Technical SEO Audit Checklist for Website
You've spent hours writing amazing content. Your blog posts are engaging, well-researched, and genuinely helpful. But here's the problem: if Google can't properly crawl, index, or understand your blog, all that effort goes wasted.
Technical SEO is the foundation that makes your great content visible to search engines. Without it, even the best articles struggle to rank. Research shows that technical SEO issues affect 90% of blogs, yet most bloggers never audit their sites for these problems.
The good news? A thorough technical SEO audit isn't complicated. You don't need to be a developer or hire an expensive agency. This guide walks you through every technical factor Google considers, gives you actionable fixes, and includes a free checklist you can use today.
Table of Contents
- What Is Technical SEO? (And Why It Differs from On-Page SEO)
- Core Web Vitals & Site Speed: Your #1 Priority
- Mobile Optimization: Non-Negotiable in 2025
- Crawlability & Indexing: Getting Google to See Your Content
- Site Structure & URL Organization: The Hidden Ranking Factor
- Schema Markup & Structured Data: Help Google Understand Your Content
- Security & HTTPS: Trust Signals Matter
- Best Tools for Technical SEO Audits
- Complete Technical SEO Audit Checklist
- How to Implement Fixes (Timeline & Priorities)
- FAQ: Technical SEO for Bloggers
What Is Technical SEO? (And Why It Differs from On-Page SEO)
The Simple Definition
Technical SEO refers to optimizing your website's infrastructure, speed, mobile responsiveness, crawlability, and indexing so that Google can efficiently find, crawl, understand, and rank your content. It's the behind-the-scenes work that makes on-page optimization possible.
How Does It Differ from On-Page SEO?
Understanding this distinction helps you allocate your effort wisely:
| Aspect | Technical SEO | On-Page SEO |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Website infrastructure, speed, mobile, indexing | Content, keywords, titles, meta descriptions |
| Visible to Users? | Mostly no (happens in background) | Yes (readers see it) |
| Affects Rankings? | Absolutely (foundational) | Yes (content relevance) |
| Implementation | Site-wide changes, server settings | Per-page optimization |
| Time to Impact | 2-8 weeks (once indexed) | 4-12 weeks (builds authority) |
Why Bloggers Often Overlook Technical SEO
Most bloggers focus on content because that's what they enjoy. But here's reality: even mediocre content ranks if the technical foundation is solid. Conversely, great content struggles without technical optimization.
Think of it like building a house. Content is the interior design. Technical SEO is the foundation, electrical system, and structural integrity. No matter how beautiful the interior, a house with foundation problems won't stand.
Core Web Vitals & Site Speed: Your #1 Priority
What Are Core Web Vitals and Why Does Google Care?
Core Web Vitals are three metrics Google uses to evaluate user experience on your site: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) - how fast your main content loads, First Input Delay (FID) / Interaction to Next Paint (INP) - how quickly your page responds to user interactions, and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) - how much your page layout shifts while loading. Slow sites rank worse. Sites that improve Core Web Vitals see 7-11% more organic traffic.
What Are the Ideal Core Web Vitals Scores?
| Metric | Good | Needs Work | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCP (Loading Speed) | Under 2.5 seconds | 2.5 - 4 seconds | Over 4 seconds |
| INP (Responsiveness) | Under 200ms | 200 - 500ms | Over 500ms |
| CLS (Visual Stability) | Under 0.1 | 0.1 - 0.25 | Over 0.25 |
How to Check Your Core Web Vitals
Use these free tools:
- Google PageSpeed Insights — Enter your URL, get detailed metrics and recommendations
- Google Search Console — Core Web Vitals report shows issues across your entire site
- Web Vitals Chrome Extension — Real-time metrics as you browse your site
Quick Wins to Improve Site Speed
Fast Wins (30 minutes each)
- Enable GZIP compression: Reduces file sizes by 50-70%. Most hosts provide 1-click setup.
- Optimize images: Images account for 50%+ of page weight. Use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim. Aim for JPG format, under 100KB per image.
