Generic SEO checklists drown bloggers in enterprise concerns — hreflang, log file analysis, JavaScript rendering budgets. A blog needs a shorter, sharper list. Here are the 20 checks that actually move blog rankings, in the order to run them.

Indexation (do first)

1. Is the site indexed at all? (site:yourblog.com on Google)
2. Any important posts excluded by robots.txt or noindex?
3. Search Console Coverage: any valid pages with errors?

Technical basics

4. Mobile usability errors in Search Console?
5. Core Web Vitals: any "poor" URLs?
6. Broken internal links (they leak authority).
7. HTTPS everywhere, no mixed content.
8. XML sitemap submitted and current?

On-page (per post)

9. One H1 per post, keyword near the front of the title?
10. Unique meta descriptions on top-traffic posts?
11. Images compressed with descriptive alt text?
12. Internal links: does every post link to 2–3 related posts?
13. Any thin posts under 500 words worth merging or expanding?

Content quality

14. Top 10 posts: still accurate and current? Refresh dates where needed.
15. Keyword cannibalization: two posts targeting the same keyword? (Check with site:yourblog.com "keyword".)
16. Orphan posts with zero internal links pointing in?
17. Categories/tags: not creating thin duplicate archives?

Quick wins

18. Schema markup on posts (Article + FAQ)? Generate free with AutoRank's Schema Generator.
19. Top-impression queries in Search Console with low CTR — rewrite those titles.
20. Oldest high-traffic post — refresh it this week.

Automate it

Run the checklist manually once, then let AutoRank's Site Audit monitor continuously — 5 credits free, no card. Re-audit monthly; blogs drift fast.

FAQ

How long does a blog audit take?

First manual pass: 2–3 hours for a 50-post blog. Automated re-audits: minutes.

What is the single highest-impact fix for blogs?

Internal linking. Most blogs under-link their own best content — fixing it lifts multiple posts at once.

Sources

• Google Search Central: SEO starter guide, Search Console docs
• AutoRank Site Audit: https://www.autorankenterprise.com/site-audit