Use this checklist before publishing every post. It takes 10 minutes to run through, and it catches 90% of SEO mistakes that prevent ranking. Check keyword placement, title tags, meta descriptions, heading hierarchy, links, images, and readability.
The SEO content pre-publish checklist
Keyword & Intent
- Target keyword identified
- 3-5 secondary keywords identified
- Search intent matches content type
- Keyword in H1 naturally
- Keyword in first 100 words
- 1-2 natural mentions of keyword (not stuffed)
Title & Meta
- Title tag 50-60 characters
- Title tag includes main keyword
- Meta description 150-160 characters
- Meta description answers the question
- Meta description includes keyword once
Heading Hierarchy
- H1 at the top
- Proper nesting (H1 > H2 > H3, no skips)
- 4-8 H2 sections
- H3 only when section >300 words
- Secondary keywords distributed in H2s
Content Quality
- Intro answers the question in first sentence
- Intro explains why it matters
- Intro previews sections
- Each section is 150-300 words
- Each section has main point + explanation + link
- Conclusion summarizes and restates answer
- Conclusion includes CTA
Links
- 3-7 internal links (to related posts)
- Links use descriptive anchor text
- 2-5 external links (to authoritative sources)
- All links are working
Images
- 1 featured image (1200x630px)
- 1 inline image per 500 words
- All images have descriptive alt text
- Alt text includes keyword naturally where appropriate
Readability
- Grade 8-10 reading level
- Paragraphs are 3-5 sentences max
- Bold key terms (not excessive)
- Lists used for scannable content
- No typos or grammar errors
- Sentences under 15 words average
Content Depth
- Word count matches top 10 results
- All SERP angles covered
- Unique perspective or angle included
- Data and examples included
- No plagiarism
Featured Snippet
- Featured snippet type identified (if SERP has one)
- Post optimized to win snippet (if applicable)
Mobile & Technical
- Page loads in under 3 seconds
- Readable on mobile
- No broken images or links
- Proper URL slug (keyword included, lowercase, hyphens)
Quick 5-minute version
If you're in a hurry:
- Keyword in H1 and first 100 words
- Title 50-60 characters with keyword
- Meta description 150-160 characters
- 3-7 internal links
- No obvious typos
Common checklist fails
Mistake 1: Publishing without keyword research. You spend hours writing about a keyword you haven't verified exists.
Mistake 2: Meta description doesn't answer the question. Searchers don't click because the snippet doesn't tell them what they'll find.
Mistake 3: No internal links. Missed opportunity to guide readers and distribute authority.
Mistake 4: Broken heading hierarchy. H1 → H3 → H2 confuses search engines.
Mistake 5: Short meta description. "Read our blog post about X" doesn't tell searchers what they'll learn.
Verdict
Run this checklist for every post. It's the difference between posts that rank and posts that don't.
Want posts that pass the checklist automatically?
Outshipper checks every post against this checklist. Every post meets keyword, meta, heading, link, and readability standards.
Free plan: 3 posts/month, up to 1,000 words, no card. Pro: $19/month (currently 50% off at $9.50/mo) with 200,000 words.
