Search Engine Optimization is the set of techniques and methods used to help web pages rank higher in search engines like Google. SEO experts have a wide range of opinions on what works best, but there are many proven steps that can be taken to improve your site’s visibility online. These fifteen easy tactics will increase your website’s traffic flow and drive more customers through its doors.
The “seo audit checklist” is a list of 15 steps that will help you improve your SEO. It’s guaranteed to get your website ranked higher in Google.
Your website is up and running, but it isn’t attracting people, and your traffic is dwindling.
You’re not the only one who feels this way. According to Ahrefs, Google generates no organic traffic for 90.63 percent of content.
What are your options for resolving the issue? A website audit might help you figure out the solution.
A website audit may help you improve your rankings, as well as the quantity of visitors and conversions to your site.
If you’re unsure where to begin, this guide will walk you through the process step by step.
Before we get started, let’s define what an SEO audit is and why it’s important.
What Is an SEO Audit and Why Do You Need One?
An SEO audit is a detailed examination of a website and its search engine results pages (SERPs), with a focus on areas where changes may be made.
When you undertake an SEO audit, you’re evaluating your on-site optimization, finding areas where you can improve, and getting advice on how to increase your site’s search ranking.
An SEO audit might also reveal areas where you can improve, such as:
- the speed of the website
- content omissions
- concerns with technical SEO that restrict visitors
- when you are outranked by competition
- methods to enhance the user experience
Users spend 54 seconds on average on a website, and they develop conclusions about your company even quicker. According to one research, you only have two tenths of a second to establish a good first impression on your website. That research was done in 2011, so you could have even less time now.
Let’s take a look at a few additional reasons why SEO audits are so important.
Why Do SEO Audits Need to Be Conducted?
SEO audits provide you a clear picture of where your SEO strategy stands, and they may help you rank higher. Do you need proof? Smash VC raised organic traffic by 76 percent after completing a basic content-focused SEO analysis.
An SEO audit is helpful when it comes to boosting online visibility and identifying problems that need to be updated or addressed, despite the fact that it may be time-consuming. Audits, for example, may assist you with:
- identify errors in the code, content, and organization of your website
- provide actionable information to remain competitive
- Find out whether you’re ranking for the keywords you want and where you’re showing up in the SERPs.
- Update your material to reflect changes in the algorithm and webmaster guidelines.
- decide whether material should be refreshed
- Titles, headlines, and meta descriptions should all be optimized.
- Analyze your competitors
- Backlink quality, text length, and URL keyword chances are three of the most essential elements in SEO ranking.
- For the best customer experience, check loading times and mobile accessibility.
As you can see, an SEO audit covers a wide range of topics and may have an impact on many aspects of your website.
When Should You Get an SEO Audit?
Personal or corporate websites are one of the top three sources of business, according to 45 percent of Search Engine Journal’s State of SEO respondents. It’s critical that your consumers can discover you online, and you’ll need to do frequent SEO audits to make sure they can.
How frequently do you do it? It’s almost always a good idea to do an SEO audit. There are, however, some clear symptoms that your site needs an SEO audit soon. These are some of them:
- Organic traffic and conversions are decreasing on your website.
- The bounce rate on your website is really high.
- You’re not sure why your keyword ranks are dropping.
- The level of client satisfaction is decreasing. According to research, SEO may improve ranking quality, hence increasing visitor happiness.
When you build a new website or migrate an existing one, you should do an SEO assessment. This will assist you in identifying SEO issues early on so that you may take proper action.
Rather than being a one-time event, it’s a good idea to do an SEO audit at least once a quarter to guarantee your site is performing at its best.
Before you begin your SEO audit, there are a few things you should do.
In a study of expert SEOs, regular SEO site audits were regarded as the second most effective approach for improving website traffic.
An SEO audit might take anything from a few hours to six months. Preparing for the audit ahead of time ensures that you handle the correct concerns, saves time, minimizes stress, and keeps you organized.
