If your website isn’t ranking high on search engines, it might have SEO issues. Identify and fix these issues with an SEO audit to improve rankings and attract more organic traffic.
What Is an SEO Audit?
An SEO audit checks how well your website is optimized for search engines. It finds errors that hurt your ranking and spots opportunities for better visibility. This ‘health check’ covers indexing, user experience, site structure, competition, keywords, on-page SEO, and backlinks.
Mobile-friendliness impacts Google ranking, and with more mobile searches, it’s crucial. An SEO audit helps by:
- Staying ahead of competitors in search.
- Enhancing user experience.
- Identifying valuable SEO opportunities.
- Refining your SEO strategy.
- Communicating SEO importance to stakeholders.
What tools are necessary for an SEO audit?
For an SEO audit, start with these free tools: Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT), Google Search Console (GSC), and optionally, Google Analytics.
How to do an SEO audit
Creating your own SEO audit is unique for everyone, but here’s a simple guide on how to do it.
1. Why Meta Descriptions and Titles Matter
If your meta descriptions aren’t good, Google might change them, and you could miss out on showcasing important keywords. Meta descriptions are like invitations to your website, enticing users to click. A concise yet informative meta description can attract more visitors from search engines.
How to Review and Optimize:
- Use Semrush:
- Conduct a site audit and launch a new project.
- Conduct a content audit to see all pages, titles, and descriptions.
- Review the list, remove unnecessary details, and optimize for SEO.
- On-Page SEO Checker:
- Use the on-page SEO checker in Semrush for ideas on how to optimize your website’s pages.
That’s it! Simple steps to make sure your meta descriptions and titles are working effectively for your website.
2. Enhance Your Website for Better User Experience (UX)
Search engines are smart, and 73% of customers say that a good user experience affects their buying decisions. If your website’s user experience is poor, your SEO and rankings may suffer. The good news is, improving UX doesn’t have to be complicated.
Start with easy wins:
- Color Scheme:
- Ensure it aligns with your brand.
- Headings:
- Make them stand out, and ensure clickable links are clear.
- Images and Video:
- Use visuals to create a mood or highlight products/services.
- Maintain a balance between text and visuals.
- Navigation to Key Pages:
- Make important pages (like services or products) easy to find.
- Forms:
- Check that forms work smoothly and are user-friendly.
Consider using a heatmap to understand user behavior and get ideas for further improvements. Remember, spending time on this is crucial if you’re dealing with significant UX issues.
3. Avoid Keyword Confusion on Your Website
Having multiple pages with similar or identical keywords on your site can lead to “cannibalization.” This means they compete for the same search traffic, hurting your visibility and confusing visitors. Fixing this can triple your traffic.
How to Check:
- Use a tool like Ahrefs.
- Do a site audit.
- Check historical rankings.
- Search your site topic and watch for identical URLs.
What to Do:
- If pages are competing, consider redirecting weaker ones or combine content into a single, valuable page.
This simple check can significantly boost your website’s performance.
4. Boost Your Website’s Visibility by Fixing Indexing Issues
If your website traffic is stuck, indexing errors might be the culprit. Common issues include 404 errors, missing pages, and crawl problems. Too many redirects can also be a problem—almost 75% of websites have them.
Why it Matters:
- Google might ignore your site due to slow loading, poor content, or lack of mobile-friendliness.
- Not every page gets indexed.
How to Check and Fix:
- Use Google’s Search Console.
- Go to the URL inspection tool.
- Add your URL and check the results.
- Learn to analyze and fix errors.
- Try a Google Index Checker for multiple URLs at once.
If you’re stuck, Google has a list of issues and solutions. Alternatively, consider consulting an SEO agency for help.
Fixing indexing problems can get your website back on the radar and boost your traffic.
Boost Your Website’s Performance with Easy Steps
5. Optimize Content with Keywords
- Use Ubersuggest for competitor research.
- Identify keyword gaps in your content.
- Create or update content with those keywords.
- Enhance content, including meta descriptions, with keywords.
- Optimize for snippets and readability.
- Improve internal linking with optimized anchor text.
- Consider tools like Topic for help.
6. Check for Duplicate Content
- Use tools like Copyscape or Duplicate Content Checker.
