Technical SEO Audit: The Complete Checklist for a Senegalese Site in 2026

Technical SEO audit: foundations before content

You can write the best content in Senegal: if Google cannot crawl, index and understand your site, you will stay invisible. Technical SEO is the foundation. A complete technical audit reveals the blockers that cap your rankings, often without anyone suspecting it.

This checklist covers everything to verify on a Senegalese site in 2026, with prioritization logic: fix what blocks indexing first, then what slows things down, finally what refines.

1. Indexing: does Google see your pages?

This is the first question. If a page is not indexed, it does not exist for Google.

• Check in Search Console (Indexing report) how many pages are indexed vs published.
• Type site:yourdomain.com in Google to see known pages.
• Spot important missing pages.
• Identify pages indexed by mistake (test pages, cart, admin area).

Common causes of non-indexing: a forgotten noindex tag, robots.txt blocking, thin content, orphan pages with no internal links.

2. The XML sitemap

The sitemap lists the URLs you want indexed. Verify:

• That it exists (often /sitemap.xml).
• That it is submitted in Search Console.
• That it only contains 200 URLs (no 404s, no redirects, no noindex).
• That it updates automatically when you publish.
• That multilingual versions are declared if the site is bilingual.

3. The robots.txt file

This file tells robots what they can crawl. A classic and serious mistake: a Disallow: / that blocks the entire site, often left over from the development phase. Verify that:

• robots.txt does not block your strategic pages.
• The sitemap is referenced in it.
• CSS and JS resources are not blocked (Google must see the rendering).

4. Speed and Core Web Vitals

In Senegal, many users are on unstable 3G or 4G. Speed is not a luxury, it is a ranking and conversion factor. Measure with PageSpeed Insights and Search Console (Core Web Vitals report).

• LCP (loading): aim under 2.5 seconds.
• INP (interactivity): aim under 200 ms.
• CLS (visual stability): aim under 0.1.

Main levers: compress images (WebP/AVIF), enable caching, use a CDN like Cloudflare, defer non-critical JavaScript, limit fonts and third-party scripts.

5. Mobile-first

Google indexes the mobile version first. In a market where more than 80 percent of traffic is mobile, this is non-negotiable.

• Responsive site, readable without zooming.
• Buttons large enough for touch.
• Accessible WhatsApp button.
• No intrusive pop-ups on load.
• Same content on mobile and desktop (no stripped-down mobile version).

6. Structured data (Schema.org)

Schema markup helps Google understand your content and unlocks rich results (stars, FAQ, breadcrumbs). For a Senegalese site, implement:

• LocalBusiness: name, address, phone, hours, service area. Crucial for local.
• Organization: brand identity, logo, social profiles.
• BreadcrumbList: breadcrumbs in results.
• FAQPage: for your pages with questions and answers.
• Product / Service: for product and service pages.
• Article: for the blog.

Always validate with Google's rich results test. Malformed schema can be ignored or generate errors.

7. Internal linking

Internal links distribute authority and guide Google. Verify:

• No orphan page (with no incoming internal link).
• Your strategic pages receive the most internal links.
• Descriptive anchor texts, not "click here".
• Reasonable depth: every page reachable within 3 clicks from the home page.

8. Errors and redirects

• 404s: fix or 301-redirect important deleted pages.
• Redirect chains: avoid A to B to C, redirect A directly to C.
• HTTPS: entire site on HTTPS, no mixed HTTP content.
• Duplicate content: correct canonical tags, no double URL (with and without slash, www and non-www).

9. Prioritizing fixes

An audit lists dozens of issues. The mistake would be to handle them all at random. Priority order:

• Blocking: robots.txt blocking the site, noindex on key pages, non-HTTPS site. Fix immediately.
• Critical: strategic pages not indexed, missing or broken sitemap, unusable mobile.
• Important: poor speed, missing structured data, weak linking.
• Optimization: Core Web Vitals refinement, advanced schema, redirect cleanup.

Mini case study: an e-commerce in Sacre-Coeur

An online store in Sacre-Coeur stalled at 1,100 organic visits per month despite a good catalog. The audit revealed three blockers: a robots.txt that disallowed /produits/ since development, no Product structured data, and a 6.2-second LCP on mobile.

After fixes (unblocking robots, adding Product and LocalBusiness schema, image compression and CDN bringing LCP to 2.1 seconds), measured in Search Console over 4 months: indexed pages rose from 40 to 320, organic traffic from 1,100 to 4,200 visits per month, and review stars appeared on 28 product listings in results, raising the average CTR from 2.8 to 5.4 percent.

FAQ

How often should I run a technical audit?

A full audit once or twice a year, plus a quick monthly check of indexing and errors in Search Console.

Which free tools for a technical SEO audit?

Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, Google's rich results test, and URL inspection. To go further, Screaming Frog in its free version (up to 500 URLs).

Is speed really a ranking factor in Senegal?

Yes, doubly so: a Google ranking factor AND a conversion factor on unstable 3G/4G connections. A slow site loses positions and customers.

Do I need schema on every page?

No. Implement LocalBusiness and Organization globally, then the schema suited to the page type (Product, Article, FAQPage) where it makes sense.

How long to see the effect of technical fixes?

Indexing unblocking can be visible in 1 to 3 weeks. Speed and schema gains reflect in positions within 1 to 2 months.

Let's talk about your project. Kolonell runs your complete technical SEO audit and fixes the blockers on your Senegalese site. Message us on WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.