SEO Audit Checklist
1. Technical SEO Audit
- Use Google Search Console to check index status.
- Perform a site search (site:yourdomain.com) on Google.
- Identify any pages not indexed and investigate reasons.
- Ensure no critical pages are excluded from indexing.
- Generate an XML sitemap using tools like Screaming Frog.
- Submit the sitemap to Google Search Console.
- Verify that the sitemap is accessible via yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml.
- Check for updates in the sitemap with new content.
- Locate the robots.txt file at yourdomain.com/robots.txt.
- Ensure it allows search engines to crawl essential pages.
- Check for any disallow directives that may restrict indexing.
- Update the file as necessary to guide crawlers.
- Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
- Identify load times and performance scores.
- Note recommendations for improving speed.
- Implement changes and retest for improvements.
- Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.
- Review site design on various mobile devices.
- Ensure text is readable without zooming.
- Check that buttons and links are easily clickable.
- Use tools like Broken Link Checker to find dead links.
- Update or remove links that lead to 404 errors.
- Redirect broken URLs to relevant pages if necessary.
- Regularly monitor for new broken links.
- Check your site’s URL to confirm it starts with HTTPS.
- Use tools like SSL Labs to analyze certificate validity.
- Ensure all pages are served securely via HTTPS.
- Redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS if needed.
- Ensure URLs are short, descriptive, and relevant.
- Use hyphens to separate words in URLs.
- Avoid unnecessary parameters and session IDs.
- Consistently use lowercase letters in URLs.
- Use tools like Copyscape to identify duplicates.
- Implement canonical tags on duplicate pages.
- Ensure only one version of content is indexed.
- Regularly review for new duplicate content.
- Use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to check markup.
- Implement appropriate Schema types for your content.
- Validate that structured data is error-free.
- Monitor for changes in rich results visibility.
- Ensure navigation is intuitive and user-friendly.
- Limit the number of menu items for clarity.
- Use breadcrumb navigation for improved structure.
- Test navigation on various devices for consistency.
- Check hreflang tags for correct language and region codes.
- Ensure tags point to the right alternate versions.
- Test implementation using Google’s hreflang tags testing tool.
- Regularly review tags for accuracy post-content updates.
- Audit all redirects using tools like Screaming Frog.
- Ensure 301 redirects are used for permanent moves.
- Check for redirect chains and loops.
- Update or remove unnecessary redirects.
- Log in to Google Search Console and navigate to the Crawl Errors section.
- Identify and prioritize errors listed.
- Implement fixes for critical issues.
- Re-submit the affected pages for re-crawling.
- Use tools like HTTP Status Checker to analyze response codes.
- Ensure 200 status codes for successful pages.
- Identify and fix any 4xx or 5xx errors.
- Monitor server performance regularly.
- Identify paginated content and assess current structure.
- Ensure rel="next" and rel="prev" tags are present.
- Test implementation using Google’s rich results testing tool.
- Maintain a consistent approach across paginated series.
- Audit internal links using tools like Screaming Frog.
- Ensure important pages receive appropriate link equity.
- Use descriptive anchor text for internal links.
- Regularly update links as site content evolves.
- Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check rendering.
- Identify any blocked resources in robots.txt.
- Test site functionality in various browsers.
- Resolve issues affecting user experience and SEO.
- Use security tools like Sucuri or Wordfence to scan.
- Regularly check for outdated plugins or software.
- Ensure website backups are up to date.
- Address any vulnerabilities immediately.
- Check images for missing alt attributes.
- Use descriptive alt text for each image.
- Compress images for faster loading without quality loss.
- Implement lazy loading for non-visible images.
- Create AMP versions of essential pages.
- Test AMP pages using Google’s AMP Test tool.
- Ensure AMP pages validate and display correctly.
- Monitor AMP performance and traffic metrics.
- Audit all installed plugins and scripts.
- Deactivate unnecessary plugins to improve speed.
- Check for compatibility issues among remaining plugins.
- Regularly update plugins to ensure security and performance.
2. On-Page SEO Audit
- Ensure each title tag includes primary keywords.
- Check for uniqueness across all pages.
- Limit title length to around 60 characters.
- Use action-oriented language to increase click-through rates.
- Incorporate relevant keywords naturally.
- Keep meta descriptions between 150-160 characters.
- Ensure they accurately summarize page content.
- Include a call-to-action to encourage clicks.
- Verify there is one H1 tag per page.
- Use H2 and H3 tags for subheadings.
- Incorporate keywords in headers where appropriate.
