In the realm of search engine optimisation (SEO), there is a little thing called auditing. Optimising your website for search engines is essential for driving organic traffic, boosting paid advertising results, and maintaining a competitive edge. Unsure of where to begin? Rest assured, our SEO audit checklist is here to provide you with a structured approach, guiding you through the process step by step.

Understanding SEO Audits

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of SEO auditing, let's take a moment to understand what it's all about. Simply put, an SEO audit is like a health check-up for your website. It involves assessing various aspects of your site to identify areas for improvement and optimisation. From technical issues to on-page and off-page factors such as performance or how a video or animation affects the page, an SEO audit covers it all.

The Checklist

1. Technical SEO Audit

Your website's technical foundation is like the backbone of your online presence. It's essential to ensure it's strong and sturdy to support your SEO efforts. Here are some key steps to include in your technical SEO audit:

• Website Speed Analysis: Is your site loading quickly enough to keep visitors engaged?
• Mobile Responsiveness Test: How does your site perform on mobile devices?
• XML Sitemap Review: Is your sitemap correctly structured and submitted to search engines?
• Robots.txt Analysis: Are there any directives blocking search engine bots from accessing important pages?
• URL Structure Examination: Are your URLs clean, descriptive, and optimised for search engines?

2. On-Page SEO Audit

Now let's shift our focus to the content and structure of your web pages. On-page SEO optimisations can have a significant impact on your search engine rankings. Here's what to look out for:

• Keyword Research and Optimisation: Are you targeting the right keywords for your audience?
• Title Tag and Meta Description Analysis: Do your titles and descriptions accurately reflect the content of your pages?
• Content Quality and Relevance Assessment: Is your content valuable, informative, and engaging?
• Internal Linking Evaluation: Are you effectively linking to other relevant pages within your site?
• Image Optimisation Review: Are your images optimised for fast loading and keyword relevance?

3. Off-Page SEO Audit

Off-page factors, such as backlinks and social signals, play a crucial role in determining your website's authority and credibility. Let's explore how to assess your off-page SEO:

• Backlink Profile Analysis: What are the quality and quantity of backlinks pointing to your site?
• Social Media Presence Assessment: Are you actively engaging with your audience on social media platforms?
• Online Reputation Monitoring: What are people saying about your brand online?

4. SEO Meta Titles, Descriptions, and Images

The meta titles, description and images (these are called meta tags) on your web pages impact how easily users find your content. Keywords are crucial. 

Crafting SEO Meta Titles:

• Meta titles are your webpage's first impression in search results.
• Keep titles concise (under 60 characters) and include relevant keywords.
• Aim to entice users to click while accurately representing the page's content.

Writing Compelling Meta Descriptions:

• Meta descriptions provide additional context and influence click-through rates.
• Summarise the page's content in 150-160 characters.
• Craft descriptions that compel users to click and explore further.

Enhancing Image SEO:

• Optimise images with descriptive filenames and alt tags containing keywords.
• This helps search engines understand image content and improves accessibility.
• Compress images to enhance page load times, improving user experience and search rankings.

By optimising meta titles, descriptions, and images for your webpages, you can improve their visibility in search results and attract more organic traffic to your site.

5. Local SEO Audit (Optional)

If your business targets local customers, optimising for local search is a must. Here are some steps to consider:

• Google My Business Optimisation: Is your GMB listing complete and up to date? Do you update this regularly?
• Local Citation Audit: Are your business listings consistent across online directories?
• Customer Review Analysis: What do your customers have to say about your business?

Tools and Resources for SEO Audits

Now that you have a better understanding of what goes into an SEO audit, you may be wondering how to get started. Luckily, there are plenty of tools and resources available to help you along the way. Here are a few recommendations:

• Google Search Console: A free tool from Google that provides valuable insights into your site's performance in search results.
• SEMrush: A comprehensive SEO toolkit that offers keyword research, site auditing, and competitor analysis features.
• Moz: Another popular SEO toolset that includes site auditing, link analysis, and rank tracking capabilities.
• Ahrefs: A robust SEO tool that specialises in backlink analysis, keyword research, and content exploration.
• Outsource: Outsourcing your SEO audit to the experts. Many website development agencies perform free SEO audits, or simply send us a message and we can give you a complimentary SEO audit (email your website to victoria@xode.nz).

Conclusion

You've reached the end of our SEO audit checklist journey. By following the steps outlined in this article and using the recommended tools and resources, you're well on your way to optimising your website for better search engine visibility and driving more organic traffic. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, so be sure to conduct regular audits to keep your site in top shape. Happy optimising!