When a new website is published on the web, developers and SEOs will say it’s gone “live.” With the frequency and popularity of this idiom, on some level, everybody intuitively understands that a website is a “living” digital ecosystem.
It’s not a one-and-done thing. The words will change, the design will be updated, and the branding or messaging will change direction. And during every step of the way, there’s a chance that something goes wrong. The more changes, the more chances.
This is where SEO audits quietly enter the scene. No fanfare, no fireworks—not even their own soundtrack. Just a checklist, some technical know-how, and a can-do attitude. So what are SEO audits really about, why do they matter, how do we at Uptick perform them, and what tools do we use? Find the answers below.
What Is an SEO Audit and Why Does It Matter?
An SEO audit is the digital equivalent of a detailed car check-up. At Uptick, we usually perform these check-ups before we take on a new client. The idea is to pop the hood and see what we’re dealing with.
Sometimes, people are aware there’s a problem (like when your car engine makes weird noises that sound expensive). Other times, they come to us thinking they need a routine procedure (like when you go to your mechanic for an oil change and it turns out half your engine needs to be replaced… yikes).
The goal of SEO audits is to show us exactly what we’re dealing with, from #404 errors (the infamous Page Not Found) to more subtle problems like large images that cause the site to load at a snail’s pace.
In other words, a solid audit spots the gaps in your technical SEO, on‑page content, and backlink profile long before a ranking free‑fall shows up in your GA4 data. Let’s unpack the details.
What Is an SEO Audit?
When you boil it down, an SEO audit is a systematic check‑up on your website’s SEO health. It measures how well your pages:
Each type of audit explores different aspects of your website:
- Technical. Crawlability, indexing, site speed.
- On‑page. Content, keywords, user intent.
- Off‑page. Backlinks, brand mentions.
That trio forms the backbone of every effective SEO strategy. Skipping one means leaving money (and potential leads or conversions) on the table.
Why SEO Audits Are Essential for Website Growth
Google rolls out major algorithm updates several times a year. A proper audit flags issues before they trigger a penalty and demote your site in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Regular audits also:
- Underscore technical issues (think broken links, slow site speed, mobile quirks). Sometimes, a website might have great content but get bogged down by technical issues.
- Reveal content gaps and keyword cannibalization that are hurting your targeted keywords. It’s not uncommon for people to become overzealous in their attempts to optimize for certain keywords to the point where several pages on the same site fight for dominance.
- Catch toxic external links that can drag down domain authority. Google’s become pretty good about this sort of thing, but it’s still a good idea to know it’s happening.
What’s the bottom line? Audits turn reactive fixes into proactive wins. The goal is to avoid you asking, “Why did my rankings tank?” six months from now.
Preparing for an SEO Audit
Going in blind is a classic rookie mistake. We provide audits, and we can do an audit for you, but if you want to go the DIY route, you need to be smart about it. Gather your SEO tools, data, and goals first, and the process will be a whole lot smoother.
What You Need Before You Start
- Google Search Console and Google Analytics access. You can’t audit what you can’t measure. Alternatively, an SEO tool like SEMrush could get the job done, but in that case, you’re working with estimates.
- A crawl tool like Screaming Frog to map every URL. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Screaming Frog is great at showing you how Google crawls your website and flags potential problems.
- Clear SEO goals are also important. Do you want more organic search traffic, better conversion rates, or higher average position for certain search rankings? Or are you looking for general weaknesses? You need to know what you’re trying to achieve before you start.
A lot of the major audits we do when we start working on a new client’s website are diagnostic. We’re trying to figure out what we’re dealing with. Only then do we start to look at things through a more specific lens and zero in on certain issues.
SEO Audit Tools You Should Use
Not all tools are pricey; some of the best intel is free.
- Free tools. Google Search Console, Google PageSpeed Insights, Google Analytics, and the good old search bar to research queries.
- Paid tools. Ahrefs, SEMrush, Sitebulb, Screaming Frog (for large sites), and specialty tools for automated SEO reports.
The best approach is to mix and match. For example, use Search Console to confirm indexation issues, then fire up SEMrush for a deeper dive into your backlink profile and keyword performance.
