SEO Checklist for Your HubSpot Site

 

Optimizing your HubSpot website for search engines is essential to ensure visibility, drive organic traffic, and boost conversions. A well-structured SEO strategy enhances user experience, provides better search engine rankings, and positions your business as an authority in your domain. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through a detailed SEO checklist tailored specifically for HubSpot websites, leveraging its unique tools and features.

1). Perform an SEO Audit of Your HubSpot Site

Before diving into optimization, evaluate your website’s current performance. HubSpot offers a suite of tools to analyze your site’s SEO health.

Steps:

  1. Run a Website Audit: Use HubSpot’s SEO recommendations tool to identify issues like broken links, duplicate content, or slow-loading pages.
  2. Assess Core Web Vitals: Check for performance metrics like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) using Google’s PageSpeed Insights.
  3. Backlink Analysis: Evaluate the quality and quantity of backlinks using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush.

Example: If your audit highlights that certain pages load slowly, HubSpot’s CMS allows for easy optimization by compressing images or leveraging its built-in CDN.

2). Optimize Website Architecture

An organized site structure improves crawlability and user navigation. With HubSpot’s drag-and-drop website builder, creating a well-structured site is straightforward.

Key Points:

  • Use a Flat Structure: Ensure that critical pages are no more than three clicks away from the homepage.
  • Create a Sitemap: Generate and submit your XML sitemap directly through HubSpot. This helps search engines index your pages efficiently.
  • Internal Linking: Link related blog posts and pages to improve page authority and user engagement.

Pro Tip: HubSpot automatically generates a sitemap for your site, but you can customize it in the settings for better control.

3). Conduct Keyword Research

Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. With HubSpot’s integration capabilities, you can seamlessly manage keyword optimization.

Steps:

  • Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or HubSpot’s built-in keyword suggestions to find high-volume, low-competition keywords.
  • Focus on long-tail keywords aligned with user intent, e.g., “best HubSpot SEO practices.”
  • Group keywords by topic clusters for better organization and relevance.

Example: Create a blog series around the keyword “HubSpot integrations” with related clusters like “custom API integration” and “HubSpot automation.”

4). Optimize On-Page SEO

a. Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

  • Ensure every page has a unique and descriptive title.
  • Keep titles under 60 characters and meta descriptions under 160 characters.
  • Use primary keywords naturally.

b. Content Headers (H1, H2, H3)

  • Use an H1 for your main heading, followed by H2 and H3 for subheadings.
  • Ensure headers contain keywords but remain user-friendly.

c. Images

  • Compress images before uploading to improve page speed.
  • Add descriptive alt text for accessibility and SEO benefits.

d. URL Structure

  • Use short, keyword-rich URLs (e.g., /hubspot-seo-checklist).

Pro Tip: HubSpot CMS automatically offers SEO suggestions for individual pages, ensuring no optimization detail is missed.

5). Leverage HubSpot’s SEO Tools

SEO Recommendations Tool

HubSpot’s tool provides actionable tips to improve page performance, including suggestions for meta tags, alt text, and internal links.

Content Strategy Tool

Use this tool to build topic clusters. Create a central pillar page (e.g., “HubSpot SEO Best Practices”) and link related content.

Blog Post Optimization

HubSpot offers inline SEO tips when creating blog posts, such as keyword density and readability improvements.

6). Optimize Mobile Responsiveness

With mobile devices accounting for a majority of web traffic, your HubSpot site must deliver an excellent mobile experience.

Steps:

  • Use HubSpot’s responsive themes and templates.
  • Test mobile performance using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.
  • Optimize CTAs for touch navigation.

7). Improve Page Load Speed

A fast website enhances user experience and search engine rankings.

How to Improve Speed in HubSpot:

  • Enable caching for static content.
  • Use HubSpot’s global CDN to reduce latency.
  • Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files.
  • Optimize multimedia content.

8). Focus on Local SEO

If your business serves a local audience, prioritize local SEO.

Steps:

  • Create a Google Business Profile and ensure NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency.
  • Use location-specific keywords in your content.
  • Embed a Google Map on your contact page using HubSpot’s modules.

Example: Add keywords like “best marketing agency in New York” to relevant pages.

9). Monitor and Update Content Regularly

Fresh and updated content signals relevance to search engines.

Tips:

  • Repurpose old blog posts with new statistics and examples.
  • Regularly update cornerstone content (e.g., landing pages).
  • Remove outdated pages to maintain site relevance.

Pro Tip: Use HubSpot’s analytics dashboard to identify underperforming pages and optimize them.

10). Integrate Third-Party Tools

Extend HubSpot’s functionality with third-party integrations to enhance SEO.

Recommended Tools:

  • Google Analytics for traffic analysis.
  • Hotjar for heatmaps and user behavior insights.
  • Yoast SEO plugin for additional optimization guidance.

11). Monitor SEO Performance

Regular monitoring ensures your efforts are paying off.

Steps:

  • Use HubSpot’s analytics tools to track key metrics like organic traffic, bounce rate, and conversion rates.
  • Compare keyword rankings using tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs.
  • Generate monthly SEO reports to evaluate progress.

12). Advanced SEO Tactics

For businesses ready to go beyond the basics, here are some advanced tactics:

  • Schema Markup: Use structured data to help search engines understand your content better.
  • Voice Search Optimization: Focus on conversational keywords for smart devices.
  • Video SEO: Embed videos on your site and optimize titles and descriptions.
  • CTA: Take Your HubSpot SEO to the Next Level

13. Leverage Content Marketing for SEO

Content marketing is a key driver of organic traffic and brand authority. HubSpot’s platform simplifies creating, managing, and distributing content tailored for SEO.

Steps to Optimize Content Marketing for SEO:

  • Create High-Quality Blog Posts: Use HubSpot’s blogging tools to write engaging and keyword-rich articles.
  • Develop Content Pillars: Build cornerstone pages around broad topics and link supporting blog posts or pages as part of a cluster.
  • Incorporate User Intent: Write content that addresses specific queries or challenges your target audience faces.

Pro Tip: Use HubSpot’s analytics to identify high-performing content and expand on those topics.

14. Conduct A/B Testing for SEO Performance

Experimenting with different strategies can provide insights into what works best for your HubSpot website.

How to Perform A/B Testing:

  • Test Meta Tags: Experiment with different title tags, meta descriptions, or headings.
  • Try Different CTAs: Compare the effectiveness of various CTAs in improving conversions.
  • Analyze Data: Use HubSpot’s A/B testing feature to gather actionable insights.

Example: Test different landing page formats and observe which one reduces bounce rates or increases conversions.

Conclusion

Optimizing your HubSpot site for SEO requires effort, but the results are worth it—improved visibility, increased traffic, and higher conversions. If you’re looking for expert guidance, Hubmation is here to help!

From audits to advanced integrations, we specialize in tailored solutions to supercharge your HubSpot site’s performance.

Book a Free Consultation today and let us transform your SEO strategy into a powerful growth engine for your business!