What should I check in an SEO site audit?
Technical SEO Checks
Ensure search engines can crawl and index your pages. Check your robots.txt file for accidental blocks, review your XML sitemap, and look for crawl errors in Google Search Console.
Page speed and Core Web Vitals are crucial. Use PageSpeed Insights to see load times, interactivity, and visual stability. Also verify your site is mobile-friendly and uses HTTPS.
- Robots.txt and meta robots tags
- XML sitemap submitted and error-free
- Broken links (404s) and redirect chains
- Page load speed and Core Web Vitals
- Mobile responsiveness
- HTTPS/SSL certificate
On-Page and Content Checks
Review title tags and meta descriptions for uniqueness and keyword relevance. Each page should have one clear H1 heading and a logical heading structure.
Check for duplicate content, thin content, and keyword cannibalization. Ensure your content matches search intent and provides value. Internal linking should guide users and search engines to important pages.
Off-Page and Authority Checks
Analyze your backlink profile for quality and spam. Use free tools like Google Search Console's Links report or Ahrefs' free backlink checker. Disavow toxic links if necessary.
Check for local SEO factors if you have a physical location: Google Business Profile, NAP consistency, and local citations.
Common mistakes
- Only focusing on keywords and ignoring technical issues that can block indexing.
- Overlooking mobile usability, which Google uses as a ranking factor.
- Neglecting backlink quality and chasing quantity instead.
