SEO Best Practices: Complete Checklist for Website Optimization
Here's a comprehensive SEO optimization guide to improve your website's search engine visibility.
Before Publishing Your Site
Site Information
- Create a site title under 60 characters that includes relevant keywords
- Write a unique SEO description (50-300 characters) for your site and each page
- Ensure page titles display correctly in browser tabs, social shares, and search results
Design Elements
- Add a favicon for consistent branding across browsers
- Include social sharing images for your site and individual pages
- Create a custom 404 page with helpful navigation links
- Follow content best practices throughout your site
Technical Setup
- Connect a custom domain instead of using platform-specific URLs
- Link your social media profiles
- Enable SSL security
- Verify URL slugs contain relevant keywords instead of random characters
- Choose an SEO-friendly blog post URL format
Local Optimization
- Include your business address on a Contact page
- Create and maintain a Google Business Profile
- Add a map to your location page
Post-Launch Tasks
Verification Steps
- Set up Google Search Console
- Submit your site for Google indexing
- Configure Bing Webmaster Tools
- Connect Google Analytics for traffic monitoring
Ongoing Maintenance
Content Updates
- Regularly add fresh, relevant content
- Create URL redirects when changing page addresses
- Monitor site performance using analytics tools
- Track keyword rankings and search visibility
Content Optimization Best Practices
Text Content
- Use strategic, researched keywords
- Structure content with clear headings
- Write for readability and user intent
Image Optimization
- Add descriptive alt text
- Use SEO-friendly file names
- Keep images under 500KB
- Maintain total page size under 5MB
Collection Items
- Add unique meta descriptions
- Include relevant tags and categories
- Internal link between related pages
- Customize URL slugs for clarity
If you notice ranking fluctuations after making changes, allow 1-2 weeks for search engines to reindex your site. Monitor analytics to identify traffic patterns and adjust your strategy accordingly.