The Developer's SEO Checklist: What Actually Matters in 2026

SEO in 2026 is less about gaming algorithms and more about building genuinely excellent websites. Google's AI-powered search rewards technical quality, content depth, and real user satisfaction.

Technical Foundation

• Core Web Vitals: LCP under 2.5s, FID under 100ms, CLS under 0.1
• Mobile-first indexing: Google indexes the mobile version first
• HTTPS everywhere: Non-negotiable
• Clean URLs: Descriptive slugs, no query parameters for content

Content Structure

• One H1 per page — make it count
• Logical heading hierarchy (H2 → H3 → H4)
• Schema.org structured data for articles, FAQs, products
• Internal linking between related content

Meta Tags That Matter

• Title tag: 50-60 characters, include primary keyword
• Meta description: 150-160 characters, compelling CTA
• Open Graph: Custom images and descriptions for social sharing
• Canonical URLs: Prevent duplicate content issues

What Doesn't Matter Anymore

Keyword density, meta keywords tag, exact-match domains, and link schemes. Focus on creating genuinely useful content and technically sound websites.

The best SEO strategy is building a website so good that people want to link to it naturally.