- Fix duplicates with 301 redirects, proper syndication, and canonicalization.
- Avoid similar content, placeholder pages, and duplicate notices.
7. Check Loading Times
- Use Google PageSpeed Insights for analysis.
- Optimize images and use a Content Delivery Network.
- Reduce plugins, minify CSS/JS/HTML, and enable GZIP compression.
- Reach out for help if issues persist.
8. Analyze Organic Traffic
- Develop an SEO strategy using Ubersuggest for research.
- Implement chosen keywords in titles, URLs, and meta descriptions.
- Conduct a technical SEO review to ensure everything works.
9. Analyze Mobile Friendliness
- Test mobile-friendliness with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
- Use Google’s mobile usability report for fixes.
- Consider a mobile makeover for better user experience.
10. Keep Your Website Smooth by Fixing Broken Links
Broken links are common, with the average site having almost 6 broken links per 100 pages. They happen when websites get updated, content changes, or pages get deleted.
Why It Matters:
- Frustrating for users.
- Affects your rankings on Google.
How to Fix:
- Make use of resources like the broken link checker on Screaming Frog.
- Find and fix, delete, or redirect any broken links.
It’s a simple step that ensures a better user experience and helps your website perform well on search engines.
11. Boost Your Google Ranking with HTTPS
Google prefers websites with HTTPS, and sites without it are labeled as “unsafe” in Chrome. While HTTPS is crucial for trust, its impact on SEO is moderate. It’s not wise to add SSL just for SEO.
Consider HTTPS for Trust:
- 98% of Chrome users prefer secure URLs.
If You Decide to Switch:
- Follow Google’s best practices for a smooth transition.
Simple steps can enhance trust and align with Google’s preferences.
12. Maximize Your Content Impact with an Audit
Successful content teams plan to increase budgets, but without a content audit, ROI might be unclear.
How to Do a Content Audit:
- Use a template like CoSchedule’s or download pages from Google Analytics.
- Set goals and note any issues.
- Choose tools like Ubersuggest, Google Analytics, or Blaze for links and Screaming Frog for broken links.
- Research and analyze content.
- Make recommendations.
- Create an action plan to optimize and prioritize tasks.
A content audit helps focus on what works and boosts your content marketing efforts.
13. Outsmart Your Competition with a Quick Analysis
Understanding your competition is crucial for Google rankings. A competitive analysis helps you find opportunities to rank higher and spot strengths and weaknesses.
What to Look for:
- Keywords they rank for.
- Number and quality of backlinks.
- Social media engagement (likes, followers).
- Website speed and mobile responsiveness.
Easy Steps with Ubersuggest:
- Enter competitor’s URL and click Search.
- Choose Keywords from the sidebar.
- Analyze the keyword list.
- Click Backlinks and select Top Pages.
These tools simplify the process, giving you insights to better position your product or service.
14. Enhance Your Website with a Crawl Tool
A website crawler, like Google’s bots, checks your site for issues. SEO tools, including Semrush, use crawlers to find problems like broken links and duplicate content.
How to Use Semrush Crawler:
- Launch a new project.
- Configure basic settings.
- Choose crawling settings and the type of crawler.
- Allow/disallow URLs for specific checks.
- Analyze data and view your site’s health score.
Tip:
- Set a schedule for regular website checks.
It’s a quick way to spot and fix SEO issues, improving your website’s overall health.
15. Boost Your Website by Filling Content Gaps
Content gaps are what users are searching for that your site doesn’t cover. Filling these gaps improves user experience and grows organic traffic.
Discover Content Gaps:
- Check content rankings and enhance basics.
- Use keyword research for high-performing and long-tail keywords.
- Analyze competitors’ keywords for inspiration.
Automate with Ahrefs:
- Enter your URL in Ahrefs’ tool.
- See keywords your site isn’t ranking for.
- Find subtopics for more ideas.
Filling content gaps enhances your site, attracting more visitors and improving your overall SEO.
Conclusion
Your website’s appearance isn’t enough – it must function flawlessly to attract visitors, leads, and conversions. A thorough SEO audit is the key. It identifies and fixes issues, providing insights to boost performance, climb rankings, and improve visibility. Despite SEO’s seeming complexity, tools like Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, and Screaming Frog can simplify the process and get your website on the right path.
