What is an SEO audit?

What does an SEO audit include?

A useful audit looks at four things.

• Technical health. Can search engines reach and read every page? Is the site quick, secure and usable on a phone?
• Content. Do the pages cover what people search for, in the words they use? Are any pages competing with each other? This is the on-page SEO.
• Local presence. Is the Google Business Profile complete and consistent with the website?
• Trust. Which other websites link to you, and what do reviews say? Each of those links is a backlink.

What is the difference between an SEO audit and a website audit?

An SEO audit asks whether people can find the site. A website audit also asks what happens when they arrive: whether the pages are clear, whether enquiring is easy, and whether enquiries are being tracked. The two are most useful together, because traffic that does not enquire is not much use.

What should you receive at the end?

A list of findings is not enough. A good audit tells you what matters most, what it would take to fix, and what can safely be left. If every item is marked urgent, you have been given a scan, not an audit.

How can you tell a useful audit from a sales pitch?

Automated tools can produce a long report very quickly, and much of it will not matter to your business. Three signs you are looking at real work:

• It refers to your business and your market, not just your website.
• Someone spoke to you first, to understand what you are trying to achieve.
• It tells you at least one thing that is working well.

How often should a site be audited?

When something changes: a new website, a drop in enquiries, a new competitor, or a change in what you sell. Otherwise a yearly review is sensible for most businesses.