If you want your website to perform well on Google, an SEO audit is essential. An SEO audit is a detailed checkup of your website to find out what's working and what needs improvement. Just like a health checkup for your body, an SEO audit helps your website stay in good shape.
By doing an SEO audit, you can find issues that may be stopping your website from ranking well. These problems could include slow page speed, broken links, missing keywords, or poor mobile experience.
In this guide, you'll learn 14 essential steps to perform a full SEO audit. By the end, you'll know exactly how to improve your website's visibility, traffic, and rankings.
Check Your Website's Visibility on Google
The first step in any SEO audit is making sure your website is showing up on Google. If your pages aren't indexed, they can't appear in search results—and that means no traffic from Google.
To check this, go to Google and type site:yourdomain.com. Replace "yourdomain.com" with your actual domain name. It will show all the pages from your website that Google has indexed. If you see a list of pages, that's a good sign—your site is visible. If you see no results, it means Google hasn't indexed your site yet.
If your site is not indexed, there could be a few reasons:
- You haven't submitted your site to Google Search Console.
- There are technical issues like blocked pages in your robots.txt file.
- Your site is new, and Google hasn't discovered it yet.
To fix this:
- Create a Google Search Console account and submit your sitemap.
- Make sure your important pages are crawlable.
- Check for "noindex" tags in your website code.
Getting your site indexed is the foundation of SEO. Without it, no matter how good your content or keywords are, your site won't rank. So, always start your audit by checking visibility.
Analyze Organic Traffic
Understanding how much traffic your website gets from search engines like Google is essential. Organic traffic means the visitors who come to your site by clicking on unpaid search results. Tracking this traffic helps you know if your SEO efforts are working.
Start by using Google Analytics. It shows how many people are visiting your website, where they are coming from, and how long they stay. Go to the "Acquisition" section and click on "Organic Search" to see the data. It will tell you how many visitors are finding your site through Google.
Next, use Google Search Console. This tool gives insights into how your site performs in search results. It shows:
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- What keywords do people use to find your site
- How many clicks and impressions your pages get
- Your average ranking position
If your organic traffic is low or has dropped recently, it's a sign that something may be wrong. Your content may be outdated, your site has technical issues, or your competitors are ranking higher.
Check trends over time—look at traffic from the last 3 to 6 months. Identify pages that are performing well and those that are losing traffic. You can then focus on updating or improving the low-performing pages.
By analyzing organic traffic regularly, you'll better understand what's working and what needs fixing. This step helps you make smart decisions to improve your SEO strategy and grow your website's visibility.
Check for Manual Actions and Penalties
Google sometimes gives out manual penalties when a website breaks its rules. These penalties can hurt your rankings or even remove your site from search results altogether. That's why it's essential to check for them during your SEO audit.
To check:
- Log into Google Search Console.
- Click on the "Manual Actions" section under "Security & Manual Actions."
If there's no message, you're in the clear—your site doesn't have any manual penalties. If you do see a warning, it will explain what the problem is. Common issues include:
- Spammy or unnatural backlinks
- Hidden text or keyword stuffing <!--
- Thin or duplicate content
- Cloaking (showing different content to users and search engines)
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If your website has received a manual action, don't panic. Follow these steps:
- Read Google's message carefully to understand the problem.
- Fix the issue. For example, if it's spammy backlinks, remove or disavow them.
- After fixing, go back to Google Search Console and request a reconsideration review.
Write a clear explanation of what you fixed and how. Google will review your request and, if satisfied, lift the penalty.
Manual actions can seriously affect your website's performance, so it's important to check this regularly. Fixing issues quickly can help restore your rankings and keep your site in good standing with Google.
Ensure Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly
These days, most people use their phones to search on Google. That means your website must work well on mobile devices. If your site looks bad or is hard to use on a phone, people will leave—and Google will notice.
To check if your site is mobile-friendly:
- Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool.
- Just enter your website's URL and run the test.
Google will tell you if your site is easy to use on mobile. If it passes, great! If not, it will list the problems.
If your site fails the test, here's what you can do:
- Use responsive design: This makes your website adjust to all screen sizes automatically.
- Use large, easy-to-read fonts: Small text is complex to read on phones.
- Make buttons and links significant enough to tap with a finger.
- Avoid pop-ups that cover the screen—these are annoying on small devices.
Also, test your website on your phone or tablet. Try clicking buttons, reading text, and filling out forms. If something feels difficult, your users will feel the same.
A mobile-friendly site is not just about looks—it improves how long people stay, helps them take action, and boosts your rankings in search results. Google even uses mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor.
So, don't skip this step. Making your website mobile-friendly helps both your users and your SEO.
Test Page Speed and Performance
How fast your website loads is critical. A slow website can make people leave before they even see your content. It just not only gives a bad user experience but also hurts your rankings on Google.
To check how fast your site is:
- Use Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
- Enter your website's URL, and the tool will give you a score and suggestions.
These tools focus on Core Web Vitals, which are key speed metrics:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Measures how fast the main content loads.
- FID (First Input Delay): Measures how quickly your site reacts to clicks.
