How To Do An SEO Audit (190+ Steps)

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Updated: August 17, 2022.

The usher connected however to execute an in-depth SEO audit that lone experienced SEO experts tin do.

This is simply a implicit SEO audit checklist that volition fto you execute an in-depth SEO audit of immoderate website. I personally usage this checklist each clip I bash an SEO audit. And I invitation you to usage it arsenic well! 

This checklist astir apt contains each and each method SEO constituent you tin deliberation of. In effect to your feedback, I besides added a fewer little method (but besides vitally important) elements, specified arsenic E-A-T.

❗ If you are looking for a nonrecreational SEO auditor to bash an SEO audit of your website, you are successful the close place. Contact maine to get a quote oregon cheque my SEO auditing services for much details.

SEO audit

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The intent of your SEO audit

Let’s commencement by answering these 5 starter questions truthful that you tin found the intent of the SEO audit you are astir to do. 

Here are a fewer questions to inquire yourself: 

  • Do you privation to find the reasons wherefore the website has mislaid its postulation and visibility successful search? 
  • Do you privation to get an overview of method issues that whitethorn hinder the website? 
  • Do you privation to observe the astir superior method errors and suggest immoderate speedy fixes? 
  • Do you privation to execute an in-depth method SEO audit that analyzes each the much and little important method SEO elements? 
  • Do you privation to audit your ain website? 

It’s large to cognize what you privation to execute with the audit earlier you get started. After all, you cannot deed a people you cannot see

Once you cognize your purpose, it’s clip to commencement the geeky part. 

⚡ Check my nonfiction with 100 apical SEO mistakes I identified successful the past 100 SEO audits I performed.

⚡ Check my usher connected however to bash a Google leafage acquisition audit.

And bash not miss my Core Web Vitals audit.

Gathering basal accusation for your SEO audit

❗ If you are looking for an SEO instrumentality to adhd to your toolkit, marque definite to cheque Sitebulb which is simply a superb tract crawling tool. You tin usage Sitebulb for escaped for 60 days. I besides person a usher wherever I amusement you how to audit your tract with Sitebulb.

No. 1 Do a manual reappraisal of the website

It is simply a large signifier to commencement your audit by manually reviewing the website and simply taking notes of what draws your attention. This is an awesome pre-audit task that volition assistance you instrumentality a antithetic look astatine the information provided by the tools. Your archetypal investigation astatine this signifier volition fto you easy link the dots aboriginal erstwhile you person gathered the information from SEO tools.

No. 2: Check the website utilizing Semrush oregon different SEO tool

The adjacent measurement aft manually reviewing the website and earlier getting into the details is to simply analyse the website utilizing 1 of the astir fashionable SEO tools, specified arsenic Semrush oregon Ahrefs.

Checking domain successful  SEMRush This is however you overview a domain successful Semrush to stitchery immoderate basal information astir it.

Run the website investigation and wage attraction to things, specified arsenic domain metrics, backlinks, wide visibility, integrated traffic, integrated keywords, and postulation trends to get a wide “feel”. This is an indispensable step!

No. 3: Check the backlink profile

Even though this is simply a method SEO audit (not a nexus audit), you should inactive bash astatine slightest a wide backlink illustration analysis. If the website is progressive successful low-quality nexus building, past you – arsenic an auditor – indispensable cognize astir it due to the fact that this tin person a antagonistic power connected the wide show and visibility of the website successful search.

Backlink audit successful  SEMRush Semrush has a precise bully backlink audit instrumentality that lets you rapidly preview the backlink illustration of the tract audited.

You tin bash a wide link audit utilizing Semrush which volition radical links and bespeak perchance low-quality links. Remember that this is lone a instrumentality and your quality judgement is indispensable here.

No. 4: Check the CMS of the website

The chances are the website you are auditing uses a CMS (Content Management System). And determination is simply a bully accidental it is WordPress (which presently powers astir 40% of websites). 

However, you – arsenic an auditor – indispensable cognize what CMS the website uses truthful that you tin supply applicable recommendations connected however to fix, for example, immoderate of the CMS-specific issues. 

Checking the CMS with the CMS observe  tool You tin use CMS Detect to cheque the CMS of the tract audited.

To cheque the CMS of a website, you tin usage a instrumentality similar CMS Detect

No. 5: Check the hosting supplier of the website 

It’s besides worthy knowing the hosting supplier of the website. With this knowledge, you tin springiness elaborate and applicable recommendations connected things, specified arsenic however to set circumstantial server settings oregon however to adhd an SSL certificate. 

Assuming that you already person immoderate experience, you volition instantly cognize if a fixed hosting supplier is simply a bully acceptable for this website. 

Checking the hosting supplier  with the Hosting Checker tool The Hosting Checker instrumentality lets you cheque the hosting supplier of a site. However, if a tract uses a CDN, past you volition get the accusation astir the CDN benignant used.

Hosting Checker oregon immoderate different akin instrumentality volition fto you cheque this quickly. 

The opinions connected whether shared hosting tin oregon cannot interaction a website’s ranking disagree a lot.  Anyways, it’s ever bully to cognize if the website is utilizing shared hosting and what different websites are connected the aforesaid IP.  To larn that, you request to execute the reverse IP domain check. 

Checking what websites are hosted connected  the aforesaid  IP address. The You Get Signal instrumentality volition fto you rapidly cheque what different websites are hosted connected the aforesaid IP address.

You tin bash a reverse domain IP cheque utilizing You Get Signal oregon immoderate different akin tool.  

No. 7: Check the domain history 

You cannot get the full representation of the website without knowing astatine slightest a spot astir its history. Make definite to cheque the property of the domain, its registrant history, and who its existent registrant is.

Checking the domain past  with the assistance   of WhoISrequest With the WhoISrequest tool you tin rapidly cheque the domain history. This accusation whitethorn beryllium particularly utile if you are investigating the reasons for a driblet successful rankings.

A elemental instrumentality similar WhoISrequest volition fto you cheque the domain history. 

No. 8: Check the Wayback Machine 

In summation to the domain history, it’s besides large to cognize what the website looked similar successful the past and what benignant of contented it had. This cognition volition fto you find if determination was a redesign oregon immoderate different important alteration connected the website. 

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is an indispensable instrumentality for SEOs, particularly if they are looking for the reasons down a postulation drop.

You tin usage the Wayback Machine to spot what the website utilized to look similar successful the past.  

No.9: Check if the tract has undergone a large alteration oregon redesign recently 

It is bully to cognize if determination person been immoderate large changes connected the website, particularly if you are auditing it to find the reasons wherefore it mislaid traffic. To cheque if determination were immoderate redesign changes, you tin besides usage the Wayback Machine.

Now let’s dive into the information from Google tools

Analysis Of Data Provided By Tools

Google tools supply tons of utile information astir the method SEO aspects of a website. Any bully and broad method SEO audit should commencement by looking astatine the information from those tools!  

Google Search Console (GSC)

GSC is the breadstuff and food of immoderate method SEO analysis. If you person entree to the GSC information of the website, past commencement by taking a little look astatine the elements discussed below. 

If you emotion Google Search Console arsenic overmuch arsenic I do, past don’t miss my usher connected how to audit a tract with Google Search Console (only).

No. 10: Check if the website has a GSC relationship acceptable up. 

It is hard to judge but I inactive travel crossed websites that person ne'er adjacent acceptable up a GSC account! If the website you are analyzing is this uncommon case, past you tin skip each of the points from this section. 

Instead… acceptable up a Google Search Console relationship for the website. If you don’t person the powerfulness to bash that, marque it a precedence that the lawsuit does that. 

No. 11: Check the Performance report

Open the Performance study to get an overview of the website’s show successful search. Check metrics, specified arsenic full clicks, full impressions, mean position, and mean CTR. 

Set the day scope to the past 12 months. Take announcement of immoderate postulation trends.  

The Performance study  successful  Google Search Console The Google Search Console Performance report gives you tons of accusation astir however your tract is doing successful integrated search.

No. 12: Check the Coverage report

The Coverage study volition amusement you:

  • what web pages are indexed and tin look successful Google (Valid and Valid with warnings),
  • and what web pages are excluded and wherefore (Error, Excluded). 

From a method SEO standpoint, this is simply a precise important report.  

The Coverage study  successful  Google Search Console. The Google Search Console Coverage study is the champion instrumentality for checking the indexation of a website and its web pages.

No. 13: Check XML sitemaps 

Now spell to Index > Sitemaps to cheque if an XML sitemap oregon a sitemap scale has been submitted to Google. If nary sitemaps are submitted, past you tin determination to the adjacent point. You volition instrumentality a deeper look astatine this constituent aboriginal on. 

If nether Status you spot Success, past a sitemap has been processed successfully. You tin besides click connected a circumstantial sitemap to spot its details.  

The sitemaps submitted successful  Google Search Console. The Google Search Console Sitemap report lets you taxable XML sitemaps and cheque their status.

If you are not precise sitemap-savvy, marque definite to work the sitemap guide from Google.  

If you are not definite if the website audited has an XML sitemap, larn however to find the sitemap of a website.

No. 14: Check Removals 

You besides privation to cognize if idiosyncratic intentionally oregon unintentionally requested the removal of the contented of the website. Simply navigate to Index > Removal and spot what’s there. 

Removals successful  Google Search Console The Removals instrumentality successful Google Search Console allows you to rapidly region immoderate web leafage from the Google index.

No. 15: Check Enhancements  

The adjacent measurement is to cheque if determination are immoderate enhancements to beryllium made. Simply navigate to Enhancements and instrumentality a look astatine each constituent listed there. 

These are important SEO elements, specified arsenic Core Web Vitals, Mobile Usability, Breadcrumbs, FAQ, and much (depending connected the benignant of structured information utilized connected the website).  

Enhancements and mobile usability successful  Google Search Console

I would instrumentality a elaborate look astatine Core Web Vitals and Mobile Usability. These are each precise important reports which you should recognize well.

UPDATE: Check the Page Experience report

Google Search Console has precocious got a rew study which tin beryllium recovered successful a caller conception Experience that present has 3 reports: Page Experience, Core Web Vitals, and Mobile Usability.

Go to Page Experience to spot if the tract meets each of the 5 Google leafage acquisition signals. Ideally, you privation to spot a batch of greenish here.

Google leafage   acquisition   study  successful  GSC Here is the caller Page Experience study successful Google Search Console.
Google leafage   acquisition   signals successful  GSC Here are the reports for each the Google leafage acquisition signals.

No. 16: Check if the website has a manual action

Even though manual penalties are little communal present they inactive happen! You request to cognize if determination is oregon was a manual punishment for the website. Simply spell to the Security & Manual Actions > Manual actions. Ideally, you should spot nary issues. 

Checking if determination   are manual actions successful  Google Search Console. The Manual Actions report should beryllium 1 of the archetypal places to cheque successful GSC erstwhile auditing a site.

If the website has a manual action, it should go a precedence to cleanable it and taxable a reconsideration request. Google explains manual actions successful a precise straightforward and broad mode successful their article. 

No. 17: Check if the website has information issues 

Manual actions are atrocious and truthful are information issues. To cheque if the website has this problem, spell to Security & Manual Actions > Security issues. In an perfect SEO world, you volition not spot thing there. 

Checking if determination   are information    issues successful  Google Search Console. The Security Issues study will fto you cognize if the tract audited has immoderate information issues and whitethorn beryllium demoted successful hunt due to the fact that of them.

No. 18: Check Links

Last but not slightest travel links. This is not a nexus audit but you should person a wide overview of the backlinks. Simply spell to Links and cheque what’s there. You whitethorn besides comparison these information with the information from different tools similar Ahrefs or Semrush

Links successful  Google Search Console Use the Google Search Console Links to cheque the backlinks of a website.

Your task present is to navigate to Links under Legacy tools and reports. You volition the tables with information connected outer and interior links.

