Your website is live. You've added content. You're waiting for visitors.
But Google doesn't know you exist. Your site doesn't rank. No one finds you.
Why? Because SEO isn't just about content. It's about technical setup that most website owners completely miss.
Here are 25 critical SEO setup items that are killing your rankings—and how to fix them.
The SEO Setup Gap
Most website owners think SEO means:
- Writing good content
- Using keywords
- Getting backlinks
But before any of that matters, Google needs to:
- Find your website
- Understand your website
- Index your website
- Trust your website
If the technical foundation is broken, your content won't matter. Here's what you're missing.
1. Google Search Console Not Set Up
The Problem: You have no way to see how Google views your site, what errors exist, or how to fix them.
Why It Matters: Search Console shows indexing issues, crawl errors, security problems, and performance data. Without it, you're flying blind.
The Fix: Go to https://search.google.com/search-console, add your property, verify ownership (DNS record or HTML file), and submit your sitemap.
Time to Fix: 15 minutes
2. Google Analytics Not Installed
The Problem: You have no data about your visitors, traffic sources, or user behavior.
Why It Matters: You can't improve what you don't measure. Analytics shows what's working and what's not.
The Fix: Create Google Analytics 4 property, get tracking code, install in website header (or use plugin). Verify it's working.
Time to Fix: 20 minutes
3. XML Sitemap Not Created or Submitted
The Problem: Google doesn't know all your pages exist. Some pages never get indexed.
Why It Matters: Sitemaps tell Google about all your pages, when they were updated, and their importance. Without it, pages may never be found.
The Fix: Generate XML sitemap (most CMS have plugins), submit to Google Search Console, submit to Bing Webmaster Tools.
Time to Fix: 10 minutes
4. Robots.txt Missing or Incorrect
The Problem: Either no robots.txt exists, or it's blocking important pages.
Why It Matters: Robots.txt tells search engines what to crawl. Missing it = no guidance. Blocking wrong pages = pages never indexed.
The Fix: Create robots.txt file in root directory. Allow important pages, block admin areas and duplicate content. Test with Google Search Console.
Time to Fix: 15 minutes
5. Missing or Duplicate Title Tags
The Problem: Pages have no title tags, or multiple pages share the same title.
Why It Matters: Title tags are critical for SEO. They appear in search results. Duplicate titles confuse Google about page relevance.
The Fix: Every page needs a unique, descriptive title tag (50-60 characters). Include target keyword. Make it compelling for clicks.
Time to Fix: 2-3 hours (for all pages)
6. Missing or Duplicate Meta Descriptions
The Problem: Pages have no meta descriptions, or descriptions are duplicated across pages.
Why It Matters: Meta descriptions appear in search results. They influence click-through rates. Duplicates suggest low-quality content.
The Fix: Every page needs a unique meta description (150-160 characters). Include call-to-action. Make it compelling.
Time to Fix: 2-3 hours (for all pages)
7. Missing Alt Text on Images
The Problem: Images have no alt text, or alt text is generic ("image", "photo").
Why It Matters: Alt text helps Google understand images. It's essential for accessibility. Image search traffic potential.
The Fix: Add descriptive alt text to all images. Describe what's in the image. Include keywords naturally. Don't stuff keywords.
Time to Fix: 1-2 hours (for all images)
8. No Schema Markup (Structured Data)
The Problem: No structured data to help Google understand your business, products, services, or content.
Why It Matters: Schema markup helps Google display rich snippets (stars, prices, business info). Increases click-through rates significantly.
The Fix: Add schema markup for your business (Organization, LocalBusiness), products (if e-commerce), articles (if blog), reviews. Use Google's Schema Markup Helper.
Time to Fix: 1-2 hours
9. Canonical URLs Not Set
The Problem: Multiple URLs show the same content (www vs non-www, HTTP vs HTTPS, trailing slash vs no slash).
Why It Matters: Duplicate content dilutes SEO value. Google doesn't know which version is canonical. Rankings suffer.
The Fix: Set canonical URLs. Choose one version (www or non-www, HTTPS, trailing slash preference). Redirect others. Add canonical tags to all pages.
Time to Fix: 30 minutes
10. Mobile-Friendly Not Tested
The Problem: Site not tested on mobile devices, or mobile experience is poor.