Make sure you do the following before starting an SEO audit:
- Outline your objectives: What are your objectives? Concentrate on any particular issues you may be experiencing. For example, maybe your website isn’t showing up for your desired keywords, or maybe your bounce rate is rising. To be clear, a bounce rate of 26 to 40% is considered outstanding, while the average is 45 percent.
- Determine who the stakeholders are and what resources are available: Who is responsible for the project? What resources will they require? Are you going to have access to the people, tools, and data you’ll need to complete the audit? Is there anybody who needs to sign off?
- Decide on the measurements you’ll use to track your progress.
- Choose a time frame: Do you want to look at the performance of your site over the past year, quarter, or month?
- Select your tools: Ubersuggest and Screaming Frog are two examples of multi-purpose software. Copyscape for content duplication, DeepCrawl for website crawling, Google Structured Data Tool, and Small SEO Tools’ keyword density tester are also available for particular difficulties.
- Create a data strategy: After your audit, how will you interpret your data? Will you present your results using a data visualization tool like Google Data Studio? Create accounts and permissions immediately so you can complete reports fast while the information is still fresh in your memory.
The SEO Audit Guide in 15 Steps
It might be difficult to figure out where you’re going wrong with Google’s more than 200 key ranking variables. A thorough SEO audit, on the other hand, might reveal the source of the problem and help you devise a strategy to address it.
The key problems that I find affecting sites and lowering their rankings aren’t covered in my 15-step SEO checklist.
1. Check (and improve) your meta descriptions and titles.
What you may not realize is that Google will alter your meta descriptions if they aren’t written properly. In fact, Google rewrites meta descriptions 62.78 percent of the time, which means that if you ignore your metas, you might be losing out on promoting your keyword or primary selling point.
A meta description serves as an encouragement to a searcher to visit your website. You’re attempting to get a reader to visit your website. A meta description that is short, sweet, and thorough draws more visitors from search engine results pages.
Semrush allows you to audit and optimize meta descriptions and page titles in three easy steps:
- Begin a new project and do an audit of the site.
- To obtain a list of all pages, titles, and descriptions, do a content audit. Then go through the spreadsheet again, removing any extraneous columns and improving your SEO.
- To get recommendations for improving your website’s pages, use the on-page SEO analyzer.
2. Enhance the user experience (UX)
Search engines are becoming more intelligent, and whether you know it or not, user experience is a big ranking factor—and 73 percent of consumers believe their shopping choices are influenced by their experiences.
Therefore, if your UX is bad, your SEO and rankings are likely to suffer. The good news is there are countless methods to enhance the user experience.
Many aspects influence how a user views your site, including design, usability, load speed, and more, but there’s no need to make things too complicated.
First, look for the low-hanging fruit. What are some apparent ways to make your site more navigable and appealing to visitors?
Consider the following:
- Is your color scheme consistent with your brand?
- Make sure that headings stand out and that clickable links are apparent.
- Images and video: Images and video may be used to create an atmosphere, showcase a product or service, or direct people to certain sections of your website. Make sure you have enough pictures and video where it’s needed, but keep the text and imagery in balance.
- Is it easy for consumers to discover important pages, such as service pages, product pages, and so on?
- Forms: Do they operate and are they simple to use?
Consider utilizing a heatmap to assess user experience and provide recommendations for future improvement. If you have substantial UX difficulties, you may need to spend additional time on this.
3. Look for the term “cannibalization” in your search results.
When you have numerous pages on your site that are similar or contain the same keywords, this is known as cannibalism. In essence, they are vying for the same search traffic.
When cannibalism happens, it has the potential to harm your exposure by reducing ranks for rival sites and confusing visitors. If you fix it, your traffic will increase by three times.
Use a tool like Ahrefs to identify keyword cannibalization:
- conduct a site inspection
- look at your previous rankings
- Perform a web search for your subject and keep an eye out for URLs that are the same.
