Website SEO: what to check and in which order

Start by identifying the problem

A new page that Google has not discovered needs a different investigation from an established service page losing clicks. Before changing copy, record the URL, relevant queries, comparison period and business purpose of the page.

1. Check access and indexing

Use Search Console URL Inspection to review indexing status, the selected canonical and the last crawl. Confirm that the page loads, is not accidentally blocked and has internal links. A sitemap helps URL discovery, but is neither a requirement nor a guarantee of indexing.

2. Match the visitor's question

For a service, explain its intended client, included work, required materials and estimate process. If a heading promises pricing, provide a meaningful range and scope explanation, not just a contact request. Extra paragraphs are not useful merely because they make the article longer.

3. Connect explanations with evidence

On this website, our development description links to actual CMS screenshots and portfolio projects. These prove different things: an editor screenshot shows content entry, while a project description records verified scope. Neither alone proves increased sales.

4. Clarify the title and next step

The page title and H1 should describe the subject. Write the meta description as a useful summary, not a keyword list; Google may select another snippet. Use descriptive internal links to the relevant service. Do not change an established, usable URL simply to add a keyword.

5. Measure the change

Compare queries and pages over comparable periods, separate branded searches and review inquiry quality. Falling clicks can have several causes; a single day or average position does not establish the reason. Keep a dated change log so later results can be interpreted.

For a new project, review our advanced SEO structure. Google's guides to helpful content and search snippets explain the underlying principles.