- Lazy load images: Load images only when users scroll to them. Most modern WordPress plugins handle this automatically.
- Minify CSS/JavaScript: Removes unnecessary characters from code. WordPress plugins like WP Rocket do this automatically.
- Limit plugins: Each plugin adds overhead. Disable unused plugins. Aim for under 20 active plugins.
- Use a CDN (Content Delivery Network): Serves content from servers closest to users. Cloudflare is free and effective.
Medium Effort Improvements (1-2 hours)
- Choose a fast hosting provider: Shared hosting is slow. Consider managed WordPress hosting (Kinsta, WP Engine start at $35/month).
- Install a caching plugin: WP Rocket, WP Super Cache, or LiteSpeed Cache. Can improve speed 40-60%.
- Remove render-blocking resources: Move non-critical CSS/JS to footer. Defer JavaScript loading.
- Reduce server response time: If above 600ms, upgrade hosting or optimize database.
Mobile Optimization: Non-Negotiable in 2025
Is Your Blog Mobile-Friendly? (It Should Be)
Over 65% of Google searches happen on mobile devices. Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning Google primarily crawls and ranks the mobile version of your site. A non-mobile-friendly blog essentially doesn't exist to Google.
How to Check Mobile Friendliness
- Go to Google's Mobile-Friendly Test (search "mobile-friendly test")
- Enter your blog URL
- Review recommendations
- If it fails, you have work to do
Essential Mobile Optimization Checklist
Mobile Must-Haves
- Responsive design: Content adapts to all screen sizes. Use a responsive theme (most modern themes are).
- Readable text without zooming: Font size minimum 16px. Avoid tiny fonts users need to pinch-zoom to read.
- Proper spacing between clickable elements: Buttons and links should be at least 48x48px. Fingers aren't precise.
- Fast mobile load time: Mobile speed is even more critical than desktop. Aim for under 3 seconds on 4G.
- No intrusive interstitials: Full-screen popups that cover content hurt rankings. Keep pop-ups minimal.
- Viewport meta tag properly configured: Should be:
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
Test on Real Devices
Don't just test on desktop in a small browser window. Actually use your phone to visit your blog. Browse, click links, read articles. Does everything feel smooth? Are buttons easy to tap? Does it load fast?
Crawlability & Indexing: Getting Google to See Your Content
What Does Crawlability Mean?
Crawlability refers to Google's ability to follow links and discover your content. Indexing means Google has read and stored your pages in its database. If Google can't crawl your site, it can't index it. If it can't index it, it can't rank it.
Common Crawlability Issues Bloggers Face
Issue #1: robots.txt Blocking Google
Your robots.txt file tells search engines what to crawl. If misconfigured, it can block Google entirely.
Check your robots.txt (yoursite.com/robots.txt). It should NOT contain:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /This blocks everything. If you see this, remove it immediately.
Issue #2: noindex Meta Tags
If you have <meta name="robots" content="noindex"> on your pages, Google won't index them. Check if this is enabled accidentally in your WordPress settings (Settings → Reading → Search Engine Visibility).
Issue #3: Soft 404 Errors
These are pages that return a 200 (OK) status code but show error-like content. Google gets confused. Common culprits: empty pages, redirect loops, broken pagination.
Issue #4: Redirect Chains
If URL A redirects to URL B, which redirects to URL C, Google's crawler wastes time following chains. Keep redirects to one hop.
Issue #5: XML Sitemap Issues
Your XML sitemap should list all important pages. If it's missing pages or includes deleted ones, it confuses Google.
How to Fix Crawlability Issues
Crawlability Fixes
- Check robots.txt: Visit yoursite.com/robots.txt. Ensure it's not blocking your important content.
- Disable noindex: In WordPress, go Settings → Reading → Uncheck "Discourage search engines from indexing this site"
- Fix redirect chains: Use a tool like Screaming Frog to find redirect chains. Update them to point directly to final URL.
