Printable technical SEO audit checklist

A comprehensive checklist ensures you never miss critical technical issues during your SEO audits. This eighteen-step checklist covers every essential element, from basic crawlability to advanced Core Web Vitals optimization.

Print this checklist or save it digitally to guide your next technical audit.

Pre-audit preparation checklist

Access and setup

• Google Search Console access verified for all property variations
• Google Analytics 4 properly configured and tracking
• Crawling tool selected (Screaming Frog, Semrush, SE Ranking)
• Baseline metrics documented (traffic, rankings, Core Web Vitals)
• Audit scope defined (entire site or specific sections)
• Stakeholders notified of audit timeline and potential impacts

Initial site review

• Site size estimated (use site:domain.com in Google)
• CMS platform identified (WordPress, Shopify, custom)
• Previous audit reports reviewed if available
• Known issues documented from team feedback
• Business priorities understood for issue prioritization

Step 1: Crawlability assessment

Robots.txt verification

• File exists at domain.com/robots.txt
• Syntax valid with no formatting errors
• No critical pages blocked (check Disallow rules)
• Sitemap referenced in robots.txt file
• Crawl-delay appropriate if specified
• Test in GSC robots.txt tester passed

Crawler access points

• Homepage accessible to search engines
• Navigation crawlable (not just JavaScript)
• Footer links functional and crawlable
• HTML sitemap available for large sites
• No crawler traps (infinite loops, calendar pages)

Step 2: XML sitemap optimization

Sitemap presence and structure

• XML sitemap exists and accessible
• Submitted to GSC and Bing Webmaster Tools
• Format valid (test with XML validator)
• Under 50MB and 50,000 URLs per file
• Sitemap index used for large sites
• Dynamic generation for fresh content

Sitemap content quality

• Only canonical URLs included
• No redirected URLs (301/302)
• No error pages (404/500)
• Priority values logical (homepage = 1.0)
• Lastmod dates accurate and recent
• All important pages included

Step 3: Indexation analysis

Index coverage verification

• GSC Coverage report reviewed
• Valid pages match expectations
• Excluded pages reviewed for issues
• Error pages identified and documented
• Submitted vs indexed ratio acceptable

Indexation control

• Meta robots tags used appropriately
• X-Robots-Tag headers configured correctly
• Noindex on low-value pages (search, filters)
• Follow/nofollow used strategically
• Pagination handled properly (rel=prev/next or canonical)

Step 4: URL structure and architecture

URL optimization

• URLs descriptive and keyword-rich
• No dynamic parameters when possible
• Lowercase only (no mixed case)
• Hyphens for separation (not underscores)
• No special characters or spaces
• Reasonable length (under 100 characters)

Site architecture

• Logical hierarchy (homepage → category → product)
• Shallow depth (important pages within 3 clicks)
• Breadcrumbs implemented site-wide
• Siloed content by topic/category
• Flat architecture for small sites

Step 5: Duplicate content management

Canonical tag implementation

• Self-referencing canonicals on all pages
• Cross-domain canonicals where appropriate
• Canonical chains eliminated
• Parameter handling via canonicals
• Print versions canonicalized
• Mobile/AMP versions properly canonicalized

Content duplication issues

• WWW vs non-WWW resolved
• HTTP vs HTTPS consolidated
• Trailing slashes consistent
• Case sensitivity handled
• Session IDs excluded from URLs
• Duplicate meta descriptions addressed

Step 6: Internal linking optimization

Link structure analysis

• Important pages receive most internal links
• Orphan pages identified and linked
• Link depth reasonable (max 3-4 levels)
• Anchor text descriptive and varied
• Nofollow usage appropriate (not on internal links)

Navigation optimization

• Main navigation includes key pages
• Footer links to important pages
• Contextual links within content
• Related content sections implemented
• Hub pages created for topic clusters

Step 7: Page speed optimization

Core Web Vitals targets

• LCP under 2.5 seconds (Largest Contentful Paint)
• INP under 200ms (Interaction to Next Paint)
• CLS under 0.1 (Cumulative Layout Shift)
• Field data meeting thresholds (not just lab data)
• Mobile and desktop both optimized

Performance optimization

• Images optimized (compressed, right format)
• Lazy loading implemented for images
• CSS/JS minified and compressed
• Browser caching configured
• CDN implemented for global sites
• Third-party scripts minimized

Step 8: Mobile optimization

Mobile-first requirements

• Responsive design implemented
• Viewport meta tag configured correctly
• Touch targets adequate size (48x48px)
• Text readable without zooming
• No horizontal scrolling required

Mobile-specific issues

• Pop-ups/interstitials compliant with guidelines
• Mobile page speed under 3 seconds
• Structured data same on mobile/desktop
• Content parity between versions
• Mobile usability report clean in GSC

Step 9: HTTPS and security

SSL implementation

• HTTPS enabled site-wide
• SSL certificate valid and not expired
• HTTP → HTTPS redirect working properly
• No redirect chains or loops
• HSTS enabled for security

Mixed content issues

• No HTTP resources on HTTPS pages
• Images served via HTTPS
• Scripts/CSS loaded securely
• Third-party resources using HTTPS
• Canonical URLs using HTTPS

Step 10: On-page elements

Title tags

• Unique titles on every page
• Length appropriate (50-60 characters)
• Primary keyword included naturally
• Brand name used consistently
• No missing titles site-wide

Meta descriptions

• Unique descriptions for important pages
• Length optimal (150-160 characters)
• Call-to-action included
• Keyword usage natural
• No duplicate descriptions on key pages

