Blog SEO checklist: what to check before you publish

1. Check that the article delivers its promised answer

Read the title and introduction together. Can a customer tell what they will learn, and does the article actually provide it? A guide to choosing a service should explain the relevant choices. A preparation guide should tell the reader what to do before the appointment.

Check factual claims against approved business information or appropriate original sources. Confirm figures, dates, quotations, limitations and any product details that could affect a customer’s decision. Remove a claim if you cannot support it.

• The main question receives a direct answer.
• Advice applies to the audience and situation described.
• Examples are useful and are labelled when fictional.
• The article includes your relevant knowledge rather than generic filler.
• The reader has a sensible next step.

2. Write a specific title and meta description

Use a unique page title that accurately describes the article. Make the visible main heading equally clear. They do not have to be identical, but they should promise the same subject and benefit.

Write the meta description as a short, useful summary of what the reader will find. Google may use it for the search snippet or choose wording from the page. A preview is helpful for spotting awkward wording; it cannot guarantee how your result will appear.

Illustrative title: “How to prepare your car for a mobile valet”. Illustrative description: “Check access, remove personal items and confirm your appointment requirements before your mobile valet arrives.” Use those details only if they fit the actual guide and service.

• Google’s guidance on meta descriptions and snippets

3. Make the page easy to read and navigate

Give the article a clear main heading, descriptive section headings and short paragraphs. Use subheadings for genuine subsections rather than choosing a heading level simply to make text larger.

Use lists for steps or checks, and tables when readers need to compare options. Put the answer near the start of each relevant section. Explain specialist terms on first use, and remove repeated introductions that delay the useful detail.

• Headings describe the content that follows them.
• Text remains readable on a phone and when enlarged.
• Tables can be read without hiding information.
• Important information is written as text, not only inside an image.

4. Test internal links and the next action

Link to the relevant service, a supporting guide or an original source where it helps the reader. Use wording that describes the destination, such as “compare interior valeting packages”, instead of an unexplained “click here”. Google recommends descriptive, crawlable links.

Open the links in the preview and check that they reach the intended pages. Test the customer’s next step too: does an enquiry link open the right form, and does that form explain what happens next? Use your own test details if a submission is necessary; do not send a real customer request just to test the page.

• Google: descriptive, crawlable links

5. Check images for usefulness and accessibility

Include images that explain something: a real process, a product detail or a comparison the customer needs to understand. Use appropriately sized files and check that they load without distortion. Confirm you have permission to use them.

Alternative text should reflect the image’s purpose in that context. Describe meaningful information in an informative image; purely decorative images usually need an empty text alternative. An image used as a link or button needs an accessible description of its function. Avoid turning alt text into a list of keywords.

• W3C’s guide to choosing appropriate image alt text

6. Confirm the public page can be accessed

Ask your website editor to check the items below if they are outside your role. Keep deliberate restrictions on drafts and private areas. An article meant for public search needs different settings from a customer account page.

• The intended live URL loads successfully and is not behind a login.
• There is no unintended noindex instruction on the public article.
• The canonical URL identifies the intended version of the article.
• The page is linked from your site and included in the relevant sitemap where appropriate.
• Any article structured data describes the visible content accurately.
• The website has no accidental crawling restriction that prevents search engines reading the article.

• Google Search Essentials

7. Save approval, publish and check the live page

Record the version you approved and the intended URL. After publishing, open that URL as a visitor. Check the heading, paragraphs, images and links again; a good preview is not proof that the public page updated successfully.

If the page is new or substantially changed, use the appropriate Search Console tools to inspect it or request indexing. A request does not guarantee inclusion or a particular timetable. Record your checks, then return to the page when you have enough evidence to review its performance.

• Follow the full draft-to-publication workflow

Common questions