SEO guide · Updated 30 September 2026
Technical SEO Checklist for Small Business Websites
A technical SEO checklist makes sure Google can crawl, index and understand your website. The essentials are: no important pages blocked or set to noindex, one canonical URL per page, working redirects, an up-to-date XML sitemap, fast mobile pages, a logical internal link structure and valid structured data.
By Waseem Ali, freelance SEO consultant, Liverpool · 8 min read
In this guide
Crawling and indexing
- robots.txt does not block important pages
- Key pages are not set to noindex
- XML sitemap submitted in Search Console and contains only live, indexable URLs
- The Pages report in Search Console shows no unexpected exclusions
Duplicates and canonicals
- One version of the site: https and either www or non-www
- Canonical tags point to the preferred URL
- Thin tag, date and attachment archives set to noindex
Redirects and errors
- Old URLs 301-redirected to the closest new page
- No redirect chains or loops
- Broken internal links fixed
- 404 pages monitored
Speed and mobile
- Core Web Vitals pass on mobile in Search Console
- Images compressed, sized correctly and served as WebP
- Unused plugins and scripts removed
- Text readable and buttons tappable on mobile
Structure and schema
- Every important page within three clicks of the homepage
- Descriptive internal links between related pages
- LocalBusiness, Service, FAQPage and BreadcrumbList schema validated
Need help?
My technical SEO service covers all of this, and a £299 SEO audit gives you a prioritised fix list.
FAQs
How often should I check technical SEO?
Monthly for most small sites, and always after a redesign, plugin change or migration.
Waseem Ali is a freelance SEO consultant at Liverpool Innovation Park with 10+ years in web and search marketing, an MBA in Digital Marketing and 200+ SEO campaigns delivered. More about Waseem.
Want help with this? Get a free SEO audit for your Liverpool business – I will reply within one working day.
Related: Technical SEO Liverpool · WordPress SEO