The complete website SEO checklist

A text file that guides LLM crawlers to key pages, documentation, and context.

Defines crawler permissions and licensing rules for AI agents and scrapers.

Provides specific directories of text-heavy resources optimized for vector processing.

Configures robots.txt rules allowing or restricting OpenAI's web crawler.

Manages access permissions for Anthropic's crawler.

Handles access permissions for Perplexity's indexing bot.

Allows or restricts Google's Gemini training bot from scraping content.

Structured markup that makes it easy for AI models to attribute and cite your site.

Ensures nouns, names, and organizations are clearly defined for LLM graphs.

Formatting content in Q&A or direct definition styles to win LLM citations.

Using appropriate tag hierarchies so bots understand content context.

Optimizing headings matching queries typed into LLMs or search engines.

Instructions for search engine crawlers outlining which pages to visit.

An index of all key pages to ensure complete indexing by search engines.

A list of sitemaps to help search engines parse large website structures.

Verifying that important pages are reachable within 3 clicks from home.

Prevents duplicate content issues by specifying the master copy of a page.

Avoiding multiple consecutive redirects that slow down crawlers.

Ensuring pages return clean 200 OK responses to crawlers.

Identifying broken links and false-positive 404 pages.

Consolidating identical pages that compete for the same keyword ranking.

Encrypting website traffic to protect user privacy and improve rank indicators.

Fixing insecure HTTP assets served on secure HTTPS pages.

Redirecting non-www to www (or vice versa) to prevent double indexing.

Ensuring crawlers are physically allowed to index and rank the page.

Verifying that development or private pages are hidden from public search.

Targeting the correct language version of pages to visitors in different regions.

Finding pages that are not linked from any other page on the site.

Formatting titles to fit within 50-60 characters or ~600px limits.

Writing custom page summaries under 160 characters to optimize CTR in SERPs.

Maintaining a logical hierarchy from H1 down to H6 headings.

Ensuring each page has exactly one primary title tag (H1).

Maintaining target keywords between 0.5% and 2.5% density.

Avoiding artificial, repetitive keyword placements that look unnatural.

Writing comprehensive articles that thoroughly cover the topic.

Providing sufficient textual content for crawlers to understand relevance.

Using clear fonts, appropriate line-heights, and clear reading styles.

Connecting relevant pages to distribute search authority throughout your site.

Using descriptive text for links instead of generic Click Here labels.

Locating and fixing hyperlinks that point to non-existent URLs.

Schema code detailing company name, logo, social profiles, and contact info.

Schema enabling search boxes directly in Google search results.

Product price, availability, and rating details shown in search listings.

Interactive drop-down question answers shown directly under search listings.

Star ratings and reviewer snippets displayed in search snippets.

Rich news, blog post, and publishing metadata for news features.

Local address, phone, coordinates, and hours for localized search mapping.

Navigation hierarchies helping users and engines trace page structures.

Step-by-step guides with instructions and images shown in search features.

Listing dates, locations, and ticket availability directly in search listings.

Video descriptions, thumbnails, and play links displayed in video tabs.

Checking for syntax errors in your website's structured schema code.

Ensuring markup qualifies for Google's enhanced display features.

Largest Contentful Paint - Loading speed of the main block (under 2.5s is ideal).

Cumulative Layout Shift - Layout stability during loading (under 0.1 is ideal).

Interaction to Next Paint - Interface responsiveness to click/tap inputs.

Time to First Byte - Speed of server response to browser requests.

First Contentful Paint - Time until the first layout element renders.

Visual completeness speed of the page during load.

Total main-thread block time before user interaction.

Deferring non-critical scripts and styling to speed up visual load.

Eliminating scripts and css files that pause page rendering.

Compressing resources via Gzip or Brotli to reduce download size.

Enabling browser cache controls to store static assets locally.

Removing whitespace from code to shrink file payloads.

Serving static files from global edge servers near the visitor.

Using modern web protocols to download assets concurrently.

Encrypting website traffic to protect user privacy and improve rank indicators.

Checking security certificate validity and expiration date.

Enforcing secure HTTPS connections for all browser requests.

Content Security Policy - Blocking cross-site scripting (XSS) code injections.

Configuring response headers to block cross-site scripting vectors.

Preventing attackers from iframe-overlaying interactive elements.

Configuring HTTP headers (Referrer, CSP, Frame) for server defense.

Controlling how much referrer path information is shared on outbound links.

Restricting access to device camera, microphone, and location modules.

Marking browser session cookies as Secure and HttpOnly.

Fixing insecure HTTP assets served on secure HTTPS pages.

Using proper label attributes so screen-readers understand UI elements.

Maintaining sufficient contrast ratio (4.5:1) between text and background.

Ensuring all interactive buttons are reachable via Tab keys.

Adding description labels to all form inputs.

Providing clear validation states and error descriptions.

Describing image visuals for visually-impaired readers and bots.

Allowing mobile viewport scale adjustments for readability.

General compliance metrics checking accessibility.

Standard metadata format for Facebook, LinkedIn, and general social shares.

Checking title, description, and image display on Facebook posts.

Ensuring summary card templates trigger when link is tweeted.

Validating title and layout parameters for LinkedIn updates.

Checking summary and visual preview embeds inside Discord chats.

Formatting snippet layouts to highlight key assets in Slack rooms.

Validating preview description formatting in mobile chat windows.

Ensuring telegram bots successfully fetch og:image previews.

Checking Rich Pin eligibility for images and articles.

Avoiding copied paragraphs that trigger search filters.

Expanding pages that offer minimal reading value.

Ensuring content reads natural and human-authored.

Simplifying content layout for ease of reading.

Listing publishing credentials to support E-E-A-T indicators.

Providing contact options to establish credibility.

Standard disclosures protecting user privacy.

Providing Terms of Service documentation.

Explaining the history and mission behind the website.