What does a technical SEO review include?

The review follows the path from discovering a page to its eligibility to appear in search. It covers crawling, canonical versions, sitemaps, structured data and page experience. A technically sound URL is not a ranking promise.

Can Google find and crawl the pages?

Check links to important pages and access rules. A sitemap can aid discovery, but does not replace good navigation or guarantee crawling. A page without an internal link merits investigation even if it appears in the sitemap.

robots.txt controls crawling. It is not protection for private information and does not guarantee absence from results. For noindex, Google must be able to read the rule. The review distinguishes intended restrictions from blocks on content you want visible.

Is the right canonical version selected?

The same or similar content can have different addresses: HTTP and HTTPS, filters, regional variants in one language or a duplicate test version. Google groups similar pages and selects a representative, canonical version.

Check whether redirects, the sitemap and rel="canonical" point to the preferred version. HTTPS is also among the signals. A preference is a hint, not a command: Google can select another address even with consistent signals. Compare its choice with the page’s purpose rather than treat every duplicate as an error.

What is checked in the sitemap?

Google supports XML, RSS, mRSS or Atom feeds, and plain text with an address per line. Choose the format for the need. XML can carry extensions for images, video and localised versions; a feed is not necessarily a complete inventory of older content.

A single file is limited to 50 MB uncompressed or 50,000 URLs. Split it when either limit is exceeded; a sitemap index can combine files. Use UTF-8 and fully qualified absolute URLs. The site root is recommended, but check location and submission rules before assuming coverage of every address.

Include the versions you want in results and align the sitemap with canonical signals. Submission is a hint to Google, not proof of crawling or indexing. A small, well-linked site can be discovered without a sitemap.

What is checked in structured data?

Markup describes content in machine-readable form. Google recommends JSON-LD but supports other formats. Check correspondence with visible content, required properties and rules for the particular result type.

Valid markup can provide eligibility for richer display, but does not guarantee Google will use it. It does not automatically promise better ranking or more clicks. A successful syntax test does not establish every quality requirement.

Google publishes company examples: Rotten Tomatoes added markup to 100,000 pages and reported a 25% higher click-through rate than pages without it; Nestlé reported an 82% higher rate for rich-result pages than non-rich-result pages. These are particular published comparisons, not measurements of your site or an expected result for every project.

What is checked in page experience?

Examine loading, interaction responsiveness and visual stability through Core Web Vitals, alongside mobile usability and HTTPS. Real visits and lab diagnostics are different sources; record where data is missing or grouped.

Good metrics do not guarantee a top Google position. HTTPS does not establish overall website security. The review connects particular findings with an action and priority. A single green score does not replace assessment.

Questions

What is the difference between robots.txt and noindex?

robots.txt controls crawl access. noindex sets an indexing rule Google must read. Blocking crawling alone does not guarantee absence from results.

Does a small site need a sitemap?

It is not always necessary for discovery, but can help submit and track URL groups. Check whether the system already generates one and whether it contains the intended versions.

Does structured data improve rankings?

Do not treat it as a position promise. Eligibility for a rich result, its actual display and click-through rate are separate questions. Published examples do not guarantee the same effect for you.

Does HTTPS affect canonical selection?

Yes, Google lists it among the signals. Check it alongside redirects, the sitemap and canonical markup, rather than as the sole selection condition.

Sources

Connect the checks in a prioritised list.

The Website Review examines these areas within the agreed scope. The report connects findings to URLs and available evidence, records limitations in Google data and access, and prioritises the Fix List. Implementing fixes is separate; rankings are not guaranteed.

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