Here is a beginner-friendly technical SEO checklist organized by priority. Start with Phase 1 and work your way down.

Phase 1: Foundations (Do These First)

1. Enable HTTPS Security

• Ensure your site loads with https:// (not just http://)
• If using HTTP, get a free SSL certificate from your hosting provider (Let's Encrypt)
• Check that the padlock icon appears in the browser address bar

2. Submit Your XML Sitemap

• Verify you have a sitemap at yoursite.com/sitemap.xml (most CMS like WordPress auto-generate this)
• Submit it to Google Search Console (GSC) under Indexing > Sitemaps
• Submit it to Bing Webmaster Tools as well

3. Check Your Robots.txt

• Visit yoursite.com/robots.txt
• Ensure it does NOT contain Disallow: / (this blocks your entire site)
• Make sure your sitemap URL is listed at the bottom of the file

4. Mobile-Friendliness

• Test your homepage with Google's Mobile-Friendly Test
• View your site on your phone—text should be readable without zooming, buttons clickable
• If using WordPress, ensure your theme is "responsive"

Phase 2: On-Page Technical Elements

5. Fix Title Tags & Meta Descriptions

• Every page needs a unique <title> tag (50-60 characters)
• Every page needs a unique meta description (150-160 characters)
• Include your target keyword near the beginning of the title
• Use a plugin like Yoast (WordPress) or edit your HTML directly

6. Header Tag Hierarchy

• Use only ONE <h1> tag per page (your main headline)
• Structure content logically: H1 → H2 → H3 (don't skip levels)
• Include keywords in headers naturally, but prioritize readability

7. Image Optimization

• Compress images before uploading (use TinyPNG or Squoosh)
• Add descriptive alt text to every image (describe what's in the image, don't just keyword stuff)
• Use descriptive file names: blue-running-shoes.jpg instead of IMG_1234.jpg

Phase 3: Site Performance & Structure

8. Core Web Vitals (Page Speed)

• Test your site in PageSpeed Insights
• Aim for "Good" scores (green) on mobile
• [ Quick wins: ]
  • Enable browser caching (via hosting or a plugin like WP Rocket)
  • Install a CDN (Cloudflare has a free tier)
  • Convert images to WebP format

9. URL Structure

• Keep URLs short and descriptive: yoursite.com/beginner-seo-tips not yoursite.com/p=123&id=47
• Use hyphens, not underscores: beginner-seo not beginner_seo
• Use lowercase letters only

10. Fix Broken Links

• Find 404 errors in Google Search Console (Pages > Not indexed > 404)
• Set up 301 redirects for deleted/moved pages (use a redirect plugin or .htaccess)
• Check for internal links pointing to 404s and update them

Phase 4: Advanced Beginner (Once Above is Done)

11. Canonical Tags

• Check for duplicate content issues (www vs non-www, HTTP vs HTTPS)
• Ensure canonical tags point to the "main" version of each page
• For e-commerce: use canonical tags on filtered/category pages that show similar products

12. Basic Schema Markup

• Add Organization schema to your homepage (tells Google your company name, logo, social links)
• Add Article/BlogPosting schema to blog posts
• Use Google's Rich Results Test to verify

Tools You'll Need (Free)

• Google Search Console (essential)
• Google PageSpeed Insights
• Screaming Frog (free up to 500 URLs)
• GTmetrix or WebPageTest for speed testing

Which area should you tackle first?

To give you more specific next steps:

1. What platform is your site built on? (WordPress, Shopify, Wix, custom code?)
2. Have you already set up Google Search Console?
3. Are you currently experiencing any specific issues (slow loading, not showing up in Google, etc.)?

Or would you like me to walk you through setting up any one of these items in detail (like configuring your sitemap in WordPress or fixing Core Web Vitals)?

Technical SEO can feel intimidating, but for beginners, it’s mostly about making sure search engines can find, read, and understand your content without hitting any "roadblocks."

Follow this step-by-step checklist to get your site’s foundation solid.

Phase 1: Communication with Search Engines

Before Google can rank your pages, it needs to know they exist and be allowed to "crawl" them.

• [ ] Set up Google Search Console (GSC): This is the most important step. It’s a free tool that tells you exactly how Google sees your site.
  • Action: Go to Google Search Console, add your property, and verify ownership.
• [ ] Create and Submit an XML Sitemap: This is a "map" of your website that helps Google find all your pages.
  • Action: If you use WordPress, plugins like Yoast or RankMath create this automatically. Copy the URL (usually yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml) and paste it into the "Sitemaps" section of GSC.
• [ ] Check your Robots.txt File: This file tells search engines which pages not to visit.
  • Action: Type yourdomain.com/robots.txt into your browser. Ensure you aren't accidentally blocking your whole site (look for Disallow: /).

Phase 2: Performance and User Experience

Google prioritizes sites that load fast and work well on all devices.

• [ ] Enable HTTPS (SSL Certificate): Security is a ranking factor. Your site should start with https://, not http://.
  • Action: Most hosts offer a free "Let’s Encrypt" SSL. Contact your hosting provider if you see a "Not Secure" warning in your browser.
• [ ] Check Mobile-Friendliness: Most web traffic is mobile. Your site must be responsive.
  • Action: Open your site on your phone. Are buttons easy to click? Is text readable? You can also use Google’s Lighthouse tool in Chrome DevTools to check mobile performance.
• [ ] Optimize Page Speed: Slow sites frustrate users and search engines.
  • Action: Run your URL through PageSpeed Insights. Focus on "Compressing Images" first, as large images are the #1 cause of slow sites.

Phase 3: Site Structure and Architecture

A logical structure helps Google understand the hierarchy of your content.

• [ ] Use SEO-Friendly URLs: URLs should be descriptive and short.
  • Action: Avoid yourdomain.com/p=123. Change it to yourdomain.com/how-to-bake-cookies. Use hyphens, not underscores.
• [ ] Fix Broken Links (404 Errors): Links that lead to a "Page Not Found" error hurt your credibility.
  • Action: Use a tool like Screaming Frog (free version available) or the "Indexing" report in GSC to find broken links and redirect them to live pages.
• [ ] Implement Canonical Tags: This tells Google which version of a page is the "master" copy if you have similar content.
  • Action: Most SEO plugins (Yoast/RankMath) do this automatically. Ensure your "Self-Referencing Canonical" is enabled in settings.

Phase 4: Content Health (Technical Layer)

This bridges the gap between technical and on-page SEO.

• [ ] Check for Duplicate Content: Google gets confused if the exact same text appears on multiple pages.
  • Action: Ensure every page has a unique Title Tag and Meta Description.
• [ ] Add Image Alt Text: Search engines can’t "see" images; they read the Alt Text.
  • Action: For every image on your site, add a short description (e.g., alt="golden retriever puppy playing with ball").

Summary Table: Quick Wins

To give you more specific advice, I’d love to know:

1. What platform are you using to build your website (WordPress, Shopify, Wix, or custom code)?
2. Do you already have a Google Search Console account set up?
3. Is your site currently live, or are you still in the development phase?