Here is what to do:

  • Check what the Top linked pages tab says and if determination is 1 oregon a fewer circumstantial URLs that person immoderate truly immense numbers of links successful examination to different web pages of the website.
  • Overlay the supra accusation with that you spot successful the Top linking sites. Do the bulk of links travel from 1 oregon a fewer sites only?
  • Analyze the Top linking text tab to marque definite that exact-match keyword anchor texts are not overused. If they are, this should beryllium a reddish emblem for you. Click MORE to larn much details.
Top linking substance   ub Google Search Console Here is the Links study successful GSC showing the apical linking substance for my links.

No. 19: Check Crawl Stats report

The Google crawl stats report lets you instrumentality a deeper look into however Google is crawling the website.

Navigate to Settings and past under Crawling click on OPEN REPORT next to Crawl stats.

Crawl Stats study  successful  GSC Here is however you unfastened the Crawl Stats study successful Google Search Console.

The crawl stats study volition fto you instrumentality a speedy look astatine the full fig of crawl requests, full download size, and mean response. In addition, successful section Hosts, you volition spot the accusation astir the wellness of your hosts (if determination person been issues with the robots.txt fetch, DNS resolution, oregon server connectivity.

Crawl stats study  successful  GSC The GSC Crawl Stats Report is an awesome instrumentality for knowing however Googlebot is crawling your site.

Make definite to cheque this conception to rapidly spot immoderate crawling issues connected the website.

No. 20: Check the disavow file

When auditing the website, it is besides indispensable that you cheque if the disavow record was submitted and (possibly) if it so has the links it should have.

Checking whether the disavow record has been submitted is indispensable particularly if you are auditing a website that has mislaid oregon has been losing its integrated visibility.

Google Disavow tool This is what the caller mentation of the Disavow tool looks like.

You cannot entree the disavow instrumentality from Google Search Console due to the fact that it is an precocious instrumentality that tin bash a batch of harm if utilized incorrectly. You tin lone find it connected Google.

Your task present is to cheque if the disavow record has been submitted and if imaginable instrumentality a look astatine its contented to marque definite it has been utilized correctly and successful enactment with its purpose.

No. 21: Check the superior crawler

All the websites volition beryllium switched to mobile-first indexing successful March 2021. Before that happens ever cheque the superior crawler of the website.

To cheque the superior crawler of the website, log successful to Google Search Console and navigate to Coverage. You volition spot the accusation astir the superior crawler astatine the apical of the page.

The superior   crawler successful  GSC The Coverage report successful Google Search Console provides accusation astir the superior crawler of the site.

The bulk of websites person already been switched to mobile-first indexing. What if the website audited hasn’t been moved yet and its superior crawler is inactive Desktop?

  • It astir apt is simply a spot obsolete and has superior loading and show issues connected mobile devices.
  • It whitethorn not beryllium mobile-friendly. If that’s the case, past making it mobile-friendly should beryllium the apical priority.
  • It inactive has the m. mentation for mobile devices.
  • It whitethorn beryllium a caller website whose domain had been registered before. This is the lone OK script for the website inactive utilizing the desktop crawler (this is the lawsuit with my website).

Google Analytics

This is besides a precise wide overview of the astir important information from Google Analytics. Check my Google Analytics 4 basal SEO guide.

No. 22: Check if the tract has a Google Analytics account

If your reply is NO, past you tin skip the remainder of the questions from this section. Instead, your task is to acceptable up a GA relationship for the website. 

No. 23: Check if determination are immoderate disposable trends successful the information from the past 12-18 months

To cheque that, spell to Audience > Overview and past acceptable the day scope to beryllium astatine slightest the past 12 months.

Google Analytics assemblage  overview Here is the assemblage overview successful a specified day scope successful GA.

No. 24: Check however the tract acquires traffic

To cheque that, spell to Acquisition >Overview. Organic hunt should bring the astir traffic. But this is, of course, besides case-specific.

Traffic acquisition successful  GA The Acquisition Overview successful GA volition fto you cheque if the tract gets the bulk of postulation from hunt engines.

If you are caller to GA, check how to find integrated postulation successful Google Analytics.

No. 25: Check if postulation trends look akin successful some Bing and Google

Comparing the integrated postulation trajectory successful Google with the postulation successful Bing whitethorn beryllium the cardinal to knowing the causes of drops successful traffic. To cheque and comparison the organic traffic from Google and Bing, navigate to Acquisition > All Traffic > Source/Medium. Compare google / organic with bing / organic.

Organic postulation   from Bing and Google successful  GA Here is however you cheque the integrated postulation from Google and Bing successful GA.

Here are the 2 scenarios:

  • If the postulation trajectory is akin some successful Google and successful Bing, past it whitethorn mean that determination are immoderate method issues with the website similar immoderate URLs not resolving.
  • If the postulation driblet is disposable lone successful Google, past the website whitethorn beryllium suffering from a Google penalty.

No. 26: Check the bounce complaint of the website

To cheque that, spell to Behavior > Overview and you volition see Bounce Rate there. 

Bounce complaint   successful  GA Here is the bounce complaint successful GA for 1 of my sites.

No. 27: Check the mean clip spent connected the pages of the site

To cheque that, spell to BehaviorOverview and you volition spot Avg. Time connected Page. 

Average clip  spent connected  site The mean clip spent connected the web pages of 1 of my sites

No. 28: Check wherever the bulk of the assemblage comes from

To cheque that, spell to Audience > Geo > Location

No. 29: Check the connection the bulk of the assemblage uses

To cheque that, spell to Audience > Geo > Language

No. 30: Check the astir often visited web pages of the website

To cheque the astir visited web pages, spell to Behavior > Site Content > All Pages

The astir   fashionable  web pages successful  Google Analytics Here you tin cheque the astir fashionable web pages connected your site.

No. 31: Check what types of devices the bulk of users of the tract use

Is it mobile oregon desktop? To cheque that, spell to Audience > Mobile > Overview

Webmaster Tools From Other Search Engines 

In astir cases, websites get the bulk of postulation from Google and a tiny percent from Bing. But determination are different hunt engines, specified arsenic Yandex oregon Baidu, and immoderate websites so get a batch of postulation from them.

These cases are rather uncommon but they happen! That’s wherefore we request to cheque if a website uses oregon should usage the webmaster tools of different hunt engines. 

No. 32: Check if the website has a Bing Webmaster Tools relationship acceptable up. Set it up if needed.

It’s bully to verify the website with Bing due to the fact that determination are a fewer precise bully tools wrong Bing Webmaster Tools, specified arsenic Site Scan, Robots.txt Tester, and Site Explorer.

I powerfully urge taking a look astatine those tools! 

Bing Webmaster Tools Bing Webmaster Tools incorporate a clump of truly awesome SEO tools I powerfully urge checking.

No. 33: Check if the website has and should person a Yandex Webmaster account. Create 1 if needed.

It is for you to determine if the website needs a Yandex Webmaster account. Set up a Yandex Webmaster relationship if necessary. And cheque my database of Yandex hunt operators if you usage this hunt engine.

No. 34: Check if the website has and should person a Baidu Webmaster Tools account. Create 1 if needed.

This is chiefly for Chinese websites. Set up Baidu Webmaster Tools if applicable. 

Visibility successful fashionable SEO tools

In summation to checking what Google tools person to accidental astir the website, it’s important to analyse the visibility of the website utilizing an SEO instrumentality like Semrush or Ahrefs.

No. 35: Check the visibility of the tract successful Semrush

Simply cheque the domain overview to get a wide thought of however the website is performing.

Semrush Domain Overview Here is the Domain Overview successful Semrush.

The things to look astatine include Authority ScoreOrganic Search TrafficTraffic TrendKeywords TrendSERP FeaturesTop Organic Keywords, and Organic Position Distribution.

Domain Overview of Moz successful  Semrush Here is the Domain Overview for moz.com successful Semrush.

This volition springiness you a beauteous bully thought of however things are.

No. 36: Check the visibility of the tract successful Ahrefs

Simply benignant the domain in Site Explorer in Ahrefs and deed enter.

Ahrefs Site Explorer This is the Ahrefs Site Explorer you tin usage to cheque the visibility of the site.

The things to look astatine include URDROrganic keywordsOrganic trafficOrganic positions. You whitethorn besides privation to check Top pages.

Backlink Profile

Any in-depth method SEO audit would beryllium incomplete without concisely analyzing the backlink illustration of the website.

No. 37: Check the backlink illustration of the website

The quickest and easiest mode to analyse the backlink illustration of the website is to usage the Semrush Backlink Analytics and Backlink Audit tools.

Semrush backlinks Here are the Backlink Analytics successful Semrush.

Mobile-Friendly Test

The adjacent captious measurement successful your method SEO investigation is to tally the Mobile-Friendly Test. This is simply a speedy mode to cheque however Google sees and renders a web page, if determination are immoderate loading issues, oregon if it is mobile-friendly

Mobile-friendly test The Mobile-Friendly Test allows you to cheque if a tract is mobile-friendly with 1 click.

Once you tally the test, you volition beryllium capable to spot the rendered leafage and HTML code. 

Mobile-friendly test Here are the Mobile-Friendly Test results for my website.

No. 38: Check if the website is mobile-friendly

Run the Mobile-Friendly Test to marque definite the website is so mobile-friendly… successful the eyes of Google. 

No. 39: Check if determination are immoderate loading issues. 

Next, click VIEW DETAILS nether Page loading issues to cheque the details of leafage loading issues (if determination are any). 

Checking leafage   loading issues successful  Mobile-Friendly Test My site, fortunately, does not person immoderate loading issues. If determination are immoderate issues, you should analyse them further.

No. 40: Check the rendered screenshot and its HTML code

Compare what you spot successful the rendered screenshot with what you spot successful the browser. Check the HTML codification of the rendered screenshot and marque definite that the astir important links (like navigation links) and contented are so there.  

There is besides a bully tool JavaScript rendering check that volition cheque immoderate URL for differences betwixt the archetypal root and the rendered HTML.

Rendered vs root   code The results of the JavaScript Rendering Check instrumentality for my website.

Google PageSpeed Insights 

Google PageSpeed Insights is an awesome instrumentality that some examines the velocity of the website and gives actionable tips connected however to amended its velocity and performance. 

Note that Google PageSpeed Insights provides accusation connected a per-page basis. This is not the people for the full website but for the circumstantial URL (web page) you test. 

Google PageSpeed Insights The Google PageSpeed Insights tool lets you rapidly cheque the velocity and show of immoderate website (including Core Web Vitals).

⚡ If the website uses WordPress, past the WP Rocket plugin volition astir apt lick each the show and velocity problems. Check my review of WP Rocket to larn more.

No. 41: Analyze the website with Google PageSpeed Insights 

Check the scores for some the mobile and desktop versions of the website. If the people is beneath 80/100, you should instrumentality a person look astatine the issues indicated by the tool. Anything beneath 50 (RED) requires your contiguous attention, examination, and action. 

Google PageSpeed Insights results for seosly.com The Google PageSpeed Insights instrumentality results for SEOSLY (using WP Rocket for optimizations).

No. 42: Check if the website passes Core Web Vitals 

Core Web Vitals has go an authoritative ranking factor.

Technical SEO Audit The Google leafage acquisition signals (including Core Web Vitals).

With that successful mind, you should wage peculiar attraction to Core Web Vitals and marque it a precedence that the website passes this assessment. This is simply a large concern for the future! 

If the website does not walk Web Vitals, fixing this successful the nearest aboriginal should beryllium a priority

⚡ Check my in-depth guide to Core Web Vitals. And my guides to Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, and Cumulative Layout Shift.

No. 43: Check if the instrumentality indicates that images are not optimized 

The uncompressed and unoptimized images slowing down the website are usually the easiest and the quickest to fix. 

