SEO checklist 2025

We’re sharing a checklist for website promotion on the internet. You can pass this guide to your specialists or reach out to us for assistance.

Preparatory work

Configure the SSL certificate
Verify the affiliation of contact information
Publish a privacy policy for the website
Build a semantic core for the website
Segment the semantic core into groups of similar queries (clusters)
Create a project in ahrefs.com
Add keywords to the project in ahrefs.com
Develop a relevance map
Crawl all pages in HTML using Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Check websites sharing the same IP as the client’s site

SEO Analysis

Competitor analysis and conclusions
Conduct UI/UX and behavioural factors analysis
Perform an SEO audit and prepare recommendations
Conduct a technical audit of the website
Perform a content audit

Promotion strategy

Add the website to Google My Business
Configure the website in the Google Search Console panel
Specify the website's region in Google
How to migrate the website from HTTP to HTTPS
Set the main website mirror in Google Search Console
Create a sitemap.xml and upload it to Google Search Console
Compile a list of competitors in the search results
Develop an updated website structure
Create a plan for new landing pages
Select websites and directories where the site can be registered

On-site optimization

How to add an interactive map to the website
Does the website have a sitemap.xml?
Is the sitemap specified in robots.txt?
Does the website have a robots.txt file?
Is the host specified in robots.txt?
Block technical sections of the website from indexing
Does the website have a favicon.ico?
Does the website pass the Mobile Friendly Test?
Prepare recommendations for implementing responsive design on the site

Increase the website loading speed

Google discovered that when page load speed increases from 1 to 3 seconds, the bounce rate rises by 32%, and from 1 to 5 seconds, it jumps to 90%. Another study found that a 1-second delay in loading speed can reduce conversion rates by 25%. And there are plenty more studies confirming this.

Read more
Check the presence of a search feature on the website and its functionality
Check for reviews and their regular updates
Ensure content is regularly updated on the site
Set up a redirect from www to non-www or vice versa
Has a redirect from index.php to the main mirror been set, or is it blocked from indexing?
Optimize meta descriptions on the website
Optimize titles on the website?
Optimize images for the website
Publish news on the website
Create a domain-based email like info@site.com
Check for friendly URLs on the website
Reduce graphic load on specific promoted pages
Does the product filter affect the URL of the page?
Is the page depth no more than 6 levels?
Does the URL contain the target keyword?
Remove multiple redirects
Remove cyclic redirects
Add links to the target page from secondary pages
Prepare recommendations for implementing schema.org microdata
Eliminate duplicates using rel=canonical
Is schema.org microdata used on the homepage?
Ensure the presence of Open Graph tags

External optimization

Building the website’s backlink profile
Increasing backlink mass
Finding and checking broken links
Analyzing the number of inbound links
Using branded anchors
Links to official profiles on social media
Registering the site in directories and niche listings
Image-based backlinks
Percentage of links to the homepage mentioning the brand name
Disavowing harmful backlinks in Disavow
Purchasing permanent backlinks for the most important keywords
Link placement
Analyzing the current backlink profile and developing strategies
Obtaining a backlink from Wikipedia.com
Linking from relevant pages on our site
Analyzing competitors’ backlink profiles
How to define anchor text for links (types of anchors)
Buying temporary (rented) backlinks
How to select donors for backlinks
How to create crowd links on forums (crowd marketing)
Ratio of natural to SEO backlinks

Behavioral factors

Was there a drop in search traffic? Check in GA for the past year
Separately analyze the loading speed of promoted pages
Presence of videos on the pages

External optimization

Building the website’s backlink profile
Increasing backlink mass
Finding and checking broken links
Analyzing the number of inbound links
Using branded anchors
Links to official profiles on social media
Registering the site in directories and niche listings
Image-based backlinks
Percentage of links to the homepage mentioning the brand name
Disavowing harmful backlinks in Disavow
Purchasing permanent backlinks for the most important keywords
Link placement
Analyzing the current backlink profile and developing strategies
Obtaining a backlink from Wikipedia.com
Linking from relevant pages on our site
Analyzing competitors’ backlink profiles
How to define anchor text for links (types of anchors)
Buying temporary (rented) backlinks
How to select donors for backlinks
How to create crowd links on forums (crowd marketing)
Ratio of natural to SEO backlinks

Advertising technologies

Add Facebook retargeting code

Social signals

Communities on social media
Links to the promoted page from social networks
Brand mentions on the internet

Commercial factors in SEO

Presence of prices on the website
Is the navigation user-friendly and intuitive?
Regional targeting and contact information
Presence of phone numbers on the website
Callback request option
Is there an online consultant on the website?
Wide range of products or services
Button to order a product or service
Photos of products or services
Guarantee or warranty
Payment and delivery terms displayed on the website
Customer reviews on the website
Video reviews in product or service pages
Promotions and special offers
Certificates or licenses
Product recommendations
Absence of ads
One-click ordering
Complex application forms

Content Management

Develop a copywriting strategy for commercial pages
Check for grammatical errors
Is the description unique across the website?
Check the readability level of text on promoted pages
Compare the content volume of promoted pages with competitors
Title length: 60-70 characters
Description length: 130-150 characters
Does the keyword appear in the title?
Does the keyword appear in h1?
Does the keyword appear in the description?
Is the keyword at the beginning of the title?
Insert the keyword into the content
Does the description include a call to action?
Does the page content include a call to action?
Use LSI copywriting
Do images have filled alt attributes with keywords?
Process pages with empty titles
Process pages with empty h1 headers
Process pages with missing descriptions
Fix overly long descriptions
Fix short titles
Fix duplicate titles, descriptions, and h1 headers across pages
Resolve duplicate content issues
Correct typos in content, meta tags, and h1 headers
Process pages without any content
Prepare content recommendations for landing pages
Prepare internal linking recommendations within content
Write regular content according to the copywriting plan
Ensure content uniqueness
Write text for landing pages
Evaluate the quality of landing pages
Avoid large images
Include images and slides
Does the keyword appear in h2?

SEO Reporting

Prepare a monthly report

Timeframes for Achieving Results

If the website is less than a year old:

The project will remain mostly unnoticed by search engines for approximately six months. During this time, we work on the site's structure, acquire backlinks from forums, publish high-quality content, optimize meta tags, fix technical issues, and prepare the website to meet Google's standards.

This stage involves a complex process of building trust with search engines. After six months, results begin to show, with the main keywords appearing in the top rankings.

By the end of the first year, around 30-40% of the target keywords may reach the top positions.

If the website is more than a year old:

The site has already gained some visibility in search engines and has backlinks from various platforms (directories, social networks, etc.).

The website's reputation starts to build. If necessary, texts and meta tags are updated. The link profile is expanded, and behavioural factors are optimised.

Results can be seen within 3-4 months, with approximately 50% of the target keywords reaching the top 10 rankings.

If the website is over 5 years old:

Websites in this age category are easier to rank in the top positions due to their established reputation with search engines.

Results in the top 10 can often be achieved within three months of SEO work. After sustained optimisation efforts, 60-70% of the target keywords can rank in the top positions, significantly increasing site traffic and company revenue.

At this stage, it is crucial to have a well-structured website with a fully optimised technical setup.

If the website is older and has been previously managed by SEO agencies:

These websites can often achieve top rankings within a few months, as they already have an established reputation. Minor adjustments may be made to the site, information is updated, new blocks are added, and behavioural factors are improved.

More than 70% of the target keywords can rank in the top positions. The trust of search engines allows such projects to quickly rise to the top, increase site traffic, and boost the number of client inquiries.

Discuss your project

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