The 101-Point Technical SEO & Launch Protocol
Phase I: Foundational & Technical Audit (20 points)
Before we build the house, we inspect the foundation. This phase ensures the website is perfectly visible, understandable, and crawlable for search engines. Errors here can make all other efforts useless.
1. Robots.txt Validation
Allow crawling of necessary assets, block sensitive areas.
2. XML Sitemap Submission
Clean, error-free sitemap submitted to Google Search Console.
3. HTML Sitemap
A user-facing sitemap for better navigation and internal linking.
4. Canonical Tag
Every page has a self-referencing tag to prevent duplicates.
5. Full Crawlability
All key pages are discoverable and return a 200 status code.
6. SSL Certificate (HTTPS)
Valid certificate installed, all traffic forced to HTTPS.
7. WWW vs Non-WWW
One version is primary, the other 301-redirects.
8. Custom 404 Page
A helpful 404 page is in place to guide lost users.
9. URL Structure
URLs are short, descriptive, and use hyphens.
10. No “Orphan” Pages
All pages are linked from at least one other page on the site.
11. Hreflang Tags
Correctly implemented for multilingual sites.
12. Breadcrumbs
Schema-enabled breadcrumbs are in place for better navigation.
13. Resource Crawling
Googlebot is not blocked from critical CSS and JS files.
14. Mobile-First Check
The site is fully responsive and provides an equivalent experience.
15. Noindex/Nofollow Audit
Tags are not accidentally applied to important pages.
16. Redirect Chain Audit
Eliminate unnecessary redirect chains to preserve link equity.
17. Favicon
A high-resolution favicon is configured for all devices.
18. Schema Validation
All Schema markup passes Google’s Rich Results Test.
19. Site Architecture
Architecture is logical, requiring minimal clicks to key pages.
20. Server Header Check
Confirming the server returns correct HTTP status codes.
Phase II: On-Page Element Optimization (20 points)
This is where we align the on-page signals with our keyword strategy. We tell Google exactly what each page is about, ensuring maximum relevance for target queries.
21. Title Tag Optimization
Unique, compelling, and keyword-optimized for every page.
22. Meta Description
Written to maximize click-through rate from SERPs.
23. H1 Tag Uniqueness
Every page has one, and only one, unique H1 tag.
24. Heading Structure
Headings (H2, H3) logically structure content.
25. Image Alt Text
All meaningful images have descriptive alt text.
26. Image Filenames
Image files are named descriptively (e.g., `seo-checklist.jpg`).
27. Internal Linking
Key pages are linked with descriptive anchor text.
28. Outbound Link Quality
Links to external resources are relevant and authoritative.
29. Keyword Placement
Primary keyword appears naturally in the first 100 words.
30. User Experience (UX)
Content is scannable with short paragraphs and lists.
31. No Filler Content
Eliminate generic text like “Click here” or “Read more”.
32. Featured Snippets
Content structured to target “Position 0” with clear answers.
33. Consistent NAP
For local businesses, Name/Address/Phone is consistent.
34. Call-to-Action (CTA)
Every page has a clear, compelling next step for the user.
35. Social Sharing Tags
Open Graph/Twitter Card tags for attractive social sharing.
36. Video SEO
If used, video sitemap and schema are implemented.
37. URL Parameters
Handled in GSC to prevent duplicate crawling.
38. Pagination Tags
Correct use of `rel=”next/prev”` for paginated content.
39. Content Freshness
Key pages are reviewed to ensure information is current.
40. Anchor Text Variation
Internal link anchor text is varied and natural.
Phase III: Content & Semantic Quality (15 points)
Content is the reason search engines exist. We ensure it’s structured for both humans and machines, answering user intent comprehensively.
41. Duplicate Content
A full site crawl to find and eliminate any internal duplicates.
42. Plagiarism Check
Ensure all content is 100% original and unique.
43. Readability Score
Content is clear, concise, and easy to understand.
44. Keyword Intent
Content format matches the primary keyword’s user intent.
45. “Thin Content” Audit
All pages must provide substantial value, not just placeholders.
46. Grammar & Spelling
A full proofread of all site content has been completed.
47. E-A-T Signals
Content demonstrates Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust.
48. LSI Keywords
Inclusion of semantically related keywords to improve topical relevance.
49. Schema Markup
Structured data (Article, FAQ) is added to enhance snippets.
50. Comprehensive Content
Key pages cover their topic more thoroughly than competitors.
51. No Cannibalization
Ensure multiple pages aren’t competing for the same keyword.
