Online Course SEO Checklist - Complete Guide

Set up Google Search Console

Verify your website ownership and submit your sitemap to Google. This is essential for monitoring your site's search performance and identifying indexing issues.

Configure Google Analytics 4

Set up GA4 to track user behavior, traffic sources, and conversions. Understanding how visitors interact with your site is crucial for SEO decision-making.

Create and submit XML sitemap

Generate a comprehensive XML sitemap listing all your important pages and submit it to Search Console. This helps Google discover and index your content.

Optimize title tags and meta descriptions

Ensure every page has a unique, descriptive title tag (50-60 characters) and compelling meta description (150-160 characters) that includes target keywords.

Implement proper heading structure

Use a logical hierarchy with H1 for main title (only one per page), H2 for main sections, H3 for subsections. Include relevant keywords naturally.

Check and fix broken links

Scan your site for 404 errors and fix or redirect broken links. Broken links hurt user experience and waste crawl budget.

Optimize images for web

Compress images, use descriptive file names, and add alt text for accessibility and SEO. Large images slow down your site.

Improve page load speed

Test your site speed with PageSpeed Insights and address Core Web Vitals issues. Fast-loading pages rank better and convert more.

Ensure mobile-friendliness

Test your site on mobile devices and fix responsive design issues. Google uses mobile-first indexing for all websites.

Create robots.txt file

Configure robots.txt to guide search engine crawlers on which pages to access and which to avoid. Prevent indexing of admin and duplicate content areas.

Implement canonical tags

Add canonical URLs to prevent duplicate content issues, especially for parameter variations and print versions of pages.

Set up SSL/HTTPS

Install an SSL certificate to secure your site. HTTPS is a ranking signal and builds trust with visitors.

Optimize URL structure

Create clean, descriptive URLs using hyphens to separate words. Avoid long URLs with unnecessary parameters or numbers.

Add internal links

Create a logical internal linking structure to help users navigate and help search engines understand your site hierarchy and page relationships.

Optimize for local SEO (if applicable)

Claim and verify your Google Business Profile, ensure NAP consistency across citations, and gather customer reviews.

Implement structured data markup

Add schema.org structured data to help search engines understand your content better and enable rich snippets in search results.

Check for duplicate content

Use tools to identify duplicate or thin content issues. Consolidate, rewrite, or canonicalize as needed to avoid ranking problems.

Optimize anchor text for internal links

Use descriptive, keyword-rich anchor text for internal links instead of generic phrases like 'click here' or 'read more'.

Set up 301 redirects for moved pages

If you've changed any URLs, implement 301 redirects to preserve link equity and provide a good user experience.

Create a 404 page that retains visitors

Design a helpful 404 page with navigation options and search functionality to keep lost visitors on your site.

Monitor and disavow toxic backlinks

Review your backlink profile and disavow spammy, low-quality links that could hurt your rankings.

Add breadcrumbs navigation

Implement breadcrumb navigation to improve user experience and help search engines understand your site structure.

Optimize for Core Web Vitals

Address LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), FID (First Input Delay), and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) issues for better rankings.

Create and optimize content

Publish high-quality, comprehensive content that targets search intent and provides real value to users. Update existing content regularly.