Would you wait for your car to break down before visiting a mechanic?
(I hope not)
Just like your car requires regular check-ups, your SEO needs ongoing maintenance.
This maintenance is called an SEO audit.
An SEO audit is like a health check for your website. It helps you see how well your site is doing and what needs fixing.
How to Do An SEO Audit?
1. Check for Indexing Issues
👉🏻 Pages not indexed by Google can’t rank. Use Google Search Console to check if your pages are indexed. Look for the “Pages” report under the “Index” section.
2. Check for Duplicate Versions of Your Site
👉🏻 Ensure Google indexes only one version of your site. Check different URL versions (http, https, with and without www). Redirect all versions to your preferred one using a 301 redirect.
3. Run a Site Crawl
👉🏻 Use a tool like Site Audit to simulate Google’s crawl. Start the audit and review the Site Health score. Fix errors, warnings, and notices.
4. Check for Manual Actions
👉🏻 If your site violates Google’s policies, it might get a manual action. Check Google Search Console for any manual actions.
5. Check for Mobile-Friendliness Issues
👉🏻 Mobile-friendliness is crucial. Use the Mobile Usability report in Google Search Console to find and fix issues.
6. Analyze Your Site’s Speed
👉🏻 Page speed affects rankings and user experience. Use the Site Performance report from your Site Audit dashboard to find and fix speed issues.
7. Analyze Your Core Web Vitals
👉🏻 Core Web Vitals are key metrics for page speed and user experience. Use Google Search Console to check LCP, FID, and CLS.
8. Analyze Your Internal Links
👉🏻 Internal links help with crawling, navigation, and link equity. Use the Internal Linking report in Site Audit to find and fix issues.
9. Check Your Organic Traffic
👉🏻 Organic traffic is a key SEO success indicator. Use Google Search Console’s “Search results” report to track clicks and other metrics.
10. Benchmark Against Your Competitors
👉🏻 Use Domain Overview to compare your site with competitors. Focus on metrics like Authority Score, Organic Traffic, Organic Keywords, and Referring Domains.
11. Find Keywords You’re Missing Out On
👉🏻 Use the Keyword Gap tool to find keywords your competitors rank for but you don’t. Look at the “Missing” and “Weak” tabs.
12. Find Missed Backlink Opportunities
👉🏻 Use the Backlink Gap tool to find domains linking to competitors but not to you. Start outreach to replicate these backlinks.
13. Audit and Improve Your Top Pages
👉🏻 Use On Page SEO Checker to analyze and improve your important pages. Focus on pages that bring conversions and target key keywords.
14. Monitor Your Rankings
👉🏻 Use a rank tracking tool like Semrush’s Position Tracking to monitor your rankings.
Follow these steps to ensure your website is in top shape.
… When was your last SEO audit?