What to Look At During an SEO Tech Audit

In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, a technical SEO audit is your secret weapon for online success. But what exactly should you look at during an SEO tech audit? This comprehensive guide will examine the critical components that can make or break your website's performance in search engines like Google.

From crawl budget optimization to structured data implementation, we'll check every nook and cranny of your site's technical foundation. We'll help you:

Find and fix orphan pages
Optimize your title tags and meta descriptions
Analyze your site speed and user experience
Crawl through your robots.txt file for potential roadblocks

Whether you're a seasoned pro or new to the field, our SEO audit checklist will guide you through the process, ensuring no stone is left unturned. So, let's dive in and see how we can boost your site's visibility and drive more traffic to your pages!

Crawlability and Indexability

When conducting a technical SEO audit, the first crucial step is to examine your site's crawlability and indexability. These factors are the bedrock of your digital marketing efforts, ensuring that search engines like Google can effectively crawl and understand your content.

Robots.txt and XML Sitemap: Your Site's Roadmap

Start by checking your robots.txt file. This unassuming text file acts as a traffic controller for search engine bots, telling them which pages to crawl and which to ignore. Here's what to look for:

Ensure no important pages are accidentally blocked
Verify that your XML sitemap is correctly referenced

Speaking of XML sitemaps, they're like a treasure map for Google, guiding it through your site's structure. Make sure it's up-to-date and includes all your valuable content.

HTTP Status Codes and Redirect Management

Next on our SEO audit checklist is analyzing HTTP status codes. These little numbers can make a big difference in how search engines perceive your site. Keep an eye out for:

404 errors (page not found)
301 redirects (permanent redirects)
302 redirects (temporary redirects)

Use tools like Screaming Frog to find and fix these issues, ensuring a smooth user experience and optimal crawl budget usage.

Site Structure and Internal Linking

A well-organized site structure is like a well-planned city – it makes navigation a breeze for both users and search engines. During your SEO tech audit, analyze your internal linking strategy:

Check for dead-end pages with no internal links
Identify and fix orphan pages
Ensure a logical hierarchy of your content

Canonical Tags and Duplicate Content

Last but not least, tackle the issue of duplicate content. Use canonical tags to tell Google which version of a page is the preferred one to index. This helps consolidate your site's authority and avoids diluting your ranking power.

By thoroughly addressing these aspects of crawlability and indexability, you're laying a solid foundation for your site's success in search. Remember, a comprehensive technical SEO audit is an ongoing process, not a one-time task. Regularly revisiting these elements will help keep your site in top shape for both users and search engines.

Site Performance and Core Web Vitals

In today's fast-paced digital marketing landscape, site speed isn't just a luxury—it's a necessity. When conducting a technical SEO audit, paying attention to your site's performance and Core Web Vitals is crucial. Let's dive into what you need to check for to ensure your site is running at peak efficiency.

Page Speed Optimization: The Need for Speed

First things first, let's talk about page speed. A slow-loading site can be a real turn-off for visitors and search engines alike. Here's what to look at:

Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to analyze your site's performance
Check image sizes and formats—optimize where necessary
Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML to reduce load times
Leverage browser caching to speed up repeat visits

Remember, every second counts when it comes to keeping visitors engaged and improving your rankings in search results.

Mobile-Friendliness: Thumb-Stopping Good

With mobile traffic dominating the web, ensuring your site is mobile-friendly is non-negotiable. During your SEO tech audit, examine these aspects:

Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to check your pages
Ensure text is readable without zooming
Verify that buttons and links are easily tappable on smaller screens
Check for horizontal scrolling issues on mobile devices

Core Web Vitals: The Holy Trinity of User Experience

Google has made it clear: Core Web Vitals are a big deal. These metrics focus on loading, interactivity, and visual stability. Here's what to analyze:

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures loading performance
First Input Delay (FID): Measures interactivity
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures visual stability

Use tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to track these metrics and find areas for improvement.

