A technical SEO checklist for small sites

Crawling and indexing

If a search engine cannot reach a page, nothing else matters. Start here.

• Your site is verified in Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
• The robots.txt file exists and does not block pages you want found. Check that it does not block CSS or JavaScript files that pages need to render.
• An XML sitemap lists your real, indexable pages, and is submitted in Search Console and referenced in robots.txt.
• Important pages return a 200 status. Removed pages return 404 or 410, and moved pages use a 301 redirect.
• No important page carries a noindex tag by mistake. This often survives from a staging site.
• Each page has one canonical URL, and the canonical tag points to it.
• The Pages report in Search Console shows no large group of unexpected exclusions.
• If you allow AI crawlers, check that your robots.txt does not accidentally disallow them. If you decide to block any, make that a choice rather than an accident.

The text that matters should be in the HTML the server sends. If a page shows a blank shell until scripts run, some crawlers will see little.

Structure and links

Clear structure helps crawlers and people alike.

• URLs are short, readable and match your navigation, such as /services/seo.
• Every page has one h1, and headings step down one level at a time.
• Each page has its own title and meta description, written in plain words and not duplicated across pages.
• Every important page is reachable within three clicks from the home page.
• Internal links use descriptive text rather than "click here".
• No orphan pages exist, meaning pages with no links pointing to them.
• Broken links, internal and external, are found and fixed.
• Redirect chains are collapsed so a moved page redirects once.
• Breadcrumbs show where a page sits in the site.
• Images have useful alt text that describes what they show.

Speed and mobile use

Google's Core Web Vitals use thresholds of 2.5 seconds for Largest Contentful Paint, 200 milliseconds for Interaction to Next Paint and 0.1 for Cumulative Layout Shift. Aim for all three on your main templates.

• Check the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console, and test key pages with Lighthouse.
• Images are compressed, sized correctly and served in a modern format.
• Width and height are set on images and embeds to prevent layout jumps.
• Third-party scripts are limited to those you need, and loaded late where possible.
• Caching and a content delivery network are in place.
• The site works on a small screen: readable text, tappable buttons, no sideways scrolling.
• Pop-ups do not cover the content on mobile.

Structured data and security

• Organization or LocalBusiness markup appears with correct name, address and phone.
• Service markup appears on service pages, and FAQPage markup on pages with a real FAQ.
• BreadcrumbList markup matches the visible breadcrumbs.
• Markup passes the Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator.
• The whole site is served over HTTPS, and HTTP addresses redirect to it.
• The certificate is valid and renews automatically.
• Only one version of the site resolves, either with or without www, not both.
• Forms and logins are protected, and software is kept up to date.

Monitoring and upkeep

Technical problems often appear after a redesign, a plugin update or a deploy. Build a light routine.

• Review Search Console monthly: coverage, Core Web Vitals, enhancements and manual actions.
• Re-run a crawl after any significant release.
• Keep a changelog of site changes so you can trace a drop to a cause.
• Re-check structured data when pages or business details change.
• Set alerts for downtime and expiring certificates.

Work through the list from top to bottom and fix in that order. A page that cannot be indexed cannot be helped by faster loading.

If you would like an expert pass over your site, run the free AEO check for a first read, or book a strategy call and we will go through the list together.