Header tags

• One H1 per page rule followed
• Logical hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)
• Keywords in headers where natural
• Headers descriptive of content
• No skipped levels in hierarchy

Step 11: Image optimization

Image technical requirements

• Alt text present on all images
• File names descriptive (not IMG_1234)
• File sizes optimized (under 200KB typically)
• Modern formats used (WebP, AVIF)
• Dimensions specified to prevent CLS

Image SEO best practices

• Lazy loading for below-fold images
• Srcset implemented for responsive images
• Image sitemaps for image-heavy sites
• Structured data for product images
• CDN delivery for faster loading

Step 12: Structured data

Schema markup implementation

• JSON-LD format used (preferred by Google)
• Validation passed in testing tools
• Appropriate types selected for content
• Required properties all included
• No spam markup or false information

Common schema types

• Organization markup on homepage
• Article markup on blog posts
• Product markup on e-commerce pages
• FAQ markup where applicable
• Breadcrumb markup site-wide

Step 13: International SEO (if applicable)

Hreflang implementation

• Hreflang tags properly formatted
• Return tags confirmed (bidirectional)
• Language codes correct (en-US, not en_US)
• X-default tag for language selector
• Self-referencing hreflang included

International targeting

• ccTLDs or subdirectories properly configured
• GSC geotargeting set correctly
• Local content genuinely localized
• Currency/units appropriate for region
• Local business markup where relevant

Step 14: Log file analysis

Crawler behavior assessment

• Googlebot activity analyzed
• Crawl frequency appropriate for site
• Error pages crawled identified
• Redirect chains discovered
• Crawl budget waste minimized

Technical insights

• Response times acceptable
• Server errors investigated
• Bot verification (real Googlebot)
• Crawl patterns logical
• Orphan pages in logs but not links

Step 15: Redirect management

Redirect implementation

• 301 redirects for permanent moves
• No redirect chains (A→B→C)
• No redirect loops (A→B→A)
• Response time fast for redirects
• HTTPS redirects properly configured

Redirect hygiene

• Old redirects still necessary
• 404 pages have custom helpful page
• Soft 404s identified and fixed
• External links to redirects updated
• Redirect mapping documented

Step 16: Core Web Vitals deep dive

LCP optimization

• Hero images optimized and preloaded
• Fonts optimized (subset, preload)
• Critical CSS inlined
• Render-blocking resources eliminated
• Server response under 600ms

INP optimization

• JavaScript execution optimized
• Long tasks broken up
• Input delay minimized
• Main thread work reduced
• Third-party scripts deferred

CLS optimization

• Image dimensions always specified
• Ad slots reserved space
• Font loading optimized (font-display)
• Dynamic content space reserved
• Animations using transform only

Step 17: Advanced technical checks

JavaScript SEO

• Content visible without JavaScript
• Links crawlable in HTML
• Critical content in initial HTML
• Rendering issues identified
• Dynamic rendering if necessary

Edge cases

• Faceted navigation handled properly
• Infinite scroll SEO-friendly
• AJAX content accessible
• Search functionality not creating issues
• User-generated content moderated

Step 18: Competitive analysis

Technical comparison

• Competitor CWV scores benchmarked
• Site speed compared
• Mobile experience evaluated
• Schema usage analyzed
• Technical advantages identified

Gap analysis

• Missing optimizations documented
• Competitor strengths noted
• Quick wins identified
• Long-term improvements planned
• Resource requirements estimated

Post-audit action items

Issue prioritization matrix

Critical (fix immediately)

• Site not crawlable/indexable
• Major security issues
• Severe Core Web Vitals failures
• Large-scale duplicate content

High priority (fix within 2 weeks)

• Poor page speed scores
• Mobile usability problems
• Missing meta descriptions
• Broken internal links

Medium priority (fix within month)

• Image optimization needs
• Schema markup gaps
• URL structure improvements
• Minor content duplication

Low priority (ongoing improvements)

• Advanced schema implementation
• Minor speed optimizations
• Content refreshing
• Link structure refinement

Audit documentation template

Executive summary format

Technical SEO Audit Summary
Date: [Date]
Site: [Domain]
Audit Type: [Comprehensive/Focused]

Critical Issues: [Number]
High Priority Issues: [Number]
Total Issues Found: [Number]

Top 3 Recommendations:
1. [Most impactful fix]
2. [Second priority]
3. [Third priority]

Expected Impact:
- Traffic: [Estimate]
- Rankings: [Estimate]
- User Experience: [Improvement areas]

Tracking improvements

• Baseline metrics recorded
• Fix implementation scheduled
• Progress tracking system in place
• Follow-up audit scheduled
• Success metrics defined

Making this checklist work for you

Customization tips

1. Add industry-specific checks relevant to your niche
2. Weight priorities based on business goals
3. Create sub-checklists for different site types
4. Automate checks where possible
5. Update quarterly as search engines evolve

Using the checklist effectively

1. Work systematically through each section
2. Document everything as you go
3. Take screenshots of issues found
4. Prioritize fixes based on impact
5. Track progress after implementation

Remember: this checklist is a starting point. Every website has unique technical challenges. Use this as your foundation, but always be ready to investigate site-specific issues that arise during your audit.

The most effective technical SEO professionals use checklists to ensure consistency while maintaining the flexibility to pursue unexpected findings. Let this guide your process without limiting your investigation.

Ready to put this checklist into action? Download our interactive technical SEO audit spreadsheet to track your progress and findings.