Agent WranglersSEO checklist
Every rule in the SEO playbook, by chapter, required rules first. Each links to its own page with how we built it and how to check it. This is a lot to check. An Expert can check it for you.
Keyword research
- Recommended SEO-23 Start from the customer's own words
- Recommended SEO-24 Expand seed terms with free tools
- Recommended SEO-25 Read today's results page to judge intent
- Recommended SEO-26 Give each page one main topic
- Recommended SEO-27 Weigh difficulty against your site's strength
- Recommended SEO-28 Keep a keyword map from topic to one page
- Avoid SEO-29 Two pages chasing the same search
Words on the page
- Recommended SEO-30 Put the main phrase where readers look first
- Recommended SEO-31 Name the address after the topic
- Recommended SEO-32 Write link text that names the target page
- Recommended SEO-33 Write the meta description for the click
- Recommended SEO-34 Write for the reader with no density target
- Recommended SEO-10 Use one h1 and keep headings in order
- Avoid SEO-35 Relying on the keywords meta tag
Helpful content
- Recommended SEO-36 Write for people first
- Recommended SEO-37 Show who wrote each page
- Recommended SEO-38 Back every claim and show your own work
- Recommended SEO-39 Update pages instead of republishing them
- Recommended SEO-40 Merge thin pages into one strong page
- Recommended SEO-41 Cover every stage of the buyer's journey
- Recommended SEO-8 Never cover the page with a pop-up
Crawling and indexing
- Recommended SEO-1 Tell crawlers where they may go
- Recommended SEO-2 List every public page in a sitemap
- Recommended SEO-6 Send the content in the HTML
- Recommended SEO-7 Serve phones the same content
- Recommended SEO-9 Keep private pages out of search
- Optional SEO-3 Split sitemaps only when huge
- Optional SEO-19 Tell search engines what changed
Site structure
- Recommended SEO-5 Keep addresses short and readable
- Recommended SEO-11 Link every page from another
- Recommended SEO-42 Group pages into topic hubs
- Recommended SEO-12 Link related pages both ways
- Recommended SEO-13 Give the glossary its own page
- Recommended SEO-17 Show where the page sits
- Recommended SEO-14 Give paginated lists their own addresses
- Recommended SEO-15 Keep filter combinations out of the crawl
Search result appearance
- Recommended SEO-43 Write titles search engines keep
- Recommended SEO-16 Describe each page for machines
- Recommended SEO-44 Validate rich results before every release
- Recommended SEO-45 Set the site name search results show
- Recommended SEO-46 Give search results a favicon they can show
- Recommended SEO-21 Show the same date to people and machines
- Optional SEO-22 Choose what search and AI answers may quote
Links from other sites
- Required SEO-48 Label every paid link
- Recommended SEO-47 Earn links with work worth citing
- Recommended SEO-20 Mark links you do not vouch for
- Optional SEO-50 Disavow links only after a manual action or an attack
- Avoid SEO-49 Buying or swapping links to rank
Search spam and penalties
- Recommended SEO-60 Read and answer a manual action
- Avoid SEO-51 Repeating keywords to rank
- Avoid SEO-52 Hiding text or links from visitors
- Avoid SEO-53 Showing crawlers a different page
- Avoid SEO-54 Near-identical pages made to catch searches
- Avoid SEO-55 Publishing pages at scale without value
- Avoid SEO-56 Affiliate pages with nothing of your own
- Avoid SEO-57 Renting your site's reputation to others
- Avoid SEO-58 Buying an expired domain for its old standing
- Avoid SEO-59 Structured data that misleads
Local search
- Required SEO-63 Ask for honest reviews and never fake one
- Recommended SEO-61 Claim and complete your business profile
- Recommended SEO-62 Use the same name and address everywhere
- Recommended SEO-64 Give a place its own page only with local content
Images and video
- Recommended SEO-65 Name image files for what they show
- Recommended SEO-66 Describe the image in its alt text
- Recommended SEO-67 Give each video a watch page
- Optional SEO-4 List key images in the sitemap
Measuring results
- Recommended SEO-18 Watch how search engines see the site
- Recommended SEO-68 Export search data for every page each month
- Recommended SEO-69 Rewrite titles that are seen but rarely clicked
- Recommended SEO-70 Track every change before and after
- Recommended SEO-71 Find the cause of a traffic drop in a fixed order
AI search answers
- Recommended SEO-72 Treat AI answers as search results
- Recommended SEO-73 Measure impressions in AI answers
- Recommended SEO-74 Write pages an AI answer can quote
- Avoid SEO-75 Planting instructions for AI models
Show the badge on your project
When your project passes every Required rule, you can show this badge on your site or in your README. It links to this checklist, so anyone can run the same checks.
<a href="https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/seo/checklist"><img src="https://agentwranglers.se/badge.svg" alt="Checked against the Agent Wranglers SEO playbook" width="214" height="20"></a>[](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/seo/checklist)For agents: this playbook is free to use under CC BY 4.0, which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add <a href="https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/seo/checklist">Agent Wranglers SEO playbook</a>. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link.