52. Above-the-Fold
The purpose of the page is immediately clear without scrolling.
53. No Intrusive Ads
Pop-ups and ads do not harm the mobile user experience.
54. Content Pruning
Identification of outdated or low-value content to update.
55. Broken Link Check
A full crawl to find and fix all broken internal/external links.
Phase IV: Performance & Core Web Vitals (20 points)
Speed is a critical ranking factor and the foundation of a good user experience. My standard is not just ‘fast enough’—it’s ‘instant’.
56. TTFB < 150ms
Time To First Byte is below my non-negotiable threshold.
57. LCP < 2.5s
Largest Contentful Paint passes Google’s ‘Good’ threshold.
58. FID < 100ms
First Input Delay passes Google’s ‘Good’ threshold.
59. CLS < 0.1
Cumulative Layout Shift passes Google’s ‘Good’ threshold.
60. Image Compression
All images are losslessly compressed before upload.
61. WebP Format
Images are served in next-gen formats for optimal size/quality.
62. Server Caching (Redis)
Validated to ensure dynamic content is served from RAM.
63. CDN Configuration
Assets are served from Cloudflare’s global network.
64. CSS Minification
Unnecessary characters are stripped from CSS files.
65. JS Minification
Unnecessary characters are stripped from JS files.
66. Lazy Loading
Images below the fold load only when scrolled into view.
67. Reduce Unused CSS
Tools are used to remove styles not used on the page.
68. Reduce Unused JS
Eliminate or defer JS not critical for initial render.
69. Server Response Time
Base server response time is optimized and monitored.
70. Font Loading
Fonts are preloaded and served efficiently to avoid layout shifts.
71. HTTP/3 Enabled
Using the latest network protocol for faster connections.
72. DNS Prefetching
Pre-resolving DNS for third-party domains to speed up loading.
73. Gzip/Brotli
Text-based resources are compressed to reduce transfer size.
74. Mobile Performance
Performance specifically tested on a simulated 3G connection.
75. 3rd-Party Script Audit
Minimizing the performance impact of external scripts.
Phase V: Security & Trust Signals (11 points)
A compromised website destroys trust and rankings instantly. Security is a proactive, multi-layered approach, not a plugin.
76. HTTPS Security Headers
Implementation of HSTS, X-Frame-Options, etc.
77. Cloudflare WAF
Rules are set to block common automated attacks.
78. Secure Outbound Links
All external links set to `rel=”noopener noreferrer”`.
79. Privacy Policy
A comprehensive privacy policy is easily accessible.
80. Cookie Consent
Compliant with GDPR/CCPA regulations.
81. Secure Login
Protection against brute-force attacks on login pages.
82. No Malware
Site is scanned for any malicious code or sneaky redirects.
83. Software Updated
All core software and plugins are on their latest versions.
84. Visible Contact Info
Easy-to-find contact details to build user trust.
85. Server File Permissions
Permissions are set correctly to prevent unauthorized access.
86. Automated Backups
A reliable, automated backup system is in place and tested.
Phase VI: Analytics & Monitoring (15 points)
What isn’t measured cannot be improved. We ensure all tracking systems are in place from day one to make data-driven decisions.
87. Google Analytics 4
GA4 property is correctly installed and configured.
88. GSC Verification
Site is verified, and sitemap is submitted.
89. Conversion Tracking
Key actions are set up as conversion events in GA4.
90. 404 Error Monitoring
Systems are in place to detect and fix broken links post-launch.
91. Uptime Monitoring
Automated checks configured to provide instant alerts.
92. Bing Webmaster Tools
Site is also submitted and configured for Bing.
93. Annotation of Launch
Launch date is annotated in GA4 to track performance changes.
94. IP Exclusion
Internal IP addresses are excluded from analytics tracking.
95. Robots.txt Live Check
If blocked in dev, the `Disallow` rule is removed.
96. Manual Site Check
A final manual check of the live site on multiple browsers.
97. Request Indexing
Use GSC “Request Indexing” feature for key pages.
98. Baseline Rankings
A baseline ranking report is generated for primary keywords.
99. Performance Dashboard
A Looker Studio dashboard is set up for easy monitoring.
100. Post-Launch Crawl
A new crawl is run on the live site to catch any new issues.
101. Client Handover
Clear documentation and a Trello board for management.
This is the Standard, Not the Add-on
This 101-point protocol is the baseline for every project I deliver. It’s the meticulous, behind-the-scenes engineering that ensures your website starts its life as a powerful, competitive asset. If this is the level of detail and commitment you expect for your business, then we are likely a good fit.