FREE SEO Checklist
1. The website copy is written well.
This is the first place you should start when looking at your SEO. Great copy is what keeps the viewer hanging on. If you are providing your viewers with the information that they are looking for in a simple and clean way then they will think your site is useful. Search engines will also think that. Search engines are striving to bring the most relevant information to the user that they can. Tricks and black hat tactics will never surpass good ol’ info.
2. Used title tags properly
Use intelligent title meta data beginning with the page or post name, then the site name, then a
short keyword intense phrase descriptive of the site. Don’t overload the description with keywords. Search engines will catch on to that and think it’s kinda spammy.
3. The heading tags are used well
Use header tags (H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, H6) to define your page’s organizational structure and simplify page navigation. Well-written header text informs visitors and helps them navigate through your page. We talk about the best ways to do this in our eBook.
4. Meta data is keyword rich but not keyword heavy
Make certain that proper keywords have been used in the page & site description and also the keywords meta data but not overflowing with them.
5. tables were not used
Stop using tables already! CSS or Cascading Style Sheets have been around for way too long for you to still be using tables. There are so many resources out there showing how to use CSS and how to better code your website.
6. Sitemap created and submitted
Submit sitemap to Google webmaster tools.
7. nofollow tag was used
Identify which links should not be followed away from your site so that you do not bleed out your page rank.
8. proper URLs are in place
The URLs are descriptive of your page and not just a generated number. ( ie: GOOD = http://285inc.com/seo-resources/free-seo-checklist/ or BAD = http://285inc.com/cat=3/page=234?/
9. Inner link activity is in place
Internal site links indicate important content and should be used on keywords and not “click here” text. This will help index your site deeper and will also be used by your visitors to learn more about your content.
10. Usability is thought out
Site is easy to navigate and has a natural progression through your content. Don’t always design for search engines. Make sure that people like your site and will come back to it. This will drive traffic.
There will be more added to this checklist soon.