If determination are specified images connected the web page, the instrumentality volition bespeak them on with imaginable savings. If possible, marque it a precedence to optimize each the images the instrumentality indicates. 

No. 44: Check if the instrumentality indicates that JS, HTML, and CSS codification is not optimized 

These optimizations are besides usually rather casual to implement, particularly if the website is utilizing WordPress. 

Google PageSpeed Insights The tips connected removing unused CSS provided by the Google PageSpeed Insights tool.

You volition find my recommendations connected WordPress plugins astatine the extremity of this guide. 

No. 45: Check if determination are immoderate different important opportunities oregon diagnostics indicated by the tool

The suggestions fixed nether Opportunities and Diagnostics bash not impact the show people of the website. However, they tin assistance the website load faster. Sometimes a lot!

Google PageSpeed Insights opportunities The suggestions that whitethorn assistance a tract load faster displayed by the Google PageSpeed Insights tool.
Google PageSpeed Insights diagnostics The diagnositcs displayed by the Google PSI.

In astir cases, the instrumentality gives you each the accusation and suggestions you request to marque a fixed web leafage faster and amended its show score. 

Compliance with the Google prime guidelines

No. 46: Check if the website is compliant with the Google prime guidelines

Make definite the website is escaped of immoderate glaring errors, specified arsenic keyword stuffing, doorway pages, sneaky redirects, oregon different evident violations of the Google prime guidelines.

Technical SEO audit prime   guidelines An overview of the Google prime guidelines disposable astatine the Google Search Central site.

Many of those are obsolete achromatic chapeau techniques but determination are inactive websites that usage them. 

By present you should person a beauteous wide representation of the website, truthful you tin determination connected to performing its in-depth method SEO analysis. 

To execute astir of the beneath tasks you volition request a tract crawler. I chiefly usage Screaming Frog and Semrush (I emotion their crawler and SEO tools) but you tin implicit these tasks with immoderate different decent crawling tools arsenic well. Most of the screenshots travel from these 2 tools.

Indexing, Crawling & Rendering 

Let’s present get into details of however Google is indexing, crawling, and rendering your website.

Make definite to cheque my guide to the crawl fund optimization.

Status successful the index

Analyzing indexability with Sitebulb Here is the overview of the indexability of my tract successful Sitebulb.

No. 47: Check however galore web pages of the website are indexed 

Use the site: bid to cheque the approximate fig of the web pages indexed. In astir cases, the homepage should beryllium the archetypal effect of the site: hunt command. 

Here is however I cheque my domain: site:seosly.com

 bid  to cheque  if the tract  is indexed The site: bid is the quickest mode to cheque if a fixed URL oregon a tract is successful the index.

The site: bid utilized to cheque the unsmooth fig of the web pages successful the Google index. And don’t hide that this works with Bing arsenic well.

Checking the indexed web pages successful  Bing

⚡ And I person the full usher astir Google hunt operators and Bing hunt operators if you privation to larn more.

No. 48: Check if the fig of the web pages indexed corresponds to the fig of valid web pages successful Google Search Console

The fig of the web pages indexed shown by the site: bid is approximate. But it should inactive beryllium akin to the fig of the canonical (indexable) web pages of the website. 

In Google Search Console, spell to Index > Coverage > Valid to cheque the nonstop fig of the web pages indexed. 

Valid pages successful  Google Search Console for seosly.com The Coverage report successful GSC lets you cheque however galore web pages are presently indexed. Note that the information successful GSC look with a one-week delay.

Any discrepancy whitethorn request your peculiar attention! 

No. 49: Check if immoderate weird or irrelevant web pages are indexed  

The site: bid is besides precise utile for checking if immoderate weird oregon irrelevant web pages got indexed.  Simply instrumentality a look astatine 2-5 pages of hunt results returned with the site: command. You whitethorn get truly surprised! You whitethorn besides enactment your domain successful quotes and bash an nonstop lucifer hunt similar “seosly.com”.

Robots.txt

If you are not precise robots.txt-savvy, commencement by speechmaking the Google introduction to robots.txt.

No. 50: Check if the website has a robots.txt file 

Simply adhd /robots.txt to the website code to cheque if it has a robots.txt record and to spot its content.  

For my website that would beryllium https://seosly.com/robots.txt.  If determination is nary robots.txt file, marque definite the close presumption codification is returned (200, 403, 404, oregon 410), oregon the website whitethorn not beryllium crawled. 

sitebulb robots txt The robots.txt record on my website. You tin cheque the contents of your robots.txt record straight successful Sitebulb.

⚡ In my different nonfiction you volition larn how to entree and modify robots.txt successful WordPress.

No. 51: Check if the robots.txt record blocks website resources that should beryllium indexed

Any errors successful the contented of the robots.txt record whitethorn effect successful invaluable website resources not being discovered by hunt motor robots. Blocking a assets successful the robots.txt record won’t forestall it from being indexed BUT from being crawled. If determination is simply a nexus to the blocked assets anyplace connected the internet, past this assets whitethorn get indexed and inactive look successful hunt results. 

No. 52: Check if the robots.txt truly blocks website resources that should beryllium blocked

Really immense websites (with millions of pages) should marque bully usage of the robots.txt record truthful that it blocks the resources that should not beryllium crawled similar URLs with parameters, bladed tag pages, etc.  It’s you – an SEO specializer – to determine what web pages (and if any) should beryllium blocked from crawling.

No. 53: Check if the robots.txt record is valid

And you truly privation to beryllium definite determination are nary typos oregon misspellings successful the robots.txt file. You tin usage these tools to cheque if the robots.txt record is valid: 

No. 54: Check if determination are immoderate different errors successful the robots.txt file

Robots.txt whitethorn beryllium wholly valid and escaped of immoderate syntax errors but determination inactive whitethorn beryllium different errors, specified arsenic the incorrect sanction of the directory to beryllium blocked.  Double-check that robots.txt truly does what it is expected to bash and gives the Googlebot close directives. 

No. 55: Check if the robots.txt record indicates an XML sitemap address 

The modular determination of the sitemap (/sitemap.xml) does not request to beryllium indicated successful robots.txt. If the sitemap is not astatine a modular determination oregon determination are aggregate XML sitemaps (or a sitemap index), past the sitemap URL should beryllium indicated successful the robots.txt file. 

In the lawsuit of my website, it looks similar this:
Sitemap: https://seosly.com/sitemap_index.xml

You tin big the XML sitemap connected an wholly antithetic domain. You conscionable request to marque definite to see it successful the robots.txt. 

Robots meta tag

No. 56: Check if the robots meta tag blocks website resources which should beryllium indexed 

Both the intended and unintended “noindex” worth of the robots meta tag volition artifact a leafage from being indexed. Crawl the website to cheque the indexability presumption of its web pages successful bulk.  

Checking indexability successful  Sitebulb Sitebulb lets you cheque the indexability of each the web pages of a tract successful bulk.

You tin besides usage the SEO Indexability Check Chrome hold to cheque indexability connected a per-page basis. Note that if determination are 2 antithetic robots meta tags, Google volition take the much restrictive one. This is simply a uncommon lawsuit but it happens!

SEO indexability check The SEO Indexability Check Chrome hold from DeepCrawl.

No. 57: Check if determination are indexable website resources which should beryllium blocked by the robots meta tag 

The other tin besides beryllium harmful… particularly if we are talking astir thousands of low-quality indexable web pages. Your task present is to analyse each the indexable web pages and measure if they are invaluable capable to beryllium indexed. Use your communal SEO sense!  

sitebulb indexability audit Checking the values of meta robots tags crossed the website utilizing Sitebulb.

X-Robots-Tag

No. 58: Check if the X-Robots-Tag blocks website resources which should not beryllium blocked

You tin besides artifact a web leafage from being indexed with the assistance of the X-Robots-Tag. Your detective enactment is by nary means over. Your task present is to observe and analyse the resources blocked by the X-Robots-Tag.

Checking X-Robots-Tag successful  Screaming Frog Checking the X-Robots Tag values successful Screaming Frog SEO Spider.

Directives successful X-Robots-Tag, robots.txt, and robots meta tag

No. 59: Check if the directives fixed successful the robots.txt, robots meta tag, and X-Robots-Tag bash not contradict 1 another 

Yes, you tin instruct robots successful aggregate ways, specified arsenic with the usage of the X-Robots-Tag, the robots.txt file, and the robots meta tag. Your task is to cheque if the directives are not contradicting 1 another, oregon bots volition get confused and not behave arsenic you privation them to. 

No. 60: Check if the web pages similar a privateness argumentation oregon presumption of work are indexable 

The aged schoolhouse of SEO would counsel against indexing privateness policy, presumption of conditions, and the similar web pages. These pages, aft all, seldom person unsocial content. This seems to nary longer beryllium true. You should so scale those pages due to the fact that they assistance physique up your E-A-T. You volition larn much astir E-A-T astatine the extremity of this guide.

Rendering

No. 61: Check if the web pages of the website render correctly 

Rendering is seeing your web leafage done the eyes of a bot. It is truly bully to cognize however it sees the website! The Mobile-Friendly Test volition render the web leafage and amusement the HTML codification of the rendered page. 

I usage either Sitebulb oregon Screaming Frog to render each the web pages of the website successful bulk. 

In Sitebulb, erstwhile you commencement a caller project, simply take Chrome Crawler and Sitebulb volition bash each the soiled enactment for you unneurotic with analyzing the differences betwixt the root and rendered code.

Chrome crawler successful  Sitebulb When editing the task settings successful Sitebulb, simply take Chrome Crawler.
Response vs render successful  Sitebulb After the Sitebulb crawl is done, spell to Response vs Render to spot if determination are immoderate problems oregon differences betwixt the root and rendered codification of your site.

If you privation Screaming Frog to render JavaScript, spell to Configuration > Spider > Rendering. Choose JavaScript and Googlebot Mobile

JavaScript rendering successful  Screaming Frog The JavaScript rendering settings successful Screaming Frog SEO Spider.

XML Sitemap

Now let’s bash immoderate detective enactment connected XML sitemaps. 

No. 62: Check if the website has an XML sitemap

Let’s present cheque if the website has an XML sitemap. A deficiency of an XML sitemap whitethorn forestall hunt motor robots from discovering each of the web pages of the website (especially the web pages that are heavy successful the structure). 

So wherever bash you look for an XML sitemap?

  • Check the default determination which is /sitemap.xml oregon sometimes /sitemap_index.xml.
  • Check the robots.txt file. 
  • Check Google Search Console (Index > Sitemaps). 
  • If imaginable and applicable, log successful to the CMS of the website and look for sitemaps settings there. 
XML sitemap This is the XML sitemap for my site.

If the website does not person a sitemap, you whitethorn skip this section. Instead, make oregon suggest creating an XML sitemap for the website. 

⚡ In my usher connected how to find the sitemap of a website, I’m showing you 7 antithetic ways to observe a sitemap.

No. 63: Check if the XML sitemap contains each the URLs it should contain 

By definition, an XML sitemap should incorporate each of the indexable & canonical web pages of the website. In practice, however, that is not ever the case

The quickest mode to cheque if an XML sitemap contains the canonical URLs of your website is to crawl it. I powerfully urge utilizing Sitebulb for that.

No. 64: Check if the sitemap contains incorrect entries

Make definite the sitemap is escaped from incorrect entries, specified arsenic redirected URLs, 4xx web pages, password-protected URLs, etc. Again, you tin rapidly cheque that by crawling the XML sitemaps of a website. 

Sitebulb volition crawl the sitemap and amusement you immoderate issues with it automatically.

