Technical SEO: the checklist before launchTechnical SEO: the checklist before launch

Technical SEO is the invisible part of search ranking: everything that lets Google find your pages, read them and understand them. A site can have a beautiful design and good copy; if it blocks robots or takes ten seconds to load on a phone, it won't be found. Here's the checklist I follow before every launch, in order.Technical SEOSEO is the invisible partpart of search ranking: everythingeverything that lets Google findfind your pages, read themthem and understand them. AA site can have aa beautiful design and goodgood copy; if it blocksblocks robots or takes tenten seconds to load onon a phone, it won'twon't be found. Here's thethe checklist I follow beforebefore every launch, in order.order.

• Remove the indexing block used during development (the "discourage search engines" box on WordPress, the noindex tag).Remove thethe indexing block used duringduring development (the "discourage searchsearch engines" box on WordPress,WordPress, the noindex tag).
• Check the robots.txt file: it must not block important pages.Check thethe robots.txt file: it mustmust not block important pages.pages.
• Generate a sitemap (sitemap.xml) listing every page to index.Generate aa sitemap (sitemap.xml) listing everyevery page to index.
• Serve the whole site over https, with a valid certificate.Serve thethe whole site over https,https, with a valid certificate.certificate.

• Short, readable URLs, with words rather than numbers.Short, readablereadable URLs, with words ratherrather than numbers.
• A single version of the site: with or without "www", never both.A singlesingle version of the site:site: with or without "www","www", never both.
• When redesigning, every old URL redirected (301) to the new page covering the same topic. That's what I did on my own site: every old page has its redirect.When redesigning,redesigning, every old URL redirectedredirected (301) to the newnew page covering the samesame topic. That's what II did on my ownown site: every old pagepage has its redirect.
• A useful 404 page that points back to the home page or main pages.A usefuluseful 404 page that pointspoints back to the homehome page or main pages.pages.

• A unique title tag per page, starting with the main topic.A uniqueunique title tag per page,page, starting with the mainmain topic.
• A unique meta description that makes people want to click.A uniqueunique meta description that makesmakes people want to click.click.
• A single H1 per page, then H2 and H3 subheadings in order.A singlesingle H1 per page, thenthen H2 and H3 subheadingssubheadings in order.
• A canonical tag to point to a page's reference version.A canonicalcanonical tag to point toto a page's reference version.version.
• On a multilingual site, hreflang tags linking the versions together.On aa multilingual site, hreflang tagstags linking the versions together.together.

Google looks at the mobile version of your site first, and measures experience with the Core Web Vitals: how fast the main content shows, how quickly the page responds to taps, and how stable the layout is. PageSpeed Insights measures them for free.Google lookslooks at the mobile versionversion of your site first,first, and measures experience withwith the Core Web Vitals: howhow fast the main contentcontent shows, how quickly thethe page responds to taps,taps, and how stable thethe layout is. PageSpeed Insights measuresmeasures them for free.

• Compressed images, in the right format (WebP or AVIF) and at the right size.Compressed images,images, in the right formatformat (WebP or AVIF) andand at the right size.size.
• Fonts and scripts loaded only when they're needed.Fonts andand scripts loaded only whenwhen they're needed.
• Good hosting: a slow server slows everything else.Good hosting:hosting: a slow server slowsslows everything else.
• A test on a real phone, on 4G, not just on a computer.A testtest on a real phone,phone, on 4G, not justjust on a computer.

• Alt text on every image that carries information.Alt texttext on every image thatthat carries information.
• Internal links between pages on related topics, with explicit link text.Internal linkslinks between pages on relatedrelated topics, with explicit linklink text.
• Structured data (JSON-LD): your business, your services, your articles, your FAQ if it's visible on the page.Structured datadata (JSON-LD): your business, youryour services, your articles, youryour FAQ if it's visiblevisible on the page.
• Your name, address and phone number identical on the site and on your Google Business Profile.Your name,name, address and phone numbernumber identical on the sitesite and on your GoogleGoogle Business Profile.

1. Add the site to Google Search Console.Add thethe site to Google Search Console..
2. Submit the sitemap and request indexing of the main pages.Submit thethe sitemap and request indexingindexing of the main pages.pages.
3. Check the redirects of the old URLs one by one.Check thethe redirects of the oldold URLs one by one.one.
4. Watch the error and excluded-page reports during the first weeks.Watch thethe error and excluded-page reportsreports during the first weeks.weeks.

A site Google can't read doesn't exist for your customers.A sitesite Google can't read doesn'tdoesn't exist for your customers.customers.

Once the technical base is solid, search ranking is built with content: pages that answer your customers' questions, and regular articles. Google also publishes a very clear SEO starter guide. For a store, the same checklist applies product by product, see creating your online store.Once thethe technical base is solid,solid, search ranking is builtbuilt with content: pages thatthat answer your customers' questions,questions, and regular articles. GoogleGoogle also publishes a veryvery clear SEO starter guide. ForFor a store, the samesame checklist applies product byby product, see creating your online store..

Run this checklist before launch, not after: fixing a site that's already indexed takes longer. If your site already exists, this is exactly what my SEO optimisation service covers: audit, settings, then page-by-page optimisation. And once the base is ready, SEO content takes over.Run thisthis checklist before launch, notnot after: fixing a sitesite that's already indexed takestakes longer. If your sitesite already exists, this isis exactly what my SEO optimisation service covers: audit, settings,settings, then page-by-page optimisation. AndAnd once the base isis ready, SEO content takes over.over.