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SEO is one of the most effective ways to attract customers who are already searching for what you offer. As Greg Bernhardt, SEO strategist at Shopify, puts it: “SEO is about helping search engines understand the value of your content so they can match it with the right searchers.”

Whether you run a blog or an online store, this step-by-step SEO checklist will help you optimize your site and drive more traffic—organically.

Let’s get started:

✅ SEO Basics

1. Set up Google Search Console
   Track indexing status, search performance, and technical errors.

2. Verify your website on Bing Webmaster Tools
   Get visibility and insights from Microsoft's search engine too.

3. Install Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
   Monitor site traffic, user behavior, and conversion goals.

4. Submit an XML sitemap
   Help search engines crawl and understand your site structure.

5. Create a robots.txt file
   Control which parts of your site search engines can access.

6. Check current index status (site:yourdomain.com)
   See which pages are indexed and troubleshoot if needed.

🔍 Keyword Research

7. Use keyword tools (Ahrefs, Semrush, GKP)
   Find high-volume and low-competition keyword opportunities.

8. Research competitor keywords
   Identify what’s driving traffic to competing websites.

9. Group keywords by intent
   Match your content to informational, navigational, or transactional needs.

10. Find long-tail keyword variations
    Target specific queries with lower competition and high intent.

11. Identify content gaps
    Discover what users search for that your site doesn’t cover.

12. Prioritize based on difficulty & opportunity
    Focus on keywords with strong traffic potential and achievable rankings.

🧱 On-Page SEO

13. Write compelling title tags
    Include the main keyword and keep it under 60 characters.

14. Craft clear, keyword-rich meta descriptions
    Improve CTR with a strong summary under 160 characters.

15. Use H1 for title, H2-H3 for subheadings
    Create a clear structure that search engines and users can follow.

16. Optimize for primary & secondary keywords
    Use relevant terms naturally throughout the content.

17. Use short, clean, descriptive URLs
    Keep URLs readable and keyword-focused.

18. Add internal links to relevant pages
    Improve crawlability and distribute page authority.

🧠 Content Strategy

19. Publish high-quality, unique content
    Avoid duplication and deliver real value to your audience.

20. Match content to search intent
    Ensure each page answers the specific query it targets.

21. Update old or underperforming posts
    Refresh outdated info and improve SEO performance.

22. Build cornerstone content
    Create in-depth, authoritative guides on your main topics.

23. Use a content calendar
    Plan regular content publication for consistency and SEO momentum.

24. Add multimedia (images, video, infographics)
    Increase user engagement and dwell time on the page.

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🛠 Technical SEO

25. Improve site speed (Core Web Vitals)
    Optimize load times to boost UX and rankings.

26. Enable HTTPS with an SSL certificate
    Secure your site and improve trustworthiness.

27. Fix broken links and 404 errors
    Maintain crawl health and improve user experience.

28. Implement schema markup
    Enhance SERP appearance with rich results (e.g., stars, FAQ).

29. Ensure mobile responsiveness
    Make sure your site works perfectly on all screen sizes.

30. Use canonical tags to prevent duplicate content
    Tell search engines which version of a page is the primary one.

That wraps up today’s newsletter on SEO edition!

Stay searchable, stay strategic, and always optimize with purpose.