A healthy website drives traffic, builds trust, and converts visitors. Use this updated checklist to ensure your site meets modern standards for speed, security, SEO, and accessibility.
1. Speed & Performance
- Core Web Vitals: Prioritize LCP (Largest Contentful Paint < 2.5s), FID (Interaction to Next Paint < 200ms), and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift < 0.1).
- Modern Image Formats: Use AVIF or WebP (tools like ShortPixel automate compression).
- Lazy Loading: Implement for images, videos, and iframes to reduce initial load time.
- Hosting Upgrade: Consider edge computing (e.g., Cloudflare Workers) for dynamic content optimization.
Avoid: Render-blocking JavaScript and heavy third-party scripts.
2. Mobile & Core Updates
- Mobile-First Indexing: Ensure all content (including JS/CSS) is crawlable on mobile.
- Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP): Optional but useful for news/publisher sites.
- Tap Targets: Buttons/links should be ?48px for touchscreen ease.
- Dynamic Serving: Use responsive design with conditional loading for devices.
3. Security
- Automated Backups: Use UpdraftPlus (WordPress) or Jetpack for daily cloud backups.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy via Sucuri or Cloudflare.
- Zero-Day Exploit Monitoring: Tools like Patchstack for WordPress vulnerabilities.
- HTTP/3 Support: Enable for faster, secure connections (check via HTTP3 Test).
4. SEO & Visibility
- Schema Markup: Add FAQ, How-To, or Product schemas for rich snippets.
- Keyword Cannibalization Fix: Use Screaming Frog to resolve duplicate targeting.
- E-E-A-T Signals: Showcase author expertise and customer reviews for Google’s quality rater guidelines.
- Video SEO: Host videos on-site (with transcripts) or optimize YouTube embeds.
5. Content Quality
- AI-Assisted Optimization: Tools like SurferSEO or Frase for topical depth (but avoid AI-generated spam).
- Content Freshness: Update old posts (e.g., "Updated 2024" labels).
- Voice Search: Optimize for conversational queries (long-tail keywords, Q&A format).
- Visual Accessibility: Add alt text, captions, and dark mode compatibility.
6. UX & Navigation
- Predictive Search: Implement auto-suggestions for faster navigation.
- Breadcrumbs: Improve navigation and SEO (e.g., Home > Blog > Post).
- Exit-Intent Popups: Use sparingly with personalized offers.
- Accessibility:
-Screen Reader Testing (try NVDA or VoiceOver).
- Color Contrast Ratios ? 4.5:1 (check with WebAIM).
7. Analytics & Tracking
- GA4 Migration: Set up Google Analytics 4 with custom events.
- Server-Side Tracking: Reduce ad-blocker interference (via Google Tag Manager).
- Heatmaps: Use Hotjar to analyze scroll depth and click patterns.
- Privacy Compliance: Anonymize IPs in analytics for GDPR.
8. Legal Compliance
- GDPR (EU): Cookie consent banners with granular opt-ins.
- CPRA (California): “Do Not Sell My Data” link.
- LGPD (Brazil), PIPEDA (Canada).
- Accessibility Statement: Declare WCAG 2.2 compliance (AA standard).
- Third-Party Audits: Validate compliance with Termly or OneTrust.
Final Steps
- Prioritize: Fix critical issues (security, speed, mobile) first.
- Automate: Use tools like SEMrush Site Audit for recurring checks.
- Test: Run A/B tests for CTAs, layouts, and content.
Pro Tip: Align your strategy with Google’s 2024 Helpful Content Update—focus on user-first, expertise-driven content.
Need a modern audit? Let’s connect for a free site scan covering Core Web Vitals, SEO gaps, and security risks!
Why This Update Matters
- Reflects Google’s 2024 algorithm priorities (E-E-A-T, Core Web Vitals).
- Adds privacy-first tracking and global compliance steps.
- Integrates AI tools responsibly to enhance content quality.
