Website SEO checklist: 13 things to check on a page

Before you write dozens of articles or pay anyone, check your main page. Most problems that hold back a small site are simple and well known: a missing title, images with no description, a thin page, or technical settings nobody has touched. This is a checklist of thirteen points that mirrors what the free SEO check looks at: sixteen checks of one page, with a score. It is no promise of a particular ranking, because ranking is Google's decision, but it removes obstacles.

1. Secure connection (HTTPS)

Why: Browsers warn visitors about insecure pages, and Google prefers secure ones. A visitor who sees a warning usually won't continue. How to fix: Turn on a security certificate for your domain and point every link to https. Read custom domain and SSL.

2. Page title (15 to 65 characters)

Why: It is the blue line in search results and the most important thing Google reads about the page. Too long and it gets cut; too short and it says nothing. How to fix: Write a different title for every page, with what you offer and your area if it matters, between 15 and 65 characters.

3. Search description (70 to 160 characters)

Why: It is the sentence under the title. It doesn't raise ranking by itself, but it persuades a searcher to click. Without it Google picks text from your page that may not suit you. How to fix: Write one or two sentences that sum up the page and invite an action. In Tansik, AI writes the missing descriptions and you review them.

4. One main heading (H1)

Why: It tells the visitor and the search engine what the page is about. None confuses; several scatter the focus. How to fix: Give the page one H1 that resembles the title, and use H2 headings for the sections below it.

5. A mobile-friendly page

Why: Google reads the phone version of your page first, and most of your visitors are on phones. How to fix: Make sure the page has a viewport tag and the text reads without zooming. Tansik's themes are responsive; if your site is on something else, ask its developer.

6. Canonical link

Why: If the same page can be reached by more than one address, this tag tells Google which is the original, so its strength isn't split between copies. How to fix: Add a canonical tag that points to the address you want.

7. Sharing image (Open Graph)

Why: When someone shares your link on WhatsApp or social media, a card appears with a title and a picture. Without a picture the link looks neglected and gets fewer taps. How to fix: Set a sharing title and a wide image for each important page, and a default image for the site.

8. Image alt text

Why: It describes the image to people who can't see it and to Google, which doesn't understand images the way we do, and it helps images appear in image search. How to fix: Give each meaningful image a short, honest description. Tansik's SEO page can write the missing ones with AI for you to review.

9. Enough text (about 300 words or more)

Why: A page of two sentences gives Google little to work out its topic and gives the visitor little to be convinced by. How to fix: Explain what you offer, for whom, where, and why people choose you, and answer your customers' usual questions. Don't pad to hit the number; it is a signal, not a goal. For regular content there is Tansik's blog.

10. Structured data (Schema)

Why: It is markup Google reads to understand that a page is a business, an article or a product, and it may be used for richer results. It doesn't guarantee any particular display. How to fix: Add the Schema that fits the page type and check it with Google's rich results test.

11. Response speed

Why: Visitors leave slow pages. The check reports the response time, and under 1.5 seconds is better. How to fix: Shrink your images, remove add-ons you don't need, and move to faster hosting if that is the cause.

12. robots.txt

Why: It is the first file a crawler asks for, to learn what it may visit. Not having one isn't a disaster, but a mistake in it can block your whole site. How to fix: Create the file in your site's root and make sure it doesn't block pages you want found.

13. Sitemap (sitemap.xml)

Why: It is a list of your pages that helps Google discover new ones sooner. How to fix: Create a sitemap.xml and add its address to robots.txt and to Google Search Console. On Tansik sites the sitemap and robots.txt are there without any work from you.

How to use the list

For each point the check shows one of three states: good, could be better, or a problem. Start with the problems, then the improvements, and run the check again after each change.

The free check reads one page: paste its address into the SEO check tool and it gives you a score and what to start with. Checking your whole site, and fixing descriptions and image text with AI, is in the SEO page inside Tansik. The full steps are in SEO for small businesses. If your site has two languages, read the bilingual website.

And remember the list makes sure you aren't in Google's way, not that you will come first. For that you need content better than others' and time.

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