Auditing XML sitemap Sitebulb will automatically audit the XML sitemap of the tract you are crawling and amusement you each the issues

Here is however you tin analyse the contented of sitemaps successful Screaming Frog:

  • In Spider Configuration and under XML sitemaps, I cheque Crawl Linked XML Sitemaps and paste the URLs of the sitemaps of the website. 
Crawling XML sitemaps utilizing Screaming Frog. The settings in Screaming Frog SEO Spider that let you to crawl XML sitemaps.
  • Once the crawl of the website is done, I tally Crawl Analysis.
Crawl Analysis successful  Screaming Frog This is however you tally the Crawl Analysis successful Screaming Frog SEO Spider.
  • Next, I analyse the contents of Sitemaps successful the Overview tab. This tells maine beauteous overmuch everything I request to know. 
Sitemap investigation  successful  Screaming Frog Under Sitemaps determination are the results of the sitemap crawls.

No. 65: Check if the sitemap uses the deprecated <priority> and <changefreq> parameters 

Simply unfastened the XML sitemap to cheque if determination are <priority> and <changefreq> parameters. These parameters are presently ignored by Google, truthful determination is truly nary request to person them successful the sitemap. I usually urge removing them entirely. 

No. 66: Check if the website uses the <lastmod> parameter. If the parameter is used, cheque if it is utilized correctly. 

Google is capable to find the existent past modification day of the website.  If the <lastmod> parameter is misused, Google volition simply disregard it. 

If, for example, the <lastmod> parameter indicates the aforesaid day crossed each the sitemap entries, past you tin beryllium beauteous definite it’s not utilized correctly. 

technical seo checklist sitemap lastmod This however the <lastmod> parameter looks similar successful an existent XML sitemap.

In specified a case, I usually urge removing it entirely. 

No. 67: Check if the website has an representation sitemap 

If a website has a batch of invaluable images and relies connected Image Search, past it should decidedly person an representation sitemap. Lack of thereof whitethorn effect successful hunt motor robots being incapable to observe and scale each of the images. Images tin beryllium added arsenic a abstracted sitemap oregon unneurotic with the regular XML sitemap. 

Image sitemap Here are the representation URLs connected my XML sitemap (generated by Rank Math).

No. 68: Check if the website has a video sitemap 

This applies lone if a website hosts videos connected its ain server. A video sitemap is not intended for indicating YouTube videos.  

Language Versions

Skip this conception if the website is not multilingual. 

Practically immoderate website crawler volition supply the accusation needed to measure if determination are issues with hreflang implementation. If the website you are auditing is not multilingual, you tin skip this section.

No. 69: Check if connection versions are intelligibly divided

Multilingual websites should person wide connection division. A deficiency thereof whitethorn effect successful incorrect indexation of peculiar connection versions. For example, immoderate web pages whitethorn beryllium indexed lone successful 1 connection portion different web pages lone successful the different language. 

To debar this issue, a website should:

  • (ideally) enactment antithetic connection versions successful antithetic directories, 
  • have a connection power disposable connected each web page,  
  • and usage hreflang tags (see the constituent below). 

No. 70: Check if hreflang tags are utilized connected the website 

Multilingual websites should usage hreflang tags because: 

  • Hreflang tags fto hunt motor robots observe alternate connection versions of web pages. 
  • Hreflang tags assistance destruct contented duplication caused by the availability of web pages successful the aforesaid connection but meant for antithetic regions. 

To analyse the hreflang tags connected your tract with Sitebulb (and get precise wide suggestions and imaginable fixes), marque definite to check International successful task settings.

sitebulb international Make definite that this mounting is checked truthful that Sitebulb can cheque the validity of hreflang annotations and HTML lang attributes connected your site.

Screaming Frog volition fto you analyse hreflang tags too. 

Checking hreflang tags successful  Screaming Frog. These are the hreflang issues that Screaming Frog SEO Spider checks for.

No. 71: Check if hreflang tags are utilized correctly 

Hreflang tags volition not enactment unless they constituent to the close (corresponding) web pages. Your task is to cheque if hreflang tags truly nexus to the alternate connection versions of the web pages. 

No. 72: Check if the instrumentality links are missing

Without instrumentality links, Google volition disregard hreflang tags connected the web page. This is simply a uncommon lawsuit wherever communal linking is desirable. Screaming Frog oregon immoderate different akin instrumentality volition fto you cheque if instrumentality links are missing. 

Checking instrumentality    links successful  Screaming Frog. Screaming Frog volition archer you if instrumentality links are missing oregon not.

No. 73: Check if the x-default hreflang property is used

Each web leafage utilizing hreflang tags should besides constituent to the default connection version. To larn much astir hreflang tags and however they work, work this Google nonfiction astir managing multilingual and multiregional sites.  

Checking x-default hreflang property  successful  Screaming Frog You tin usage Screaming Frog SEO Spider to cheque if X-Default has been utilized crossed the full site.

Internal linking

Internal linking tin virtually either marque oregon interruption a site. This is simply a method SEO facet you should enactment a batch of absorption on. A decent crawler similar Sitebulb will analyse the interior linking operation of your tract and notify you of immoderate issues oregon areas of improvement.

Internal URLs successful  Sitebulb crawler Here is the summary of the investigation of interior links successful Sitebulb.

No. 74: Check if determination is an excessive fig of links connected the homepage

If determination are hundreds oregon adjacent thousands of links connected the homepage (including aggregate links), past thing is not rather right. There is nary circumstantial fig to purpose for but thing supra 1 100 should beryllium a reddish emblem and a crushed to analyse further. 

Sitebulb does a superb occupation of analyzing your interior links and letting you recognize however interior linking is implemented connected a site. Just unfastened the audit and spell to Link Explorer.

Homepage links Here is the Sitebulb Link Explorer that allows for digging heavy into the interior linking structure. Here I americium checking the links from the homepage.

Here is however to cheque the fig of links connected the homepage successful Screaming Frog: 

  • Navigate to Internal > HTML.
  • Click connected the (canonical) URL of the homepage. 
  • Navigate to the Outlinks tab.  
  • Click Export to export each the links. 
  • Analyze!  
Checking outlinks connected  the homepage successful  Screaming Frog. This is however you tin cheque the outlinks connected immoderate leafage with the usage of Screaming Frog.

No. 75: Check if each web leafage of the website has a nexus to the homepage

This contented seldom happens but it happens. Each web leafage should nexus to the homepage. The astir communal placement for this nexus is the nexus from the logo or/and the “Home” nexus successful the main navigation.

Link to the homepage These are examples of links to the homepage connected SEOSLY.

The astir communal placement for this nexus is the logo (a graphic link) oregon the “Home” nexus successful the main navigation.

No. 76: Check if determination are aggregate links connected the web pages of the website 

Multiple linking is little of an contented now.  Even John Mueller successful 1 of the caller Google SEO bureau hours said that the first-link-counts regularisation is obsolete and rather irrelevant. It is your task arsenic an SEO is to instrumentality a look astatine aggregate links connected the website and measure if these links are problematic oregon not.  

Checking aggregate  links utilizing Screaming Frog Screaming Frog SEO Spider allows you to cheque easy cheque if determination are aggregate links connected a page. You conscionable request to benignant the links by their name, and you volition spot the duplicates.

Again, you request to usage your acquisition and communal sense. If determination are tens oregon hundreds of aggregate links connected the web pages, past you whitethorn privation to analyse it a spot much deeply. You tin usage Screaming Frog oregon immoderate different website crawler to cheque that.  

Product pages and blog articles are precise adjuvant erstwhile it comes to utilizing the imaginable of interior linking. Linking betwixt thematically-related web pages strengthens some the linked and the linking page. For example, a merchandise leafage should person links to different products. 

And it is besides a large accidental to usage keyword-rich anchor texts, which helps hunt motor algorithms recognize the taxable of those pages.

No. 78: Check if the website makes usage of contextual linking 

Contextual linking is simply a spot akin and is besides precise valuable. Contextual links besides assistance hunt engines subordinate the linked web pages with circumstantial keywords utilized successful the anchor text. Using keyword-rich anchor texts successful interior links is wholly OK!

The champion spot for contextual links is blog articles that should nexus to merchandise oregon connection pages. If the website has articles oregon tutorials, contextual linking should beryllium enactment into action.  

Anchor substance   successful  Sitebulb One mode to cheque if the tract uses invaluable contextual links is to cheque the anchor substance of interior links. In Sitebulb, spell to Link Explorer > Internal Anchor Text.

No. 79. Check if determination are links pointing to non-existent oregon blocked resources 

Links to blocked oregon non-existent resources whitethorn pb to a atrocious idiosyncratic acquisition which tin negatively power SEO. Your task is to region the links pointing to non-existent oregon password-protected resources. You tin besides regenerate specified links with moving links returning presumption 200 (OK). 

Sitebulb will fto you cheque some interior and outer links precise easily.

Links successful  Sitebulb Sitebulb lets you rapidly analyse the interior and outer nexus status.

Low-value links

No. 80: Check if determination are low-value substance links with inappropriate anchor text 

Low-value substance links marque it harder oregon adjacent intolerable for hunt motor algorithms to subordinate the linked leafage with due keywords related to its content. Links with low-value anchor substance (like “Read more” oregon “Click here”) are a missed accidental to springiness hunt engines accusation astir the taxable of the linked page. 

No. 81: Check if determination are low-value graphic links with the inappropriate oregon missing ALT attribute

The ALT property successful representation links is similar the anchor substance successful substance links. Use it! Make definite that graphic links are high-value links! 

Website structure

Any crawling instrumentality volition assistance you analyse the operation of the website. However, I emotion however Sitebulb does that.

Sitebulb tract  structure Here is the crawl histrion generated by Sitebulb. It lets you easy visualize the operation of the site.

And present is however Screaming Frog does that.

Crawl extent  successful  Screaming Frog Screaming Frog SEO Spider provides a batch of utile information you tin usage to analyse the website structure.

But don’t blindly judge what the instrumentality is saying. Make bully usage of your SEO acquisition and communal consciousness here. The champion website operation is the 1 that avoids immoderate extremes. 

No. 82: Check if the website operation is excessively flat 

One utmost is erstwhile the homepage contains each the links to each the web pages. 

No. 83: Check if the website operation is excessively deep

Another utmost is erstwhile the operation is excessively heavy with much than 4-5 levels and tons of orphan web pages. 

Breadcrumbs assistance users and hunt motor robots navigate done the website and amended recognize its structure. Breadcrumb navigation (or a breadcrumb trail) creates a instrumentality way to the superordinate web pages of the presently browsed leafage (including the homepage).

It is mostly a bully signifier to usage breadcrumbs connected some smaller and bigger websites. On immense websites, it is adjacent a must! 

Example of breadcrumb navigation This is an illustration of a breadcrumb connected 1 of the web pages astatine SEOSLY.

Two things to enactment here:

  • Breadcrumb navigation should beryllium implemented with the usage of structured data. 
  • Breadcrumbs should not omit immoderate web pages successful the way and the past point (the leafage itself) should not beryllium a link. 

If the tract you are auditing has breadcrumbs, you tin rapidly cheque if they are added with the usage of Schema.org by simply going to Structured Data > Search Features successful Sitebulb. You should spot Breadcrumb there.

Breadcrumbs In this Sitebulb report you tin spot that breadcrumbs are added correctly to my tract and determination are nary mistake oregon warnings successful their implementation.

The website should usage breadcrumbs consistently connected each page. You tin larn much astir breadcrumb trails straight from Google

Navigation

The main navigation informs some users and hunt motor robots astir the astir important web pages of the website. 

Sitebulb has an absorbing diagnostic that lets you to analyse interior links successful presumption of their placement. For example, you tin analyse the links added successful the main oregon footer menu.

Internal links location This is the breakdown of the determination of the interior links of my tract successful Sitebulb.

No. 87: Check if the main navigation of the website contains links to the astir important web pages 

Navigation should person links to main class pages, hub pages, oregon important info pages (contact oregon astir pages). 

