Free Resource
The Complete SEO Checklist for UK Businesses
A free 50-point SEO audit checklist covering every factor Google uses to rank your site. Tick off what you have done, identify what is missing, and know exactly where to focus next.
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SEO checks across 6 disciplines
- 1 XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console Critical
- 2 Robots.txt properly configured — no important pages blocked Critical
- 3 HTTPS enabled with valid SSL certificate across entire site Critical
- 4 No redirect chains — all redirects are 301 and go direct High
- 5 Canonical tags set on all key pages to avoid duplicate content High
- 6 Core Web Vitals passing: LCP under 2.5s, INP under 200ms, CLS under 0.1 Critical
- 7 Mobile-friendly confirmed in Google Search Console Critical
- 8 No crawl errors or soft 404s in Search Console High
- 9 Structured data (schema markup) validated — no errors in Rich Results Test High
- 10 Hreflang tags implemented correctly if targeting multiple languages or regions
- 11 Every page has a unique keyword-rich title tag under 60 characters Critical
- 12 Meta descriptions are compelling, unique and under 155 characters High
- 13 H1 tag used exactly once per page — includes primary keyword naturally Critical
- 14 H2 to H4 heading hierarchy is logical and includes supporting keywords High
- 15 Target keyword appears in first 100 words of body content High
- 16 Internal linking connects related pages with descriptive anchor text High
- 17 Images have descriptive alt text — keyword included where natural
- 18 URL slugs are short, lowercase and keyword-focused High
- 19 Breadcrumb navigation implemented and marked up with schema
- 20 Page content satisfies full search intent — not just keyword density Critical
- 21 Content is written by named authors with visible credentials or bios Critical
- 22 Key service and product pages have at least 800 words of useful content High
- 23 FAQs added to target pages and marked up with FAQPage schema High
- 24 Content is regularly reviewed and updated — no stale dates on key pages High
- 25 Thin content pages identified and either expanded or consolidated High
- 26 Blog content is based on keyword clusters — not random topics
- 27 Each piece of content has a clear conversion path to enquiry or purchase High
- 28 Content includes original data, quotes or expert opinion — not just rewrites Critical
- 29 Backlink profile audited — toxic links identified and disavowed High
- 30 Domain Rating or Domain Authority benchmarked against competitors
- 31 At least 5 new editorial backlinks earned in last 3 months High
- 32 Brand mentions monitored — unlinked mentions converted where possible
- 33 No paid link schemes or private blog network links in profile Critical
- 34 Guest posts on relevant editorially reviewed publications only High
- 35 Digital PR strategy in place for earning natural links via content or data
- 36 Google Business Profile fully completed — name, address, phone, hours and categories Critical
- 37 NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistent across all online directories Critical
- 38 LocalBusiness schema implemented with correct address and geo coordinates High
- 39 Location pages exist for each area or city you serve High
- 40 Reviews actively managed and responded to on Google, Trustpilot and Yelp High
- 41 Google Business Profile posts published at least twice per month
- 42 Appearing in Google Maps 3-pack for primary local keywords High
- 43 Target pages have concise 40 to 60 word definition paragraphs for featured snippets High
- 44 FAQ schema added to all key pages targeting question-based queries High
- 45 Entity relationships marked up using structured data where applicable
- 46 Speakable schema added to key paragraphs for voice and AI assistant answers High
- 47 Site appears as a source in ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity for target topics High
- 48 Content follows Inverted Pyramid — most important answer first, detail below High
- 49 People Also Ask boxes targeted with dedicated answer-first content sections High
100% complete — excellent SEO foundation!