Great content on a site Google can't crawl properly is like a brilliant shopfront display behind a locked door. Technical SEO is the unglamorous, foundational work that makes sure search engines can find, understand and trust your website in the first place. Most small business owners have never looked under the bonnet — this checklist walks you through exactly what to check, in plain English.
1. Confirm your site is indexed
Before anything else, check that Google actually knows your site exists. Search site:yourdomain.com.au in Google, or better, check the Pages report inside Google Search Console. If key pages are missing, something is blocking them from being indexed.
2. Check your robots.txt file isn't blocking anything important
Your robots.txt file tells search engines which parts of your site they're allowed to crawl. It's a small file that causes big problems when misconfigured — we've seen entire sites accidentally blocked from Google because of one leftover line from a development server. Check yours at yourdomain.com.au/robots.txt and make sure it isn't disallowing pages you actually want found.
3. Submit and monitor an XML sitemap
An XML sitemap is a list of your important pages that helps search engines discover and crawl your site efficiently. Submit it through Google Search Console and check back periodically for errors — a broken sitemap is a common, invisible reason pages don't get indexed.
4. Fix crawl errors
Search Console's Coverage (or Pages) report shows any errors Google hit while crawling your site — pages returning server errors, redirect problems, or blocked resources. Work through these regularly rather than letting them pile up.
5. Improve your page speed
Speed is both a ranking factor and a conversion factor — a slow site loses visitors before they ever see your content. Run your key pages through Google PageSpeed Insights and address the common culprits:
- Uncompressed or oversized images.
- Too many render-blocking scripts and plugins.
- Slow hosting or an overloaded shared server.
- No caching configured.
Our Core Web Vitals guide explains the specific metrics Google measures, and speed up WordPress website is a dedicated guide if that's your platform.
6. Get HTTPS sorted properly
Every reputable site should run on HTTPS with a valid SSL certificate — it's a baseline trust and ranking signal, and browsers actively warn visitors away from sites without it. Check for a padlock icon in the address bar, and make sure there's no mixed content (a secure page loading insecure resources) causing warnings.
7. Make sure your site works properly on mobile
Google evaluates the mobile version of your site first, not the desktop one. Test your key pages on an actual phone: are buttons big enough to tap, is text readable without zooming, does anything overlap or overflow?
8. Fix broken links and redirect chains
Broken internal or external links waste crawl budget and frustrate visitors. Run a crawl of your own site periodically (many free and paid tools do this) and fix or remove dead links. Watch also for long redirect chains — a URL that redirects to another redirect to another — which slow crawling and can leak ranking value.
9. Use a clean, logical site structure
Search engines and visitors alike should be able to reach any important page within a few clicks from your homepage. A flat, logical structure — homepage, then category or service pages, then detail pages — beats a deep, tangled hierarchy. This is also where internal linking does real technical work, not just user-experience work.
10. Add structured data (schema markup)
Schema markup is code that explicitly tells search engines what your content means — a review, an FAQ, a local business address — which can earn you richer results in search. It's genuinely one of the higher-value, lower-effort technical wins available. Our schema markup guide walks through exactly what to add and how.
11. Set canonical tags to avoid duplicate content
If the same or very similar content is reachable through more than one URL (with and without "www", with tracking parameters, and so on), use canonical tags to tell Google which version is the "real" one. Left unset, duplicate content can confuse search engines about which page to rank.
12. Check for orphan pages
An orphan page has no internal links pointing to it, making it hard for both users and search engines to find. Cross-reference your sitemap against your internal linking to catch these — they're a surprisingly common problem on sites that have grown organically over several years.
13. Monitor Core Web Vitals over time
Technical SEO isn't a one-off audit; it needs monitoring. Check the Core Web Vitals report in Google Search Console periodically, especially after adding new plugins, page builders or large media files that can quietly slow things down again.
Technical SEO checklist at a glance
| Area | What to check | Tool to use |
|---|---|---|
| Indexing | Are your key pages actually indexed? | Google Search Console |
| Crawling | Is robots.txt blocking anything important? | yourdomain.com.au/robots.txt |
| Sitemap | Is it submitted and error-free? | Google Search Console |
| Speed | Are Core Web Vitals passing? | Google PageSpeed Insights |
| Security | Is HTTPS correctly configured? | Browser address bar |
| Mobile | Does the site work well on a phone? | Manual test on your own device |
| Structure | Can every page be reached in a few clicks? | Manual site map review |
| Schema | Is structured data present and valid? | Google's Rich Results Test |
Key Takeaways
- Technical SEO is the foundation everything else — content, links, rankings — sits on top of.
- Google Search Console is your single most useful free tool for spotting technical problems.
- Speed, mobile-friendliness and security are non-negotiable baseline requirements now.
- Schema markup is a high-value, often-skipped technical win.
- Treat this as an ongoing check, not a once-off project.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I run a technical SEO check?
A light check monthly and a thorough one every six months is a sensible rhythm for most small businesses, with extra checks after any major site change like a redesign or platform migration.
What's the single most important technical SEO fix?
If you had to pick one, it's making sure your site is properly indexed and crawlable — everything else is irrelevant if Google can't find and read your pages in the first place.
Does technical SEO matter more than content?
Neither matters "more" — they're dependent on each other. Brilliant content on a technically broken site won't rank, and a technically perfect site with thin content won't rank either.
Can I fix technical SEO myself without a developer?
Some items, like checking Search Console or testing your site on mobile, are accessible to any business owner. Others — like fixing server configuration, redirect chains or structured data — often need a developer's help to do safely.
Is WordPress good for technical SEO?
WordPress can be excellent for technical SEO when set up and maintained properly, though poor hosting, bloated plugins or an outdated theme can undo that quickly. Our WordPress maintenance checklist covers ongoing upkeep.
What is Core Web Vitals and why does it matter?
Core Web Vitals are Google's specific measurements of loading speed, interactivity and visual stability. They matter because they directly reflect real user experience, and Google has confirmed they factor into rankings.
How do I know if my site has duplicate content issues?
Search Console's coverage report will often flag duplicate or near-duplicate pages, and a manual check of whether your site is reachable via multiple URL variations (with/without www, http/https) is a good starting point.
Should I hire someone for technical SEO or handle it in-house?
It depends on your comfort with the more technical items and how much time you have. Many businesses handle the simple checks themselves and bring in a specialist for deeper fixes like schema, site architecture or migrations.
Fix the foundations properly
Technical SEO is invisible when it's working and expensive when it's ignored. If you'd like a full technical audit of your site, have a chat with Pixel and Pine — we'll show you exactly what's holding your rankings back.
