Did you know that 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine, and 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results?
It means if your website isn’t showing up on Google first page, you’re missing out on significant traffic and potential customers.
So, what can you do to make it work?
The answer lies in an SEO audit checklist, which is like a health check-up for your website. It’s a detailed review that helps you:
- Identify areas to improve your site’s ranking on search engines like Google
- Check your site’s technical performance
- Evaluate how well your content is optimized
Get a step-by-step SEO audit checklist to identify and fix ranking issues effortlessly.
Table of Contents
Technical SEO Audit
Technical SEO Audit ensures that the technical elements of your website are optimized for search engines, improving crawlability, site performance, and indexing. Here, we’ll discuss crucial factors included in the comprehensive technical SEO audit checklist:
1. Robots.txt File
A search engine bot looks at the robots.txt file before crawling a website as it provides instructions on how to crawl (or not crawl) the site.
Along with other important recommendations, it includes guidance on which folders or pages to leave out. It should also link to the XML sitemap as a best practice for the bot to locate a list of the most crucial URLs.
How to Audit Robots.txt File Elements?
- Ensure the file is present in the root directory of your website.
- Confirm it doesn’t block important pages from being crawled.
- Check for directives that are disallowed on essential URLs or files.
- Verify that the “User-agent” lines target the correct crawlers.
- Use testing tools to ensure proper functionality.
2. Xml Sitemaps
It guarantees that all significant pages are available for crawling and gives search engines a road plan for finding and ranking your content.
An XML sitemap is an essential technical SEO element that helps search engines crawl and index the website content efficiently.
How to Audit XML Sitemap Elements?
- Ensure the sitemap is regularly updated with important pages.
- Confirm it’s located at “yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml” and accessible.
- Exclude unnecessary URLs like duplicates or admin pages.
- Check for crawlability of listed URLs (no robots.txt blocking).
- Validate the XML format using tools like Google Search Console.
3. HTTPS/SSL Encryption
HTTPS/SSL encryption protects sensitive data, such as login credentials and payment information, by securing data exchange between users and websites. It boosts user trust, lowers bounce rates, and raises search rankings, as Google views it as a ranking factor.
How to Audit HTTPS/SSL Encryption?
- Confirm the URL starts with “https://”.
- Verify the SSL certificate is valid and trusted.
- Ensure all pages use HTTPS without mixed content.
- Test SSL setup with tools like SSL Labs.
- Fix any “Not Secure” browser warnings.
4. Mobile Friendliness
According to Oddball Marketing, 80% of the websites are mobile-friendly. It is crucial to ensure your website is mobile-friendly. Mobile-friendliness affects user experience and sites not showing up on Google, as it prefers mobile-optimized websites in its indexing. A poorly optimized mobile site can lead to high bounce rates and missed opportunities.
How to Audit Mobile Friendliness?
- Test responsiveness using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.
- Check loading speeds on mobile devices via SEO audit tools like PageSpeed Insights.
- Ensure clickable elements are appropriately sized and spaced for touchscreens.
- Verify that fonts are legible without zooming.
- Confirm content and images adapt properly to various screen sizes.
Also Read: Comprehensive Guide to Website Audits for Better SEO & Conversions
5. Page Speed
One of the essential elements of the SEO audit checklist that influences a website’s Google visibility is page speed, which has become more crucial since Google announced the Core Web Vitals upgrade and page experience.
The page experience signal in the update is derived from the combination of various experience metrics and the Core Web Vital data, all of which directly correlate to page performance.
Additionally, page speed is directly related to bounce rate and conversions. As a result, improving page speed and load time frequently benefits a business’s organic presence and enhances the search engine optimization experience.
How to Audit Page Speed?
- Analyze site performance with tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.
- Check metrics like LCP, FID, and CLS for speed insights.
- Optimize large files like images, videos, or scripts.
- Ensure efficient server response times.
- Verify fast loading on mobile devices.
6. Structured Data
Webmasters and SEOs can improve how Google presents search listings by adding information such as phone numbers, reviews, star ratings, and event details using structured data from schema.org to give semantic context to website code.
This enhancement can raise organic click-through rates and draw user attention. However, proper implementation is necessary for structured data to be effective. It’s important to carefully establish the ideal schema for necessary website SEO audit templates and check the markup for mistakes during an audit.
How to Audit Structured Data Elements?
- Validate schema markup on key pages using Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool.
- Ensure correct schema types (e.g., Product, FAQ) are used for each page.
- Check for sufficient structured data to avoid underperformance.
- Stay updated with schema.org standards for compliance.
7. Crawling
For search engines to index and rank a site, they must crawl its website pages first. For example, Google uses a bot to crawl a website by following its internal links.
Errors, broken pages, excessive JavaScript usage, or a complicated site layout could prevent the bot from accessing important material or consume the crawl budget while attempting to navigate your website.
How to Audit Crawling?
- Check the <meta robots> tag for proper crawling instructions (e.g., noindex, follow).
