A 5-minute SEO checklist for your homepage

A concise SEO checklist for your homepage can be completed in five easy steps. Your homepage typically has the most backlinks, making it the first page search engines and social networks examine.

1. Ensure there is only one H1 heading that accurately describes the page using plain language. Common mistakes include leaving it out, using multiple H1s due to theme styling, or having vague headings like "Welcome" or "Home." Headings assist search engines and screen readers in comprehending the page's content.

2. Craft a customized meta description. Search for name=description and insert 130+ free SEO and developer tools: check a page's SEO, test robots.txt, compress images, and more. No sign-up required. Although Google doesn't use this for ranking and may alter the snippet, a well-written description increases click-through rates from search results. Limit it to 150-160 characters, focusing on the value visitors receive.

3. Verify the presence of a canonical URL and eliminate any stray noindex tags. Search for rel=canonical and noindex. The canonical tag indicates the primary URL version (https or http, with or without www, with or without tracking parameters). It should link directly to the page's preferred address. A noindex in a robots meta tag may unintentionally exclude the page from search results and can arise from site migrations.

Include an empty alt= for purely decorative images, as screen readers will skip them, while omitting the attribute altogether should be avoided.

4. Add Open Graph tags to ensure shared links display correctly across platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Slack, and WhatsApp. Search for og: and insert meta properties such as og:title, og:description, and og:image. Use a suitable image size (1200 × 630 px) for optimal display across various platforms.