- Generate XML sitemap: Use Yoast SEO, Rank Math, or another WordPress plugin. Submit to Google Search Console.
- Monitor Google Search Console: Coverage report shows indexing errors. Fix them one by one.
- Fix 404 errors: Use Search Console "Excluded" section to find pages Google can't index.
Google Search Console: Your Crawlability Dashboard
This free tool is essential. Set it up if you haven't already:
- Go to Google Search Console (search.google.com/search-console)
- Add your property (choose domain or URL prefix)
- Verify ownership (via DNS record, HTML file, or Google Analytics)
- Check "Coverage" report for indexing issues
- Review "URL Inspection" for specific page issues
Check these monthly. Search Console alerts you to problems before they kill rankings.
Site Structure & URL Organization: The Hidden Ranking Factor
Why Site Structure Matters More Than You Think
A well-organized site structure helps Google understand topic relationships and distributes ranking authority efficiently. Topics should have clear hierarchies: broad pillar pages link to specific subtopic pages. This "topical authority" signals expertise.
Best Practices for Blog Site Structure
Recommended Structure
Domain
├── /pillar-page/ (Broad topic)
│ ├── /subtopic-1/ (Specific aspect)
│ ├── /subtopic-2/ (Specific aspect)
│ └── /subtopic-3/ (Specific aspect)
│
└── /another-pillar/ (Different broad topic)
├── /subtopic-a/
├── /subtopic-b/
└── /subtopic-c/URL Structure Best Practices
- Keep URLs short: Under 75 characters. Shorter URLs rank better.
- Use hyphens, not underscores: Google reads hyphens as spaces. Underscores are treated as one word.
- Include target keyword: yoursite.com/best-seo-tools-for-bloggers is better than yoursite.com/article-123
- Avoid unnecessary parameters: yoursite.com/blog/?id=456 is worse than yoursite.com/blog/article-title/
- Use lowercase: Mix of upper/lowercase can create duplicate content issues.
- Avoid date-based URLs: yoursite.com/2025/02/article/ ages content psychologically. timeless-topic/ is better.
Internal Linking Strategy
Internal links pass ranking authority and help Google understand relationships. Best practices:
- Link from pillar to cluster pages: 3-5 times per article
- Link from cluster pages back to pillar: Shows topical relationship
- Use descriptive anchor text: "Learn more" is bad. "How to write SEO-friendly blog posts" is good.
- Avoid over-linking: More than 5-10 internal links per page feels spammy
- Follow the content naturally: Links should feel editorial, not forced
Schema Markup & Structured Data: Help Google Understand Your Content
What Is Schema Markup?
Schema markup (also called structured data) is code you add to your HTML that tells Google exactly what your content is about. Instead of guessing, Google knows: "This is a blog post written by John Smith, published February 15, 2025, about technical SEO."
Types of Schema Every Blogger Should Use
1. Article Schema (Most Important)
Tells Google this is a blog post. Enables rich snippets in search results (publish date, author, featured image).
2. BlogPosting Schema
Variant of Article schema specifically for blog posts. Helps Google categorize content correctly.
3. FAQPage Schema
If your article has an FAQ section, this schema enables FAQ rich snippets (answers visible in search results).
4. BreadcrumbList Schema
Shows navigation path (Home > Blog > Article Title). Helps users and Google understand site structure.
5. Organization Schema
Add once to your site (usually homepage or footer). Identifies your business, contact info, logo.
How to Add Schema to WordPress
Easiest method: Use a plugin. Popular options:
- Yoast SEO: Automatically adds Article schema. Free version sufficient.
- Rank Math: More schema options than Yoast. Excellent free tier.
- All in One Schema Rich Snippets: Simple, lightweight option.
Advanced method: Manually add JSON-LD schema in your theme's header or using a custom code plugin.
