Technical SEO Checklist for WordPress Websites
Technical SEO 2025
Technical SEO Checklist for WordPress Websites
Technical SEO ensures that Google can properly crawl, index, and understand your website. Without it, even high-quality content will struggle to rank. This 2025 WordPress Technical SEO checklist will help you optimize performance, structure, crawling, indexing, Core Web Vitals, and more — step by step.
1
Choose Fast & Reliable Hosting
Great SEO starts with great hosting.
Your hosting provider directly affects website speed, uptime, and crawling efficiency.
Recommended hosting features:
- LiteSpeed or NVMe-powered servers
- Free SSL and CDN
- Excellent uptime (>99.9%)
- Fast PHP versions (PHP 8.2+)
Slow hosting leads to poor rankings and failed crawls.
2
Enable HTTPS (SSL)
Required for SEO and security.
Google uses HTTPS as a ranking factor. Install a free SSL certificate (Let’s Encrypt or Cloudflare) and ensure your website redirects to the HTTPS version.
Tools like Really Simple SSL can help manage redirects.
3
Use SEO-Friendly Permalink Structure
Clean, keyword-rich URLs improve indexing.
Go to WordPress settings:
- Settings → Permalinks → Post Name
Use short, readable slugs containing your target keyword.
4
Set Up XML Sitemaps Properly
Helps Google crawl your important pages.
RankMath automatically generates a sitemap:
yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml
Submit it in Google Search Console → Sitemaps.
5
Optimize Your robots.txt File
Prevent Google from crawling unnecessary pages.
A good robots.txt file helps Google prioritize important pages.
Recommended rules:
- Block /wp-admin/ except admin-ajax
- Allow main content, categories, and posts
- Allow /wp-content/uploads/
RankMath lets you edit robots.txt easily.
6
Optimize Core Web Vitals
Google’s most important speed ranking signals.
Key metrics:
- LCP — Largest Contentful Paint
- FID / INP — Input Delay
- CLS — Cumulative Layout Shift
How to improve Core Web Vitals:
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Use LiteSpeed Cache or WP Rocket
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Preload fonts & key images
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Lazy load images
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Reduce JavaScript execution
7
Make Your Site 100% Mobile Friendly
Google uses mobile-first indexing.
Your WordPress theme must be responsive. Test using:
- Google Mobile-Friendly Test
- Actual mobile devices
- Elementor mobile editor
Ensure headings, spacing, and images adapt properly.
8
Ensure Website Security
Google promotes secure and stable sites.
Security is important for SEO. Use:
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Strong passwords
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Limit login attempts
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Enable 2FA
✓
Regular theme/plugin updates
Hackers can cause indexing issues or SEO penalties.
9
Add Schema Markup
Enhances visibility and relevance.
Use RankMath to enable:
- Article schema
- FAQ schema
- Breadcrumb schema
- Product schema
- Local business schema
Schema helps Google understand your content better.
10
Fix Crawl & Indexing Errors
Use Search Console to monitor issues.
In Google Search Console, check:
- Coverage → Errors
- Pages → Crawled but not indexed
- Redirect errors
- Blocked by robots.txt
Fixing crawl errors improves ranking signals.
11
Prevent Duplicate Content Issues
Duplicate pages confuse Google.
Avoid duplicates caused by:
- Tags and category archives
- Pagination issues
- Parameter URLs
- Duplicate content from builders
Use canonical URLs set automatically by RankMath.
12
Optimize All Images
Images are a major part of technical SEO.
- Convert to WebP
- Compress before upload
- Use descriptive alt text
- Enable lazy loading
Optimized images reduce load time and improve rankings.
Want a Fully Technical-SEO Optimized WordPress Site?
All SiteCrafted templates are built with perfect technical SEO, speed optimization, and structured architecture.
FAQ
Q: What is the most important part of technical SEO?
Fast loading speed, proper crawling, and mobile performance.
Q: How often should I check technical SEO?
Once every 1–2 months using Search Console.
Q: Does technical SEO directly improve rankings?
Indirectly, yes — it improves crawlability, speed, and user experience, which lead to higher rankings.
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SiteCrafted Team
Helping you build high-performing WordPress websites with strong technical SEO foundations.