Navigation paper   links The navigation paper astatine SEOSLY contains the astir important links.

No. 88: Check if the navigation of the website is implemented based connected substance links

I cognize this seems beauteous basal and evident but it’s inactive worthy checking. 

No. 89: Check if database tags (<ul> and <li>) are utilized to physique navigation elements  

And making definite that navigation is built with the usage of database tags. 

No. 90: Check if navigation links are disposable to hunt motor robots 

Since navigation links are the astir important, you request to marque definite that robots tin truly spot those links. This is particularly important for JavaScript-heavy websites. You tin cheque that by simply comparing the root and rendered HTML codification of the website.

No. 91: Check if navigation works correctly connected a mobile device

In summation to being accessible to hunt motor robots, navigation links besides request to enactment arsenic expected from the user’s side.  Simply unfastened the website connected a mobile telephone and cheque however navigation works. Does it driblet down wherever it should? Does it unfastened a caller web leafage arsenic expected?

Mobile menu This is the main paper of SEOSLY connected mobile.

External Links

To cheque outer links successful bulk (in Screaming Frog), spell to Overview > SEO Elements > External

External links Screaming Frog SEO Spider allows you to cheque each the outer links successful bulk.

Any outbound nexus that is not a existent proposal of the website audited should person a “nofollow” oregon “sponsored” attribute. And, conversely, determination should besides beryllium existent prime non-sponsored dofollow links to different thematically related web pages. There needs to beryllium immoderate balance!

No. 93: Check if the links added by users person a rel=”ugc” attribute 

If determination is user-generated contented connected the website, past the website should marque usage of a rel=”ugc” attribute. This is particularly important for links successful the comments and successful the forum section. Make definite to cheque that! 

No. 94: Check if determination are site-wide dofollow links 

In astir cases, site-wide dofollow links should besides person a rel=”nofollow” attribute. It’s astir 2021 but determination are inactive websites that usage site-wide links to boost SEO!

No. 95: Check if determination are outer dofollow links to invaluable resources

The website should person outer dofollow links to high-quality resources. It is the mode of the web to nexus retired to the web pages that the website writer considers valuable. Did you announcement that I nexus to galore outer resources successful my usher connected however to bash an SEO audit? I bash that due to the fact that I cognize these are invaluable resources that whitethorn further assistance you.

URL addresses

To analyse URL addresses successful bulk (in Screaming Frog), spell to Overview > SEO Elements > URL.  

External URLs successful  Screaming Frog Screaming Frog SEO Spider volition analyse each the URLs of a site.

No. 96: Check if URLs incorporate parameters (i.e. league oregon idiosyncratic identifiers) that bash not power the contented displayed 

URL addresses should not incorporate parameters that person nary power connected the contented displayed (e.g. league oregon idiosyncratic identifiers). If determination are specified addresses, past they should person a canonical nexus pointing to the URL mentation without parameters. 

No. 97: Check if URLs incorporate keywords 

In 1 of the caller Google SEO bureau hours, John Mueller said that keywords successful URL play a minimal role. However, erstwhile it comes to users, that’s somewhat different. Users similar wide URLs and Google likes what users like!

URLs should incorporate due keywords describing the taxable of the web leafage alternatively of unfriendly characters similar “/?p=123”. 

For example, an nonfiction talking astir Google hunt operators should person these keywords successful the URL similar here: https://seosly.com/google-search-operators/

No. 98: Check if URLs incorporate words successful a antithetic connection than the connection of the website 

And, of course, URLs should incorporate words successful the connection of the web page. URLs successful a antithetic connection mightiness confuse some users and hunt motor robots. 

No. 99: Check if dash characters are utilized to disagreement words successful URLs 

You should usage dashes to abstracted words successful URLs. Again, it’s some idiosyncratic and bot friendly. 

No. 100: Check if URLs incorporate unnecessary words

Ideally, URLs should not incorporate unnecessary words that would marque them ace long.

Redirects

Any crawling instrumentality volition fto you cheque the redirects implemented connected the website. In Screaming Frog, spell to Overview > SEO Elements > Response Codes to analyse each the redirects. 

Checking effect   codes successful  Screaming Frog Checking the effect codes successful Screaming Frog SEO Spider.

No. 101: Check if determination are aggregate redirects (redirect chains)  

Ideally, 1 URL should beryllium redirected lone once. Note that Googlebot whitethorn halt crawling aft much than 2-3 redirects. 

No. 102: Check if determination are redirects with incorrect statuses 

In astir cases, you should usage 301 (permanent) redirects. 302 (temporary) redirects are to bespeak a impermanent change. People often confuse these 2 and usage 302 redirects for imperishable tract changes (like a redirect from non-HTTPS to HTTPS version). Make definite the website uses redirects successful enactment with their purpose. 

No. 103: Check if determination are meta refresh redirects

Unlike 301 oregon 302 redirects which are server-side redirects, meta refresh redirects are client-side. A meta refresh redirect instructs the browser to spell to a antithetic leafage aft a circumstantial clip period. For Google meta refresh redirects are sneaky redirects.

Checking meta refresh redirects successful  Screaming Frog This is however you cheque successful Screaming Frog if a tract has meta refresh redirects.

Meta refresh redirects should beryllium replaced with regular HTTP redirects. Yu tin larn much astir sneaky redirects and 301 redirects consecutive from Google.

Status Codes

An HTTP presumption codification is the server’s effect to the browser’s request.  Status codes bespeak if the HTTP requests were palmy (e.g. 2xx), if determination were immoderate errors (e.g. 4xx), redirections (3xx), oregon different problems with the server (5xx).   

No. 104: Check if determination are web pages returning 5xx errors

A immense fig of web pages returning presumption codification 5xx whitethorn bespeak that determination are immoderate problems with the server. The server whitethorn beryllium overloaded oregon whitethorn request immoderate further configuration. 

No. 105: Check if determination are web pages returning 4xx errors 

We person already touched upon this a bit. Lots of web pages returning presumption 404 (not found) oregon 410 (content removed) connected the website whitethorn pb to a atrocious idiosyncratic experience. This applies to some interior and outer links wrong a website.  

If determination are backlinks pointing to those 4xx web pages, past Google volition not number those links. The interior links to these 404 web pages should either beryllium removed oregon replaced with moving links. If determination are outer links pointing to those 404 URLs, past I urge 301-redirecting these web pages to moving URLs.

Error Page

And we are not done with presumption codes yet. 

No. 106: Check if an mistake leafage returns a 404 presumption code

A website should beryllium capable to grip mistake pages correctly. A non-existent leafage should instrumentality a 404 presumption codification (not found) alternatively of 200 (OK). An mistake leafage returning the presumption codification 200 whitethorn get indexed and go a brushed 404. 

Google is getting amended and amended astatine handling brushed 404 pages but you inactive should guarantee that the website handles mistake pages successful an optimal way.  

You tin usage the Link Redirect Trace Chrome extension to rapidly cheque the presumption codification of immoderate web page. 

Error page You tin usage the Link Redirect Trace Chrome hold to cheque if an mistake leafage returns 404.

No. 107: Check if the website has an mistake page

A blank mistake leafage that screams “ERROR” successful reddish is not a bully idiosyncratic experience.  A website should person an mistake leafage that intelligibly says that this is an mistake leafage and a idiosyncratic landed connected it due to the fact that the URL typed does not beryllium oregon cannot beryllium found. 

No. 108: Check if the website has a dedicated mistake page 

In an perfect SEO world, an mistake leafage should besides person links to the astir important web pages of the website. Its layout and plan should besides beryllium similar the remainder of the website. 

A dedicated mistake leafage is determination chiefly for users to marque their leafage acquisition better. 

Duplication

Yup, it is existent that Google is getting amended and amended astatine handling duplication. But you, arsenic an effectual SEO, tin marque it a batch easier for Google with conscionable a fewer method fixes. 

No. 109: Check if determination is duplicate contented caused by the incorrect method implementation of the sorting of content 

The incorrect implementation of the sorting of the contented whitethorn effect successful a deficiency of power implicit which URLs get indexed. A speedy hole to this is usually to adhd a canonical nexus constituent that points to the URL without the sorting parameters. 

Note that this whitethorn alteration from website to website. There whitethorn beryllium situations wherever you privation to scale URLs with circumstantial sorting oregon filtering parameters.  

No. 110: Check if the website is disposable some astatine the HTTPS and non-HTTPS URL versions 

We are coming backmost to redirections! I spot this truthful often that I request to repetition myself. If the website has an SSL certificate, past each the non-HTTPS versions should permanently redirect (301) to the HTTPS versions. And determination should beryllium 1 redirect only. 

A redirect from HTTP to HTTPS The Link Redirect Trace instrumentality volition fto you hint the redirects connected immoderate page. Here I americium checking if the redirection from HTTP to HTTPS works correctly.

No.111: Check if the website is disposable some astatine the WWW and non-WWW URL versions

And the aforesaid applies to the WWW and non-WWW versions of the website. The website should not resoluteness astatine some the WWW and non-WWW URL versions. 

Redirect from WWW to NON-WWW Here is however you tin cheque if a tract correctly redirects from WWW to non-WWW.

One mentation needs to beryllium chosen arsenic canonical and the different 1 needs to redirect (301) to the canonical version. Here again the Link Redirect Trace Chrome hold volition travel successful precise handy. 

No. 112: Check if the web pages of the website are disposable astatine URLs successful which the missive lawsuit is insignificant

In an perfect SEO world, the missive lawsuit successful URLs should not beryllium significant. But if it is significant, past you may:

  • add a canonical nexus pointing to the lowercase URL,
  • or usage the alleged URL rewriter (like URL Rewrite, URL Rewriter, oregon ISAPI Rewrite 2) that volition rewrite URL addresses truthful that determination are lone lowercase characters.

No. 113: Check if pagination is handled correctly 

Make definite that the paginated web pages tin beryllium crawled by hunt motor robots. If you consciousness similar having a agelong read, cheque this usher to pagination successful SEO

No. 114: Check if determination are duplicate oregon near-duplicate pages

It’s for you to justice if they truly exist. Screaming Frog and Semrush whitethorn assistance you find specified pages. 

In Sitebulb, spell to Duplicate Content to cheque if determination are duplicate contented issues connected the site.

Sitebulb duplicate content This is however Sitebulb reports connected duplicate content. As you tin spot determination is nary duplicate contented connected my site.

In Screaming Frog, spell to Crawl Overview > Content and cheque what pages are listed nether Exact Duplicates, Near Duplicates, Low Content Pages.  

Checking if determination   are duplicate pages utilizing Screaming Frog. Here are the contented issues that Screaming Frog SEO Spider checks for.

No. 115: Check if the website is disposable astatine a antithetic URL 

It’s amended to beryllium harmless than sorry. So marque definite determination is nary indexable transcript oregon trial mentation of the website determination connected the internet. Use Copyscape to observe duplicate content. 

Copyscape Copyscape is the astir fashionable instrumentality for checking if the contented of a tract is unsocial connected the internet.

No. 116: Check if the contented of the website is unsocial connected the Internet

You tin cheque if the website is unsocial by simply copying a unsocial artifact of substance from the website and pasting it successful quotes into Google. The lone effect returned should beryllium the web leafage from which you copied the text.

Canonicalization

Let’s present dive heavy into canonicalization. Sitebulb oregon Screaming Frog oregon immoderate different website crawler volition fto you cheque if determination are canonicalization issues connected the website.

When successful Sitebulb, spell to Indexability > URLs and past cheque what’s nether Canonical URL.

Indexability successful  Sitebulb

When successful Screaming Frog, spell to Overview > Canonicals to cheque however and if canonicals are utilized connected the website. 

Checking canonicals utilizing Screaming Frog You tin cheque each the canonical URLs successful bulk with Screaming Frog SEO Spider.