- Maintain a clear content hierarchy for better readability.
- Ensure content addresses user intent effectively.
- Incorporate relevant keywords without keyword stuffing.
- Provide valuable information with depth and insight.
- Regularly update content to maintain relevance.
- Provide descriptive alt text for all images.
- Include relevant keywords where appropriate.
- Ensure alt text enhances accessibility for visually impaired users.
- Avoid keyword stuffing in alt attributes.
- Use descriptive anchor text for internal links.
- Link to relevant content within the site.
- Ensure no critical pages are orphaned.
- Maintain a balance between internal and external links.
- Implement appropriate schema types for content.
- Use Google's Structured Data Testing Tool to validate.
- Include schema for products, reviews, articles, etc.
- Keep schema markup updated with content changes.
- Check title tags for keyword usage and length (50-60 characters).
- Ensure meta descriptions are compelling and include primary keywords (150-160 characters).
- Verify header tags (H1, H2, H3) are used properly and contain relevant keywords.
- Assess image alt attributes for keyword relevance and proper descriptions.
- Review URL structure for keywords, readability, and length.
- Confirm internal linking strategy is effective and links relevant pages.
- Evaluate content quality for relevance, keyword density, and user engagement.
- Ensure mobile-friendliness of pages using responsive design.
- Check page load speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.
- Audit for duplicate content and implement canonical tags where necessary.
- Keep URLs short and descriptive.
- Include relevant keywords, avoiding stop words.
- Use hyphens to separate words for clarity.
- Avoid using special characters or excessive parameters.
- Utilize tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.
- Optimize images and minimize CSS/JavaScript files.
- Implement browser caching and content delivery networks.
- Aim for loading times under three seconds.
- Test website across various devices and screen sizes.
- Ensure text is legible without zooming.
- Check that all buttons and links are easily clickable.
- Use responsive design frameworks for optimal performance.
- Include prominent social sharing buttons on pages.
- Ensure buttons link to correct social media platforms.
- Monitor user engagement with social sharing features.
- Test button functionality across devices.
- Implement canonical tags on pages with similar content.
- Ensure the canonical URL points to the preferred version.
- Avoid using canonical tags indiscriminately.
- Check for consistency across all pages.
- Use tools like Screaming Frog to identify broken links.
- Regularly audit the site for 404 errors.
- Implement 301 redirects for moved content.
- Create a custom 404 page for user guidance.
- Ensure robots.txt is present and correctly configured.
- Include disallowed pages in robots.txt as needed.
- Submit XML sitemap to search engines.
- Keep the sitemap updated with new content.
- Use hreflang tags to indicate language and region.
- Ensure tags are correctly formatted and linked.
- Test hreflang implementation with Google Search Console.
- Avoid conflicts or incorrect specifications.
- Utilize bullet points and lists to break up text.
- Use bold or italic text for emphasis sparingly.
- Ensure consistent formatting across similar content.
- Enhance readability to improve user engagement.
- Implement SSL certificates to secure the site.
- Check for mixed content warnings in browsers.
- Redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS.
- Regularly monitor security settings and updates.
- Use analytics tools to monitor user behavior.
- Identify pages with high bounce rates for improvement.
- Analyze average time spent on content.
- Adjust strategies based on user engagement data.
- Ensure CTAs are visually distinct and compelling.
- Place CTAs strategically within content.
- Test different CTA phrases for effectiveness.
- Monitor click-through rates on CTAs.
- Conduct user testing to gather feedback.
- Ensure intuitive navigation and clear pathways.
- Check for accessibility features like alt text.
- Regularly refresh design to align with user expectations.
3. Off-Page SEO Audit
- Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush.
- Identify top referring domains.
- Assess relevance to your niche.
- Check domain authority of backlinks.
- Look for signs of spam or low-quality links.
- Identify harmful backlinks using tools.
- Evaluate the impact of toxic links.
- Create a disavow file listing toxic URLs.
- Submit disavow file to Google Search Console.
- Monitor the backlink profile post-disavowal.
- Analyze follower growth and demographics.
- Check engagement rates on posts.
- Review content shares and comments.
- Assess the frequency of posts.
- Identify top-performing content types.
- Monitor reviews on Google, Yelp, etc.
- Analyze average ratings and feedback.
- Respond to negative reviews professionally.
- Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews.
- Track sentiment over time.
- Use Google Alerts for brand mentions.
- Analyze social media mentions.
- Check forums and blogs for discussions.
- Evaluate sentiment of mentions.
- Identify key influencers talking about your brand.