Why It Matters: Google uses mobile-first indexing. Poor mobile experience = poor rankings. 60%+ of traffic is mobile.
The Fix: Test with Google's Mobile-Friendly Test. Fix mobile issues. Ensure responsive design works. Test on actual devices.
Time to Fix: 2-4 hours (depending on issues)
11. Page Speed Not Optimized
The Problem: Pages load slowly. Core Web Vitals are poor.
Why It Matters: Page speed is a ranking factor. Slow sites rank lower. Users abandon slow sites.
The Fix: Optimize images, enable caching, minify CSS/JS, use CDN, optimize database, choose fast hosting. Aim for under 3 seconds load time.
Time to Fix: 4-8 hours (or ongoing)
12. No 404 Error Page
The Problem: Broken links show default server error page, or worse, blank page.
Why It Matters: Poor user experience. Lost visitors. No way to recover from broken links.
The Fix: Create custom 404 page. Make it helpful (search, navigation, popular content). Keep visitors on your site.
Time to Fix: 1 hour
13. Broken Internal Links
The Problem: Internal links pointing to non-existent pages, or wrong URLs.
Why It Matters: Broken links hurt user experience. Google can't crawl properly. Lost link equity.
The Fix: Use link checker tool. Find all broken links. Fix or remove them. Set up redirects for moved pages.
Time to Fix: 2-3 hours
14. No Internal Linking Strategy
The Problem: Pages exist in isolation. No internal links connecting related content.
Why It Matters: Internal links help Google understand site structure. Distribute page authority. Improve user navigation.
The Fix: Create internal linking strategy. Link related content. Use descriptive anchor text. Create topic clusters.
Time to Fix: Ongoing
15. Missing Open Graph Tags
The Problem: No Open Graph tags for social media sharing.
Why It Matters: When shared on social media, posts look unprofessional. No control over how content appears.
The Fix: Add Open Graph tags (og:title, og:description, og:image, og:url). Test with Facebook Debugger.
Time to Fix: 1 hour
16. Missing Twitter Card Tags
The Problem: No Twitter Card tags for Twitter sharing.
Why It Matters: Twitter shares look unprofessional. Missed opportunity for better engagement.
The Fix: Add Twitter Card tags. Choose card type (summary, summary_large_image). Test with Twitter Card Validator.
Time to Fix: 30 minutes
17. No Breadcrumb Navigation
The Problem: No breadcrumb navigation on pages.
Why It Matters: Breadcrumbs help users navigate. Google uses them for rich snippets. Better user experience.
The Fix: Add breadcrumb navigation. Use breadcrumb schema markup. Show clear site hierarchy.
Time to Fix: 2-3 hours
18. Missing hreflang Tags (If Multilingual)
The Problem: Multiple language versions without hreflang tags.
Why It Matters: Google doesn't know which language version to show. Duplicate content issues. Wrong version shown to users.
The Fix: Add hreflang tags to all language versions. Specify language and region. Include self-referencing tag.
Time to Fix: 2-3 hours
19. No Local SEO Setup (If Local Business)
The Problem: Local business without Google Business Profile, local schema, or NAP consistency.
Why It Matters: Missing local search traffic. Not appearing in "near me" searches. Lost customers.
The Fix: Create Google Business Profile. Add local business schema. Ensure NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency across web.
Time to Fix: 2-3 hours
20. Missing Favicon
The Problem: No favicon, or generic favicon.
Why It Matters: Unprofessional appearance. Missing branding opportunity. Browser tab shows generic icon.
The Fix: Create favicon (16x16, 32x32, multiple sizes for different devices). Add to site. Include in multiple formats.
Time to Fix: 30 minutes
21. No SSL/HTTPS (Security Issue)
The Problem: Site still using HTTP instead of HTTPS.
Why It Matters: Google penalizes HTTP sites. "Not Secure" warnings scare visitors. Ranking disadvantage.
The Fix: Install SSL certificate. Force HTTPS redirect. Fix mixed content. (See our SSL/HTTPS guide for details.)
Time to Fix: 1-2 hours
22. Missing XML Sitemap for Images
The Problem: No image sitemap for image-rich sites.
Why It Matters: Images not appearing in Google Image Search. Missed traffic opportunity.
The Fix: Generate image sitemap. Include image URLs, titles, captions, alt text. Submit to Google Search Console.