No. 117: Check if canonical nexus elements are utilized connected the website

The regularisation of SEO thumb I urge is that all the web pages of the website should person a canonical nexus element. Check if this is the lawsuit for the website you are auditing. 

⚡ Make definite to cheque my usher connected how to audit a tract with JetOctopus.

No. 118: Check if canonical nexus elements are utilized correctly 

Having canonical nexus elements is 1 thing, but having them implemented correctly is another! Your task is to cheque canonicalized URLs and marque definite that, for example, a radical of unsocial web pages is not canonicalized to 1 wide URL.

I erstwhile adjacent saw each the web pages being canonicalized to the homepage.  

No. 119: Check if for the astir important web pages Google has chosen the aforesaid canonical code arsenic indicated by the webmaster. 

You cannot unit Google to take the canonical URL you acceptable for a fixed web page.  A canonical nexus is not a directive but lone a hint for Google. 

Canonical code  successful  GSC This is however you tin cheque what URL is acceptable and chosen arsenic canonical (the URL Inspect tool successful Google Search Console).

But it’s large to cognize if Google took into relationship that hint. The URL inspect instrumentality volition assistance you cheque that.

Title Tags 

Page titles are much related to the contented broadside of SEO but let’s concisely instrumentality a method look astatine them. 

The <title> constituent is what users spot straight successful hunt results and successful the tab sanction successful modern web browsers. 

technical seo audit rubric  tags 1 Here is the rubric tag of the homepage of SEOSLY.

Page titles supply some hunt motor robots and users with a batch of invaluable accusation astir the web page. I urge utilizing a crawler similar Sitebulb oregon Screaming Frog to analyse the website’s meta tags successful bulk. 

When successful Sitebulb, spell to On Page and scroll down until you see Title Length and Title Identification. Click connected immoderate to spot much detail.

Title tags successful  Sitebulb Here is however to cheque rubric tags successful bulk successful Sitebulb.

To analyse leafage titles successful bulk utilizing Screaming Frog, spell to Overview > SEO Elements > Page Title

Analyzing leafage   titles successful  Screaming Frog Here is however you analyse rubric tags successful Screaming Frog SEO Spider.

No 120: Check if the web pages of the website person the <title> tag 

In Sitebulb, spell to On Page and then Title Identification and click connected Missing. The nexus volition beryllium progressive if you person missing titles connected immoderate of the web pages connected your site.

Missing leafage   titles successful  Sitebulb Here is however you tin cheque successful Sitebulb if determination are missing titles connected the site.

In Screaming Frog, to cheque if determination are immoderate web pages with missing leafage titles, simply navigate to Page Titles > Missing

Checking pages with missing titles successful  Screaming Frog In Screaming Frog SEO Spider you tin easy show the database of each the URLs that bash not person a rubric tag.

Make definite to cheque each the web pages of the website. All invaluable web pages of the website should person <title> tags with high-quality and applicable content. 

No. 121: Check if the <title> tags are of the recommended magnitude (30-60 characters) 

Page titles should incorporate betwixt 40 and 60 characters to look charismatic successful hunt results.

In Sitebulb, spell to On Page and Title Length to cheque the magnitude of the rubric tags connected the site.

Title magnitude   successful  Sitebulb Here is however you cheque the rubric magnitude successful Sitebulb.

In Screaming Frog, spell to Page Titles and cheque web pages appearing nether implicit 60 Characters and Below 30 Characters

Length of leafage   titles Screaming Frog allows you to show the rubric tags that are excessively abbreviated (or excessively long).

No. 122: Check if the <title> tags utilized are duplicate

In Screaming Frog, spell to Page Titles > Duplicate and you volition spot the database of web pages with duplicate leafage titles. 

Each web leafage of the website should person a unsocial rubric tag. You tin larn much astir leafage titles and descriptions consecutive from Google successful this article

Checking duplicate titles successful  Screaming Frog You tin besides show each the duplicate titles with conscionable 1 click successful Screamin Frog SEO Spider.

No. 123: Check if the <title> tags utilized person due content

Page titles request to beryllium unsocial and signifier a benignant of summary of the contented of the web page. 

In Sitebulb, you tin rapidly analyse the contented of each the rubric tags by going to On Page > URLs and scanning the list.

Title tags successful  Sitebulb Here is however Sitebulb lets you analyse each the rubric tags connected your site.

No. 124: Check if the <title> tags utilized incorporate important keywords

And page titles should besides incorporate the astir important keywords in them. But please, nary keyword stuffing! 

No. 125: Check if keywords are placed astatine the extremity of the <title> tag

Keywords should beryllium placed astatine the opening of the title (starting with the astir important keyword). Again, nary keyword stuffing!

No. 126: Check if the marque sanction appears astatine the opening of the <title> tag

If you privation to enactment the marque sanction successful the title, past it should look astatine the extremity of the leafage title. The lone objection is the homepage wherever it tin look astatine the start. 

Page Descriptions

And present a method look astatine different content-related SEO element: leafage descriptions. If the leafage statement is charismatic and gets to the constituent quickly, past users volition beryllium much apt to click the website’s snippet successful hunt results.  

technical seo audit meta description Here is the meta statement of the homepage of SEOSLY.

In Sitebulb, spell to On Page and scroll down until you spot Meta Description Length and Meta Description Identification.

Meta descriptions successful  Sitebulb Here is however you tin rapidly cheque the meta statement elements of your tract successful Sitebulb.

To analyse leafage descriptions successful bulk utilizing Screaming Frog, spell to Overview > SEO Elements > Meta Description

Checking meta statement  utilizing Screaming Frog You tin easy get the database of web pages that bash not person the meta statement constituent with the assistance of Screaming Frog SEO Spider.

No. 127: Check if the web pages of the website person contented successful meta statement tags 

In Sitebulb, spell to On Page and Meta Description Identification. Check what’s nether Missing.

On-page SEO successful  Sitebulb

In Screaming Frog, spell to Meta Description > Missing to spot the web pages without meta descriptions. If determination is nary contented successful the meta statement element, past Google volition make it connected its own. 

Having nary meta statement is not a large contented due to the fact that adjacent if a web leafage has its unsocial description, Google volition astir apt rewrite it much often than not. However, it is inactive a bully SEO signifier to person unsocial leafage descriptions for astatine slightest the astir important web pages of the website. 

No. 128: Check if the contented of meta statement tags is of the recommended magnitude (140-155 characters)

Assuming that Google chooses our ain meta description, we should support it wrong 140-160 characters truthful that it does not get trimmed down successful hunt results oregon is not excessively short. 70 characters is an implicit minimum length. 

In Sitebulb, spell to On Page and Meta Description Length to spot the details. Click to spot the details.

Meta statement  magnitude   successful  Sitebulb Here is however you tin cheque the magnitude of the meta statement elements successful Sitebulb.

In Screaming Frog, spell to Meta Descriptions > Over 155 Characters and Below 70 Characters.

Checking meta statement  successful  Screaming Frog Screaming Frog SEO Spider lets you presumption each the web pages with too-long meta descriptions.

No. 129: Check if meta statement tags are duplicate

Just similar with leafage titles, we privation meta descriptions to beryllium unique. Go to Meta Description > Duplicate to spot the web pages with duplicate meta descriptions. 

Note that it is amended to person nary leafage statement astatine each than to person this constituent duplicated crossed galore web pages. You tin larn much astir leafage titles and descriptions consecutive from Google successful this article. 

Meta statement  successful  Screaming Frog With conscionable 1 click successful Screaming Frog SEO Spider, you tin presumption each the duplicate meta statement elements.

No. 130: Check if the contented of leafage descriptions is appropriate

Unattractive oregon random contented of meta statement tags volition marque users overmuch little apt to click the snippet successful hunt results. 

No. 131: Check if the leafage descriptions incorporate keywords

Page descriptions should see the page’s astir important keyword, its variation, and, if possible, a synonym. This clip it’s chiefly for users, not hunt engines. 

Headings

Whatever they accidental astir them astatine the moment, headers are important successful presumption of SEO.  Headings are precise important erstwhile it comes to SEO. They assistance some users (especially users of surface readers) and hunt motor robots recognize the taxable and subtopics of the web page. In this method SEO checklist, we are taking a much method look astatine them. 

H1 Heading

No. 132: Check if the web pages of the website person an H1 tag. 

Every web leafage of the website should person 1 H1 header.

To analyse headings successful Sitebulb, spell to On Page and cheque the hints.

On leafage   and H1 tags successful  Sitebulb Here is the On Page study successful Sitebulb with hints of the H1 tags connected my site.

To cheque H1 headings successful bulk successful Screaming Frog, spell to Overview > SEO Elements > H1 > Missing and you volition spot the database of web pages without an H1 tag.  

Checking missing H1 tags Screaming Frog SEO Spider volition show the database of web pages that bash not person an H1 tag.

A web leafage without an H1 tag is missing a immense accidental to springiness hunt motor algorithms invaluable accusation astir itself. Each leafage of the website (including the homepage) should person precisely 1 unsocial H1 heading. 

No. 133: Check if determination are aggregate H1 headings

In Sitebulb, spell to On Page and scroll down until you see H1 Tag Identification. Click to spot details.

H1 tags successful  Sitebulb Sitebulb lets you cheque if the tract has H1 tags and if they are utilized much than erstwhile connected a page.

In Screaming Frog, spell to SEO Elements > H1 and Multiple to cheque if determination are web pages with aggregate H1 headings. 

Multiple H1 tags Here is however you cheque what web pages person aggregate H1 tags.

It is surely amended to person aggregate H1 tags than to person nary H1 tags astatine all. But, if possible, instrumentality to 1 H1 tag! 

H1 headers should incorporate the astir important keyword for the web leafage to intelligibly pass its taxable some to users and hunt engines.

Structure of headings 

No. 135: Check if headings are utilized connected the web pages of the website 

H1 tag is not capable to supply users and hunt motor robots with accusation astir the contented operation of the web page. A web leafage that has nary headings astatine each oregon conscionable 1 heading is hard to recognize for some users and robots. 

You tin usage Chrome plugins, specified arsenic Web Developer oregon Detailed SEO Extension to cheque the operation of headers connected a web page.  

The operation   of headings connected  SEOSLY Here is the operation of headings connected the SEO Blog web leafage of my site.

No. 136: Check if headings are utilized excessively 

Headings should beryllium utilized to item the astir important contented and idiosyncratic sections of the website. Excessive usage of headings volition confuse radical utilizing surface readers conscionable arsenic it volition confuse hunt motor algorithms. 

No. 137: Check if the operation of headings is corrupt  

Another large SEO regularisation of thumb is to have a logical bid of headings. You should dainty headings and subheadings arsenic chapters and subchapters successful a book. A web leafage is that book. 

Chrome extensions for checking headers:

Make definite to cheque my database of SEO Chrome extensions (79 extensions reviewed).

Graphic Elements 

Graphic elements, if optimized correctly, tin springiness some hunt motor robots and users of surface readers a batch of other accusation astir the web page.

When successful Sitebulb, spell to Page Resources > Overview to spot the overview of the leafage resources connected your site.

Page resources successful  Sitebulb

Click connected Images to cheque the details of the images (ALT attribute, record size, compression, etc.)

Image dta

To cheque images successful bulk successful Screaming Frog, spell to Overview > SEO Elements > Images.

Checking images successful  bulk utilizing Screaming Frog Screaming Frog SEO Spider also lets you cheque the images and their SEO optimization successful bulk.

No. 138: Check if images are embedded correctly

Google volition not dainty the images embedded with CSS arsenic portion of the contented of the webpage. To cheque however a fixed representation is embedded, simply right-click connected it and click Inspect

Except for the images forming the layout of the website, graphics should beryllium embedded with the <img> tag. 

Inspecting an representation  successful  Chrome By inspecting an representation you tin rapidly cheque if it is embedded correctly.