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Checks if elements on the page move around while loading.
If your scores are low, here are simple ways to improve your site speed:
- Compress images: Use smaller file sizes without losing quality.
- Enable browser caching: This lets users load pages faster when they return to your site.
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN loads your website from the nearest server to the user.
- Minify code: Remove unnecessary spaces and characters in your CSS, HTML, and JavaScript files.
Also, avoid using too many plugins or large videos that slow things down. Try testing your site on both desktop and mobile devices to make sure it loads well everywhere.
Improving your website speed makes visitors happy and helps your site rank better on Google. It's a small step that can make a big difference.
Audit Your URL Structure
Having clean, simple, and readable URLs is very important for both people and search engines. A clear URL helps users understand what the page is about before they even click it. It also helps Google better understand and rank your page.
Good URL example: www.example.com/seo-audit-guide
It is a good URL because it's short, easy to read, and includes the primary keyword "SEO-audit-guide."
Bad URL example: www.example.com/page?id=12345
This one is bad because it's full of random characters and doesn't tell you anything about the content.
Here are some simple tips for creating SEO-friendly URLs:
- Keep URLs short and straightforward: Long URLs can look messy and be hard to remember.
- Use hyphens (-) between words: They make URLs easier to read. Avoid underscores (_), spaces, or other symbols.
- Avoid using numbers or codes: Numbers like 12345 don't help search engines or users.
- Include keywords when possible: For example, if your page is about mobile SEO tips, a good URL could be www.example.com/mobile-seo-tips.
- Use lowercase letters only: This helps avoid confusion, as some servers treat uppercase and lowercase as different URLs.
A clean URL structure is not only good for SEO but also makes it easier for people to share, remember, and trust your website.
Fix Broken Links and Redirect Errors
Broken links are links that no longer work. They can frustrate users and make your website look unprofessional. Worse, they can hurt your rankings on Google because they create a bad user experience.
To find broken links, use tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or SEMrush. These tools will scan your website and show you any links that lead to missing or error pages.
Once you find broken links, fix them in one of these ways:
- Update the link: If the correct page still exists, change the broken link to the right one.
- Remove the link: If the content no longer exists and there's no replacement, you may need to delete the link.
- Use a 301 redirect: If the page has moved to a new URL, set up a 301 redirect. It tells Google and users that the page has a new home.
Also, check both internal links (links to your pages) and external links (links to other websites). Both should work correctly.
Regularly checking your links is a smart SEO habit. It helps maintain a smooth user experience and shows Google that your website is well-maintained. Do a link check every few months, especially if you update your content often.
In short, fixing broken links and redirect errors is a simple but powerful way to improve your website's quality and search engine rankings.
Optimize On-Page SEO Elements
Every page on your website should have well-optimized on-page SEO elements. These elements help search engines understand your content and improve your chances of ranking higher in search results. Here's how to optimize each part:
- Title Tag: This is the title that appears in search results. Make sure to include your main keyword near the beginning. Keep it under 60 characters so it doesn't get cut off.
- Meta Description: This is a summary of your page that appears under the title in search results. Write a clear and compelling description, include your keyword, and keep it under 160 characters. It helps increase clicks to your site.
- Header Tags (H1, H2, H3): Use these tags to organize your content. H1 should be used only once for the main title. Use H2 and H3 for subheadings. Add keywords naturally to make the structure clear for both users and search engines.
- Alt Text for Images: Describe the image using relevant keywords. It helps visually impaired users and also tells Google what the image is about, improving image SEO.
- Keyword Placement: Use your target keywords in key places like the first paragraph, subheadings, and throughout the content. Don't overuse them—this is called keyword stuffing and can hurt your SEO.
Properly optimizing these elements makes your content more attractive to both users and search engines. It's a key part of improving your website's SEO and overall performance.
Check and Improve Content Quality
Improving your content quality is one of the most essential parts of an SEO audit. Google always prefers content that is helpful, original, and easy to understand. If your website has low-quality or outdated content, it can hurt your search engine rankings and push visitors away.
Start by removing duplicate content. It means deleting or merging pages that have the same or very similar information. Google wants to show the best and most unique result, so repeating content across your site can be a problem.
Next, look for thin content—these are pages with very little helpful information. Examples include short blog posts with no clear message or landing pages that don't offer any value. Either update these pages by adding more helpful information or delete them if they aren't needed.
You should also refresh old or outdated content. For example, if you wrote an article in 2020 with tips that are no longer relevant in 2025, update it with the latest facts, examples, and tools. It helps your site stay current and valuable.
Each page on your website should answer a specific question or meet a clear need. Whether it's explaining a product, solving a problem, or offering a how-to guide, make sure your content has a purpose.
Finally, make your content easy to read. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and headings. Add images, charts, or videos to break up the text. And always write in a clear, friendly, and natural tone—just like you're talking to a real person. It not only helps your readers but also improves your chances of ranking better on Google.
Analyze Internal Linking
Internal linking is an essential part of SEO. It means connecting the pages of your website by linking them to each other. It helps Google understand how your site is organized and which pages are related. It also helps visitors find more helpful information easily.