Verify Schema Implementation
After adding schema, validate it:
- Go to Google Rich Results Test (search "rich results test")
- Enter your article URL
- Verify schema is recognized
- Check for errors (red warnings must be fixed)
Security & HTTPS: Trust Signals Matter
Why Google Requires HTTPS
HTTPS encrypts data between your site and users' browsers. Google treats HTTPS as a ranking factor. Unsecured sites (HTTP) show warning messages in browsers. Users don't trust them.
Check Your HTTPS Status
Look at your URL in the browser address bar:
- 🔒 Green padlock + https:// = Secure (good)
- ⚠️ Gray warning icon + https:// = Mixed content (fix this)
- ❌ No lock + http:// = Not secure (bad)
How to Enable HTTPS
If Your Host Offers Free SSL (Most Do)
- Go to your hosting control panel (cPanel, Plesk, etc.)
- Find AutoSSL or Let's Encrypt option
- Install certificate with one click
- Done. Usually takes 15 minutes to activate.
Fix Mixed Content Errors
If you see a warning after enabling HTTPS, you have mixed content (some assets load via HTTP). Fix:
- Find image sources loading via HTTP (not HTTPS)
- Update image URLs to use HTTPS
- Install WordPress plugin: "SSL Insecure Content Fixer" to auto-fix
Redirect HTTP to HTTPS
Ensure all traffic goes to HTTPS version:
- WordPress method: Settings → General → Change both URLs to https://
- Server method: Add redirect in .htaccess file
- Or ask your host: Most hosts can set this up for you
Best Tools for Technical SEO Audits
You don't need expensive enterprise tools. These free and affordable options work great for bloggers:
Google PageSpeed Insights (FREE)
What it does: Analyzes page speed and Core Web Vitals. Provides specific recommendations.
Best for: Quick speed checks. Run on your home page and 5-10 key articles.
Time required: 2 minutes per page
Google Search Console (FREE)
What it does: Shows indexing status, coverage errors, mobile usability issues, Core Web Vitals.
Best for: Comprehensive site health. Monthly monitoring.
Time required: 30 minutes for initial setup, 15 minutes monthly
Screaming Frog SEO Spider (FREE / $199/year)
What it does: Crawls your site like Google. Finds broken links, duplicate content, missing titles, crawl errors.
Best for: Comprehensive site audit. Identifying technical issues.
Time required: 15-30 minutes (tool runs automatically)
Ahrefs Site Audit (FREE / $99+/month)
What it does: Crawls site, finds technical issues, tracks fixes. Similar to Screaming Frog but cloud-based.
Best for: Ongoing monitoring. Better reporting than Screaming Frog.
Time required: 20-40 minutes for full audit
Mobile-Friendly Test (FREE)
What it does: Tests mobile responsiveness. Shows what phone version looks like.
Best for: Quick mobile checks.
Time required: 2 minutes per page
Rich Results Test (FREE)
What it does: Validates schema markup. Shows rich snippet preview.
Best for: Verifying schema implementation.
Time required: 2 minutes per page
GTmetrix (FREE / Paid)
What it does: Waterfall analysis of page load. Shows which elements are slow.
Best for: Deep-dive speed analysis.
Time required: 5 minutes per page
Yoast SEO or Rank Math (FREE / Paid)
What it does: WordPress plugin. Checks technical issues on each post. Manages XML sitemap, schema, redirects.
Best for: Ongoing site health monitoring.
Time required: Automatic, minimal effort
Complete Technical SEO Audit Checklist
Use this checklist to audit your blog. Check off each item as you complete it.
Core Web Vitals & Speed
- Run PageSpeed Insights on home page. Record LCP, INP, CLS scores.