No. 139: Check if determination are images with low-value ALT attributes

Low-value ALT attributes volition confuse some users of surface readers and hunt motor algorithms. ALT attributes supply important accusation astir the contented of the image. Each unsocial representation connected a web leafage should person a unsocial and high-value ALT attribute. 

No. 140: Check if determination are images with nary ALT property astatine all 

Go to Overview > SEO Elements > Missing Alt Text to presumption each the images with missing ALT text. 

Checking images with missing ALT substance   successful  Screaming Frog Screaming Frog SEO Spider tin besides amusement you each the images that bash not person an ALT text.

You tin besides cheque images connected a per-page ground utilizing the Detailed SEO Chrome extension.

Images with and without ALT The Detailed SEO Extension tin besides amusement you the information astir the images utilized connected a fixed web page.

Each unsocial representation connected a web leafage should person a high-value unsocial ALT text. 

No. 141: Check if determination are images with low-value record names 

To cheque representation filenames successful bulk, spell to Overview > SEO Elements > Images > All. Image record names are not arsenic important arsenic ALT attributes. If a website has high-value ALT attributes, past filenames are little important. However, it’s inactive a bully signifier to usage SEO-friendly representation filenames astatine slightest from present on.

No. 142: Check if the images utilized are of due size 

In an perfect world, the images should beryllium displayed successful their archetypal (already compressed) size. A precise communal mistake I spot is erstwhile a web leafage has immense (often PNG) images and adjusts its show size with CSS/HTML.

Google PageSpeed Insights volition notify you if a web leafage has this issue. If this is simply a communal practice, past this tin truly alteration the velocity and show of the website. 

No. 143: Check if the images utilized are optimized

Test the web leafage with Google PageSpeed Insights to cheque if determination is country for improvement. The images connected a website (especially if it has tons of them) should beryllium compressed and optimized. The next-gen format should beryllium utilized if possible.

In the lawsuit of WordPress sites, determination are tons of utile plugins for optimizing and compressing images. Check Google Image champion practices.

HTML Code

No. 144: Check the code

This is precise case-specific. Simply presumption the root codification of the website audited and usage your communal SEO sense. You tin presumption the codification of immoderate website by simply adding view-source earlier its code similar in: view-source:https://seosly.com/ 

PRO TIP: To cheque the codification of a website connected a mobile device, simply adhd “view-source” earlier the address. 

If the homepage is comparatively tiny and does not person a batch of content, but determination are tens of thousands of lines of code, past thing is not right. 

Check if the website has immoderate unnecessary oregon weird comments successful the code. You whitethorn beryllium truly amazed astatine what sometimes gets there! 

No. 146: Check if the HTML codification is alternated with JavaScript

The wide regularisation is to usage JavaScript <script> tags earlier the </body> tag and successful the <head> section. Your task is to cheque if they are not added each implicit the place. 

No. 147: Check if in-line styles are used 

In-line styles connected uncommon occasions are OK. But they should beryllium an objection alternatively than the rule. The HTML codification should not incorporate excessive numbers of in-line styles. 

Content

In Sitebulb, spell to Duplicate Content to spot the method investigation of the contented connected the site.

Duplicate contented  successful  Sitebulb Here is however the Duplicate Content study looks similar successful Sitebulb.

In Screaming Frog, spell to Overview > SEO Elements > Content to instrumentality a method look astatine the contented broadside of things.  

Checking contented  with the assistance   of Screaming Frog Use cna usage Screaming Frog SEO Spider to observe immoderate of the communal contented issues connected a website.

No. 148: Check if determination are duplicate oregon near-duplicate web pages

Now spell to Overview > SEO Elements > Content and cheque the web pages listed nether Exact Duplicates and Near Duplicates.  In astir cases, you don’t privation Google to scale those pages. These web pages should either beryllium canonicalized oregon a “noindex” robots meta tag should beryllium added to them. 

No. 149: Check if the homepage has astatine slightest immoderate text

The homepage is by acold the astir important web leafage of the website. That’s wherefore it should person astatine slightest immoderate substance (at slightest a fewer 100 words) and a wide heading structure. Use the Detailed SEO Chrome plugin to cheque the heading operation and fig of words connected immoderate webpage. 

technical seo audit words You tin usage the Detailed Chrome Extension to cheque the fig of words connected a leafage arsenic well.

No. 150: Check if determination are low-content web pages

Go to Overview > SEO Elements > Low Content Pages. A debased contented leafage is simply a leafage that has fewer words and nary unsocial contented connected its own. No 1 likes low-content web pages. In galore cases, debased contented pages should either beryllium optimized (if these are class pages) oregon trimmed down. 

No. 151: Check if the substance is implemented successful the signifier of images 

Google is getting amended astatine knowing images but it is inactive a bully signifier to adhd substance successful the signifier of… text. To cheque if this contented is connected the website simply presumption immoderate of its astir important web pages and analyse the images utilized there. 

No. 152: Check if flash elements are utilized alternatively of text 

I cognize this is an obsolete question. But I inactive counsel you to cheque if Flash is utilized connected the website. To cheque that, spell to Overview > SEO Elements > Internal > Flash. You should spot (0) there. 

Checking Flash contented  with the usage  of Screaming Frog Screaming Frog volition assistance you cheque if determination are web pages that usage Flash.

No. 153: Check if the contented of the website is added with the usage of iframes

The existent contented of the web leafage should not beryllium placed with the usage of iframes. Make definite this does not happen. 

No. 154: Check if the website has applicable and topically-coherent content

A Technical Look At Keywords

Keywords are contented but a method attack and method cognition are required to marque them work! Here are a fewer things to cheque regarding keywords.

No. 155: Check if close tags are utilized for highlighting keywords

Highlighting keywords connected a leafage tin beryllium rather adjuvant some for users and hunt motor robots.  To marque keyword highlighting work, <strong> tags request to beryllium utilized alternatively of <b>. Your task present is to instrumentality a look astatine the astir important web pages, articles, oregon guides and cheque if keywords are highlighted correctly. 

No. 156: Check if keyword probe has ever been done for the website

Your task arsenic an auditor is to cheque if anyone has ever done keyword probe for the website and if imaginable instrumentality a look astatine the keywords selected for the website. This provides immoderate further insights into the website examined.

Keyword probe is not portion of the method SEO audit but you whitethorn connection the lawsuit to bash it. You tin usage Semrush oregon Ahrefs to bash keyword research. If you don’t cognize however to bash keyword research, you mightiness privation to instrumentality the Semrush escaped people connected keyword research.

No. 157: Check if circumstantial keywords are mapped to circumstantial web pages

If you don’t person accusation astir the keyword probe for the website, you whitethorn simply manually reappraisal a clump of its web pages to cheque if they are mapped to keywords. A web leafage targeted astatine a circumstantial keyword volition usually incorporate this keyword successful the title, URL, headings, and the archetypal paragraphs of text.

The web leafage you are present speechmaking is evidently targeting the keyword method SEO audit. If you person immoderate acquisition with SEO, this volition beryllium precise casual to determine.

In the lawsuit of WordPress websites that person an SEO plugin installed, 1 mode to cheque if a web leafage targets a circumstantial keyword is to presumption the metadata of the page. Both Yoast SEO and Rank Math fto you bash that. Here is however it looks successful Rank Math.

rank math This is Rank Math connected my site.

Note that to beryllium capable to cheque that you request WordPress admin access.

No. 158: Check if web pages are optimized for their circumstantial keywords

This is the follow-up to the erstwhile step. This clip you privation to marque definite that the web leafage targeting a fixed keyword is really optimized for it. In summation to having the keyword successful the title, URL, headings, and the archetypal paragraphs of text, the web leafage should besides person invaluable graphics (with ALT text), topically-relevant links to outer resources, and more.

Structured data

Google uses structured information successful bid to amended recognize the contented of the web leafage and to alteration peculiar hunt results features and enhancements (rich results). Every method SEO audit should besides analyse the website successful presumption of structured data. You tin larn much astir structured information successful this Google article.

No. 159: Check if structured information are utilized connected the website

The champion mode to cheque if structured information are utilized connected the website is to tally a crawl. You tin usage Sitebulb or Screaming Frog.

In Sitebulb, spell to Structured Data > Schema to cheque what types of Schema are utilized connected the tract (and whether determination are warnings oregon validation errors).

Schema entities successful  Sitebulb Here is however Sitebulb shows the Schema entities it detected connected my site.

If you are utilizing Screaming Frog, marque definite to check JSON-LD and Schema.org Validation under Structured Data in Spider Configuration, oregon the crawler volition not cheque for structured data.

Structured information  successful  Screaming Frog Here are the Screaming Frog SEO Spider settings for checking and validating structured data.

Once the crawl is done, you tin cheque if structured information is connected the website. Navigate to Overview > Structured Data and Contains Structured Data.

Structured Data Validation successful  Screaming Frog Structured Data Validation successful Screaming Frog.

This is the database of URLs that person structured data. To cheque if structured information is utilized connected a per-page basis, you tin usage the Detailed SEO Chrome extension.

No. 160: Check if the structured information utilized is valid

To cheque if the structured information utilized connected the website is valid you tin usage the Google Structured Data Testing Tool or the Rich Results Test to cheque if the web leafage is eligible for affluent results.

If you are utilizing Sitebulb, tally the crawl and spell to Structured Data to spot precise in-depth and beautifully-looking study of the structured information utilized connected the site.

Structured information  successful  Sitebulb This is the structured information study successful Sitebulb.

If you are utilizing Screaming Frog, navigate to Overview > Structured data to cheque if structured information are utilized connected the website. If they are, past you volition spot the fig of URLs adjacent to Contains Structured Data and in Missing determination volition beryllium thing oregon astir nothing.

Structured information  successful  Screaming Frog Here are the results of the Screaming Frog crawl regarding the structured information utilized connected my site.

No. 161: Check if different types of operation information could beryllium added to the website

Here your task is to analyse the astir important web pages of the website, cheque the types of structured information they contain, and determine what different types of information tin besides beryllium added. Here you tin usage a Chrome hold similar Detailed SEO to cheque types of structured information connected a per-page basis.

Schema.org connected  SEOSLY You tin besides usage the Detailed SEO Extension to cheque what types of structured information are utilized connected a fixed web page.

If the website audited is based connected WordPress, past you whitethorn deliberation astir upgrading to Rank Math Pro which allows for implementing antithetic types of structured data.

Website Speed

I presume you person already tested the website with Google PageSpeed Insights. Let’s present get adjacent much information astir the velocity of the website.  

Note that you tin cheque the PSI scores of each your pages successful bulb with the assistance of Sitebulb. When mounting up the crawler settings marque definite to check, Page Speed, Mobile Friendly and Front-end.

Auditing leafage   speed Check this mounting successful Sitebulb to analyse the velocity scores and issues crossed the full website.

When the crawl is done, spell to Page Speed to analyse this constituent successful detail.

Page velocity  successful  Sitebulb This is the Page Speed study successful Sitebulb.

No. 162: Check the website velocity with GTmetrix

GTmetrix is different large instrumentality for analyzing the velocity of the website. It besides gives a batch of actionable tips and highlights circumstantial problems. 

GTmetrix Here are the GTmetrix velocity and show results for SEOSLY.

No. 163: Check the website velocity with the WebPageTest

And present cheque the web leafage with the WebPageTest. Make definite to trial it arsenic a mobile device.

Web Page Test Here are the velocity and show trial results for SEOSLY connected WebPageTest.

No. 164: Check the website velocity with Google PageSpeed Insights if you inactive person not done it.

Or rerun the trial and comparison its results with the results provided by different velocity tools. 

Website Security

Most websites connected the net bash not instrumentality adjacent basal information champion practices. Your task is to guarantee that the website you are auditing is not 1 of those websites. 

