Why technical SEO matters
Great content cannot rank if search engines cannot find, crawl, and understand it. Technical SEO covers the foundation: how your site is built, how fast it loads, and how clearly it signals what each page is about. Use the checklist below, and verify each item with free tools such as Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, and our SEO Audit tool.
Crawling and indexing (points 1 to 9)
- Use HTTPS on every page, and redirect HTTP to HTTPS.
- Check robots.txt so it does not block important pages, CSS, or JavaScript.
- Submit an XML sitemap in Search Console and list only indexable, canonical URLs.
- Fix broken links and 404 errors, especially on pages that earn traffic or backlinks.
- Use 301 redirects for moved pages and avoid redirect chains.
- Set canonical tags to point duplicate or near-duplicate pages to the preferred URL.
- Look for accidental noindex tags on pages that should rank.
- Control URL parameters and duplicate versions, such as with and without a trailing slash.
- Review the Pages report in Search Console for crawl and indexing problems.
Speed and Core Web Vitals (points 10 to 15)
Google reports three Core Web Vitals. Good targets at the 75th percentile of real user visits are:
| Metric | Measures | Good |
|---|---|---|
| Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) | Loading speed | 2.5 seconds or less |
| Interaction to Next Paint (INP) | Responsiveness | 200 milliseconds or less |
| Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) | Visual stability | 0.1 or less |
- Improve LCP by optimizing the largest image or text block above the fold.
- Improve INP by reducing heavy JavaScript and long tasks.
- Improve CLS by setting width and height on images, ads, and embeds.
- Compress images, use modern formats such as WebP or AVIF, and lazy-load images below the fold. Our image compressor can help.
- Use caching and a CDN, and minify CSS and JavaScript.
- Choose reliable hosting with a fast server response time.
Mobile (points 16 to 18)
- Use a responsive design that works on every screen size.
- Add the viewport meta tag, readable font sizes, and tap targets large enough to use.
- Serve the same content on mobile and desktop, because Google primarily indexes the mobile version.
Page structure (points 19 to 23)
- Write a unique title tag and meta description for every page.
- Use one H1 and a logical order of H2 and H3 headings.
- Keep URLs short, readable, and lowercase.
- Build internal links so every important page is reachable and no page is orphaned.
- Add descriptive alt text to meaningful images.
Structured data and international targeting (points 24 and 25)
- Add structured data that matches the page, such as Article, BreadcrumbList, Organization, Product, or FAQPage, and validate it in Google’s Rich Results Test. Note that Google now shows FAQ rich results only for a limited set of sites, so add FAQ markup for clarity rather than expecting a visual boost.
- Use hreflang only for true alternates. If you publish separate pages for different languages or regions, link them with hreflang. A single English page can serve readers in several countries.
Fix indexing problems first, then speed, then everything else. A page that is not indexed cannot rank, however well it is optimized.
For on-page writing advice, see our guide to keyword use and density.
Frequently asked questions
What is technical SEO?
Technical SEO is the work of making sure search engines can crawl, understand, and index your site, and that pages load quickly and work well on every device.
What are Core Web Vitals?
They are Google's page experience metrics for loading (Largest Contentful Paint), responsiveness (Interaction to Next Paint), and visual stability (Cumulative Layout Shift).
How often should I run a technical SEO audit?
Run a full audit at least twice a year, and check Search Console monthly for new errors.
Do I need hreflang for a site that targets several English-speaking countries?
Not necessarily. Hreflang is for pages that have true alternate versions for different languages or regions. A single English page can serve several countries.