SEO website checks
Website SEO checks inspect crawl instructions, response statuses, metadata, headings, internal links and structured data. Discovery, crawling, indexing and ranking are separate steps. A sitemap advertises a URL but cannot require a search engine to include it or rank it for a query. Treat the audit as a technical diagnosis rather than a forecast of traffic.
Begin with the response and rendered content. Confirm that an indexable page returns success, exposes the intended canonical and is linked from another useful page. Then review whether the title and opening answer match the reader's question. Preserve deliberate noindex instructions on private or duplicate content instead of removing them solely to silence a finding.
The check pages below describe the exact observable condition, why it matters, practical fixes and the limits of the detector. Open the affected URL and inspect its evidence before making a change. After correction, repeat the scan and verify the result in a browser. The related guide connects these individual checks into a review workflow. Keep deliberate exceptions documented so that a passing automated result is never mistaken for a complete manual assessment.
Checks and fixes
Broken Internal Links: Find the Cause and Repair Navigation
Fix broken internal links and stale sitemap targets. Diagnose missing pages and server errors, update source links, and redirect to relevant replacements.
Canonical Pointing to Another Domain: Check the Intended URL
Review a canonical pointing to another domain. Check duplicate-content intent, repair production URL settings, and align links, sitemaps and canonical signals.
Content Only Rendered with JavaScript: Verify Indexable Output
Review JavaScript-rendered content. Compare source and rendered HTML, test crawler access, and use server rendering where it improves reliable delivery.
Duplicate Title Tags: Give Distinct Pages Clear Titles
Fix duplicate title tags with page-specific templates. Review canonical groups, pagination and variants, preserve useful wording, and verify deployed metadata.
Invalid Hreflang Value: Use Supported Language Codes
Fix invalid hreflang values. Use supported language, region and script codes, check reciprocal alternates, and distinguish scanner patterns from Google support.
Invalid JSON-LD Syntax: Repair the Broken Data Block
Fix invalid JSON-LD syntax. Find parse errors, serialize safely, validate structured-data meaning separately, and verify deployed source and rendered output.
Meta Description Too Long or Too Short: Write a Useful Summary
Fix a meta description that is too long or too short. Write a useful summary, understand snippet truncation, and distinguish scanner budgets from Google limits.
Missing Canonical Tag: Declare the Preferred Equivalent URL
Review a missing canonical tag. Declare preferred equivalent URLs, preserve distinct pagination and translations, and align links, sitemaps and redirects.
Missing H1 Tag: Give the Page a Meaningful Main Heading
Fix a missing H1 tag with a meaningful visible page heading. Check markup, image-only headings and rendered content, and preserve accessible document structure.
Missing Meta Description: Suggest an Accurate Page Summary
Fix a missing meta description with an accurate page-specific summary. Verify source output and fallbacks, and understand why Google may choose another snippet.
Missing Title Tag: Add a Specific Page Title
Fix a missing title tag in the document head. Generate page-specific titles, check server and rendered output, and avoid duplicate fallbacks across routes.
No H2 Subheadings on Page: Organise Substantial Content
Review a page with no H2 subheadings. Organise substantial content semantically, distinguish sections from widgets, and preserve readable responsive styling.
No Structured Data Found: Verify Coverage Before Adding Markup
Review missing structured data. Check JSON-LD, microdata and rendered output, choose relevant entities, and validate meaning without promising ranking gains.
Non-Descriptive Link Text: Make Destinations Clear
Fix generic link text such as click here and read more. Describe destinations, preserve accessible names, and distinguish scanner matches from WCAG failures.
og:image Relative URL: Publish an Absolute Share Image
Fix a relative og:image URL. Generate a full HTTPS image address, verify public retrieval and metadata order, and test platform previews after cache refresh.
og:url missing - the page URL is not declared
Fix a missing og:url tag. Generate a clean absolute page identity, keep it consistent with canonical intent, avoid homepage defaults, and test shared previews.
Open Graph Tags Missing: Make Shared Pages Recognisable
Fix missing Open Graph tags. Generate page-specific titles, descriptions and images, add the protocol identity fields, and verify actual platform previews.
Organization Schema Missing: Describe the Real Site Operator
Review missing Organization schema. Check graphs and subtypes, publish verified operator details, and distinguish organization identity from WebSite naming.
Page Accidentally Noindexed: Verify Intent and Remove the Block
Fix accidental noindex. Inspect robots metadata and headers, preserve intentional exclusions, allow recrawling, and verify available Search Console evidence.
Redirect Chain Too Long: Send Old URLs to the Final Destination
Shorten unnecessary redirect chains. Map old URLs to relevant final destinations, preserve required behaviour, update internal links, and test loops and errors.
Robots.txt Blocking the Entire Site: Check Effective Crawl Rules
Fix unintended robots.txt blocking. Inspect effective Googlebot rules, protect private environments properly, and verify important paths beyond the homepage.
Robots.txt Missing: Publish Deliberate Crawl Instructions
Review a missing robots.txt. Publish deliberate rules and a sitemap location, verify response handling, and distinguish absence from retrieval failures.
Title Tag Too Long or Too Short: Preserve the Useful Topic
Improve title tags that are too long or too short. Preserve the distinguishing topic, reduce boilerplate, verify templates, and understand display truncation.
Twitter Card Tags Missing: Declare and Test X Preview Metadata
Review missing Twitter Card metadata for X. Choose an appropriate card type, check documented Open Graph fallbacks, verify image delivery, and test previews.
Unreadable URLs with Query Parameters: Review Before Migrating
Review complex query URLs. Keep legitimate IDs and pagination, control duplicate variants, and migrate only with relevant redirects and complete testing.
XML Sitemap Missing: Publish and Verify a Useful URL List
Fix a missing XML sitemap. Publish preferred URLs, declare its location, verify child files and lastmod, and distinguish scanner limits from Google support.