A thorough, actionable search engine optimization (SEO audit) should cover every aspect of your website that impacts its search engine performance. This includes reviewing on-page SEO elements like title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, keyword usage, content quality, internal links, and image optimization.
It should also evaluate mobile responsiveness and overall site structure. User experience factors are also key, helping to pinpoint opportunities to enhance your website’s rankings and overall performance.
Depending on your goals for your business and website, you may include different types of evaluations on factors that impact the extent of your audit. There are several common issues in corporate SEO audits because not every audit is tailored to your unique goals.
These audits can be extensive, so it’s important to know how to choose an SEO audit service correctly. This way, you get exactly what you need the first time.
Here are a few things you can do to start an audit yourself:
Run a Crawl of Your Website
A ‘crawl’ uses specialized software to scan your website and detect SEO issues. To kick off your SEO audit, you’ll need to perform one with AWT.
Start by navigating to ‘Site Audit,’ clicking ‘New Project,’ and allowing Ahrefs to connect to your account. Next, select ‘Import’ from Google Search Console; this step requires a Google Search Console account.
After authorizing with Google, choose your website, click ‘Import,’ and the audit will begin. Once everything is set up, it’s just a matter of waiting–Ahrefs will send you an email as soon as the audit is finished.
The tool can flag more than one hundred issues, which might feel overwhelming if you’re new to auditing. Instead of tackling them all at once, focus on the key steps outlined below to make the process more manageable.
Find Organic Traffic Drops and Why They Occurred
Google frequently updates its search algorithms, often targeting issues like content quality or link spam. If you notice a drop in traffic around the time of a major update, this could hint at the areas that need your attention.
If your traffic has completely vanished, it’s worth checking for a manual action. This happens when a Google reviewer determines your site violates their search essentials, leading to some or all of your pages being excluded from search results.
While manual actions are rare and usually the result of significant missteps, it’s crucial to confirm your site hasn’t been sidelined before diving into other fixes.
Evaluate Your Sitemap
A sitemap is essentially a roadmap for search engines, highlighting the pages you want them to index. It shouldn’t include redirects, non-canonical URLs, or dead pages, as these can confuse Google and dilute your site’s effectiveness.
Make sure your sitemap features only the key pages you want search engines to prioritize and index.
Conform On-Page Elements to SEO Best Practices
Every indexable page on your site should include a title tag, meta description, and H1 tag. These fundamental on-page elements not only help Google interpret your content but also boost your chances of earning clicks from search results.
For example, a website with several pages missing title tags will likely rank lower in search engine results. This is because Google often displays these tags in search results, and without them, the site risks losing potential traffic.
Because Google frequently displays meta descriptions in search results, crafting compelling ones for your most important pages is crucial. Missing H1 tags, however, often signal more significant issues, such as problems with the site’s theme coding.
Get the Full Picture With High Voltage
Not sure what your goals for your audit are, or why your website isn’t driving traffic like it used to? A comprehensive SEO audit from the experts at High Voltage can help.