HTTPS Implementation: Securing Your Site

Last but not least, let's talk security. HTTPS isn't just about protecting your users' data—it's also a ranking factor. Check that:

Your site is fully migrated to HTTPS
All internal links and resources load over HTTPS
Your SSL certificate is up-to-date and properly installed

By focusing on these performance factors during your technical SEO audits, you'll not only improve your site's user experience but also give yourself a competitive edge in the SERPs. Remember, a fast, secure, and mobile-friendly site is a happy site—both for your visitors and for search engines.

On-Page Optimization and Content Quality

When conducting a technical SEO audit, it's crucial to examine your on-page elements and content quality. These factors play a significant role in how search engines understand and rank your pages. Let's dive into what you should look at to ensure your site is optimized for success.

Meta Tags: Your First Impression in Search Results

Your title tag and meta description are like a handshake with potential visitors. Here's what to check for:

Ensure each page has a unique, compelling title tag (50-60 characters)
Craft meta descriptions that accurately summarize the content (150-160 characters)
Include relevant keywords naturally in both elements

Remember, these tags are your site's first impression in search results, so make them count!

Header Structure and Content Organization

A well-structured page helps both users and search engines navigate your content. During your SEO audit, analyze your header hierarchy:

Use H1 tags for main titles (only one per page)
Employ H2 and H3 tags for subheadings
Ensure your content flows logically through these headers

URL Structure: Keep It Clean and Meaningful

Google loves clean, descriptive URLs. When you examine your URL structure, consider:

Using keywords in URLs when relevant
Keeping URLs short and easy to read
Avoiding unnecessary parameters or numbers

Internal Linking: Connecting the Dots

A solid internal linking strategy helps distribute page authority and guides users through your site. Here's what to look for:

Link to relevant internal pages using descriptive anchor text
Check for and fix any broken internal links
Identify opportunities to link to important pages from high-authority content

By focusing on these on-page elements during your SEO tech audit, you'll create a more user-friendly and search engine-optimized site. Remember, quality content paired with solid technical optimization is the key to climbing the ranks in search engine results pages. Keep refining these elements, and you'll be well on your way to SEO success!

Technical SEO for International and Local Audiences

When conducting a technical SEO audit, don't forget to consider your global and local presence. As your digital marketing efforts expand, it's crucial to examine how your site caters to diverse audiences. Let's look at some key areas to check during your audit.

Hreflang Implementation: Speaking Your Audience's Language

If you're targeting multiple languages or regions, proper hreflang implementation is essential. Here's what to analyze:

Correct language and regional codes in hreflang tags
Reciprocal hreflang tags across all versions of a page
Proper implementation in HTML, HTTP headers, or sitemap

Remember, misconfigurations can confuse search engines and lead to incorrect page targeting.

Structured Data and Schema Markup: Enhancing Your SERP Presence

Structured data helps search engines understand your content better. During your SEO tech audit, check for:

Correct implementation of relevant schema types (e.g., Organization, LocalBusiness)
No errors in your structured data (use Google's Structured Data Testing Tool)
Opportunities to enhance rich snippets in search results

Local SEO Considerations: Putting Your Business on the Map

For businesses with physical locations, local SEO is crucial. Examine these elements:

Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across your site and external directories
Proper setup of Google My Business listing
Local-specific content and landing pages

By focusing on these international and local SEO aspects, you'll ensure your site reaches and resonates with your target audience, wherever they may be. Remember, a comprehensive technical SEO audit considers all potential markets and opportunities for visibility in search.

Advanced Technical SEO Considerations

As you progress through your technical SEO audit, don't overlook these advanced aspects. First, examine your JavaScript SEO. Check how search engines render your JS-heavy pages using tools like Google's Mobile-Friendly Test. Next, delve into log file analysis. This step helps you understand how search enginescrawl your site, revealing insights about your crawl budget usage and potential issues with specific pages. By incorporating these advanced techniques into your SEO audit checklist, you'll gain a more comprehensive view of your site's performance and find opportunities for improvement that others might miss.

Conclusion

Conducting a thorough technical SEO audit is crucial for optimizing your site's performance in search. By examining these key areas, you'll find and fix issues that could be holding your pages back. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process—regularly revisiting this checklist will ensure your site stays ahead of the curve. Now, armed with this knowledge, it's time to take action and elevate your digital marketing game!