- Run PageSpeed Insights on 5 top-performing articles
- All pages have LCP under 2.5 seconds
- All pages have INP under 200ms
- All pages have CLS under 0.1
- Images optimized (under 100KB, JPG format)
- Enable GZIP compression
- Install caching plugin (WP Rocket or alternative)
- Use CDN (Cloudflare free option sufficient)
- Minify CSS and JavaScript
- Limit active plugins to under 20
Mobile Optimization
- Run Mobile-Friendly Test on home page
- Site is responsive (works on phone, tablet, desktop)
- Test navigation on mobile (menus work, clickable elements spaced properly)
- Font size minimum 16px on mobile
- Button/link size minimum 48x48px
- No intrusive pop-ups or interstitials
- Viewport meta tag correct:
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> - Mobile page load time under 3 seconds on 4G
Crawlability & Indexing
- Check robots.txt (yoursite.com/robots.txt) - not blocking important content
- WordPress "Search Engine Visibility" is UNCHECKED (not noindex)
- Google Search Console set up and verified
- Coverage report in GSC shows no major errors
- URL Inspection works for multiple pages
- XML sitemap generated and submitted to GSC
- No soft 404 errors (empty pages returning 200 status)
- No redirect chains (A→B→C). Fix to direct redirects (A→C)
- All broken links fixed (404 errors)
Site Structure & Internal Linking
- Site has clear topical structure (pillar → cluster pages)
- URLs are short (under 75 characters)
- URLs use hyphens, not underscores
- URLs lowercase only
- URLs include target keywords when relevant
- Pillar pages link to 3-5 cluster pages
- Cluster pages link back to pillar page
- Internal links use descriptive anchor text (not "read more")
- No more than 10 internal links per page
- Navigation menu is clear and crawlable
Schema Markup & Structured Data
- Article schema added to all blog posts
- Organization schema added (home page or footer)
- BreadcrumbList schema added (if site structure supports it)
- FAQPage schema added (if article has FAQ section)
- Run Rich Results Test on sample pages
- No errors in schema validation (warnings are OK if not critical)
- Schema appears correctly in Google Search Console
Security & HTTPS
- HTTPS enabled (🔒 green padlock in browser)
- All traffic redirects to HTTPS (no HTTP available)
- No mixed content warnings (all assets load via HTTPS)
- SSL certificate is valid and not expired
- Primary property in GSC is HTTPS version
Additional Technical Factors
- Favicon installed (shows in browser tab)
- 404 page is custom (not generic server error)
- robots.txt properly configured (if custom rules needed)
- Meta description present on all pages (under 155 characters)
- H1 tag present on all pages (only one H1 per page)
- No duplicate content (same content on multiple URLs)
- Canonical tags correct (if using them)
- No nofollow on important internal links (unless intentional)
How to Implement Fixes (Timeline & Priorities)
Start Here: Quick Wins (This Week)
High Impact, Low Effort Fixes
Run PageSpeed Insights on home page and 5 key articles. Document baseline scores. This shows what you're working with.
Go to hosting panel, enable AutoSSL. Takes 15 minutes and has immediate ranking benefit.
WordPress Settings → Reading → Uncheck "Discourage search engines." If checked, your site isn't indexing at all.
Visit yoursite.com/robots.txt. Make sure it's not blocking your content. If it says "Disallow: /", delete it.
Verify your site, submit sitemap. This is foundational. Can't audit without it.
Use TinyPNG to compress all images. Reduces file sizes 40-70%. Massive speed improvement.
Next: Medium-Effort Improvements (Week 2-3)
Medium Impact Fixes
Install WP Rocket, WP Super Cache, or LiteSpeed. Configure basic settings. Can improve speed 40-60%.
Install Yoast SEO or Rank Math. Enable Article schema for all posts. Validate with Rich Results Test.
Run Mobile-Friendly Test. Check font sizes, button spacing, pop-ups. Make mobile experience smooth.
Map your topics. Identify pillar pages. Plan internal linking. Improve topical organization.
Sign up for Cloudflare (free). Enable CDN. Improves global load times.
Long-Term: Deep Optimizations (Month 2+)
Bigger Technical Projects
If page speed still slow after above steps, hosting might be bottleneck. Consider managed WordPress hosting ($35-100/month).
Use Screaming Frog or Ahrefs. Find broken links, redirect chains, crawl errors. Fix systematically.
