WordPress SEO Checklist

Optimize your WordPress site with this complete checklist covering plugins, structure, speed, and on-page SEO essentials.

Tick the box after completing each task. Click Reset if you want to restart

Setup & Foundation

Install a Good SEO Plugin

Use a plugin like Yoast, Rank Math, or All in One SEO. These help you manage titles, meta tags, sitemaps, schema, and SEO settings without touching code.

Verify the Site with Search Console & Webmaster Tools

Add your site to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools to track indexing, errors, and search performance.

Ensure the Site Is Crawlable / Indexable

Go to Settings → Reading → Search Engine Visibility and make sure “discourage search engines from indexing this site” is unchecked so your site isn’t hidden from search bots

Use SSL / HTTPS

Enable SSL so your site runs on https://. It secures data and is a minor ranking factor

Choose a Reliable, Fast Host

Your host affects site speed and uptime—both are critical for SEO. Use one optimized for WordPress.

Set Preferred Domain (www vs non-www)

In Settings → General, make sure your WordPress and Site URLs match (either with or without “www”). Keeping them consistent prevents duplicate versions of your site in search results.

Set an SEO-Friendly Permalink Structure

Use clean URLs (e.g. /category/post-name/) through Settings → Permalinks. Avoid using dates or numbers that don’t describe the content.

Submit XML Sitemap

Let your SEO plugin generate a sitemap, and submit it via Search Console so Google can find your pages.

Technical SEO

Add a Custom Robots.txt via Your SEO Plugin

Create and manage your robots.txt file directly in your SEO plugin. It lets you safely control crawler access without editing files on the server.

Use Schema / Structured Data

Add schema (e.g. Article, Product, FAQ) to pages so search engines better understand your content and can show rich results. Many SEO plugins help with this.

Fix Broken Links & Redirects

Use tools to find 404 errors. Redirect old or moved pages with 301 redirects so link equity isn’t lost.

Avoid Duplicate Content / Thin Pages

Don’t duplicate content across pages. Use canonical tags (handled via SEO plugin) where needed to tell Google which version is the primary.

Disable or Noindex Tag Archives (If Thin)

If tag archive pages have little content, set them to “noindex” in your SEO plugin. This keeps your index focused on quality pages only.

Check Pagination Canonicals on Blog Archives

Make sure paginated blog or category pages have proper canonical tags pointing to the main series. Prevents Google from misinterpreting them as duplicates.

Optimize Media File URLs and Attachment Pages

WordPress creates attachment pages for uploaded images by default. Redirect them to the image file or parent post to avoid thin pages that waste crawl budget.

Add Breadcrumb Navigation to Templates

Enable breadcrumbs in your theme or SEO plugin to show page hierarchy like Home › Blog › Post. They improve navigation, internal linking, and can appear in Google results.

Create a Custom 404 Page

Use your theme builder or plugin to design a helpful 404 page with search or popular links. It keeps users on your site if they hit a dead link.

On-Page SEO

Optimize Title Tags & Meta Descriptions

Each page should have unique titles and meta descriptions that incorporate target keywords naturally. This helps search engines and encourages clicks.

Use Heading Tags Correctly (H1, H2, H3…)

Each page should have exactly one H1 (usually the page title). Use H2 and H3 for subheadings to structure content

Internal Linking Strategy

Link between your own pages with relevant anchor text. This helps search engines discover pages and distributes page authority.

Use Tags and Categories Judiciously

Organize content with categories and tags. Avoid over-using tags that create many thin archive pages; take care of indexing for archives.

Add Descriptive Alt Text to Images

Write short, meaningful alt text for every image you upload. It helps search engines understand the content and improves accessibility for visually impaired users.

Configure Social Metadata (Open Graph & Twitter)

Set default social images and descriptions in your SEO plugin so shared links look clean on social media. This boosts engagement and makes your content more shareable.

Content SEO

Create High-Quality, Keyword-Focused Content

Write articles that genuinely help users around keywords you want to rank for. Avoid fluff — focus on depth, clarity, and utility.

Handle Comments Wisely

For blogs, moderate comments to avoid spam. Spammy user-generated links or low-quality comments can harm SEO.

Regularly Update & Refresh Content

Periodic updates to older posts (adding new data, links, visuals) can revive rankings and keep content relevant.

Performance & Core Web Vitals

Improve Site Speed & Core Web Vitals

Minify CSS/JS, reduce render-blocking resources, lazy-load images, use caching plugins (e.g., WP Rocket), and a CDN.

Use a Lightweight, Responsive Theme

Choose a fast, mobile-friendly theme with clean code. Lightweight themes improve Core Web Vitals and make it easier to rank on mobile search.

Ensure Mobile Friendliness / Responsive Design

Use a responsive WordPress theme and test on phones/tablets. Google indexes mobile versions first.

Remove or Deactivate Unused Plugins

Each plugin adds overhead. Deactivate those you don’t need to keep your site lean and fast. (Common recommendation in WordPress SEO guides)

Use a Caching or Performance Plugin

Install a caching plugin like WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, or LiteSpeed Cache to speed up load times. Faster pages improve rankings and user experience.

Compress and Optimize Image Files

Reduce image size before uploading to improve loading speed. Use tools or plugins like ShortPixel, Smush, or Imagify, and save in modern formats like WebP for better performance.

Off-Page SEO

Promote Content & Build Backlinks

Get quality backlinks from relevant sites via outreach, guest posting, or tiered content promotion. Backlinks are a major ranking factor.

Maintenance & Monitoring

Monitor Analytics & Search Console Regularly

Check your traffic, index status, errors, and keyword performance. Use that data to refine and fix SEO issues.

Keep WordPress, Themes, and Plugins Updated

Update WordPress core, your theme, and plugins regularly. It keeps your site secure, fast, and ensures SEO features like sitemaps and metadata work correctly.