Basic SEO checklist

Here is a basic SEO checklist that you can follow to optimize your website:

Choose a descriptive and relevant title for your page. Don't be lazy...
Use header tags to show the hierarchy of the content on the page.
Use alt tags to describe images on your page.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and has a fast loading speed. Right technology, code and image optimisation are vital.
Use internal linking to help guide users and search engines. It helps your visitors to navigate and understand the stucture of your website.
Use external linking to provide more value to your users and to show that your website is well-researched.
Use keyword research to find what phrases and terms are most commonly searched in your industry, and try to include them on your website.
Use Google Analytics to track your website's traffic and see how users are interacting with your website.

These are just a few of the many things you can do to optimise your website for search engines. It's important to remember that SEO is an ongoing process, and you should continually look for ways to improve your website's visibility in search results.

Page title

A page title (also called meta title) is the text that appears in the title bar of a web browser and in the top of a search engine results page (SERP) as the name of a search result. It is also used as the label for a bookmark in a browser. The page title is an important element of on-page SEO, as it tells search engines what the page is about and helps them understand the content on the page.

The page title should be unique and descriptive, and it should include the main keywords that you want to rank for. It should be no longer than 600 pixels (approx. 70 characters), as longer titles may be truncated in search results. You can check your page titles with our meta tag checking tool.

Header tags

Header tags are used to create a hierarchy of content on a webpage, and they help both users and search engines understand the structure and organisation of the content. It's a good practice to use header tags to break up the content on your webpage into logical sections and to use them to indicate the importance of each section.

Header tags are usually denoted by the h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 tags. The h1 tag is used to define the most important heading, while the h6 tag is used to define the least important heading.For example, you might use an h1 tag to define the main heading of a webpage, and then use h2 tags to define the subheadings within that webpage. This helps users and search engines understand the hierarchy of the content and the relationships between different sections of the page.Using header tags is also an important part of on-page SEO, as search engines use them to understand the content on a webpage and to determine its relevance to particular search queries.

What is an ALT tag?

An ALT tag, also known as an "ALT attribute" or "ALT description," is an HTML attribute that is used to describe the appearance and function of an image on a webpage. The ALT tag is used by screen readers and other assistive technologies to provide a text description of an image to people who are visually impaired.The ALT tag is also used by search engines to understand the content of a webpage and to determine its relevance to particular search queries. When a search engine crawls a webpage, it looks at the text in the ALT tags of images on the page to understand what the images are about and how they relate to the content of the page.

To add an ALT tag to an image in HTML, you would use the alt attribute in the tag, like this:

<img src="image.jpg" alt="Description of image">

It's important to include descriptive and relevant ALT tags for all of the images on your website, as this can help improve the accessibility of your website and its visibility in search results.

Internal linking or 'inbound links'

Internal linking is the process of linking to other pages on your own website from within your website's content. Internal linking helps to guide users and search engines through your website, and it can also help to improve the visibility and authority of your website in search results.Internal linking can be used to:

Provide more value to users by linking to relevant content on your website
Help search engines understand the hierarchy and structure of your website
Spread link equity (the value that is passed through links) around your website, which can help to improve the ranking of your pages in search results

It's a good idea to use descriptive and relevant anchor text (the clickable text in a link) when creating internal links, as this can help users and search engines understand the context and relevance of the link.Internal linking is an important part of on-page SEO, and it's a good practice to regularly review and update your website's internal linking structure to ensure that it is helping to improve the user experience and the visibility of your website in search results.

External linking or 'outbound links'

External linking is the process of linking to other websites from within your own website's content. External linking can provide value to your users by giving them access to additional resources and information, and it can also help to improve the authority and trustworthiness of your website in the eyes of search engines.There are several benefits to external linking, including:

Providing more value to users by linking to relevant and authoritative sources
Demonstrating the research and effort that has gone into creating your website's content
Helping search engines understand the context and relevance of your website's content
Giving your website the opportunity to gain referral traffic from the linked website

It's important to use descriptive and relevant anchor text (the clickable text in a link) when creating external links, as this can help users and search engines understand the context and relevance of the link. It's also a good idea to link to reputable and authoritative websites, as this can help improve the credibility and trustworthiness of your own website.

