Desperate to learn how to run SEO website audits?
Well, after a dozen years of experience and getting 2 of my websites to reach 150,000 monthly pageviews from organic traffic, here is an SEO audit checklist you can use to perform your site’s audit.
It’s a task you need to do whether you have a large website or are just getting started with your blog.
Have someone on your team look through these or hire a knowledgeable SEO (like me) to help you out.
A quick note before you dive in…
SEO can be scary.
I get it.
A lot of these items can seem like technical jargon – and admittedly, they are.
Just think of it like taking care of your car.
You want to make sure the frame is strong (site layout and structure).
You have to keep gas in the tank (content and keyword research).
It needs to be kept in tune (checking for broken links (learn how here) & updating old content).
And of course, when you need a repair, the mechanic might tell you that the carburetorA1Sauce is broken (you just need to make sure you like and trust your mechanic so that you can just get it fixed!)
Ok, on to my checklist…
Check Google Indexing
- Search “site:yourwebsite.com” in Google to see indexed pages.
SSL Certificate Confirmation
- Ensure there’s a padlock in the browser, indicating HTTPS.
If not, you need an SSL certificate. Your web host can help with this.
Run a Site Audit
- Use tools like Ahrefs, SEObility, or Ubersuggest.
(I currently use Ubersuggest, but any of these will work!) - Crawl your website for a report and fix items like…
- Address title tags, meta descriptions, and redirects.
- Add alt tags to images and check their sizes.
- Manage backlinks and remove spammy ones.
- Broken links (use GSC or a tool like this) and images.
(This is especially important to monitor as time marches on).
Confirm No Website Duplication
Visitors to your site should only be able to access it at one of these addresses:
https://yourdomain.com
https://www.yourdomain.com
Also check http: version — that’s not secure (and you need an SSL certificate)
Any of the options that you choose above should all redirect to a single version of your https site.
Review Site Traffic – Determine Drops
- Google constantly has updates going on.
- Is the competition beating you?
Internal Linking and Popular Pages
- Link to your popular pages.
- Review internal links and avoid orphaned posts (ones that get left all alone with no other content linking to it… if you have lots of content, Link Whisper is a nice plugin that can help with this issue – we use it…)
Implement Schema Markup
- Create structured data for Google (your SEO plugin will assist with this).
Sitemap Verification
- Check for a sitemap, like mine here.
Site Structure Analysis
- Ensure all pages are within three clicks (this is a great goal).
- Strategize internal linking to top pages.
Check for Manual Actions
- Use Google Search Console for alerts.
I check Google Search Console as much (if not more) than Google Analytics.
Review Robots.txt File
- Check “domain/robots.txt”, like at Robots.txt File.
Mobile-Friendly Test
- Find issues with Google Search Console.
Additional Checks
- Organize URL structure logically.
Look at your URL hierarchy — Homepage > children > boys > shoes — make sure it’s easy to follow. - Analyze performance with Google PageSpeed.
You can use other tools like Pingdom to get a second opinion. - Check that your NAP (name | address | phone number) is consistent across directory listings.
- Confirm that you have secured social media accounts that link back to your website correctly.
After the Audit, Move to Keyword Research
- Understand the Customer Journey.
- Use Google Trends.
- Check Competitors
- Find Keyword Gaps
Boom, you’re off to the races!
And again, if I can help you, just let me know.
Also, I mentioned SEO above.
Because of that, here are a few additional articles you might want to check out next:
