As we move deeper into the age of AI-augmented search and generative visibility, SEO is no longer just about chasing rankings. It's about building a solid foundation that ensures your website is crawlable, index-ready, and optimized for both traditional search engines and modern AI systems.
We outlined the key areas SEO professionals should be focusing on for 2026. What he shared isn't flashy - in fact, it's grounded in the fundamentals most sites ignore until it's too late. Let's unpack these essentials and turn them into an actionable roadmap.
1. Fresh Technical Review - The Backbone of Sustainable SEO
Technical health is the foundation of organic visibility. Before you even think about content ideation or keyword strategies, you must ensure that search engines (and AI crawlers) can discover, crawl, and understand your pages accurately. Here are the core steps:
Crawl the Entire Website
Start with a full crawl of your site - ideally paired with at least 16 months of Google Search Console data. This highlights patterns over time, not just a snapshot. Look for:
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Low internal link counts on pages with decent impressions
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Canonical issues
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Pagination and navigation accessibility (with and without JavaScript)
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Broken links and redirect chains
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Inconsistent handling of URLs (WWW vs non-WWW, trailing slash, HTTPS, etc.)
Fix Internal Linking
Internal links are more than navigation aids - they communicate priority and relevance. Look especially for:
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Redirects in internal link paths (301/302/308)
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Orphan pages with no incoming internal links
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Inconsistent anchor text usage
Clean internal linking improves crawl efficiency and aids query matching directly from Google Search Console data.
Ensure Accurate Canonicals & JS Rendering
Rendering issues and misconfigured canonicals can prevent important content from ever being properly indexed - especially with complex modern web builds relying heavily on JavaScript.
2. Index Cleanup - Eliminate Crawl Bloat and False Signals
Index cleanup isn't just about reducing the number of indexed pages; it's about removing noise that dilutes your site's authority and wastes crawl budget.
Audit Index Status by Page Type
Check pages falling into these categories:
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Server errors (5xx) - fix the server or remove the page
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Blocked by robots.txt - ensure it's intentional
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Noindex pages that shouldn't be indexed - correct tags
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Soft 404s, 404s, 403s - decide whether to redirect or remove
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Crawled but not indexed - assess internal links and usefulness
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Duplicate pages - consolidate or canonicalize correctly
Review Redirects
Legacy redirects often cause confusion if not logically mapped. Remove legacy redirect chains, and ensure all redirects have a clear purpose.
Index cleanup improves signal clarity, reduces waste, and boosts crawl efficiency - a must before pushing new content.
3. Content Audit - Engagement, Quality, and Intent
With the technical base ready and index bloat resolved, it's time to assess what your content is actually doing.
Blend Performance Data
Use Google Search Console (16+ months), site crawl data, and analytics engagement metrics (like time on page and scroll depth) to evaluate content performance.
Group pages by content type and look for:
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High word count but low engagement
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Pages with impressions but no clicks
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Poor readability or layout issues
Assess Content Purpose
Ask:
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Does the page answer real user intent?
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Is the structure clear, scannable, and semantic?
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Does it compel engagement or only satisfy shallow metric goals?
Low-performing pages should either be improved or removed entirely - both actions help strengthen your site's overall authority and topical signal.
Why These Priorities Matter in 2026
In a landscape increasingly shaped by AI and generative search responses, fundamentals matter more than ever. Before you optimize for AI visibility or invest in advanced content strategies, your technical foundation must be airtight.
When crawlability, index hygiene, and content engagement are weak, no amount of trend-driven SEO will yield sustainable results.
This checklist isn't about shortcuts - it's about doing the foundational work others overlook, and in doing so, building durable visibility.
Final Thoughts - The Discipline Over Noise
SEO is evolving, but the fundamentals endure. For 2026, winning SEO is not about chasing the latest hacks - it's:
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Technical discipline
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Strategic cleanup
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Intent-aligned content
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Tangible visibility improvements
When these are in place, everything else - from AI-ready optimization to content ecosystem building - becomes far more effective.
