Getting started with technical SEO: the first 6 things to check
· 4 min read
Before producing content, make sure your site opens up properly to search engines. A basic technical SEO checklist.
Even the best content stays invisible if search engines can't crawl or make sense of your pages. Technical SEO is about firming up the ground before the content work. Start with these six points.
1. Indexing status
Connect Google Search Console and check which pages are indexed and why others are left out. Most problems show up here first.
2. Sitemap and robots.txt
Publish an up-to-date XML sitemap and submit it to Search Console. Make sure your robots.txt file isn't accidentally blocking important pages.
3. Speed and Core Web Vitals
- LCP: how quickly the main content loads
- INP: how quickly the page responds to interactions
- CLS: how much the page shifts while loading
4. Mobile friendliness
Google evaluates sites based on their mobile version. Make sure text is readable, buttons are easy to tap and the content is complete on mobile.
5. Titles and descriptions
Every page should have its own title tag and description. Pages sharing the same title confuse both users and search engines.
6. Structured data
Use Schema.org markup to clearly describe your business, products or articles to search engines. This matters for rich results and for being understood correctly in AI-powered search.