Technical SEO Audit
Technical hiccups can bury brilliant content. Let’s make sure Google can actually see—and love—your site.
How to Check If Google Can Crawl and Index Your Site
Open Google Search Console’s Pages › Indexing report. Watch for:
- “Crawled – currently not indexed” pages
- Server errors (5xx)
- Soft 404s
Fix priority pages first. Often the culprit is thin content, duplicate pages, or a pesky noindex tag that slipped through your last site update.
XML Sitemap and Robots.txt Optimization
Confirm your XML sitemap has been submitted to Search Console. It should list only canonical, 200‑status URLs. Then audit your robots.txt.
The robots.txt file tells search engines how to behave on your website. It acts like a bouncer and stops them from accessing certain sections or directories. However, sometimes people unintentionally block their entire website. Imagine this—you open a new bar and the bouncer doesn’t let any customers in. You’re likely not going to be very successful.
Blocking entire directories without cause will keep important pages out of search results. That said, you want to block certain directories, such as the admin on WordPress or the cart on your e-commerce store.
Identifying and Fixing Broken Links & Redirect Issues
Run Screaming Frog, filter for 404 errors, and:
- Remove the links.
- 301‑redirect the dead URL to a relevant live page.
- OR rebuild high‑value pages if external links point there.
Avoid chains like 301 → 302 → 200. One clean 301 is all you need.
Site Speed and Core Web Vitals Performance
Google’s Core Web Vitals track three metrics:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures loading.
- First Input Delay (FID) gauges interactivity.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) watches visual stability.
Simple fixes—compress images, defer unused JavaScript, and serve assets through a CDN. Faster pages make for happier users and search engines.
On‑Page SEO Audit
Great content and clear search intent equals great SEO performance (in theory, there are no guarantees in this game). So, how do you polish the pieces visitors actually see?
Evaluating Keyword Optimization and Search Intent
Ask yourself:
- Does each page target a specific keyword or cluster?
- Does the content match the query’s intent (informational, navigational, transactional)?
Use Search Console’s Queries report to spot low‑hanging‑fruit keywords sitting on page 2 with good impressions. A content refresh can bump them into the top 10.
Analyze Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, and Headers
This is one of the most common areas where we see mistakes. Here are some best practices to think about:
- Title tags should be around 55–60 characters and front‑load the primary keyword.
- Meta descriptions should be up to 155 characters and include a call‑to‑action.
- You need a logical header hierarchy: one H1, descriptive H2s, and supportive H3s.
If your metadata is too long, Google will shorten it, which leads to lower click-through rates. If you don’t have a descriptive heading hierarchy, it makes it difficult for both users and search engines to figure out what the content is about. Remember—you’re fighting for attention with all your competitors. Make sure you’re doing things better than they are.
Fixing Duplicate and Thin Content Issues
There are plenty of SEO tools that can help you identify duplicate content on your website. Since Google doesn’t see a point in presenting identical pages to users, duplicate content can seriously hurt where you show up in Google. Here’s what you can do:
- Canonicalize or 301‑redirect duplicates.
- Beef up thin pages with deeper insights, stats, or FAQs.
Doing this will not only improve your standing with search engines but also make your site useful to users, which is ultimately what you want.
Improving Internal Linking for Better SEO
This is another common area where many drop the ball. Internal links spread authority and help Google understand context. Aim for:
- Descriptive anchor text (no “click here”).
- Two to five internal links on every key page.
- A sensible site structure; silos are your friends.
A well-implemented internal linking strategy can be a real game-changer. Of course, it’s not a panacea: It won’t work if other aspects of your website are poorly optimized, but it’s a good idea to keep it in mind.
Off‑Page SEO Audit
It was links that put Google on the map, and they’re still one of Google’s top ranking factors. But quality beats quantity every time.
How to Check Your Website’s Backlink Profile
In SEMrush or Ahrefs, you can easily check the quantity and quality of your backlinks. These tools tell you:
- Domain Rating / Domain Authority
- DoFollow vs. NoFollow
- Spam Score / Toxicity
Disavowing links from obvious link farms or irrelevant domains used to be a standard practice back in the day. Nowadays, it’s more of a “use it if you really have to” kind of deal. It will mostly be necessary if you have a manual penalty or your site’s been attacked.
