A technical SEO checklist covers the behind the scenes checks that decide whether search engines can find, crawl, understand and index your pages. The main areas are crawling and indexing, your sitemap and robots.txt file, mobile friendliness, page speed, HTTPS and clean URLs. If you'd like these checks done for you, see my technical SEO service.
I'm Kim Alimorom, a freelance SEO specialist working remotely with clients mostly in the United States, Australia and Europe. I have more than five years in SEO and have focused on online stores for almost two years. Technical problems are often invisible to visitors, yet they can stop good content from showing up in search at all. This checklist shows what to check, why it matters and which problems to fix first.
What Matters Most On The Technical Side
- Indexing comes first. A page that isn't indexed can't appear in search results.
- Check the live site. Settings can say one thing while the live page does another.
- Sitemaps and robots.txt guide crawlers. A mistake in either can hide important pages.
- Mobile and speed affect visitors. A slow or awkward mobile page loses people before they read a word.
- Fix the big blockers first. Problems that hide many pages come before small refinements.
Find Out Whether Google Has Your Pages
Start by confirming that your important pages can be crawled and are indexed. The page indexing report and the URL inspection tool in Google Search Console show which pages are indexed and why others aren't. Common causes are a noindex tag left on by mistake, pages blocked from crawling, or pages that no other page links to. If you haven't set up Search Console yet, see our guide to setting up Google Search Console.
Make Your Sitemap An Honest List
A sitemap lists the pages you want search engines to know about. Google explains what it is and how to build one in its sitemap overview. Include only pages you want indexed that return a normal page, keep the file up to date and submit it in Search Console. A sitemap helps discovery, but it doesn't guarantee a page will be indexed.
Read Your Robots.Txt Line By Line
The robots.txt file tells crawlers which parts of your site they may request. Google's introduction to robots.txt explains how it works and what it can't do. It controls crawling, not whether a page appears in results, so don't use it to hide private content. Read the file carefully, because one wrong line can block a whole section of the site.
| Area | What to check | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Indexing | Important pages are indexed and not marked noindex | A noindex setting left on after a site launch |
| Sitemap | Lists the right pages and is submitted | Includes redirected, blocked or error pages |
| robots.txt | Does not block important pages or resources | Blocking a folder that holds key pages |
| Canonical tags | Each page points to its preferred address | Canonical tags pointing at the wrong page |
| Redirects | Old addresses go to relevant live pages | Long chains or redirects to the homepage |
Give Every Page One Address
Each page should have one main address. Check that the different versions of your site, such as with and without www and HTTP and HTTPS, all redirect to a single version. Look for broken links and redirect chains, and make sure removed pages send visitors to a relevant replacement. Duplicate or near duplicate pages should point to a preferred version so search engines know which one to show.
Test The Site On A Phone
Google uses the mobile version of a page for indexing, as explained in its mobile-first indexing documentation, so make sure the mobile page has the same content as the desktop one. Check how quickly your main templates load on a phone and fix the usual causes of slowness: oversized images, heavy scripts and too many third party tools. Measure real pages, because a fast homepage can hide a slow product or article template.
Confirm HTTPS And Structured Data
The whole site should load over HTTPS with no mixed content warnings. Structured data labels what a page contains, such as an article, a product or a set of questions, and it should always match what visitors can see. Test it with Google's tools and fix any errors instead of adding markup for content that isn't there.
Technical Fixes Ranked By Impact
| Priority | Task | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Highest | Confirm important pages are crawlable and indexed | Pages that cannot be found cannot rank |
| Highest | Remove accidental noindex tags and robots.txt blocks | One mistake can hide many pages |
| High | Fix redirects, broken links and duplicate addresses | Protects earned links and traffic |
| High | Submit and maintain a clean sitemap | Helps search engines discover pages |
| Medium | Improve mobile experience and page speed | Affects visitors and how the page performs |
| Medium | Check HTTPS and structured data | Builds trust and helps search engines read the page |
| Lower | Refine smaller items once the basics are right | Small gains after the big problems are fixed |
If you sell products online, our guide to eCommerce technical SEO covers the extra issues stores face, such as filters and variants.
Technical Myths Worth Clearing Up
- Robots.txt isn't a privacy tool. Blocking crawling doesn't keep a page out of results or make it secure.
- A sitemap doesn't guarantee indexing. It only tells search engines the pages exist.
- Test before you block. A wrong rule can hide pages you want found.
- Fixes take time to show. Search engines must recrawl pages before changes appear.
- Record a baseline. Note indexing and traffic before you start so you can see the effect.
Questions About Technical Checks
What Is Technical SEO?
It is the work of making sure search engines can crawl, understand and index your website, covering areas such as sitemaps, robots.txt, redirects, mobile friendliness, speed and HTTPS.
How Do I Check Whether A Page Is Indexed?
Use the URL inspection tool in Google Search Console, which shows whether a page is in Google's index and, if not, usually why.
Do I Need A Sitemap?
Small sites can be discovered through links alone, but a sitemap helps search engines find pages, especially on larger or newer sites.
Can Robots.Txt Remove A Page From Google?
No. It controls crawling, not indexing. A blocked page can still appear in results without a description if other sites link to it.
How Often Should I Run A Technical Check?
Run one after any redesign, migration or major change, and review key reports in Search Console regularly.
Do I Need A Developer?
Many checks need no code, but some fixes involve the site's templates or server settings, so a developer or SEO specialist can help.
Which Technical Problem Should I Fix First?
Anything that stops important pages from being crawled or indexed, such as an accidental noindex tag or a robots.txt block, because those can hide many pages at once.
How Much Does A Technical SEO Check Cost?
It depends on the size of your site and what it needs. I give a clear quote after a free first audit, so you know what you are paying for.
Start With Whether Google Can See Your Pages
If you only have time for one check today, make it indexing. Open Search Console, confirm your most important pages are in Google's index, and clear away any accidental blocks. Once that's solid, work down through the sitemap, redirects, speed and structured data in the order shown above.
If you'd like help, see my technical SEO service or request a free SEO audit.
Need Help With Technical SEO?
Crawl and indexing fixes, schema markup, GA4 and Search Console setup, migrations and redirects.
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