Consider redirecting weaker pages or integrating the material into a single big page with important information if you see pages are cannibalizing content from other pages.
4. Resolve Indexing Problems
Do you have any idea why your website’s traffic isn’t increasing? You may have indexing mistakes such as:
- Errors 404 and server
- page(s) missing
- content duplication and crawl problems
Other factors, such as too many permanent redirects, might wreak havoc on indexing. According to a Semrush analysis, 74.9 percent of websites have too many re-directs, thus knowing whether you have too many is crucial.
Google may disregard your website for a number of reasons, including poor loading speeds, low-quality content, or a lack of mobile-friendliness. You should keep in mind, however, that Google does not index every website.
Beyond that, Google’s Search Console may hold the key to resolving any indexing troubles.
You may use the tool to learn more about site-specific concerns including security, content duplication, and crawl difficulties.
To do so, follow these steps:
- The URL inspection tool will open once you click the Start button.
- Wait for the results once you’ve entered your URL.
- Learn how to interpret the data and fix problems.
A Google Index Checker, which enables you to input numerous URLs at once, is another alternative.
If you’re still having trouble, Google provides a comprehensive list of indexing difficulties and remedies. Working with an SEO firm for assistance is also an option.
5. Use Keywords to Improve Content
Did you know that the top Google result receives 10 times more clicks than the page ranked tenth? How can you ensure that your website is at the top of the search results? It all begins with keywords. If you get any of them incorrect, you won’t get any visitors or revenue. More conversions, leads, clicks, and backlinks are associated with better ranks.
It doesn’t have to be difficult to optimize content. Simply take these few steps:
- Use a tool like Ubersuggest to do competitive research.
- Examine keyword possibilities and identify any gaps—these are themes that your rivals are addressing but you aren’t.
- Create content using those keywords in mind (or update older content to include the new keyword targets).
- Use keywords to improve your content, including meta descriptions.
- Make your content snippet and reading friendly.
- Develop a more effective internal connection approach. Make sure your links have optimal anchor text.
There are several programs available to partly automate the procedure, such as Topic, which may have a major impact on your website’s ranking.
6. Make sure there isn’t any content duplication.
Duplicate material does not have a detrimental impact on rankings. In fact, it’s believed that 29% of websites feature duplicate material.
Even while content duplication isn’t a ranking factor, it may have an influence on SEO since it can prevent Google from indexing and ranking site material, as well as harm link equity.
When you have many domains or publish information in various forms, this issue might arise. You may check for duplication using a program like Copyscape or the Chrome plugin content duplication Checker.
If you detect duplicates, Google offers several simple solutions, such as:
- utilizing top-level domains or 301 redirects
- Google emphasizes the most relevant page, so keep an eye on how you syndicate material.
- restricting content that is similar, such as identical copyright notices
- making no use of placeholder pages
- You may use canonicalization to inform Google which URL is your preferred one.
7. Examine the loading times
On average, it takes 1.286 seconds for a desktop site to load and 2.594 seconds for a mobile site to load. You may be lagging behind if your site takes longer to load.
Sites that take too long to load might result in a higher bounce rate, fewer conversions, and less visibility.
Most importantly, your site’s loading speed has been a Google ranking criteria for some time now. If your site takes too long to load, users are more likely to move to a rival rather than wait.
What can you do about sluggish loading times?
Perform a performance study using Google PageSpeed Insights to determine your page speed score and to identify any mistakes, as well as improvement ideas.
You may also try the following if your loading times are slow:
- picture optimization
- Using a Content Distribution Network (CDN)
- Plugins and scripts are being reduced in number.
- CSS, JavaScript, and HTML minification
- GZIP compression on your server should be enabled.
If you’re still having trouble figuring out what’s causing your problems, don’t hesitate to contact us. My staff is eager to assist.
8. Examine the traffic that comes from organic sources.
The amount of people that arrive to a website without paying for search advertisements is known as organic traffic. Links, mentions, and other sorts of online advertising activities, such as social media postings, help you gain organic traffic.