- Ensure the canonical tag is used to avoid duplicate content.
- Confirm the <link rel=”sitemap” href=”…”> tag is present for better crawling.
- Verify the <meta charset=”UTF-8″> tag for correct character encoding.
- Optimize <title> and <meta description> tags for search engines.
Get an expert-led SEO audit that improves rankings, traffic, and conversions.
8. Rendering
Rendering is how your website’s content loads and appears in browsers and search engine crawlers. A poorly displayed page may not be fully indexed by search engines, which could impact its ranking. With a comprehensive rendering SEO audit service, all materials are loaded and visible to users and search engines.
How to Audit Rendering?
- Check the correct use of meta tags for crawling and mobile optimization.
- Verify proper link tags for stylesheets and scripts to prevent blocking content.
- Review the loading order of critical resources for faster page loads.
- Test head section with tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
- Check JavaScript files for content visibility issues with crawlers.
9. Indexing
Indexing is essential to a technical SEO audit checklist as it guarantees that search engines can find, crawl, and store your web pages for inclusion in search results. Search engines rank and display your information to users when it is properly indexed. The pages on your website might not be seen without a strong indexing strategy, which would result in lost chances and traffic.
How to Audit Indexing?
- Verify <meta> tags for proper index or noindex directives.
- Ensure correct implementation of <link rel=”canonical”> tags.
- Check for XML sitemap links in the <head> section.
- Confirm the <robots.txt> file isn’t blocking important pages.
- Use Google Search Console to identify and fix indexation issues.
Also Read: Complete Guide to SEO Services: What You Need to Know
On-Page SEO Audit
At this point, the SEO analysis shifts from a technical to an On-page SEO audit. Now that your website is in the queue let’s understand how it is used and optimized for SEO.
1. SEO Tags in the Head Section
A few key section tags help properly correct the website’s Google index. These tags include:
- Meta title
- Meta description
- Canonical tags
- Header tags
- Alt attributes for images
How to Audit SEO Tags?
- Ensure unique, keyword-optimized title tags under 60 characters.
- Check concise meta descriptions under 160 characters with keywords.
- Verify the correct use of canonical tags to prevent duplicate content.
- Ensure each page has one keyword-relevant H1 tag.
- Confirm all images have descriptive alt text.
2. Meta Title and Description
A well-optimized meta title and description improve click-through rates and help search engines understand your page. Key elements include:
- Primary keyword placement
- Brand inclusion (if needed)
- A compelling call to action
How to Audit Meta Titles & Descriptions?
- Ensure unique, keyword-rich meta titles under 60 characters.
- Write concise, engaging meta descriptions under 160 characters.
- Include primary keywords naturally for better search visibility.
- Avoid duplicate or missing meta tags across pages.
- Use action-driven language to boost click-through rates.
3. Keyword Usage
Strategic keyword placement ensures search engines understand and rank your content for relevant queries. Focus areas include:
- Title tags
- Meta descriptions
- Header tags (H1, H2, H3)
- URL structure
- Body Content
- Alt text for images
How to Audit Keyword Usage?
- Ensure primary keywords appear naturally in titles and meta descriptions.
- Check for keyword placement in H1, subheadings, and the first 100 words.
- Avoid keyword stuffing—maintain a natural, reader-friendly flow.
- Use variations and long-tail keywords for better relevance.
- Optimize URLs with concise, keyword-rich structures.
Slow websites lose 50% of visitors—optimize performance with our technical SEO audit.
Content Audit
A content audit ensures your website’s content is optimized, relevant, and accessible to users and search engines. Let’s discuss some key factors that make a thorough content audit effective:
1. Relevant Content
Relevant content is essential for engaging your audience and aligning with search engine algorithms. Search engines prioritize content that meets user intent, provides value, and answers their queries effectively. Irrelevant or outdated content can harm your rankings and user experience. To create truly relevant content, consider the information gaps of the searcher.
- Do you provide all the necessary information and context to help users choose the best product or service?
- Are you going beyond just using keywords to offer valuable insights?
Your content should educate users about your offering, enabling them to make well-informed buying decisions while highlighting what makes it unique.
How to Audit Relevant Content Elements?
- Ensure content aligns with search intent and answers queries effectively.
- Update outdated information to maintain accuracy and relevance.
- Provide comprehensive coverage without being too generic or overly detailed.
- Use analytics to identify underperforming content through metrics like bounce rates.
- Naturally, integrate primary and secondary keywords without overstuffing.
Also Read: 9 Content Marketing Secrets to Keep Your Audience Hooked
2. Faceted Navigation
Faceted navigation enhances eCommerce websites by making it possible to create specific subcategories.
For example, consider a website selling sneakers. A generic category page might cover “Running Shoes,” but with faceted navigation, users can refine their search by specific attributes like “Women’s Running Shoes” or “Waterproof Running Shoes.”
However, this feature may cause problems in achieving better SEO. Google may crawl and index duplicate content or unneeded URLs if each filter creates a new URL without a significant demand.
