Even seasoned SEOs miss things. A forgotten meta tag, an unoptimized image, a broken internal link—small oversights that cost rankings.
Manually running through a mental checklist is inefficient and error-prone. You need a system.
This prompt transforms ChatGPT or Claude into your personal SEO auditor. Feed it any URL or topic, and it outputs a professional-grade, step-by-step checklist you can execute immediately. No more guessing.
📋 The Prompt
Structure the checklist in clear, sequential phases. For each phase, list specific, verifiable tasks. Do not provide generic advice.
**Required Phases & Task Examples:**
1. **Pre-Launch / Core Foundation:**
* Verify target primary keyword and 2-3 secondary keywords are identified.
* Confirm title tag is under 60 chars and includes primary keyword near the front.
* Confirm meta description is compelling, under 160 chars, and includes a variant of the primary keyword.
* Check that URL slug is clean, contains the primary keyword, and uses hyphens.
* Ensure H1 is unique, contains the primary keyword, and is the only H1 on the page.
2. **On-Page Content & UX:**
* Audit content for keyword usage (primary keyword in first 100 words, natural density).
* Check for proper heading hierarchy (H2, H3) to structure content.
* Verify all images have descriptive, keyword-inclusive alt text and are compressed.
* Confirm internal links to relevant, authoritative site pages are present.
* Ensure content directly addresses user intent behind the target keyword.
3. **Technical & Performance:**
* Check page load speed via Core Web Vitals metrics (LCP, FID, CLS).
* Verify the page is mobile-responsive and renders correctly on all devices.
* Confirm canonical tag is set correctly to avoid duplicate content.
* Ensure XML sitemap includes this page and it's submitted to Search Console.
* Check for and fix any broken links (inbound or outbound).
4. **Post-Publication & Monitoring:**
* Schedule a check for indexation status in Google Search Console within 72 hours.
* Set up tracking for target keyword rankings in your preferred tool.
* Plan for content freshness: note a date to review and update this page in 6 months.
* Identify 2-3 high-authority external websites for potential backlink outreach.
Output the checklist in a clear, copy-pasteable format. For each task, include a brief "How to Verify" note (e.g., 'Use browser inspector,' 'Check Google Search Console').
How It Works
This prompt works because it gives the AI a specific role, a clear structure, and concrete examples. You’re not asking for ‘SEO tips’; you’re commissioning a formal audit deliverable.
The ‘senior consultant’ role primes the AI for high-level, strategic thinking, not basic advice. The mandatory phased structure (Pre-Launch, On-Page, Technical, Post-Publication) forces systematic coverage, mirroring a real-world workflow. This is far more reliable than a random bullet list.
Most importantly, the prompt includes examples within each phase. This ‘seeds’ the AI with the granularity you expect. It won’t just say ‘optimize title tag’; it will specify character limits and keyword placement. This turns the output from a vague guide into an executable plan.
Use this before publishing any new page or during quarterly site audits. For a broader strategic view, integrate this checklist into a larger AI SEO workflow. It ensures no tactical detail is lost within the big picture.
Pro Tips & Variations
Advanced Tweaks: For e-commerce product pages, add a phase for ‘Schema Markup’ (Product, Review). For local business pages, add a ‘Local SEO’ phase (NAP consistency, Google Business Profile). The prompt is a template—adapt it.
Common Mistake: Inputting just a keyword (‘best running shoes’). The AI needs context. Instead, provide a URL or a full description (‘the product page for the XYZ running shoe on our site, targeting “best trail running shoes for wide feet”‘).
For Different Results: Change the role. Try ‘SEO-focused content editor’ for a checklist heavy on readability and E-E-A-T. Or, use ‘Core Web Vitals specialist’ for a deep-dive technical performance list. The output’s flavor changes with the expert persona.
Remember, a checklist is only as good as the follow-through. Use it to guide your work, then measure the impact on key metrics to prove its value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use this for an entire website, not just one page?
Yes, but be specific. Input ‘comprehensive site audit for [domain.com] focusing on technical health and site architecture.’ The AI will then generate a higher-level checklist covering sitemaps, robots.txt, site-wide speed, etc.
The AI gives me a generic item like 'improve page speed.' How do I fix that?
Push back. The prompt’s examples should prevent this, but if it happens, regenerate or add: ‘For technical tasks, specify exact tools or metrics to check, e.g., “Use PageSpeed Insights to ensure LCP is under 2.5 seconds.”‘
Is this checklist enough to guarantee a #1 ranking?
No. SEO is multi-faceted. This covers foundational and on-page elements you control. It’s a prerequisite for success, not a magic bullet. Rankings depend on competition, backlinks, and authority. Think of this as mastering the fundamentals at scale.
How is this different from free online SEO checklists?
It’s dynamic and contextual. A static online list is one-size-fits-all. This AI-generated list adapts to your specific page—a blog post vs. a category page will receive different, relevant tasks. It’s a custom audit on demand.
Which AI model works best with this prompt?
Claude 3 Opus or ChatGPT-4 excel due to their strong reasoning and instruction-following. They better understand the phased structure and generate more nuanced ‘How to Verify’ notes. Simpler models may produce a more basic list.