When you add links from one page to another inside your website, it creates a path for both Google and users to follow. It makes your website easier to navigate and improves its ranking in search results.
Here are some easy tips for a good internal linking strategy:
- Use descriptive anchor text: When you link to another page, use clear and meaningful words for the clickable text. For example, instead of just saying, "Click here," write something like "Digital marketing company." It helps Google and users know what the linked page is about.
- Avoid orphan pages: An orphan page is a page that does not have any links pointing to it from other pages on your site. These pages are hard for Google to find and can be missed by visitors. Make sure every critical page on your site is linked from somewhere.
- Give more links to important pages: Your most valuable pages should have more internal links pointing to them. It tells Google that these pages are essential and should rank higher in search results.
Good internal linking spreads the SEO value across your website, helping less popular pages get noticed. It also keeps users engaged by guiding them to related content, which can increase the time they spend on your site.
Make it a habit to review and update your internal links regularly, especially when you add new content. This way, your website stays organized, easy to use, and search-engine friendly.
Audit Your Backlink Profile
Backlinks are links from other websites to your site. They act like votes of trust in the eyes of search engines. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more authority your website gains, which helps improve your rankings on Google.
Start by analyzing your existing backlinks. Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to see who is linking to you. These tools also help you find out if any of the backlinks are from low-quality or spammy sites. Such backlinks can hurt your rankings instead of helping.
If you find bad backlinks:
- Contact the site owner and request removal.
- Use Google's Disavow Tool to tell Google to ignore those links.
Now, focus on building good backlinks. You can do this in many ways:
- Write guest posts on other blogs in your niche.
- Create valuable content like how-to guides, research articles, or infographics that others want to link to.
- List your site in trusted directories and local listings.
- Reach out to influencers and bloggers who might be interested in your content.
Remember, it's not just about quantity—it's about quality. A few strong backlinks from reputable websites are better than hundreds from spammy sites. Regularly auditing your backlink profile helps you keep your site healthy, boosts your domain authority, and improves your SEO performance.
Check for Technical SEO Issues
Technical SEO makes sure that search engines like Google can easily find, read, and understand your website. If search engines can't access your site correctly, it won't show up in search results—even if your content is excellent.
Here are the main things to check:
- Crawlability: This means checking if search engines can access all the pages on your website. Use tools like Google Search Console to spot crawl errors.
- Indexability: Just because a page can be crawled doesn't mean it's indexed. Make sure essential pages are listed in Google's index.
- Robots.txt File: This file tells search engines what they can or can't access. Make sure you're not blocking important pages by mistake.
- XML Sitemap: This is a list of your site's pages. Please submit it to Google Search Console so Google knows which pages to crawl and index.
- Canonical Tags: These help tell search engines which version of a page is the main one when you have similar or duplicate pages.
If you find problems in any of these areas, fix them as soon as you can. You can use SEO tools like Screaming Frog or SEMrush, install SEO plugins (if you're using WordPress), or get help from a developer.
Fixing technical SEO issues is like laying a strong foundation for your website. It helps search engines understand your site, which can lead to better rankings and more traffic.
Set Up Ongoing Monitoring and Reporting
SEO is not something you do just once and forget. It needs regular checking and updating to keep your website in good shape and performing well on Google. That's why it's essential to set up ongoing monitoring and reporting.Start by tracking your keyword rankings. You should know how well your website ranks for important keywords related to your business. If your rankings go up or down, it could mean something is helping or hurting your SEO.
Next, monitor your organic traffic. It means watching how many people are coming to your site from search engines. Use free tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. These tools show you traffic numbers, where your visitors come from, what pages they visit, and how long they stay.
You can also create SEO dashboards or use tools like SEMRush, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest. These tools give more profound insights into your website's performance, backlinks, keyword positions, and more.
It's a good idea to set up automatic reports. For example, get weekly or monthly email summaries showing your traffic trends, rankings, and site health. It helps you catch problems early before they affect your business.
Also, make SEO audits a regular habit. Do a small audit every month and a full audit every 3 to 6 months. It will help you spot new issues, check your progress, and update your strategy as needed.
In short, ongoing monitoring keeps your SEO efforts on track. It helps you stay ahead of competitors, respond to changes quickly, and keep growing your website traffic over time.
Conclusion
Performing a comprehensive SEO audit helps identify issues and opportunities to improve your website’s traffic. Here’s a quick recap of the 14 steps:
- Check your visibility on Google.
- Analyze organic traffic.
- Look for manual actions or penalties.
- Test mobile-friendliness.
- Analyze page speed and performance.
- Audit your URL structure.
- Fix broken links and redirect errors.
- Optimize on-page SEO.
- Improve content quality.
- Improve internal linking.
- Audit backlinks.
- Fix technical SEO issues.
- Set up ongoing monitoring.
Use both free tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console, along with premium SEO tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush. By regularly conducting SEO audits, you’ll keep your website healthy, user-friendly, and competitive in search results.
