Knowing how to do an SEO audit helps you find what holds your website back. An audit checks whether search engines can find your pages, understand them and trust them. Follow these 15 steps, and use free tools to do it yourself.
What You Need
- Google Search Console (free): shows indexing, queries and errors
- Google Analytics (free): shows traffic and behavior
- PageSpeed Insights (free): tests speed and Core Web Vitals
- A crawler, such as Screaming Frog, which is free for up to 500 URLs
- A spreadsheet to log issues and fixes
Part 1: Crawling and Indexing | how to do an SEO audit
Step 1: Check what Google has indexed
Open the Pages report in Search Console. Note how many pages are indexed and why others aren’t. A page that isn’t indexed can’t rank.
Step 2: Review robots.txt and your sitemap
Make sure robots.txt doesn’t block important pages and that your XML sitemap lists the right URLs. Then confirm the sitemap is submitted in Search Console.
Step 3: Confirm HTTPS and redirects
Every page should load securely. In addition, old URLs should redirect in a single step, since long redirect chains waste crawl time and slow pages.
Step 4: Run a site crawl
Crawl your site and export the results. The crawl reveals broken links, redirect chains, missing titles and duplicate content in one pass.
Part 2: On-Page SEO | how to do an SEO audit
Step 5: Check titles and meta descriptions
Every page needs a unique title of about 50 to 60 characters and a description of 120 to 160 characters. Our WordPress SEO checklist shows what to include.
Step 6: Check headings
Each page should have one H1, with H2s and H3s in order. Never skip levels, and don’t choose a heading for its font size.
Step 7: Look for duplicate and thin content
Find pages with near-identical text or very little content. Merge them, expand them or remove them.
Step 8: Review images
Check for missing alt text and oversized files. Compress images, and describe each one in a short sentence.
Part 3: Technical Health
Step 9: Test speed and Core Web Vitals
Run PageSpeed Insights on your key pages. Good targets are LCP under 2.5 seconds, INP under 200 milliseconds and CLS under 0.1. If you score poorly, read our guide to why WordPress sites are slow.
Step 10: Test mobile usability
Open your site on a phone. Look for text that’s too small, buttons too close together and content that shifts as the page loads.
Step 11: Check structured data
Use Google’s Rich Results Test to confirm your schema is valid and matches the visible content.
Step 12: Fix broken links
Repair or remove broken internal links, and update outside links that now lead nowhere. This keeps visitors on your site, and it helps crawlers too.
Part 4: Content and Authority
Step 13: Match pages to keywords
List each page with its main keyphrase. If two pages target the same phrase, merge them or change one. Then check Search Console for queries ranking between positions 8 and 30, because those pages need only a small push.
Step 14: Review internal links
Make sure every important page has links pointing to it, using descriptive anchor text. Pages with no links to them are hard for crawlers to find.
Step 15: Review your backlinks and trust signals
Check Search Console’s Links report. Then check your trust signals: an About page, contact details, real reviews and a Google Business Profile if you serve a local area. Earn links through useful content, not purchases, since paid links risk penalties.
Prioritize What You Find | how to do an SEO audit
- Critical: pages blocked from indexing, site errors, security problems
- High: slow pages, missing titles, duplicate content, broken links
- Medium: thin content, weak internal links, missing alt text
- Low: minor formatting and polish
Fix the critical items first. Then work through the rest in order of impact.
How Often to Audit
Run a full audit every six months, and a quick check each month in Search Console. In addition, audit after a redesign, a migration or a sudden traffic drop.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an SEO audit take?
A small site takes a few hours. Larger sites with hundreds of pages can take days.
Can I do an SEO audit for free?
Yes. Search Console, Analytics and PageSpeed Insights are free, and some crawlers have free tiers.
What’s the difference between a technical audit and a full audit?
A technical audit covers crawling, speed and code. A full audit adds content, keywords and backlinks.
What should I fix first after an audit?
Fix anything that stops indexing, then speed problems, then on-page issues.
Want an Expert Audit?
Our SEO packages include technical audits and monthly health checks. View our SEO pricing or book a free consultation.
