A developer-friendly guide to shipping Next.js pages that are indexable, shareable, and fast: Metadata API, Open Graph, canonicals, robots/sitemaps, structured data, and performance checks.
Next.js makes SEO easier when you apply consistent patterns: set strong defaults once, override per route, keep canonical URLs clean, generate sitemaps, and avoid accidental noindex in production.
Read in this order and implement step-by-step.
Set defaults at layout level, override per route, and avoid common canonical mistakes.
Indexability, status codes, internal linking, and the usual reasons pages don’t show up.
Improve LCP, CLS, INP and build a repeatable workflow for performance.
Formats, sizing, responsive images, and loading strategy—big wins for LCP.
The concepts you should implement once and reuse everywhere.
Set global defaults in layout, then override per route. Keep titles unique and descriptions useful.
Ensure every shareable page has OG/Twitter tags and a stable image URL.
Pick a preferred URL format (host + trailing slash rule) and stick to it across all pages.
Don’t accidentally block important pages. Avoid shipping noindex to production.
Include only canonical, indexable URLs—no redirects, no parameter variants.
Use schema for clarity (BlogPosting, Breadcrumbs, FAQ where relevant). Don’t spam markup.
A fast pre-ship checklist to avoid common production mistakes.
Common Next.js SEO questions.
Use Metadata API for defaults + per-route overrides, keep canonicals consistent, generate sitemap, and validate indexability.
Prefer static where possible. Use dynamic for content pages (posts/products). Keep defaults at layout level.
Pick a preferred format and canonicalize consistently. Don’t index parameter variants.
Not required, but it improves clarity and rich result eligibility where appropriate.
Use SEO Starter for baseline templates, then validate performance with Performance Audit Kit.