Competitors sometimes send a ton of toxic links your way in attempts to fool Google that you’re using blackhat SEO practices. But these are few and far between, so disavowing won’t be necessary for the most part.
Competitor Backlink Analysis
Speaking of competitors, you can use them to discover new link opportunities. You can reverse‑engineer competitor success:
- Export competitors’ DoFollow referring domains.
- Identify gaps where they have links and you don’t.
- Pitch guest posts or resource pages on those sites.
While it sounds simple, it’s not easy, so don’t expect to be rolling in links after a few cold emails. We do this full-time, and it’s still challenging.
Brand Mentions and Online Reputation Management
Set up Google Alerts or use Mention to catch unlinked brand mentions. A friendly outreach email often turns a shout‑out into a valuable backlink. While you’re at it, respond to negative reviews to keep your reputation and click‑through rate intact.
Measuring Performance & Insights Through SEO Reporting
An audit is pointless if you make changes and can’t measure the changes. This is where SEO reporting comes in. SEO reporting tools are invaluable here. Here’s what to pay attention to when you want to create an SEO report that helps you see what actually matters.
Key Metrics to Include in an SEO Report
- Organic traffic trends (sessions, users)
- Keyword rankings and average position
- Conversion tracking (goal completions, revenue)
- Backlink growth and referring domains
- Site speed and Core Web Vitals
Competitor Performance Tracking in SEO Reports
Pull competitor domain data from SEMrush or SimilarWeb and chart:
- Overlapping keywords and search volume
- Traffic estimations
- Backlink gap analysis
That context shows management or stakeholders exactly where SEO efforts shine and where the marketing budget might need adjusting.
Common SEO Audit Issues and Fixes
Why Your Site Isn’t Ranking (And How to Fix It)
- Algorithm penalties. Check Search Console for manual actions.
- Technical issues. Slow site speed, blocked resources, and orphaned pages.
- Content mismatches. Pages that don’t satisfy search intent.
Fix the root cause, submit for re‑indexing, and track improvements.
How to Identify and Fix Keyword Cannibalization
Keyword cannibalization pops up when two or more pages on your website are all chasing the same keyword, say, two posts both competing for something like “best houseplants for beginners.” Search engines get confused about which one to show, and you end up with neither page performing at its peak. It’s like having two nearly identical pizzas on the menu and wondering why nobody’s picking one over the other.
To spot it, dive into Google Search Console or your analytics dashboard and look for overlapping rankings. For example, Page A at position 8 and Page B at 12 for the same phrase is a big red flag. You can also run a quick keyword audit: list every page targeting a term and watch for repeats. If you’re seeing dips in clicks or impressions on multiple pages covering nearly the same topic, that’s your cue.
Fixing it is relatively painless. Choose the strongest page with better traffic or backlinks, and merge the extras into it. Then set up 301 redirects from the old URLs to your chosen page, update any internal links and canonical tags, and let that single powerhouse page do the heavy lifting. Watch your search engine rankings clear up as search engines focus on one clear winner.
Dealing with Duplicate Content and Pagination Issues
This one is really simple.
- Use rel=canonical tags on duplicates.
- For paginated collections, pair rel=”prev” and rel=”next” or rely on modern infinite scroll that’s search‑friendly.
SEO Audit Best Practices for Long‑Term Growth
- Run a site audit at least once a quarter.
- Keep tabs on Google’s algorithm updates (subscribe to their Search Central blog).
- Blend technical, on‑page, off‑page, and local audits for a full‑circle SEO analysis.
- Document every change; your future self (and stakeholders) will thank you.
Bottom Line
SEO audits aren’t a one‑time chore: They’re an ongoing dialogue between your website and search engines. By checking technical issues, refreshing content, monitoring backlinks, and delivering clear reports, you’ll keep search traffic coming to your website and prospective leads or customers engaged.
Feeling inspired but short on time? Reach out to our team, and we’ll handle the heavy lifting while you focus on running your business. After all, a healthy site today leads to bigger wins tomorrow.
