Technical SEO checklist for small business websites

Technical SEO is the groundwork that lets search engines find, read and understand your pages. When it's broken, good content can sit unseen. You don't need to be a developer to check most of it. This checklist covers what matters for a typical small business site, roughly in order of importance.

Crawling: can search engines reach your pages?

• robots.txt doesn't block important pages or sections (a stray "Disallow: /" blocks everything)
• Important pages are linked from other pages on your site, not orphaned
• No important pages hidden behind logins or forms
• Links are ordinary HTML links that crawlers can follow

Indexing: are the right pages in Google?

• Google Search Console is set up and verified
• The Pages report shows your key pages as indexed
• No accidental noindex tags on pages you want found
• Thin, duplicate or utility pages (thank-you pages, internal search results) kept out of the index where appropriate
• Each page has one canonical URL, with no competing versions over http/https or with and without www

Site structure

• Important pages reachable within about three clicks of the homepage
• Clear, descriptive URLs (/services/roof-repair rather than /page?id=12)
• Logical navigation that groups related pages
• Internal links between related pages, with descriptive anchor text

Broken links and redirects

• No internal links pointing to 404 pages
• Old URLs redirected (301) to their closest current equivalent
• No redirect chains (A to B to C) or loops
• Custom 404 page that helps visitors find their way back

Speed and mobile

Google indexes the mobile version of your site first, so check pages on a phone, not just on desktop. Core Web Vitals measure loading (LCP), responsiveness (INP) and visual stability (CLS). The Core Web Vitals report in Search Console shows how real visitors experience your pages.

• Images compressed and sized for the space they fill
• No large layout shifts as the page loads
• Text readable without zooming, tap targets easy to hit
• Unused plugins and scripts removed

On-page technical elements

• A unique, descriptive title tag on every page
• A unique meta description that summarises the page
• One clear H1 per page, with logical H2/H3 headings below it
• Descriptive alt text on meaningful images
• HTTPS everywhere, with no mixed-content warnings

Structured data and sitemaps

• An XML sitemap listing your indexable pages, submitted in Search Console
• Organization or LocalBusiness schema that matches your visible details
• No structured data errors reported in Search Console

How often to check

Run through this list after any redesign, platform change or big batch of new pages, and otherwise every few months. Check the Search Console Pages and Core Web Vitals reports monthly. They're often the first sign that something has broken.

Frequently asked questions