External linking is an important part of on-page SEO, and it's a good practice to include relevant and useful external links in your website's content to provide value to your users and to help improve the visibility of your website in search results.

Keyword research

Keyword research is the process of finding and analysing words and phrases that people are using in search engines to find the types of products, services, or information that you offer. Keyword research is an important part of search engine optimization (SEO) because it helps you understand what people are searching for, and it can help you determine which keywords and phrases to target in your website's content and marketing efforts.

There are several tools and techniques that you can use for keyword research, including:

Using a keyword research tool, such as Google's Keyword Planner or Ahrefs, to find popular keywords and phrases in your industry
Analysing the language and phrases that your customers and clients use to describe your products and services
Examining the keywords and phrases that your competitors are using in their content and marketing materials
Looking at the search queries that are driving traffic to your website (using a tool like Google Analytics)

Once you have a list of potential keywords and phrases, you can then analyse their popularity and competitiveness to determine which ones to target in your website's content and marketing efforts. It's important to use a mix of short-tail (generic) and long-tail (specific) keywords in your content, as this can help you reach a wider audience and can also help you rank for more specific, targeted search queries.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is a free web analytics service offered by Google that allows you to track and analyse the traffic to your website. With Google Analytics, you can see how many people are visiting your website, where they are coming from, and what they are doing while they are on your site.Google Analytics provides a wide range of data and insights about your website, including:

The number of visitors to your website and the pages they visit
The sources of your website's traffic (e.g., search engines, social media, referral websites)
The geographical location of your website's visitors
The devices and browsers that your visitors are using
The conversion rate of your website (e.g., how many visitors take a desired action, such as filling out a form or making a purchase)

Google Analytics is an important tool for website owners and marketers, as it helps them understand how their website is performing and how to improve it. With the data and insights provided by Google Analytics, you can make informed decisions about your website's content, design, and marketing strategies.To use Google Analytics, you will need to sign up for a free account, add the Google Analytics tracking code to your website, and then start collecting data. You can then access your website's data and insights through the Google Analytics dashboard, which provides a wide range of reports and charts to help you understand your website's performance.

Why Google Search Console is a must-have tool

If you have a website, Google Search Console is like having a backstage pass to how Google sees and interacts with your site. It's packed with insights and tools that help you make sure your site shines in search results, and the best part? It’s completely free.

Here’s why it’s so valuable:

Know how people find youEver wonder what people are typing into Google to stumble upon your site? Search Console gives you the lowdown on the search terms (or "queries") bringing in visitors, how often your site pops up, and even how many of those people click through. (By the way, when we say "pops up," it doesn’t necessarily mean your site is on the first page of Google – it just means your site appears somewhere in the search results. But hey, knowing this is still super useful!)
Spot and fix issuesGoogle Search Console is like having a tech-savvy friend watching over your site. It flags problems like broken links, pages that aren’t being indexed, or mobile usability hiccups. And when you fix these, it can make a real difference in how your site performs.
Show up better in searchWant to know if your page titles and descriptions are doing their job? Or if rich results (like star ratings or FAQs) are showing up for your site? Search Console lets you see how your site appears in Google, so you can tweak things for maximum impact.
Keep an eye on linksLinks to your site are like votes of confidence in the online world. Search Console shows you which sites are linking to you and which pages they’re linking to. This is great for spotting opportunities to grow your site’s reputation.
Stay mobile-friendlySince so many people browse on their phones, having a site that works smoothly on mobile is non-negotiable. Search Console helps you check how mobile-friendly your site is and points out any stumbling blocks for users.
Stay ahead of serious issuesFrom security concerns to manual actions from Google, Search Console alerts you to big problems that could harm your site’s ranking. Think of it as your early warning system.
No cost, no catchIt’s rare to get such a powerful tool without paying a penny, but that’s what makes Search Console such a no-brainer. It’s easy to use, and it’s all about helping your site succeed.

Google Search Console isn’t just for tech experts – it’s for anyone who wants to make their site better. Whether you’re running a blog, an online shop, or a portfolio, it’s your go-to guide for boosting your site’s performance in search results. And honestly, who doesn’t want that?

Overall, SEO is not rocket science. Read more about our SEO training →

Basic SEO checklist