This kind of traffic is a useful indication of your site’s popularity, as well as a tool for determining the relevancy and quality of your material, as well as the efficacy of your SEO approach. It’s also beneficial to your business line, with 94 percent of marketers claiming that organic traffic has the best return on investment.
What’s the greatest strategy to increase organic traffic now that you’ve learned about its advantages?
Start by creating an SEO plan. Use Ubersuggest to do keyword and competition research, then include your selected keywords in titles, URLs, and meta descriptions across your pages.
After that, do a technical SEO audit on your site to check everything is in working order.
9. Examine Mobile Compatibility
The higher your website ranks in Google search results, the more mobile-friendly it is. Google implemented a mobile-first policy a while ago, and with mobile accounting for more than half of all website traffic, it’s critical that you cater to these visitors.
You may check your website’s mobile friendliness by putting your URL into Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
Use Google’s mobile usability report to figure out what needs to be fixed. Consider doing a mobile makeover to enhance UX or working with an agency on this, depending on the score.
10. Repair any links that are broken
links that are broken are one of the most prevalent website concerns, and almost every site has a few. According to one survey, the average website had 5.92 links that are broken for every 100 pages. links that are broken may occur as a result of website modifications, content changes, or the removal of pages.
While it may not seem to be a huge problem, most of us know how annoying it is when links fail, and it has a bad impact on the whole customer experience.
links that are broken can have an impact on your results since Google uses them for PageRank and anchor text. If these links aren’t working, Google won’t be able to discover them.
However, resolving the issue is simple. To detect any issues, use a program like Screaming Frog’s broken link checker. Any links may then be fixed, deleted, or redirected.
11. Use a secure HTTPS URL to boost your search rankings.
Google encourages websites to use HTTPS, and its Chrome browser now identifies sites without SSL as “unsafe.”
Google’s study reveals that, in addition to being a metric of trustworthiness, there is a major shift to SSL, with 98 percent of Chrome users loading sites using a secure URL.
However, since past research suggests that HTTPS has only a little influence on ranking, using SSL only for SEO reasons is not a good idea.
If you do decide to switch to HTTPS, Google offers a list of recommended practices to help you along the way.
12. Perform a content audit.
75 percent of effective content marketing teams aim to boost their content budget in 2022, according to a report by Content Marketing Institute. They could not know what activities will create ROI if they don’t do a content assessment.
A content audit may assist you figure out what’s working and what might be improved.
After you’ve completed the audit, you may focus on optimizing content and prioritizing the most important tasks.
The following are some of the most important stages in a content audit:
- Make a list of your content assets. A free template is available on CoSchedule. Google Analytics also allows you to download all of your pages.
- Define your objectives and make a note of any roadblocks.
- Choose your inventory-linking tools, such as Ubersuggest, Google Analytics, or Blaze, as well as a broken-link checker like Screaming Frog.
- Conduct investigation and analysis.
- Make a list of suggestions.
- Finally, make a plan of action.
13. Conduct a market analysis.
Competitive analysis allows you to better understand your competitors and identify possibilities to outrank them on Google.
It also allows you to observe how your rivals are performing, their strengths and shortcomings, and how you may better position your product or service to acquire greater traction.
When doing a competitive analysis, keep the following variables in mind:
- keywords for which your rival is ranked
- the total amount of backlinks a website has
- backlinks’ quality
- participation in social media (such as Facebook likes, Twitter followers, etc.)
- webthe speed of the website
- reactivity to mobile devices
Many tools, such as Ubersuggest or SproutSocial for evaluating social media efforts, may make this process easier.
With Ubersuggest, all you have to do is:
- Select Search after entering the competitor’s URL.
- Select Keyword from the left-hand sidebar.
- look through the keyword list
- Backlinks may be found here.
