SEO-Friendly Website Checklist: Build a Site That Ranks Top on Google

A robots.txt file is a simple text file placed in your website’s root directory. It tells search engine crawlers which pages or sections they are allowed to crawl and which they should ignore.

What Does It Do?

• Control crawler access to specific pages
• Prevent indexing of duplicate or private content
• Protect admin or backend sections
• Guide bots to your sitemap location

B. Your On-Page SEO Checklist

On-page SEO is the core of an SEO-friendly website. It directly affects search rankings, user engagement, and conversion rates. When your pages are properly optimized, search engines understand your content better, and users enjoy a smoother experience.

1. Make UI/UX Proper

UI (User Interface) = How your website looks
UX (User Experience) = How your website works and feels for users

What it means:

• Clean and modern design
• Easy navigation (menu, buttons, links)
• Mobile-friendly layout
• Clear call-to-action (Contact, Buy, Enquiry)
• Readable text and proper spacing

Why it’s important:

• Visitors stay longer on your site
• Lower bounce rate
• Builds trust and professionalism

2. Choose Proper Keywords

A keyword is a word or phrase that people type into Google to search for something. Every page must target one primary focus keyword and several related keywords.

Key Importance: 

• Choose keywords with a smart strategy
• Use a keyword planner tool for research
• Target low-competition keywords
• Start with low search volume and low competition keywords
• Helps your website rank faster and get initial traffic

Place keywords naturally in headings, introductions, subheadings, and body content. Avoid forced placement.

3. Create Useful, Actionable Content

Content is the strongest pillar of an SEO-friendly website. High-quality content not only improves rankings but also builds trust, authority, and conversions. 

Search engines prioritize content that genuinely solves user problems, not content written only to rank.

Why It Matters for SEO

• Improves search rankings through topical depth
• Increases user trust and authority
• Reduces bounce rate
• Encourages backlinks and social sharing
• Boosts conversion rates

What to Avoid

• Thin or low-word-count pages with no depth
• Duplicate or copied content
• Keyword stuffing
• AI-generated content without editing or human experience
• Outdated or misleading information

4. Implement Schema Markup

Schema markup is structured data that helps search engines understand the meaning behind your content.

It can increase your chances of getting:

• Rich snippets
• FAQ schema results
• Star ratings in search results
• Higher click-through rates (CTR)

Schema does not directly improve rankings, but it enhances visibility and improves search appearance. Structured data strengthens your SEO strategy and builds credibility.

C. Your Technical SEO Checklist

Technical SEO is the backbone of a website. Even if your content is excellent, search engines cannot rank it properly if they cannot crawl, index, and evaluate your pages efficiently.

1. Check Page Loading Speeds

Website loading speed strongly affects your Google ranking, user experience, and sales. Google data shows that over 50% of mobile visitors exit a site if it doesn’t load within 3 seconds.

Why Speed Matters

• Faster websites reduce bounce rate
• Improve user satisfaction
• Increase conversions
• Strengthen Core Web Vitals performance
• Support higher search rankings

How to Improve Speed

• Compress and properly size images
• Enable browser caching
• Minimize CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files
• Choose high-performance hosting
• Remove unnecessary plugins

Recommended Speed Optimization Tools

• Google PageSpeed Insights
• GTmetrix
• Lighthouse

2. Check and Fix 404 Errors

A 404 error appears when a webpage is deleted, moved, or the URL is entered incorrectly. When search engines or users land on a missing page, it creates a poor experience and weakens your technical SEO structure.

Why 404 Errors Are Harmful

• Damage user trust
• Increase bounce rate
• Reduce crawl efficiency
• Weaken SEO authority

What to Fix Regularly

• 404 error pages
• Broken internal links
• Redirect chains
• Duplicate URLs
• Incorrect canonical tags

Tools to Detect Technical Errors

• Google Search Console (Coverage Report)
• Screaming Frog SEO Spider
• Ahrefs Site Audit

D. Your Off-Page SEO Checklist

Off-page SEO focuses on activities outside your website that improve authority, trust, and search rankings. Search engines evaluate how other websites refer to and mention your brand to measure credibility.

1. Build a Strong Link-Building Strategy

Backlinks (links from other websites to your site) are one of the most powerful ranking factors. According to Google, links help search engines discover new pages and determine content authority.

Why Backlinks Matter

• Increase domain authority
• Improve search rankings
• Drive referral traffic
• Build industry credibility
• Strengthen brand trust

Focus on Quality Sources

Prioritize backlinks from:

• Relevant industry directories
• Niche-related blogs
• News websites and PR mentions
• High-authority and trusted domains
• Business associations and local listings

Not Getting Results from Your Website?

Let Experts Handle Your SEO the Right Way

If you’re not able to manage all the SEO details yourself, it’s time to connect with a professional team. IMI Advertising, a leading SEO company in Ahmedabad, can optimize your website to improve Google visibility, attract real users, and help you generate genuine inquiries and sales.

Final Thoughts

Building an SEO-optimized website is not about tricks, it’s about structure, strategy, and consistency. From technical setup to content optimization and link building, every step matters.

If you focus on user experience, high-quality content, and technical precision, your website can rank competitively and drive measurable business growth.