Micro Website SEO Checklist (25 Quick Wins)
This is the fastest path to ranking a micro website SEO . Work through these 25 fixes—organized by setup, speed, on-page, SERP features, and internal links/E-E-A-T. Each task is sized to be finished in minutes, not days.
1) Technical setup & indexing (5 wins)
- HTTPS + canonical domain — Force HTTPS and a single preferred host (www or non-www). Add a site-wide canonical.
- Robots & XML sitemap — Keep
/wp-admin/blocked, allow public pages; submit a clean XML sitemap to GSC. - Indexable templates only — Noindex thin pages (tags, author archives, search results). Keep 1 URL = 1 intent.
- Schema baseline — Article on posts, WebPage on static pages, BreadcrumbList site-wide. Validate in Rich Results Test.
- Tracking + consent — GA4 + GSC connected; cookie banner loads scripts after consent (performance mode).
2) Speed & Core Web Vitals (5 wins)
- Compress hero images — WebP/AVIF, ≤ 1600px wide, lazy-load all but the above-the-fold hero.
- Critical CSS — Inline above-the-fold CSS; defer non-critical styles/scripts; remove unused plugins.
- Fonts — Use system fonts or 1 webfont,
display=swap, self-hosted; preconnect to font origin. - Cache & CDN — Page caching + object caching; CDN for images/static; long cache headers.
- CLS fixes — Reserve space for images/embeds; avoid layout shift from sticky bars/popups.
3) On-page essentials (5 wins)
- One keyword, one page — Map a primary keyword + 2–3 supporting terms; avoid cannibalization.
- Search-intent H1 — Put the promise + audience in the H1; keep it ≤ 60–65 chars where possible.
- Snippet-ready intro — First 2 sentences answer the query directly; add the key term once.
- Headings & scannability — H2/H3 with query variants; short paragraphs; bullets; comparison tables.
- CTAs with one goal — One primary CTA per screen; add UTM parameters for attribution.
4) Content & SERP features (5 wins)
- FAQ block — 2–4 unique Q&As per page; add FAQPage JSON-LD (no duplicates across posts).
- Comparison tables — For “best” and “vs” pages; include columns buyers care about (price, key features, verdict).
- Images with alt text — Descriptive, keyword-adjacent alt text; compress and name files by topic.
- Freshness — Add “Updated” date; revise data, screenshots, and pricing every quarter.
- Outbound citations — Link to primary sources, docs, and specs to strengthen E-E-A-T.
5) Internal links, E-E-A-T & tracking (5 wins)
- 3 internal links per page — Link up to the pillar and sideways to siblings using descriptive anchors.
- Breadcrumbs — Visible trail + BreadcrumbList schema; improve sitelinks and crawl.
- Author box + about — Real person, credentials, headshot, contact/socials; add an Editorial Guidelines page.
- Affiliate compliance — Clear disclosure above first affiliate link; no cloaked redirects without rel attributes.
- Measure & iterate — Track clicks on CTAs, scroll depth, and GSC queries at positions 6–15; refresh near-wins.
One-page audit table
| # | Quick win | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HTTPS + single canonical host | ||
| 2 | Robots & XML sitemap | ||
| 3 | Noindex thin archives | ||
| 4 | Schema baseline (Article/WebPage/Breadcrumb) | ||
| 5 | GA4 + GSC + consent mode | ||
| 6 | WebP/AVIF heroes + lazy-load | ||
| 7 | Critical CSS + defer JS | ||
| 8 | Font optimization | ||
| 9 | Cache + CDN | ||
| 10 | CLS prevention (reserved space) | ||
| 11 | One keyword, one page | ||
| 12 | Intent-aligned H1 | ||
| 13 | Snippet-ready intro | ||
| 14 | H2/H3 structure + tables | ||
| 15 | Single primary CTA per screen | ||
| 16 | FAQ block + JSON-LD | ||
| 17 | Comparison tables for money pages | ||
| 18 | Optimized images alt + filenames | ||
| 19 | Freshness (Updated date/scan) | ||
| 20 | Outbound citations to sources | ||
| 21 | 3 internal links per page | ||
| 22 | Breadcrumbs + schema | ||
| 23 | Author/E-E-A-T signals | ||
| 24 | Affiliate disclosure compliance | ||
| 25 | Measure near-wins and refresh |
Power move: Filter GSC for queries where your page ranks positions 6–15. Add a comparison table or FAQ that answers the exact intent on those queries—often enough to push to page 1.
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FAQ
What’s the fastest single improvement I can make?
Compress the hero image and inline critical CSS. It reduces load, improves LCP, and helps every page instantly.
How many pages should a micro website start with?
Ship 5–20 pages that each target a single query and interlink tightly. Expand only after you see traction.
Do I need schema on every page?
Yes—at least WebPage/Article + Breadcrumb. Add FAQ/HowTo/Review where relevant to win rich results.