# Technical SEO Checklist
### The 12-point pre-engagement audit — Ranker Systems

Use this in order. Each item lists what to check, how, and what "pass" looks like.

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## Indexation

**1. Index presence**
- Check: `site:yourdomain.com` in Google + Search Console → Pages report.
- Pass: indexed count ≈ your real page count. Large gaps in either direction are findings.

**2. Blocking directives**
- Check: robots.txt, `<meta name="robots">`, and X-Robots-Tag headers on money pages.
- Pass: nothing important is noindexed or disallowed. Watch for staging leftovers.

**3. Canonical logic**
- Check: every template declares one canonical; internal links point at canonical URLs.
- Pass: one URL per page. No http/https, trailing-slash, or parameter splits.

## Crawl efficiency

**4. Log-file review**
- Check: 30 days of server logs — what Googlebot fetches and how often.
- Pass: majority of crawl hits land on pages you want ranked.

**5. Faceted navigation containment**
- Check: filter/sort/parameter URLs — are they crawlable, indexable, canonicalized?
- Pass: infinite URL spaces are contained by canonicals, robots rules, or link handling.

**6. Redirect hygiene**
- Check: crawl the site; list chains (2+ hops), loops, and internal links to redirects.
- Pass: single-hop redirects only; internal links go direct.

## Rendering & performance

**7. Rendering parity**
- Check: compare raw HTML vs rendered DOM for key templates (URL Inspection tool).
- Pass: critical content and links exist in server HTML or render reliably.

**8. Core Web Vitals (field)**
- Check: CrUX data in PageSpeed Insights — LCP, INP, CLS at the origin and page level.
- Pass: all three green in field data, not just lab.

## Meaning

**9. Structured data**
- Check: validate schema per template (organization, product, article, FAQ…).
- Pass: attribute-rich, error-free markup on every major template.

**10. Internal link architecture**
- Check: click depth to money pages; count of internal links they receive.
- Pass: revenue pages within 3 clicks of home, well-linked from relevant content.

**11. Duplication & cannibalization**
- Check: map queries → ranking pages. Multiple pages trading places for one query?
- Pass: one intent, one page, deliberately.

**12. Mobile & international correctness**
- Check: content parity mobile vs desktop; hreflang self-references and return links.
- Pass: mobile version is complete (it's the indexed one); hreflang reciprocates.

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Every finding gets three labels: **impact**, **effort**, **owner** — then a deploy date.
A finding without a deploy date is a decoration.

— Ranker Systems · rankersystems.com · Free full audit: rankersystems.com/tools/seo-audit