Do you have what it takes to be an SEO specialist?
— Lord Vincent Van Mendoza (@digitallourd) June 22, 2021
Comprehensive SEO Checklist for Every Specialist
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is not just about sprinkling keywords across your website. It involves multiple factors that work together to improve your site’s visibility and ranking on search engines. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced specialist, following a comprehensive SEO checklist can ensure you don’t miss any crucial steps. Here’s a detailed guide to keep your SEO game strong.
1. Know the SEO Types and Terms
Before diving into optimization, familiarize yourself with the basic SEO types and jargon. These include:
- SEO – The process of optimizing websites to rank higher in search engine results.
- White-hat SEO – Ethical practices that comply with search engine guidelines.
- Black-hat SEO – Unethical practices that manipulate rankings (and risk penalties).
- Grey-hat SEO – Tactics that fall in between white and black.
- Negative SEO – Sabotaging competitors’ rankings with harmful practices.
- On-page SEO – Optimizations within your website.
- Off-page SEO – Activities outside your site, like link building.
- Local SEO – Enhancing visibility for geographically relevant searches.
- Technical SEO – Back-end improvements for crawlability and indexing.
2. Register Your Website on Webmaster Tools
Submit and verify your site in tools like:
- Google Search Console
- Bing Webmaster Tools
- Yandex Webmaster
These tools help track performance, indexing issues, crawl errors, and allow you to submit sitemaps.
3. Set the Right Permalink Structure
- Keep URLs short, keyword-rich, and descriptive.
- Use hyphens to separate words.
- Avoid dynamic parameters when possible.
4. Secure Your Website with HTTPS
- Install an SSL certificate to enable HTTPS.
- HTTPS is a ranking signal and boosts user trust.
5. Configure Your robots.txt File
- Ensure your site has a proper robots.txt file.
- Prevent crawling of irrelevant pages (like admin panels).
- Make sure important pages are not accidentally blocked.
6. Create and Submit XML Sitemaps
- Generate an XML sitemap that lists important site URLs.
- Submit it to Google, Bing, and other search engines via webmaster tools.
7. Handle Comments Properly
- Set external links in user comments to nofollow.
- Prevent spam links from passing link equity.
8. Implement Structured Data (Schema Markup)
- Add schema to your homepage and important pages.
- Types of schema to consider:
- Organization
- LocalBusiness
- Person (for blogs/personal sites)
- This helps with rich snippets and visibility in search results.
9. Add Breadcrumb Navigation
- Use breadcrumbs for better site navigation and SEO.
- Helps users and search engines understand site hierarchy.
10. Set Canonical URLs
- Implement canonical tags on all pages.
- Prevents duplicate content issues.
11. Improve Page Loading Speed
- Optimize images, scripts, and server response times.
- Use caching, compression, and CDNs.
- Enable lazy loading for media files.
12. Use a Logo and Favicon
- Add a professional logo and favicon to your site.
- Improves branding, bookmarking, and trust.
13. Optimize Page Titles
- Write unique, keyword-rich titles for every page.
- Keep them concise (under ~60 characters).
14. Write Compelling Meta Descriptions
- Add unique meta descriptions for each page.
- These don’t directly impact rankings but improve click-through rates.
15. Improve Sitelinks
- Structure your site so Google can generate sitelinks.
- Use clear navigation and internal linking.
16. Use H1 Tags Properly
- Each page should have a single H1 tag.
- Reflect the main keyword or topic.
17. Optimize Your Contact Page
- Include full contact details.
- Embed a Google Map for local SEO.
18. Submit Your Site to Directories
- List your business in reputable local and industry directories.
- Helps with backlinks and visibility.
19. Consider AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages)
- Implement AMP for faster loading on mobile devices.
- Improves performance and potentially rankings on mobile searches.
Following this checklist ensures your website covers all the essential areas of SEO — from technical foundations to on-page optimizations and local visibility. Keep revisiting these points regularly, as SEO is an ongoing process. With consistent effort, your site will be better positioned to climb search engine rankings and attract more traffic.
Do you need an SEO specialist in the Philippines to boost your online presence? Send me an email at lordvincentvanmendoza@gmail.com .
