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What's the first technical SEO error you check on the new site?
- Mar 2, 2021
- 3,710
- 1,041
Good question. I typically start with crawl/indexing issues, broken links and duplicate pages, because those can quietly hurt performance. Then I check site speed, mobile usability, and proper use of meta tags and schema to make sure search engines can read everything properly.
SyedHabib-SEOExpert
Newbie
- Apr 20, 2026
- 32
- 3
i always check early is canonical tag setup, specially when CMS like WordPress creates duplicate URLs with trailing slash or www vs non-www both being accessible. Had a site where two versions was getting indexed simultaneously and it were splitting link equity without any obvious error showing in Search Console. Took me few weeks to figure out why rankings wasnt moving despite everything else looking clean. Simple canonical and 301 redirect fix sorted it out after that
Look for **crawl budget waste** (broken links, 301 loops, and orphan pages). Make sure your **rendering** is on point - Googlebot needs to see your JS content without choking. Also, watch **Core Web Vitals** (especially INP and LCP) and dynamic XML sitemaps, because if it doesn't load fast or index right, your SEO is dead in the water.
Gulnazar CN
Newbie
- Sep 6, 2023
- 34
- 6
I always check for a 'noindex' tag left over from the dev stage or a messy robots.txt that blocks the whole site. It sounds basic, but you'd be surprised how many "dead" sites are just hiding from Googlebot. If the site can't be crawled, no amount of backlinking or content will save it.
First, check for standard crawl budget killers – crawl errors (404s/500s), broken internal links, and improper canonical tags that cause duplicate content issues. Also, I make sure that the robots.txt is not blocking any critical JS/CSS accidentally and that the XML sitemap is clean. Then it’s all about repairing sluggish Core Web Vitals (LCP/INP) because Google hates slow sites.
garrolouss
Junior Member
- May 19, 2025
- 105
- 39
First thing I always check is indexing control. If Google is crawling junk pages or missing important ones, everything else is waste of time.
After that I quickly look at:
Simple rule: if crawl + index is clean, rest of SEO actually works.
After that I quickly look at:
- robots.txt + sitemap issues
- 404s and redirect chains
- canonical / duplicate pages
Simple rule: if crawl + index is clean, rest of SEO actually works.
- Jun 25, 2015
- 3,907
- 834
When auditing a website, I usually start with crawlability and indexing issues, such as broken links, . After that, I check Core Web Vitals, page speed, mobile usability, structured data, Fixing these fundamentals often provides the biggest technical SEO improvements.
Backlinks Hub Agency
Newbie
- May 21, 2026
- 6
- 2
I start with search console errors, indexing, and site speed.
- Sep 10, 2023
- 207
- 79
The first thing I check is if the website is crawlable and indexable by search engines. Many websites block search engines unknowingly by using robots.txt files, noindex tags, and even incorrect canonicals. This should be checked immediately after which comes crawl errors, page speed, mobile usability, XML sitemaps, and duplicate content checks.
DakotaWilder
Newbie
- Apr 15, 2026
- 16
- 14
The first thing i usually check is whether the site can actually be crawled and indexed properly.
i have seen new sites accidently block search engines through roboits.txt or noindex settings.
after that i look for broken pages, redirect issues and sitemap problems.
i have seen new sites accidently block search engines through roboits.txt or noindex settings.
after that i look for broken pages, redirect issues and sitemap problems.
In case of the first launch of my own website, firstly, my worries relate to the issues of indexing and crawling by Google. Afterward, I go ahead with checking broken links, redirecting, duplicate pages, canonical URLs, and internal linking. And what I have noticed is that it is really important for good SEO results in future.
thomas.robert
Newbie
- Jun 9, 2026
- 4
- 0
Hey, when audits are done on a new site, we focus strictly on the big three that actually kill rank and UX: **crawlability** (broken links/404s and redirect loops), **render blocking** (bloated JS/CSS tanking your Core Web Vitals), and **indexation traps** (misconfigured canonicals or rogue noindex tags).
Fix those, and you’re already ahead of 90% of the web. What stack are you building atop?
Fix those, and you’re already ahead of 90% of the web. What stack are you building atop?
- Jul 5, 2016
- 2,520
- 1,215
I always start with schema markups. Different niche and type of site require different types of markups. Consider applying the ones that are most relevant to your site.
Mamtasingh08
Newbie
- Dec 22, 2021
- 25
- 1
robots.txt is the immediate go-to. if that's not configured right, nothing else matters. then it's site speed, specifically server response time. a slow server kills everything
Rankings Daily
Newbie
- Jun 7, 2026
- 48
- 5
One thing nobody mentioned yet... after you sort the obvious stuff (robots, noindex, canonicals) actually open the rendered html in Search Console URL inspection, not just the live page. Seen a few JS heavy sites where the page looks fine to me but Googlebot gets a half empty DOM cause content loads after some event. Looked perfect in chrome, completely blank to google.
Also dont sleep on internal linking like @l0cke said. Orphan pages on a brand new site are super common because you build pages faster than you link them, and then wonder why they never index. I usually just crawl my own site with screaming frog before launch and look at whats sitting with 0 inlinks.
What stack you on @Elowyn? wordpress vs a headless setup changes which of these actually bite you.
Also dont sleep on internal linking like @l0cke said. Orphan pages on a brand new site are super common because you build pages faster than you link them, and then wonder why they never index. I usually just crawl my own site with screaming frog before launch and look at whats sitting with 0 inlinks.
What stack you on @Elowyn? wordpress vs a headless setup changes which of these actually bite you.
- Aug 4, 2015
- 5,892
- 784
I always check the robots.txt and sitemap to make sure the site isn't blocked from being crawled, if the dev left a noindex tag in the header, you're just wasting your time, look at that first before you even bother with content or links.