- On the left sidebar, pick Top Pages
14. Make use of a website crawler
A website crawler, sometimes known as a spider, is a program that searches the internet for information. A web spider, also known as a web robot, explores the internet in search of content. These bots are used by Google to assist rank content, but they are also used by various SEO tools to help uncover SEO problems with your website.
A website crawler, often known as an online bot, detects issues such as:
- Issues with crawlability and indexability
- links that are broken
- content duplication
You may use Semrush’s SEO audit tool to conduct a website crawl in minutes:
How to utilize the crawling tool to detect SEO problems is as follows:
- initiate a new project
- configure the fundamental options
- choose your crawling parameters and the crawler you wish to utilize
- Depending on what you want the bot to look at, you may allow or restrict URLs.
- View your site’s health score and analyze your statistics.
Make sure to create a schedule so you can control how often your website is crawled.
15. Identify content omissions
Content gap refers to topics users are looking for information about that your site doesn’t cover. Filling content omissions provides a better user experience and helps increase organic traffic.
You can discover content omissions by:
- Examining content rankings: Your keywords may be ranking, but not as well as you’d want. Begin by ensuring that SEO essentials are in place and improving content where possible.
- Making use of keyword research: Check for high-performing keywords as a first step in determining what’s working. Pay careful attention to long-tail keywords, which often have less competition, and keep an eye out for related keywords as well.
- Analyze your rivals’ keyword rankings: What keywords are they ranking for? Use these as a starting point for new discussion topics.
You may use a program like Ahrefs to automate the process and save time.
Enter your website’s URL, and the tool will show you the keywords it doesn’t rank for. You may also use Ahrefs to look for subtopics.
Frequently Asked Questions About SEO Audits
What is the purpose of an SEO audit tool?
What are the most effective SEO auditing tools?
It all depends on what you’re after. For a complete technical examination, Ahrefs’ site audit tool, SEMrush Site Audit, Ubersuggest, and Screaming Frog are fantastic beginning points.
After an SEO assessment, what should I do?
Your SEO audit will reveal the flaws in your website. Start prioritizing and implementing suggestions after it’s finished. Begin with the easiest jobs and work your way up to the more challenging ones. Finally, make a schedule for yourself and keep to it.
What is the significance of an SEO audit?
SEO audits are vital because they reveal areas where you may improve. Once you’ve resolved your SEO concerns, you’ll see an increase in exposure, traffic, and leads or sales. You may also work with an SEO expert to create and implement a plan.
Conclusion: SEO Audit Guide in 15 Steps
It doesn’t matter how beautiful your website is—if it isn’t performing at its best, you won’t get the traffic, leads, or conversions you need to succeed.
A thorough SEO audit can help you identify and resolve any possible problems, as well as provide you with the data you need to improve performance, rank higher, and increase exposure.
Although SEO seems to be complicated, it has a significant impact on your visitors. Many technologies, like as Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, and Screaming Frog, may assist you in regaining control of your website.
Do you do SEO audits on your website on a regular basis? What are some of your go-to tools and tactics?
- Unlock large volumes of SEO traffic using SEO. Take a look at the outcomes.
- Content Marketing – Our team develops incredible content that is shared, linked to, and drives traffic.
- Paid Media – successful paid solutions with a measurable return on investment.
The “seo audit checklist pdf” is a 15-step SEO audit that is guaranteed to improve rankings. The checklist includes all the steps that need to be taken in order for your website to rank higher.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the steps in SEO audit?
A: There are many steps involved in performing a successful SEO audit. These include doing keyword research, designing and implementing on-page optimization strategies for the website, creating an effective content marketing strategy, and maintaining any changes that were made to ensure continued success.
Which one is the best tool to do SEO audit for your website?
A: A website audit tool is a software application designed to find security vulnerabilities on websites that can allow for certain types of attacks, such as SQL injection. The best one out there is the OWASP ZAP scanner by OWASP Foundation.
What increases your SEO ranking?
A: Optimizing your website to increase search engine ranking.
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