Technical SEO provides the foundation that all other optimization builds on. In 2025, the checklist has expanded to include AI-specific considerations alongside the classic fundamentals. Use this checklist to audit and prioritize your site improvements.
Crawlability and Indexing
- robots.txt is properly configured and not blocking critical pages
- XML sitemap is present, valid, and submitted to Google Search Console
- No important pages return 4xx or 5xx errors
- Internal linking connects all important pages within 3 clicks from homepage
- Canonical tags are correct and consistent with hreflang implementation
- Pagination is handled correctly (rel=next/prev or single-page pattern)
- JavaScript-rendered content is accessible to crawlers (test with Google’s URL Inspection Tool)
Core Web Vitals (CWV)
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): under 2.5 seconds
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): under 0.1
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP): under 200 milliseconds
- First Contentful Paint (FCP): under 1.8 seconds
- Time to First Byte (TTFB): under 0.8 seconds
Check your CWV scores in Google Search Console under Experience → Core Web Vitals. PageSpeed Insights provides page-level analysis.
HTML Structure and Semantic Markup
- One H1 per page that clearly states the page topic
- H2–H4 heading hierarchy is logical and descriptive
- Important content is in HTML, not only in JavaScript
- Images have descriptive alt attributes
- Meta descriptions are unique for every page (150–160 characters)
- Title tags are unique and include the primary keyword
Structured Data
- Organization/LocalBusiness schema on homepage and contact page
- Article schema on all blog posts (with datePublished and dateModified)
- FAQPage schema on key service/product pages
- Product schema on all e-commerce product pages
- BreadcrumbList schema for navigation context
- All schema validates without errors in Rich Results Test
AI-Specific Considerations
- Key pages have a clear, direct answer to the user intent within the first 200 words
- Content is factually accurate and cites primary sources where appropriate
- Author bios with credentials are present on all article pages
- E-E-A-T signals are present: team pages, about page, trust indicators
- llms.txt file is present (emerging standard for communicating with AI crawlers)
- Content is accessible without JavaScript execution for AI crawler compatibility
Site Security and Trust
- HTTPS is enabled and working on all pages
- HTTP redirects to HTTPS (301)
- Mixed content warnings are resolved
- Privacy policy and terms of service pages are present
Crawl Budget and Indexation
If search engines cannot crawl and index a page efficiently, nothing else matters. Keep an accurate XML sitemap, link to important pages from your navigation and other content, and remove crawl traps — infinite filter URLs, session parameters, and orphan pages. For larger sites, review server log files to see what Googlebot actually crawls and where it wastes budget on low-value URLs.
Rendering, JavaScript, and AI Crawlers
Modern sites rely on JavaScript, but crawlers and AI bots see content most reliably when it is in the initial HTML. Use server-side rendering or hydration so primary content and links exist without executing scripts. Confirm your robots.txt and meta robots are not accidentally blocking important pages, and decide deliberately how to treat AI crawlers: if you want visibility and citations in AI answers, allow reputable AI user agents rather than blocking them by default.
How ReStartWeb AI Helps
We run full technical audits — crawlability, rendering, schema, and Core Web Vitals — through our SEO Optimization and web development services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is technical SEO?
The work that makes a site easy to crawl, render, index, and trust — speed, structure, structured data, security, and crawlability.
Does JavaScript hurt SEO?
It can if content is client-rendered and crawlers cannot see it. Server-side rendering or hydration with crawlable HTML solves this.
Should I block or allow AI crawlers?
If you want visibility and citations in AI answers, allow reputable AI crawlers. Block only when you have a clear reason to withhold content.