- Use Moz or similar tools for metrics.
- Compare your scores against competitors.
- Identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
- Track changes over time.
- Set goals for increasing authority.
- Use backlink analysis tools for competitors.
- Identify high-quality backlinks they have.
- Analyze their linking strategies.
- Create a list of potential sites to target.
- Plan outreach for link opportunities.
- Use monitoring tools to find unlinked mentions.
- Create a list of unlinked sources.
- Reach out to authors for backlink requests.
- Provide context for the link.
- Track success rates of outreach.
- Review current partnerships for backlink potential.
- Analyze traffic from partner links.
- Explore new collaboration opportunities.
- Ensure mutual benefits in partnerships.
- Set goals for linking strategies.
- Categorize backlinks by source type.
- Check for over-reliance on specific sources.
- Aim for a mix of domains and types.
- Monitor changes in diversity over time.
- Adjust strategies to improve diversity.
- Analyze anchor text types in your backlinks.
- Ensure a healthy mix of branded and keyword-rich anchors.
- Identify over-optimized or irrelevant anchors.
- Plan adjustments for future link building.
- Monitor changes in anchor text distribution.
- Use Google Analytics to track referral sources.
- Analyze traffic metrics from backlinks.
- Evaluate conversion rates from these referrals.
- Identify top-performing backlinks.
- Adjust strategies based on performance data.
- Check listings on major directories.
- Ensure NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency.
- Update any inaccuracies found.
- Monitor new citation opportunities.
- Track impact on local SEO performance.
- Research blogs in your industry.
- Evaluate their guest posting guidelines.
- Create a pitch for potential topics.
- Build relationships with blog owners.
- Track backlinks from guest posts.
- Identify influencers in your niche.
- Evaluate past collaboration outcomes.
- Measure traffic and engagement from influencer links.
- Plan future collaborations based on insights.
- Monitor brand visibility improvements.
4. Content Audit
- Analyze publication dates of content.
- Update outdated information.
- Remove or merge irrelevant articles.
- Ensure alignment with current industry trends.
- Highlight key updates for readers.
- Use analytics to find low-traffic pages.
- Evaluate content quality and user intent.
- Consider updating headlines and meta descriptions.
- Add internal links to boost visibility.
- Develop a plan for content redevelopment.
- Conduct keyword research for relevance.
- Compare existing keywords with competitors.
- Identify missing keywords for your audience.
- Create content plans for underrepresented topics.
- Review keyword placement in titles and headers.
- Analyze bounce rates for each page.
- Identify pages with high exit rates.
- Examine average time on page metrics.
- Use findings to improve content structure.
- Implement strategies to enhance user experience.
- Use tools to identify duplicate URLs.
- Review canonical tags for correct usage.
- Consolidate similar content into one page.
- Implement redirects where necessary.
- Monitor for new duplicate content.
- Review font sizes and types for consistency.
- Check for adequate white space and paragraph length.
- Ensure bullet points and lists are used appropriately.
- Verify that content is free of spelling and grammatical errors.
- Use tools to assess readability scores.
- Research target keywords relevant to each page.
- Draft compelling meta titles under 60 characters.
- Write engaging meta descriptions under 160 characters.
- Include primary keywords naturally in both.
- Avoid duplicate meta titles and descriptions across pages.
- Confirm each page has one H1 tag.
- Use H2 tags for main sections and H3 for subsections.
- Maintain a logical hierarchy in header tags.
- Incorporate keywords in headers where relevant.
- Check for proper formatting and consistency.
- Identify key pages that should be linked.
- Use descriptive anchor text for internal links.
- Ensure links are functional and relevant.
- Check for orphaned pages with no internal links.
- Update links to reflect recent content changes.
- Review all images for appropriate alt text.
- Optimize file sizes for faster loading.
- Ensure videos are accessible and properly tagged.
- Check that multimedia elements are relevant to content.
- Test the display of multimedia on various devices.
- Use mobile testing tools to evaluate responsiveness.
- Ensure text is readable without zooming.
- Check button sizes for easy tapping.
- Review navigation for ease of use on mobile.
- Identify and fix any mobile-specific usability issues.
- Analyze search queries driving traffic to content.
- Ensure content addresses user needs and questions.
- Look for gaps where user intent is not met.
- Align content topics with trending queries.
- Gather feedback from users on content relevance.
- Identify content with low traffic or engagement.
- Refresh statistics, facts, and examples.
- Consider converting text to video or infographics.
- Add new sections to enhance depth.
- Redirect old URLs to new content where applicable.