Therefore, although faceted navigation is easy to use and helpful in filtering particular products, it’s essential to manage these pages to stop Google from indexing duplicate material.
How to Audit Faceted Navigation Elements?
- Ensure facet URLs are properly structured and avoid duplicate content.
- Check for indexation issues in robots.txt and no index tags.
- Use canonical tags to prevent facet page duplication.
- Test filters to avoid indexing irrelevant content.
- Verify internal linking to prevent redirects and broken links.
Also Read: 2025 eCommerce SEO Strategies & Best Practices
3. Accessibility
A website should support people with cognitive, physical, or technical limitations. Google encourages developers to follow these guidelines.
The above-mentioned rendering problems and relevancy are combined to form accessibility concerns for SEO. According to Google, “Accessibility means that the site’s content is available and anyone can operate its functionality.”
How to Audit Accessibility Elements?
- Check WCAG standards to ensure accessibility for users with disabilities.
- Test color contrast for readability by users with visual impairments.
- Ensure images have alt text for screen readers.
- Make interactive elements keyboard accessible.
- Use proper HTML semantics for better navigation.
4. Authoritative Content
A brand’s expertise on a subject is demonstrated through authoritative content exclusive to them. It works to boost trust with the target audience.
It should be well-written, contain unique information and research, respond to the reader’s search query, and offer value. Another way to assess the topic clusters for SEO is by interlinking your content with blog posts and resources that address subtopics.
How to Audit Authoritative Content Elements?
- Check if content creators have expertise in the topic.
- Ensure content is regularly updated with accurate, relevant information.
- Verify that the content is well-researched and supported by credible sources.
- Confirm the content’s tone aligns with industry standards and is authoritative.
- Look for citations and links to reputable sources.
We combine AI, automation, and expertise to ensure a winning SEO strategy.
Off-Page SEO Audit
The off-page SEO audit checklist refers to all activities outside your website that still impact your search engine rankings. These elements primarily focus on building your site’s authority, trustworthiness, and reputation through external signals. Let’s discuss a few of them:
1. Backlinks
Think of backlinks as recommendations for your website. When reputable sites link to yours, search engines see these links as a sign that your content is valuable and reliable. The authority and ranks of your website increase with the number of high-quality backlinks.
However, be cautious of spammy or low-quality backlinks, which can backfire and lead to fines and a decline in rankings.
How to Audit Backlinks?
- Analyze your backlink profile for toxic or spammy links that could hurt your rankings.
- Ensure backlinks come from authoritative and relevant websites in your niche.
- Check for broken or lost backlinks and reclaim them if possible.
- Diversify your anchor text to avoid over-optimization and improve link relevance.
- Identify opportunities for high-authority backlinks through guest posts or partnerships.
2. Brand Mention
Search engines interpret brand mentions from other websites as a sign of trust and credibility. Even without a direct backlink, brand mentions improve your search rankings and enhance your online reputation.
Search engines like Google recognize unlinked brand mentions as an authority indicator, making them crucial for off-page SEO. However, not every mention carry equal value, tracking and optimizing them is essential.
How to Audti Brand Mentions?
- Use tools like Google Alerts or Ahrefs to track brand mentions across the web.
- Identify unlinked mentions and reach out to request backlinks.
- Monitor sentiment to ensure brand mentions have a positive impact.
- Compare mention volume against competitors to gauge brand visibility.
- Use PR and guest blogging to increase high-authority mentions.
3. Local Citations
Local citations serve as a digital name for your business. They appear as NAP on directories, websites, and social media platforms:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
These citations help improve your local search rankings by proving to search engines that your company is legitimate and reliable.
But if your NAP information is inconsistent, out-of-date or repeated on multiple websites, it may confuse search engines and potential clients. It may result in affecting your SEO performance.
How to Audit Local Citation?
- Check NAP consistency across all directories (Google My Business, Yelp, Bing Places, etc.).
- Identify and remove duplicate or outdated business listings.
- Ensure citations are listed in authoritative and relevant directories.
- Update incorrect information that may mislead potential customers.
- Monitor customer reviews and engagement on citation platforms.
Also Read: Maximize Your Website’s Reach: Essential Off-Page SEO Checklist
How Can PixelCrayons Help in SEO Audit?
Now, you’re equipped to evaluate and strategically improve your website’s performance easily. As you implement future SEO audit reports or expand your efforts across multiple sites, keep these tips in mind:
- Use a task priority grid to organize audit actions by impact and effort.
- Tackle high-impact, low-effort issues first to see immediate gains.
- Track your progress and refine workflows to address recurring improvement areas effectively.
Over time, by systematically addressing issues flagged in your SEO audit checklist, you’ll transform weak points into strengths and enjoy noticeable growth in your SEO performance.
Still unsure about getting it all right? Partner with our SEO company to get tailored strategies, in-depth audits, and cutting-edge tools to optimize your site for maximum performance. Let us help you dominate search rankings and drive consistent growth with site optimization.
