The 47-Point SEO Checklist That Got My Site to #1 (2026 Edition)

SEO advice on the internet is 90% noise. Most of what you read was correct in 2018 and is wrong in 2026. This is the checklist I actually use when I take on a new client site or when I am improving my own. Forty-seven items, organized by impact.

Technical SEO (must-haves)

1. HTTPS on every page, with HSTS preload.
2. One canonical URL per page (not 3 — pick one).
3. 301 redirect non-www to www, or vice-versa. Do not 302.
4. 301 redirect HTTP to HTTPS at the server level.
5. XML sitemap at /sitemap.xml, submitted to Google Search Console.
6. robots.txt that does not accidentally block /css/ or /js/.
7. Structured data (JSON-LD) for Person, Organization, Article, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList where applicable.
8. Mobile-friendly (passes Google Mobile-Friendly Test).
9. Core Web Vitals: LCP under 2.5s, INP under 200ms, CLS under 0.1.
10. 4xx and 5xx errors at zero. Check Search Console weekly.
11. Crawl budget optimization: noindex thin pages, nofollow filtered URLs.

On-page SEO

12. One H1 per page with primary keyword.
13. Title tag under 60 characters, primary keyword first.
14. Meta description under 155 characters, written for clicks not robots.
15. URL slugs short, descriptive, no underscores.
16. Internal linking — every page should be reachable in 3 clicks from home.
17. Image alt text descriptive, not stuffed.
18. Image filenames descriptive (laravel-development-services.jpg, not IMG_4823.jpg).
19. Heading hierarchy clean (H1 → H2 → H3, no skipping).
20. Schema markup matches visible content.

Content SEO

21. Target one keyword per page, no cannibalization.
22. 1,500+ words for pillar pages; 800+ for supporting content.
23. Original research, opinions, or experience that AI cannot duplicate.
24. Update old content quarterly — Google rewards freshness.
25. Answer questions from "People Also Ask" in your content.
26. Use the keyword naturally, including LSI variations.
27. Front-load value: best content in the first 200 words.
28. FAQ section at the bottom of pillar pages with FAQPage schema.

Performance

29. Lazy-load below-the-fold images.
30. Preconnect to font and analytics origins.
31. Defer non-critical JavaScript.
32. Self-host fonts where possible.
33. Compress images (WebP, AVIF).
34. Critical CSS inlined; rest deferred.
35. Server response time under 200ms (use a CDN).
36. Eliminate render-blocking resources.

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust)

37. Author bio on every article with credentials and a photo.
38. About page with founder background, location, contact info.
39. Original photos and screenshots, not stock.
40. Case studies with real numbers and client logos (with permission).
41. External links to authoritative sources.
42. Backlinks from relevant sites — quality over quantity.
43. Active social profiles linked via sameAs in JSON-LD.

Local SEO (if applicable)

44. Google Business Profile claimed and complete.
45. NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistent across web.
46. LocalBusiness schema markup.
47. Reviews from real clients on Google.

The shortcut

If you only do five things: HTTPS + canonicals + sitemap + Core Web Vitals + original content. Everything else is amplification.

Want me to audit your site and give you a prioritized fix list? Book a free 30-minute SEO audit.