- Use tools to check current backlink profiles.
- Identify high-authority sites linking to competitors.
- Assess the quality of existing backlinks.
- Create outreach strategies for potential link partners.
- Document and track new backlink opportunities.
- Outline key topics based on audit insights.
- Define a timeline for content creation and publication.
- Assign responsibilities for content development.
- Incorporate seasonal trends and events into planning.
- Review and adjust the calendar regularly based on performance.
5. Competitive Analysis
- Research industry-related keywords.
- Utilize tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs.
- List top-ranking websites for these keywords.
- Consider both direct and indirect competitors.
- Review local and global competitors.
- Use tools to examine keyword positions.
- Identify high-ranking keywords for competitors.
- Analyze keyword difficulty and search volume.
- Note on-page SEO tactics used.
- Compare keyword strategies with your own.
- Use backlink analysis tools like Moz or Ahrefs.
- Identify top referring domains for competitors.
- Analyze types of content attracting backlinks.
- Evaluate the quality and relevance of backlinks.
- Determine link-building strategies employed.
- Evaluate competitors' value propositions.
- Identify target audiences for each competitor.
- Analyze brand messaging and tone.
- Compare product/service offerings.
- Determine market share and positioning.
- List strengths such as resources and reputation.
- Identify weaknesses like gaps in service.
- Explore opportunities in market trends.
- Assess threats from market changes or new entrants.
- Summarize findings for actionable insights.
- Identify social platforms used by competitors.
- Analyze follower counts and engagement rates.
- Review types of content shared.
- Assess frequency and timing of posts.
- Note audience interactions and responses.
- Evaluate site navigation and layout.
- Assess visual appeal and branding consistency.
- Conduct usability tests for functionality.
- Review calls-to-action and conversion paths.
- Identify potential UX improvements.
- Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.
- Measure load times on desktop and mobile.
- Analyze mobile-friendliness and responsive design.
- Identify elements causing slow performance.
- Compare results with your own site.
- Use content analysis tools to find popular posts.
- Evaluate shares, comments, and backlinks.
- Identify content types driving engagement.
- Analyze topics that resonate with audiences.
- Determine content gaps in your strategy.
- Inspect competitors' websites for schema markup.
- Analyze types of structured data utilized.
- Evaluate impact on search visibility.
- Identify opportunities for your own schema use.
- Document findings for implementation.
- Use tools to track PPC ad performance.
- Analyze ad copy and targeting strategies.
- Assess budget allocation for advertising.
- Identify platforms utilized for ads.
- Monitor seasonal or promotional campaigns.
- Set up alerts for competitor activities.
- Regularly review competitors’ website updates.
- Analyze shifts in SEO strategies and content.
- Document changes and their impacts.
- Identify patterns in competitive behavior.
- Collect reviews from platforms like Google or Yelp.
- Analyze common themes in feedback.
- Identify areas of strength and improvement.
- Compare customer satisfaction with your offerings.
- Use insights to enhance your service.
- Analyze competitor service/product portfolios.
- Identify unmet customer needs or desires.
- Explore market trends for emerging opportunities.
- Evaluate your strengths against competitor weaknesses.
- Develop strategies to fill identified gaps.
6. Tracking and Analytics
- Create a Google Analytics account if not already done.
- Install tracking code on all website pages.
- Configure property settings for accurate data collection.
- Set up filters to exclude internal traffic.
- Test tracking by checking real-time data.
- Ensure website is verified in Google Search Console.
- Check for any crawl errors or manual actions.
- Review indexing status and submit sitemaps.
- Grant appropriate access to team members.
- Analyze search performance reports.
- Identify key actions that define conversions.
- Implement goals or events in Google Analytics.
- Test conversion tracking to ensure accuracy.
- Use eCommerce tracking for online sales.
- Monitor conversion data regularly.
- Access the Acquisition section in Google Analytics.
- Analyze traffic sources: organic, referral, direct, social.
- Examine user behavior flow from landing pages.
- Identify high-performing channels and optimize accordingly.
- Look for patterns in user engagement.
- Use Google Tag Manager for easy event setup.
- Define specific events to track (e.g., clicks, submissions).
- Test events to ensure they are firing correctly.
- Analyze event data in Google Analytics.
- Adjust events based on user interaction patterns.
- Navigate to the Admin section in Google Analytics.
- Choose the correct view and select Goals.
- Define goal type: destination, duration, pages/screens per session, or event.
- Set specific criteria for each goal.
- Test goals to verify they are tracking as intended.
