A technical SEO checklist that fits SMEs
Use this as a quarterly review: fix fundamentals before investing in large content campaigns.
Crawl & index hygiene
Verify robots rules, XML sitemaps, canonical tags, and that important URLs return 200 (not chains of redirects).
Check Search Console coverage for soft 404s, excluded pages, and unexpected drops.
Page experience
Measure LCP/CLS/INP on real templates—not only the homepage.
Fix layout shifts caused by late-loading fonts, banners, or un-sized media.
FAQ
- Do I need schema on every page?
- Only where it reflects visible content. Start with Organization/WebSite on home and FAQ/Article types where appropriate.
- How often should I run this checklist?
- Quarterly for stable sites; monthly after migrations or major template changes.
- What tool should I trust for Core Web Vitals?
- Use field data (CrUX / RUM) for truth; lab tests are directional.
- When should I hire help?
- If issues repeat after fixes, or if engineering time is constrained—external help accelerates diagnosis.