Time to Fix: 1 hour
23. No Pagination Tags (If Using Pagination)
The Problem: Paginated content without rel="next" and rel="prev" tags.
Why It Matters: Google doesn't understand pagination. May index wrong pages. Duplicate content concerns.
The Fix: Add rel="next" and rel="prev" tags to paginated pages. Or use "View All" page with canonical tag.
Time to Fix: 1-2 hours
24. Missing Author Markup (For Blogs)
The Problem: Blog posts without author information or author schema.
Why It Matters: Missing author authority signals. No author rich snippets. Less trust from Google.
The Fix: Add author information to posts. Use author schema markup. Link to author pages.
Time to Fix: 2-3 hours
25. No Monitoring or Alerts Set Up
The Problem: No way to know when SEO issues occur.
Why It Matters: Problems go unnoticed. Rankings drop without you knowing. Traffic decreases silently.
The Fix: Set up Google Search Console alerts. Monitor rankings. Set up analytics alerts. Regular SEO audits.
Time to Fix: 1 hour
The Complete SEO Setup Checklist
Essential (Do First)
- ✓ Google Search Console set up and verified
- ✓ Google Analytics installed and working
- ✓ XML sitemap created and submitted
- ✓ Robots.txt created and tested
- ✓ SSL/HTTPS configured
- ✓ Mobile-friendly tested and fixed
Important (Do Next)
- ✓ Unique title tags on all pages
- ✓ Unique meta descriptions on all pages
- ✓ Alt text on all images
- ✓ Canonical URLs set
- ✓ Schema markup added
- ✓ Page speed optimized
- ✓ Custom 404 page created
- ✓ Broken links fixed
Enhancement (Do When Possible)
- ✓ Open Graph tags added
- ✓ Twitter Card tags added
- ✓ Breadcrumb navigation
- ✓ Internal linking strategy
- ✓ Local SEO (if applicable)
- ✓ Image sitemap (if image-rich)
- ✓ Monitoring and alerts set up
Testing Your SEO Setup
Free SEO Testing Tools
- Google Search Console: Check indexing, errors, performance
- Google PageSpeed Insights: Test page speed and Core Web Vitals
- Google Mobile-Friendly Test: Test mobile usability
- Google Rich Results Test: Test schema markup
- Schema Markup Validator: Validate structured data
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Crawl site for SEO issues (free version available)
- Ahrefs Webmaster Tools: Free SEO audit tool
The Verdict
SEO isn't just about content. It's about technical foundation. Most website owners miss critical setup steps, leaving their sites invisible to search engines.
Fix these 25 issues, and you'll see immediate improvements in indexing, rankings, and traffic. Most can be fixed in a day or two of focused work.
Don't wait. Your competitors aren't.
Need Help With SEO Setup?
Our SEO audit service identifies all these issues and more. We'll fix technical SEO problems, set up analytics, configure schema markup, and ensure your site is properly optimized for search engines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for SEO changes to show results?
Technical SEO fixes (like fixing indexing issues, submitting sitemaps, fixing broken links) can show results in days to weeks. Content and ranking improvements typically take 3-6 months. However, fixing critical technical issues (like not being indexed at all) can have immediate impact once Google re-crawls your site.
Do I need to do all 25 items?
The first 6 items (Search Console, Analytics, Sitemap, Robots.txt, SSL, Mobile) are essential—do these immediately. The next 8 items are important and should be done within the first month. The remaining items are enhancements that improve results but aren't critical for basic SEO functionality.
Can I do SEO setup myself or do I need a professional?
Many of these items can be done yourself with basic technical knowledge. However, some require technical expertise (schema markup, server configuration, advanced redirects). If you're not technical, consider hiring a professional for the technical setup, then maintain it yourself. Our SEO audit service can identify and fix all these issues for you.
What's the most important SEO setup item?
If we had to pick one, it's Google Search Console. Without it, you have no visibility into how Google sees your site, what errors exist, or whether your pages are being indexed. Set this up first, then work through the other items based on what Search Console tells you.
How often should I check my SEO setup?
Check Google Search Console weekly for new errors or issues. Run a full SEO audit quarterly. Monitor rankings and traffic monthly. Set up alerts so you're notified immediately of critical issues (like site being de-indexed or security problems).
