You're not an SEO expert. You shouldn't have to be. But when you're paying someone to build or maintain your website, you need to know enough to ask the right questions.
Here's a practical guide to having productive conversations about technical SEO - without needing to understand the technical details yourself.
The Questions That Matter
"Is the site mobile-friendly?"
This isn't just an SEO question - it's a user experience fundamental. Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning they primarily look at your mobile site when deciding rankings.
What you're really asking:
- Does the site work properly on phones and tablets?
- Is text readable without zooming?
- Can users tap buttons without frustration?
- Does it load quickly on mobile connections?
How to verify: Visit your site on your phone. Try to complete key actions (find information, contact you). Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool.
Red flag: "It's mostly mobile-friendly" or "People don't use phones for this." They do.
"How fast does the site load?"
Site speed affects both user experience and rankings. Slow sites lose visitors and rank worse.
What you're really asking:
- What's the actual load time for real visitors?
- Have you tested and optimised for speed?
- Are images properly compressed?
- Is the code efficient?
How to verify: Test with Google PageSpeed Insights. Ask for the actual scores.
Red flag: Dismissing speed as unimportant or blaming your hosting without offering solutions.
"Can Google actually see our content?"
Some websites hide content from search engines accidentally through technical issues.
What you're really asking:
- Is there a robots.txt file blocking important pages?
- Are there any "noindex" tags preventing indexing?
- Can crawlers follow the navigation?
- Is the content in HTML (not hidden in images or JavaScript)?
How to verify: Search "site:yourdomain.com" on Google. You should see your pages. If pages are missing, something might be wrong.
Red flag: "I think so" without being able to demonstrate it.
"Are page titles and meta descriptions set up properly?"
These are the titles and descriptions that appear in Google search results. They're fundamental to SEO and click-through rates.
What you're really asking:
- Does each page have a unique, descriptive title?
- Are there meta descriptions that encourage clicks?
- Do they include relevant terms people search for?
- Are they the right length (not cut off in search results)?
How to verify: Search for your business on Google and look at how your pages appear in results.
Red flag: All pages having the same title, or titles that are just your business name without describing the page.
"Is the URL structure clean and logical?"
URLs matter for both users and search engines. Clean URLs are easier to understand and share.
Good: example.com/services/web-design Bad: example.com/?p=123&cat=4
What you're really asking:
- Are URLs readable and descriptive?
- Do they reflect the site structure?
- Are they reasonably short and clean?
Red flag: URLs full of random numbers or parameters, or extremely long URLs.
"Do images have alt text?"
Alt text describes images for screen readers and helps Google understand your images.
What you're really asking:
- Are images described for accessibility?
- Can search engines understand what images show?
- Are image file names descriptive?
How to verify: Right-click an image on your site, select "Inspect" and look for the alt attribute. Or use an accessibility checker.
Red flag: "Images don't need alt text" - they do, for both accessibility and SEO.
"Is there a sitemap, and is it submitted to Google?"
A sitemap helps Google discover and understand your site's pages.
What you're really asking:
- Does the site have an XML sitemap?
- Is it submitted to Google Search Console?
- Is it kept up to date?
How to verify: Visit yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml - you should see a list of pages.
Red flag: Not knowing what a sitemap is, or saying it's not necessary.
For Local Businesses
If you're a local business, add these questions:
"Is our NAP information consistent?"
NAP = Name, Address, Phone number. It should be identical everywhere it appears.
What you're really asking:
- Is our business info in the website footer?
- Does it match our Google Business Profile exactly?
- Is it in text (not just images)?
"Is there local structured data?"
Structured data helps Google understand your business information.
What you're really asking:
- Is there LocalBusiness schema markup?
- Does it include our address, phone, hours?
- Is it valid and error-free?
How to verify: Use Google's Rich Results Test with your URL.
Questions About Process
Beyond technical specifics, understand how SEO fits into the overall process:
"Is SEO being considered from the start?"
SEO should influence structure, content, and technical decisions from day one - not be an afterthought.
Red flag: "We'll do SEO after launch" - much harder and more expensive that way.
"How will we track results?"
You need Google Analytics and Google Search Console set up properly.
Ask for:
- Google Analytics installed and configured
- Google Search Console verified
- Access to both (it's your data)
"What happens with updates and changes?"
SEO isn't one-and-done. As you add content or make changes, SEO considerations should continue.
Ask about:
- How new pages get optimised
- Who updates meta information
- How blog posts or updates are handled
What You Don't Need to Worry About
Some things sound important but aren't worth your focus:
Keyword density - The idea that keywords need to appear X% of the time is outdated. Natural writing is fine.
Meta keywords - Google has ignored this tag for years. Don't worry if it's missing.
Domain age - You can't change when your domain was registered. Focus on what you can control.
PageRank - Google's original ranking metric. Not something you can directly influence.
When Something's Wrong
Signs your site might have technical SEO issues:
- Your site doesn't appear when you search for your business name
- Pages that existed have disappeared from search
- You get far less traffic than competitors
- Google Search Console shows errors or warnings
- Your pages load very slowly
If you notice these issues, ask specifically about them. Good developers will investigate and explain.
The Honest Conversation
When discussing SEO with developers, remember:
They're not SEO specialists - Most web developers know technical SEO basics but aren't strategists. That's okay for most projects.
Some things are trade-offs - A beautiful animation might slow the site. Discuss what matters more.
SEO isn't instant - Even with perfect technical SEO, results take months. Be patient.
You share responsibility - Developers can build the foundation, but you need to provide good content, maintain your Google Business Profile, and gather reviews.
The Bottom Line
You don't need to understand the technical details. You need to:
- Ask the right questions - Use this guide
- Request verification - Don't just take their word; ask them to show you
- Get access - Ensure you have access to Google Analytics and Search Console
- Set expectations - Understand what SEO can and can't guarantee
A good developer will welcome these questions. They show you're engaged and make the project clearer for everyone.
If questions are dismissed or can't be answered, consider that a warning sign. Technical SEO basics aren't optional - they're part of building a professional website.