Add internal links between related articles following your topical structure. 3-5 links per article minimum.
Remove render-blocking resources, defer JavaScript, minify CSS. More technical but high impact.
Expected Results Timeline
| Timeframe | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | HTTPS active, noindex removed, Google can index. No ranking changes yet. |
| Weeks 2-3 | Speed improves, schema active. GSC shows indexing improvements. Minor ranking boosts possible. |
| Month 1 | Mobile optimized, crawlability fixed. Site feels faster. Rankings start stabilizing upward. |
| Month 2-3 | Compound effects visible. 15-25% ranking improvements common. Traffic increases noticeably. |
FAQ: Technical SEO for Bloggers
Q: How often should I audit my blog for technical SEO issues?
A: Comprehensive audit quarterly (every 3 months). Monthly check-ins using Google Search Console. Quick PageSpeed Insights check whenever you make major site changes.
Q: My site is on shared hosting and slow. Should I upgrade?
A: Try free/cheap fixes first (compression, caching plugin, CDN, image optimization). If still slow after these, then yes, upgrade to managed WordPress hosting ($35-100/month). Quality hosting is worth it.
Q: Does technical SEO matter more than content quality?
A: No. Content is king. But great content with poor technical SEO won't rank. Think of it this way: 70% content, 30% technical SEO. Both matter, but content is primary.
Q: What's the most important technical SEO factor for bloggers?
A: Site speed (Core Web Vitals). It affects user experience, is explicitly a ranking factor, and influences all other metrics. Fix speed first.
Q: Can I do technical SEO myself, or do I need a developer?
A: 90% of it you can do yourself using plugins and tools. WordPress + a good plugin like Yoast/Rank Math handles most technical issues. Only hire a developer for custom code changes.
Q: Will technical SEO improvements help my existing articles rank better?
A: Yes. Improved site speed, indexing, and Core Web Vitals help all pages. You should see ranking improvements across your site within 2-3 months.
Q: Is HTTPS really necessary for a small blog?
A: Yes. It's a ranking factor. Every modern site should have HTTPS. Most hosting includes free SSL, so there's no excuse not to.
Q: How do I fix mixed content warnings after enabling HTTPS?
A: Install plugin "SSL Insecure Content Fixer" to automatically fix most issues. Or manually find images loading via HTTP (not HTTPS) and update URLs. Most common culprit: old images with http:// URLs.
Q: What's the difference between robots.txt and meta robots tag?
A: robots.txt (file in root directory) tells Google what to crawl. Meta robots tag (in page HTML) tells Google what to index. Both affect crawlability/indexing, but differently.
Q: Should I use nofollow on external links?
A: No. Only use nofollow if you're linking to spam sites or untrusted sources. Normal external links should be follow. Google expects blogs to link out.
Q: My site ranks well in GSC but doesn't show in Google. Why?
A: "Appear in Google" means showing up in actual search results. You might be indexed but not ranking because: (1) competition is high, (2) content isn't matching search intent, (3) other technical issues besides crawlability. Check ranking position in GSC for your target keywords.
Q: Do I need to submit my sitemap to Google if I have GSC?
A: Yes. Submitting sitemap ensures all important pages are crawled and indexed. Do it once, Google will crawl it periodically.
Conclusion: Your Technical SEO Action Plan
Technical SEO might seem overwhelming, but it's really just making your site fast, mobile-friendly, and easy for Google to crawl.
Here's your action plan:
- This week: Complete the quick wins (HTTPS, check robots.txt, set up GSC, optimize images)
- Next 2-3 weeks: Install caching, add schema, fix mobile issues
- Month 2: Audit site structure, audit crawl errors, implement internal linking
- Ongoing: Monitor Google Search Console monthly, update fixes as needed
Most bloggers never do this. That's why you'll gain competitive advantage. While competitors ignore technical SEO, you'll quietly improve rankings across your blog.
Start with the checklist. Work through it systematically. Track results. You'll see rankings improve within 2-3 months.
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