( _01 )
Foundation & Strategy
- Goals & success metrics: What must this site achieve? Define KPIs upfront.
- Target audience: Who are they? What devices do they use?
- Information architecture: How content is structured, grouped, and navigated.
- Content strategy: Who writes the copy? Are assets ready? Assign an owner.
( _02 )
Design Phase
- Brand consistency: Type, color, tone, imagery: one cohesive system.
- UX & user flows: Can users find what they need? Are CTAs clear?
- Visual hierarchy: Does the eye know where to go first, second, third?
- Responsiveness: Designed well at every breakpoint, not just "shrunk."
( _03a )
Accessibility
- WCAG 2.1 AA compliance as the baseline standard
- Color contrast ratios on all text
- Keyboard navigation and visible focus states
- Screen reader support and semantic HTML
- Alt text on all meaningful images
( _03b )
Performance
- Core Web Vitals: LCP, CLS, INP optimized
- Images compressed and in modern formats (WebP, AVIF)
- Fonts optimized: subset and display:swap
- No render-blocking scripts above the fold
- Animation strategy: Lottie above fold, MP4 below
( _03c )
Technical SEO
- Semantic HTML structure (H1–H6 used correctly)
- Canonical URLs, sitemap.xml, robots.txt configured
- Structured data / Schema markup (JSON-LD)
- 301 redirects in place; no broken links or 404s
- Crawlable by search and AI bots (check robots.txt)
- Analytics (GA4) and Google Search Console live
( _03d )
On-page SEO
- Keyword strategy defined per page
- Meta titles, descriptions, and OG/social tags written
- Content answers real user questions clearly and directly
- Internal linking strategy connecting related pages
- Image alt text, file names, and captions optimized
- URL slugs clean, descriptive, and keyword-relevant
( _03e )
Off-page SEO
- Backlink strategy: quality over quantity, authoritative domains
- Brand mentions and PR presence across the web
- Google Business Profile and relevant directory listings
- Social profiles consistent and linked to the site
- Reviews and testimonials on third-party platforms
( _03f ) GEO / AEO
AI Optimization
- Direct answer blocks: concise answers within first 150 words of key pages
- E-E-A-T signals: real author bios, cited sources, demonstrated expertise
- FAQ and structured content: question-based headings, lists, comparison tables
- FAQPage & HowTo schema: formats AI systems parse most reliably
- Multi-platform presence: LinkedIn, Reddit, and industry publications
- Content freshness: updated regularly; AI deprioritizes stale content
( _03g )
Security & Legal
- SSL/HTTPS: non-negotiable table stakes
- Forms: validation, error states, and success states
- Privacy policy and terms of service in place
- Cookie banner and GDPR consent if required
- CMS/login: brute force and injection protection
( _04 )
Launch Phase
- DNS and domain ownership confirmed
- 301 redirects mapped (critical on redesigns)
- Staging environment tested before going live
- QA pass: broken links, missing images, placeholder text
- Browser and device compatibility confirmed
- Load time benchmarked pre-launch
( _05 )
Post-Launch & Scalability
- Scalability: Can CMS, hosting, and components handle growth?
- Maintenance plan: Who updates, monitors, and renews what?
- Backups: Where stored, how often, recovery tested?
- Performance monitoring: Search Console, Lighthouse, uptime alerts