1. Ensure Your Site Is Crawlable

Make sure search engines can access your pages.

✅ Check Your Robots.txt File

Your A robots.txt file tells search engines what they can and cannot crawl. Misconfigured rules can block important pages.

• Make sure important URLs are not disallowed.

• Test your robots.txt in Google Search Console.

✅ Submit an XML Sitemap

Create and submit an XML sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. This helps search engines discover all your important pages.

2. Fix Crawl Errors

Use Google Search Console to check the “Coverage” section.

• Fix 404 errors (broken pages).

• Redirect outdated pages to relevant ones using 301 redirects.

• Avoid soft 404s (pages that appear as valid but don’t serve real content).

3. Use HTTPS (Secure Site)

If your website is still using HTTP, it’s time to switch to HTTPS.

• Improves trust and security.

• Google prefers HTTPS and may penalise non-secure sites.

You can install an SSL certificate from your hosting provider or services like Let’s Encrypt.

4. Improve Site Speed

Page speed is a major ranking factor and affects user experience.

Tools to Test Speed:

• Google PageSpeed Insights

• GTmetrix

• WebPageTest

Key Fixes:

• Compress and resize images.

• Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML.

• Use browser caching and lazy loading.

• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN).

📌 Related: Website Development Services at RexterTech

5. Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly

Over 60% of users browse on mobile. Google uses mobile-first indexing, so your mobile version must be flawless.

• Use responsive design.

• Avoid Flash or pop-ups that block content.

• Test with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test

6. Fix Broken Links

Broken internal or external links can hurt SEO.

• Use tools like Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, or SEMrush to find and fix broken links.

• Regularly audit and update outdated links.

7. Enable Structured Data (Schema Markup)

Structured data helps search engines understand your content better and can boost visibility with rich results.

Examples of useful schema types:

• Organization

• Local Business

• Breadcrumb

• FAQ

• Product (for eCommerce)

Use Google’s Rich Results Test to check your markup.

8. Use Canonical Tags

If you have multiple pages with similar content, canonical tags tell search engines which version to index.

Example:
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.com/main-page" />

This avoids duplicate content issues.

9. Create a Clear URL Structure

SEO-friendly URLs are short, readable, and keyword-rich.

Best Practices:

• Avoid unnecessary parameters.

• Use hyphens, not underscores.

• Keep it descriptive (e.g., /technical-seo-checklist instead of /page?id=123)

10. Optimize Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals are user experience metrics Google uses to evaluate your site.

The 3 key metrics:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures loading speed.

• First Input Delay (FID): Measures interactivity.

• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures visual stability.

Check your scores in Google Search Console or PageSpeed Insights.

11. Optimize Crawl Budget

If you run a large website, optimising your crawl budget is crucial.

Tips:

• Block unnecessary pages (e.g., admin, filters) with robots.txt.

• Use pagination properly.

• Consolidate duplicate content.

12. Check for Duplicate Content

Use tools like Siteliner or Copyscape to identify duplicate content on your site.

Avoid:

• Copy-pasting from other websites.

• Publishing the same content across multiple pages.

Use canonical tags or noindex if needed.

13. Use Proper Redirects

Always use 301 redirects for permanent URL changes. Avoid 302 redirects for long-term changes.

Make sure:

• Old pages are redirected to new versions.

• Redirect chains and loops are avoided.

14. Add Hreflang for Multilingual Sites

If your website targets users in different languages or countries, use hreflang tags to show the right content to the right audience.

Example:

15. Set Up Google Search Console & Bing Webmaster Tools

These tools are essential for monitoring your technical SEO.

You can:

• Submit sitemaps.

• Track crawl issues.

• Monitor performance data.

• Get security alerts.

16. Audit and Optimize Internal Linking

Internal links help search engines crawl and understand your site structure.

Best Practices:

• Link to related blog posts or pages naturally.

• Use descriptive anchor text.

• Avoid orphaned pages (pages with no internal links).

📌 Explore: Our SEO Services

17. Use Pagination Properly

For blogs, product categories, or long lists, use proper pagination:

• Add rel="next" and rel="prev" tags.

• Make sure paginated pages are crawlable.

18. Check for Thin Content Pages

Google prefers pages that offer real value.

Fix pages that:

• It has very little content.

• Exist only for SEO with no real user purpose.

You can merge, update, or remove such pages.

19. Set Up a Custom 404 Page

A helpful 404 page keeps users on your site.

Tips:

• Add a friendly message.

• Offer links to key pages.

• Include a search box.

20. Technical SEO Tools You Should Use

Here are some helpful tools for technical SEO:

• Google Search Console

• Google PageSpeed Insights

• Screaming Frog

• Ahrefs / SEMrush

• GTmetrix

• WebPageTest

• Yoast SEO (for WordPress)

• Rank Math (for WordPress)