Importance of a Technical SEO Checklist for High-Performing Websites

If you own a business in Sacramento, CA, and want your website to rank higher on Google, a technical SEO checklist is where it all begins. Think of technical SEO as the behind-the-scenes work that helps your website perform better, load faster, and show up more often in search results.

Unlike content or social media, technical SEO focuses on how your website is built and how search engines interact with it. When done right, it makes it easier for Google to crawl, understand, and rank your pages.

This friendly and simple checklist is designed for Sacramento business owners, web developers, and marketers who want their site to work harder and smarter.

Also read: How to Build an SEO Strategy That Ranks in 2025

First Step in Your Technical SEO Checklist: Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly

More than half of all web traffic now comes from mobile devices. Google uses mobile-first indexing, which means your mobile site is the one that matters most. Important items for your technical SEO checklist include:

• Use responsive design so your site looks good on phones and tablets
• Test your site with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test
• Avoid using Flash or tiny buttons

Improve Page Speed

Sacramento users (like everyone else) don’t like to wait. If your site loads slowly, people will leave—and so will Google.

• Compress large images without losing quality
• Minimize JavaScript and CSS files
• Enable browser caching and GZIP compression
• Use a fast and reliable hosting service

Technical SEO Checklist: Secure Your Website with HTTPS

Security is a trust signal for both users and search engines. If your site still uses HTTP instead of HTTPS, it’s time to switch.

• Install an SSL certificate (often free through your hosting provider)
• Redirect all HTTP pages to HTTPS versions
• Update internal links to use HTTPS

Fix Crawl Errors

Search engines use bots (called crawlers) to explore your website. If they hit broken pages, it hurts your visibility.

• Use Google Search Console to find crawl errors
• Fix broken links and redirect outdated URLs
• Check for duplicate pages or unnecessary redirects

Create and Submit a Sitemap

Your sitemap informs Google about the pages on your site. Without it, some of your best content might go unnoticed.

• Generate an XML sitemap using Yoast, Rank Math, or Screaming Frog
• Submit it to Google Search Console
• Make sure it updates automatically when you publish new content

Technical SEO Checklist: Use Clean, SEO-Friendly URLs

URLs should be short, simple, and easy to read. This helps both users and search engines understand your content.

• Avoid long strings of numbers or unnecessary words
• Use hyphens instead of underscores
• Include keywords naturally (e.g., /sacramento-seo-services/)

Optimize Your Robots.txt File

The robots.txt file tells search engines what they can and can’t index. If it’s misconfigured, it could block important pages.

• Check that your robots.txt isn’t blocking key pages
• Use tools like Google Search Console to test your file
• Allow access to important resources like CSS and JS files

Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)

Structured data helps Google understand your content better—and can lead to rich snippets in search results.

• Use schema for local businesses, articles, FAQs, and reviews
• Add it manually or use plugins like Schema Pro or Rank Math
• Test it with Google’s Rich Results Test

Technical SEO Checklist: Use Clean, SEO-Friendly URLs

Set Up Canonical Tags

If you have similar pages, canonical tags tell search engines which one is the main version. This avoids duplicate content issues.

• Add rel=”canonical” tags to every page
• Use them to point to the original version of duplicate content
• Check for proper implementation with an SEO audit tool

Optimize for Local SEO in Sacramento

If you’re targeting local customers, make sure your site tells Google exactly where you are.

• Add your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistently across your site
• Embed a Google Map on your Contact page
• Use Sacramento-specific keywords (e.g., “best dentist in Sacramento”, “Sacramento roof cleaning”)
• Create a dedicated landing page for Sacramento if you serve multiple locations

Technical SEO Checklist: Use Clean, SEO-Friendly URLs

Enable Lazy Loading

Lazy loading delays loading images and videos until the user scrolls to them. It improves page speed and performance.

• Use native lazy loading (supported by most modern browsers)
• If using WordPress, activate a plugin like WP Rocket or Smush

Check Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals are part of Google’s ranking algorithm. They measure real-world experiences, such as load speed and visual stability.

• Track Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
• Fix issues with loading speed, layout jumps, and delays in interactivity
• Use tools like Google Search Console and Lighthouse to monitor performance

Make Sure Your Site Is Indexable

If your site isn’t indexable, none of the other work matters.

• Check that critical pages are not marked “noindex”
• Use Google Search Console to verify which pages are indexed
• Make sure your CMS settings allow indexing

Technical SEO Checklist: Use Clean, SEO-Friendly URLs

Keep Your Website Updated

Outdated software or plugins can create security holes and slow down performance.

• Update your CMS (like WordPress), themes, and plugins regularly
• Remove unused plugins and themes
• Back up your website before making changes

Regularly Run a Full Technical SEO Audit

Things change fast online. A quarterly audit helps you stay ahead of issues.

• Use tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or Sitebulb
• Fix high-priority errors right away
• Keep track of your SEO improvements over time

You don’t need to be an expert coder to get technical SEO right. Following a technical SEO checklist can make sure your site runs smoothly, loads quickly, and shows up when Sacramento locals are searching for your services.

Want to learn more about how technical SEO fits into your full marketing strategy? Read our Ultimate Guide to Digital Marketing in 2025. It ties everything together, from SEO and content to ads and analytics.

Need help with any of these steps? Our Sacramento-based digital marketing team is here to help you grow your visibility and reach more local customers online.

Curious how AI is shaping the future of SEO? Read how AI: A Modern Approach to SEO can enhance your strategy and boost rankings.

Trying to decide where to focus your SEO efforts? Compare Local SEO vs. National SEO to find out which strategy fits your business best.