Contents of this guide
THE SHORT ANSWER
A technical SEO checklist for crawlability, canonical URLs, sitemaps, structured data, Core Web Vitals and Search Console verification.
Verify access and indexability
Test important URLs without signing in. Confirm that useful public pages return 200, removed pages return an appropriate error or relevant redirect, and private pages are protected. Inspect both robots meta tags and X-Robots-Tag headers. A robots.txt allow rule does not cancel a noindex directive.
Choose one canonical URL
Check HTTPS, preferred hostname, trailing-slash and extension variants. Link internally to the chosen destination and use a matching absolute canonical. Canonical tags are signals, not a replacement for fixing conflicting page variants. Use redirects only where the destination is a relevant replacement.
Validate the XML sitemap
Include canonical, indexable URLs that successfully load. Exclude redirects, error pages, internal tools and noindex pages. Use lastmod only when it reflects a meaningful content change. Submit the sitemap in Search Console and inspect representative URLs; sitemap submission does not guarantee indexing.
Inspect rendered content and links
Check that the main heading, useful body content and navigation are available to crawlers. Use descriptive links to related services and articles. Fix broken paths and fragment targets. Keep metadata specific to each page, and check whether client-side content updates leave the title, description or structured data out of sync.
Test structured data and mobile experience
Use structured data that describes visible, accurate content. Validate eligible markup with Google's Rich Results Test, then test mobile layouts and critical interactions. Lighthouse is a lab diagnostic; use field data when available to assess actual user experience. A high score does not establish ranking potential.
Monitor changes
Use Google's sitemap documentation and Search Console performance guidance as references. For implementation support, review our technical SEO service. Record changes and compare like-for-like query, page, device and country groups.
Three technical SEO checks you can reproduce
HTTP check: test a canonical article URL with an HTTP client and confirm the final page returns 200. A branded 404 page with a 200 status is not a healthy URL. Review redirects and verify sitemap links point to the preferred endpoint.
Indexing check: inspect the delivered HTML for one canonical link and a robots meta directive. Then inspect HTTP response headers for X-Robots-Tag. A sitemap entry does not override an accidental noindex.
Content check: confirm the article heading, answer and internal navigation are visible in server-returned HTML. Compare what Google renders in Search Console if important sections require JavaScript.
- Use the Google Search Console URL Inspection tool to diagnose coverage.
- Keep canonical, indexable URLs in the sitemap; exclude error pages and redirects.
- Investigate mobile Core Web Vitals using field data rather than judging by a single lab score.
Google's crawling and indexing documentation is the primary reference. Also read the SEO-safe website redesign checklist when migrating URLs.
Next.js SEO after a deployment or migration
A successful production build does not prove that visitors and Google can see the newly published page. Confirm the production domain points to the correct deployment, then fetch the public page without being logged in. Compare its title, canonical, visible content and cache headers with the approved release.
- Live response: request the canonical URL and check that the final HTTP response is 200. A preview build or a local test is not proof of production readiness.
- Framework routing: ensure Next.js and deployment configuration agree on which application serves the page. Review legacy static routing rules after a framework migration.
- Duplicate URLs: test the
.htmland clean URL variants; permanent redirects should lead to the preferred canonical page. - Search discovery: compare the deployed
/sitemap.xmlwith the pages you actually want indexed, and inspect representative URLs in Search Console. - Leads: validate real form handoffs and WhatsApp tracking. A button click or prepared form does not prove that a client enquiry was received.
Read Google's canonical documentation and the Vercel build configuration guide, then use our technical SEO services for a project-specific implementation plan.
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Frequently asked questions
Does submitting a sitemap guarantee indexing?
No. Google may crawl a URL without indexing it, depending on accessibility, relevance, canonicalization and content quality.
Can a page have noindex while robots.txt says Allow?
Yes. Meta robots and X-Robots-Tag headers can request noindex even when crawlers can fetch the URL.
Should every page in a blog be indexed?
Only when it serves a distinct useful purpose; thin and repetitive pages should be improved or consolidated first.
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Technical SEO and conversion research lead covering crawlability, structured data and measurement.