V-commerce)

Optimise for voice-based product searches
Implement voice commerce features
Provide clear product details through voice
Optimise for voice shopping experiences
Monitor voice commerce analytics

Voice Search Optimisation

Use natural language in content
Focus on conversational keywords
Provide concise and direct answers
Implement FAQ schema for voice queries
Optimise for local voice searches
Use structured data for voice search
Test schema markup for voice results
Monitor voice search trends

Webinars

Optimize webinar titles and descriptions
Create landing pages for webinars
Promote webinars through email marketing
Share webinar recordings and highlights

Website Migration SEO

Redirect old URLs to new ones
Update XML sitemaps and robots.txt
Monitor for crawl errors after migration
Test site functionality thoroughly

Website Security

Regularly update plugins and CMS
Implement a firewall
Conduct regular security audits
Set up a strong password policy
Use two-factor authentication
Monitor for malware and vulnerabilities
Create a disaster recovery plan

Web Stories SEO

Create web stories with visual content
Use keywords in web story titles and descriptions
Share web stories on Google Discover
Monitor web story performance
Optimise web stories for mobile.

Yelp

Claim and optimize your Yelp business listing
Use a keyword-rich business description
Add high-quality images to your Yelp profile
Encourage reviews on Yelp
Respond to Yelp reviews professionally
Monitor Yelp insights and analytics

YouTube

Optimise your YouTube channel description
Use relevant keywords in video titles and descriptions
Insert your website link at the beginning of the video descriptions
Create high-quality video content
Use relevant tags for videos
Encourage likes, comments, and subscriptions
Monitor YouTube analytics
Create engaging video thumbnails