- Access Audience Overview in Google Analytics.
- Review bounce rate metrics for individual pages.
- Analyze session duration trends over time.
- Identify pages with high bounce rates for improvement.
- Consider user experience factors affecting these metrics.
- Use Google PageSpeed Insights for site speed analysis.
- Review loading times for different devices.
- Identify elements causing slowdowns.
- Implement recommended optimizations for faster load times.
- Monitor user behavior changes post-optimization.
- Create UTM parameters for each marketing campaign.
- Add parameters to URLs before sharing them.
- Analyze traffic sources in Google Analytics Acquisition reports.
- Adjust campaigns based on performance insights.
- Ensure consistent use of UTM parameters across campaigns.
- Check for outdated tracking codes on the website.
- Verify that all tracking codes are firing correctly.
- Update codes for any changes in website structure.
- Test new pages to ensure tracking is implemented.
- Document any changes made to tracking codes.
- Choose a heatmap tool (e.g., Hotjar, Crazy Egg).
- Install the tracking script on your site.
- Define pages for heatmap analysis.
- Review heatmaps and session recordings regularly.
- Use insights to optimize user experience.
- Create a Google Data Studio account.
- Connect your Google Analytics data source.
- Design custom dashboards for key metrics.
- Share reports with stakeholders for insights.
- Regularly update reports to reflect current data.
- Access Audience > Mobile in Google Analytics.
- Compare traffic, bounce rates, and conversions by device.
- Identify design issues affecting mobile users.
- Optimize site layout and functionality for mobile.
- Regularly review mobile performance metrics.
- Set a calendar reminder for quarterly audits.
- Review all tracking codes and configurations.
- Verify data accuracy across different reports.
- Document findings and corrective actions.
- Adjust tracking setups based on audit results.
7. Reporting and Action Plan
- Summarize key findings from the SEO audit.
- Include data visualizations for clarity.
- Organize findings by category (e.g., technical, content).
- Ensure the report is easily understandable for stakeholders.
- Evaluate each issue's potential impact on SEO.
- Assess the effort needed to resolve each issue.
- Use a matrix to categorize issues (high/medium/low).
- Focus on high-impact, low-effort issues first.
- List specific actions needed to address each issue.
- Assign responsible team members for each action.
- Set realistic deadlines for completion.
- Include resources needed for implementation.
- Determine the frequency of follow-up audits.
- Set calendar reminders for follow-up sessions.
- Review progress against the action plan during audits.
- Adjust strategies based on findings from each audit.
- Select relevant data points to visualize.
- Create charts and graphs that clearly represent findings.
- Incorporate screenshots to illustrate key issues.
- Ensure visuals are labeled and easy to understand.
- Place visuals strategically within the report for impact.
- Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) to track.
- Gather data from pre-audit and post-audit periods.
- Create a comparison table or chart for clarity.
- Highlight significant changes in metrics.
- Provide brief commentary on implications of changes.
- List actionable recommendations based on audit findings.
- Categorize recommendations by priority (high, medium, low).
- Include rationale for each recommendation.
- Suggest resources or tools to implement strategies.
- Encourage collaboration among team members for execution.
- Define clear objectives tied to audit results.
- Use the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
- Assign target metrics for each goal.
- Set deadlines for achieving each goal.
- Ensure goals align with overall business objectives.
- Identify key stakeholders who need the report.
- Determine the best format for sharing (email, presentation, etc.).
- Set a timeline for sharing the report.
- Outline key points to highlight during communication.
- Provide a feedback mechanism for stakeholders.
- Assess current team knowledge and skills.
- Identify training topics based on audit findings.
- Select training formats (workshops, online courses, etc.).
- Set a timeline for training sessions.
- Encourage ongoing learning and development.
- List software and tools required for SEO tasks.
- Include subscription services if necessary.
- Identify any additional training resources.
- Allocate budget for tools and resources.
- Provide links or references to recommended tools.
- Create a survey or feedback form for stakeholders.
- Schedule regular check-ins to discuss progress.
- Encourage open communication and suggestions.
- Incorporate feedback into ongoing strategy adjustments.
- Document feedback received for future reference.
- Identify team members responsible for each recommendation.
- Clarify expectations and deliverables for each role.
- Set deadlines for reporting progress.
- Encourage collaboration among team members.
- Regularly update roles as needed based on progress.
- Set a schedule for regular review meetings.
- Determine key metrics to evaluate success.
- Adjust strategies based on performance data.
- Document changes and rationale for future reference.
- Communicate changes to all stakeholders involved.
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