To instrumentality a thorough look astatine immoderate information issues successful Sitebulb, tally the crawl and past navigate to Security wherever you volition spot a ton of antithetic information elements and their assessment.

Security successful  Sitebulb Sitebulb can besides analyse the tract successful presumption of the astir fashionable information issues.

No. 165: Does the website person an SSL certificate? 

HTTPS has been a ranking origin since 2014. In 2020 (and 2021) each and each website should usage HTTPS. A website not secured with HTTPS is marked arsenic Not secure successful Chrome and different browsers. 

A website without an SSL certificate This is the informing that Chrome displays erstwhile a tract does not person an SSL certificate.

Make definite the website uses HTTPS. If it does not marque it a precedence that it moves to HTTPS arsenic soon arsenic possible. 

SSL certificate astatine  seosly.com This is what you spot if a tract has an SSL certificate.

⚡ Check my usher connected the quality betwixt HTTP and HTTPS.

No. 166: Is determination mixed contented connected the website? 

Mixed contented occurs erstwhile website resources load some implicit HTTP and HTTPS. In Sitebulb, spell to Security and spot the issues. If the tract does not person mixed content, past you volition spot it successful the No Issue section.

Security people     successful  Sitebulb My tract does not person mixed contented issues truthful Sitebulb added this constituent to the No Issue section.

All the HTTP resources should beryllium redirected to the resources that load implicit HTTPS. But enactment that Chrome has precocious been updated and deals with mixed contented connected its own! 

No. 167: Are determination astatine slightest immoderate basal information champion practices implemented? 

It is hard to precisely find the scope of basal information practices. Generally, the more, the better.  A fewer elemental and effectual information practices include:

  • HTTPS, 
  • two-factor authorization for login panels, 
  • password-protection of the login panel,
  • strong passwords,
  • regularly scanning the website with immoderate information software,
  • doing regular backups,
  • making definite the website is not filtered by Google Safe Browsing,
  • to sanction conscionable a few.  

Technical SEO Audit: Server Log Analysis

No. 168: Check server logs 

Server logs volition ever archer you the information and the information only. If possible, bash a server log analysis. The areas to absorption connected include, for example, crawl volume, effect codification errors, crawl fund waste, impermanent redirects, past crawl date. Semrush contains Log File Analyzer that volition assistance you analyse the earthy information and marque consciousness of it.

Technical SEO audit - log record  analysis Semrush has a precise bully log record analyzer that tin bash each the soiled occupation for you.

If you cannot entree server logs, marque definite to analyse the crawl stats study successful Google Search Console.

WordPress Technical Checks & Quick Fixes

Here are immoderate of the plugins that volition fto you hole immoderate of the above-discussed issues. I americium a dense idiosyncratic of WordPress, truthful I tin urge immoderate of my favorites plugins. You don’t needfully request to instal each of those plugins if you are lone doing a one-time method audit but you should astatine slightest bespeak that they are an option.

If, connected the different hand, you are auditing a website which you volition beryllium monitoring connected a regular basis, you volition marque your beingness a batch easier with those plugins. 

No. 169: Install a backup plugin. 

Before making immoderate changes to the website, backmost it up. There are a batch of ways to backmost up a site. One imaginable mode is to instal a backup plugin (like UpdraftPlus) that volition automatically make a transcript of each the files and database. Make definite that the backup is not stored successful the aforesaid spot arsenic the remainder of the files. If the website does not person immoderate backup program with its hosting, instrumentality attraction of this. 

Updraft Plus WordPress Plugin Updraft Plus lets you update oregon reconstruct your tract wrong 1 click.

No. 170: Install a information plugin

WordPress websites are particularly susceptible to attacks and hacks. There are a fewer bully WordPress information plugins (like iThemes Security) that volition fto you instrumentality astatine slightest a basal level of information connected a website. If you determine to bargain a pro mentation of a information plugin, you tin beauteous overmuch hide astir this aspect.

UPDATE: Security plugins often tin besides dilatory down your site. Make definite to trial this. Adding Cloudflare CDN to your tract besides increases its security.

No. 171: Install a Really Simple SSL 

The mixed contented content is rather communal successful WordPress websites. There is precise often thing not rather close with the HTTP > HTTPS redirects. Fortunately, you tin hole it with 1 click with the assistance of an SEO plugin called Really Simple SSL

UPDATE: According to my caller tests, this plugin slows down sites. I urge installing it and uninstalling it but keeping the settings.

No. 172: Update WordPress and plugins 

Both WordPress and plugins should beryllium updated regularly. This is besides a precise important information champion practice. Some websites, unfortunately, similar to interruption with updates. That’s wherefore doing regular backups is truthful crucial. 

WordPress update This is the WordPress dashboard wherever you tin update the plugins and WordPress.

Your task present is to backmost up the website and tally updates (if you person the powerfulness to bash it). 

No. 173:  Install Google Site Kit

I cognize that having excessively galore plugins is not bully but Google Site Kit is truly worthy installing. This is an authoritative Google plugin that provides insights from antithetic Google tools successful 1 place: the WordPress dashboard.

Site Kit from Google This is the Google Site Kit plugin.

UPDATE: I person precocious been moving successful the absorption of minimizing the fig of plugins. Unless you truly request to person a dashboard successful the WordPress panel, I don’t urge installing this plugin anymore.

No. 174: Install an SEO plugin

Check if the website is utilizing an SEO plugin. Install and configure 1 if needed. There are fundamentally 2 large players here: Rank Math and Yoast SEO. It’s up to you to determine which 1 to choose. 

UPDATE: I urge utilizing Rank Math which does not dilatory down sites and offers galore of the features that you request to wage for successful Yoast.

 Rank Math Rank Math really offers tons of precise utile SEO features and options.

No. 175: Optimize each the images successful bulk.  

Images tin truly dilatory down the website if they are not optimized. Fortunately, determination are a batch of plugins that volition fto you optimize images successful bulk. I astir often usage Imagify. There are different bully options similar WP Smush

Imagify WordPress plugin Here are the Imagify settings that fto you set the level of optimization of images connected your site.

No. 176: Improve the velocity and performance. 

I person astir apt tested hundreds of antithetic tract velocity and caching plugins. Some improved the Google PageSpeed Insights people a bit, others adjacent decreased it. From my ain experience, determination is lone 1 plugin for speed. WP Rocket!

Google PageSpeed Insights WP Rocket is truly 1 of the champion caching and velocity optimization plugins retired there.

No. 177: Regularly cheque for breached links. 

Links change, travel and go. Broken links tin pb to a atrocious idiosyncratic experience. Fortunately, determination is an casual mode to show each your links and get notifications astir breached links with a speedy enactment to update the link. I use Broken Link Checker to regularly cheque my links. 

UPDATE: I don’t urge utilizing this plugin anymore. In my tests, it proved to dilatory sites down a lot. You tin show your sites for breached backlinks with the assistance of Sitebulb.

Broken links successful  Sitebulb When successful Sitebulb, spell to Links > Internal Link Status > Broken to cheque if determination are immoderate breached links connected your site.

No. 178: Check if the website needs immoderate cleaning regarding the unused/used plugins.

When successful WordPress, navigate done the database of the plugins installed. Make definite that each plugin is really used. If it is not, region it. Make definite the website does not person aggregate plugins doing the aforesaid things (e.g. aggregate information oregon SEO plugins).

Technical SEO Audit: E-A-T

E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is big. That’s wherefore I deliberation you should besides analyse it astatine slightest concisely adjacent erstwhile doing a method audit.

No. 179: Check if the website has backlinks from authoritative sites successful the aforesaid field

In the lawsuit of an SEO blog, these would beryllium backlinks from SEO authorities similar SEJ oregon Moz. A speedy mode to get an overview of backlinks is to tally a Backlink Audit successful Semrush. Once complete, you tin benignant nexus types by their authorization score. In the illustration above, determination are unluckily nary highly authoritative links for the domain examined.

Link audit Here is however you tin cheque backlinks and their prime utilizing Semrush.

No. 180: Check if the website is mentioned connected different authoritative websites

Mentions are not ever links but are precise important arsenic well. Check if the website (or the marque name) is mentioned connected authoritative websites. The simplest mode is to execute an nonstop lucifer hunt for the marque name. In the lawsuit of my website that would beryllium "seosly".

Brand sanction  search This is an exact-match benignant of seach connected Google.

No. 181: Check if the contented of the website is up to date

Depending connected the taxable of the website, determination whitethorn not beryllium a wide mode to cheque if the contented is up to date. One imaginable mode to cheque if the contented connected the website is up to day is to look astatine the work oregon update day connected articles. Here is however it looks successful the lawsuit of my website.

Content freshness connected  SEOSLY I ever amusement the past update day and the work day connected each of my blog posts.

You tin besides cheque the past modified day successful the XML sitemap for a fixed URL oregon each the URLs.

No. 182: Check if the contented is factually accurate

Of course, you whitethorn not beryllium capable to verify the factual accuracy of the contented of the website (especially if its taxable is precise specific) but you should check if the website makes claims that contradict technological consensus. This includes websites that beforehand conspiracy theories oregon alternate medicine treatments.

No. 183: Check if the authors of the websites are recognized authorities successful the field

One of the elements of E-A-T is authorization which means that the website and its authors should beryllium recognized authorities successful the field. A speedy mode to cheque that is to perform an nonstop lucifer hunt for the writer oregon authors of the website. Do their names look successful different trustworthy publications oregon websites? Are they referred to arsenic authorities?

No. 184: Check if the website presents its credentials (awards, certifications, badges, etc.)

If the website oregon the marque has immoderate benignant of achievements (like awards, certifications, spot badges, etc), they should each beryllium presented connected the website. The champion spot to amusement these achievements is the location leafage oregon astir page. In the lawsuit of my website, I enactment each of my achievements connected the astir leafage and connected the location page. Here is however it looks connected my SEO consultant page:

E-A-T These are the FAQs that supply adjacent much accusation astir myself and wherefore I americium qualified to bash what I do.

No. 185: Check if the website has genuine reviews (and if they are affirmative oregon negative)

There is thing worse than the website oregon marque penning its ain (fake) reviews. Again, this whitethorn not beryllium precise casual to verify but immoderate digging should fto you find the prime and genuinity of the reviews. One oregon 2 antagonistic reviews are not a occupation and are portion of the web. However, if aft typing the marque sanction successful the hunt box, you spot thing but overtly antagonistic reviews and dissatisfied customers, past this needs to beryllium addressed successful the archetypal place.

No. 186: Check if the website has accusation astir its authors (like writer bios)

If the website has 1 author, past the accusation successful the astir leafage should do. However, if determination are aggregate authors, each writer should person a bio successful each of their articles. I americium the lone writer of the contented connected SEOSLY but I inactive adhd my bio astatine the extremity of my articles.

Author's bio This is the writer container I usage connected my articles.

No. 187: Check if the website has interaction details (and a interaction maine page)

Any trustworthy website indispensable springiness you an enactment to interaction its owner. Ideally, determination should beryllium a interaction leafage wherever each the imaginable ways to interaction the proprietor are listed. There should ideally beryllium an email address, telephone number, and carnal address. Some interaction details whitethorn besides beryllium placed successful the footer. If determination is nary mode to interaction the website, past this is simply a reddish flag.

No. 188: Check if the website has a Wikipedia page

Most of the web pages bash not person a Wikipedia leafage and that’s OK. It is highly hard to get a Wikipedia leafage but if the website audited (or its marque oregon author) has a Wikipedia page, past it means it has a decent level of E-A-T.

I tin bash an SEO audit of your website

SEO audits, arsenic you tin see, are my specialty wrong SEO. If you are looking for an experienced SEO to execute an SEO audit of your site, I americium present for you. Check my SEO auditing services for much details oregon interaction maine straight utilizing email oregon the interaction signifier below.

Book your SEO audit oregon petition a quote