Next.js SEO Optimization

Comprehensive SEO guide for Next.js 16+ applications using App Router.

Version: Updated for Next.js 16.1.3 (January 2026)

Quick SEO Audit

Run this checklist for any Next.js project:

1. Check robots.txt: curl https://your-site.com/robots.txt
2. Check sitemap: curl https://your-site.com/sitemap.xml
3. Check metadata: View page source, search for <title> and <meta name="description">
4. Check JSON-LD: View page source, search for application/ld+json
5. Check Core Web Vitals: Run Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools

Essential Files

app/layout.tsx - Root Metadata