Content Management System Checklist

Navigational and Action Elements

These are elements that help users navigate through your website.

Menu/Navigation (Header and Footer)

These are your website’s roads, guiding both users and search engines to your most important pages

URL changes

Managing URL changes correctly ensures that old links don’t lead to dead ends, preserving your website’s authority and user experience.

301 redirects

A 301 redirect is a permanent move that ensures visitors and search engines are seamlessly guided from an old page to a new one, preserving your website’s authority.

CTAs (Calls to Action)

CTAs are the signposts that tell your visitors what to do next, guiding them toward a desired action like an inquiry or a download or to a different page.

CTAs above the fold:

These are the most important signposts, strategically placed where users first see them to maximize engagement.

Mid-Section CTAs:

These are placed within your content to encourage action as users learn more about your offerings.

Contact forms

These forms provide a clear path for potential clients to connect with you, helping convert website visitors into valuable leads. This should lead to a thank you page.

Internal and external hyperlinks to pages

These links act as connections between your website and other reputable sites, signaling relevance and authority to search engines. This needs to be rendered in HTML.

HTML anchor link

These specific links help users jump to key sections on a long page, improving their experience and allowing search engines to better understand your content structure.

HTML Sitemap

An HTML sitemap provides an organized overview of your website’s pages, making it easy for both users and search engines to navigate your entire site.

Clickable maps, and phone numbers

Making it easy for users to find your physical location or contact you directly builds trust and can improve your local search rankings.

On-page Elements

These are elements that help drive traffic to your website and keep users engaged.

H1 heading and other headings (H2-H6)

Headings are like a table of contents for your page, organizing your content and signaling its main topic to search engines.

Content sections (New and existing):

These are the core of your website, providing valuable information that answers user questions and demonstrates your expertise.

Different content types

these are text elements organized in tables, Q&A sections, and FAQ sections

Multiple content formats, rich formats (Video, PDF and Images)

” Offering a variety of content formats keeps your audience engaged and helps you rank for different types of search queries, from text, images and video.

*Video’s need to be embeded”

Desktop and mobile designs

Ensuring your website looks and functions perfectly on both desktop and mobile devices is crucial, as a seamless experience on any screen directly impacts your search performance. This also includes the ability to hide or render sections differently on mobile devices and desktop computers.

Search Results Page Elements

These are elements that help you capture more search shares that result in increased user visibility on the SERPs.

Meta title

Your meta title is the headline in search results, acting as a crucial first impression to entice users to click.

Meta Description

This is the short summary that appears under your meta title, giving users a preview of what they’ll find on the page and encouraging them to visit.

Favicon

This small but powerful icon helps with brand recognition, appearing in browser tabs and search results to make your site stand out.

Schema (Sitewide and per page)

Schema is a special type of code that gives search engines more context about your content, helping your site appear with rich results like star ratings or product information.

Not Visible to Users

These are features that your CMS should be able to manage that are not visible to users but affect the performance of your website. These are managed by your CMS but may require a more technical person.

Image replacement/resizing

Optimizing image size ensures your pages load quickly, providing a better user experience and a positive signal to search engines.

Alt Text

Managing URL changes correctly ensures that old links don’t lead to dead ends, preserving your website’s authority and user experience.

Search Results Page Elements

These are elements that help you capture more search shares that result in increased user visibility on the SERPs.

Meta title

Your meta title is the headline in search results, acting as a crucial first impression to entice users to click.

Meta Description

This is the short summary that appears under your meta title, giving users a preview of what they’ll find on the page and encouraging them to visit.

Favicon

This small but powerful icon helps with brand recognition, appearing in browser tabs and search results to make your site stand out.

Schema (Sitewide and per page)

Schema is a special type of code that gives search engines more context about your content, helping your site appear with rich results like star ratings or product information.

Navigational and Action Elements

These are elements that help users navigate through your website.

Menu/Navigation (Header and Footer)

These are your website’s roads, guiding both users and search engines to your most important pages

URL changes

Managing URL changes correctly ensures that old links don’t lead to dead ends, preserving your website’s authority and user experience.

Navigational and Action Elements

These are elements that help users navigate through your website.

Menu/Navigation (Header and Footer)

These are your website’s roads, guiding both users and search engines to your most important pages

URL changes

Managing URL changes correctly ensures that old links don’t lead to dead ends, preserving your website’s authority and user experience.

301 redirects

A 301 redirect is a permanent move that ensures visitors and search engines are seamlessly guided from an old page to a new one, preserving your website’s authority.

CTAs (Calls to Action)

CTAs are the signposts that tell your visitors what to do next, guiding them toward a desired action like an inquiry or a download or to a different page.

URL changes

Managing URL changes correctly ensures that old links don’t lead to dead ends, preserving your website’s authority and user experience.

301 redirects

A 301 redirect is a permanent move that ensures visitors and search engines are seamlessly guided from an old page to a new one, preserving your website’s authority.

CTAs (Calls to Action)

CTAs are the signposts that tell your visitors what to do next, guiding them toward a desired action like an inquiry or a download or to a different page.