As we all know, having a strong online presence is important for any and all brands. When it comes to your website, it’s a combination of look, feel and performance. These all add up to a better user experience (UX) and the chance to improve your search engine ranking. To improve your website’s visibility and ranking on search engines the first step is to conduct a thorough SEO audit. By assessing the health and performance of your website, you can identify areas for improvement and develop a strategy to optimize your site for search engines.
For many business owners and bloggers this step is often handed off to an agency or SEO freelancer, but if you’re someone who doesn’t mind getting into the thick of things you can handle the basics of how to do a website audit by yourself. And the best part? You can do it for free.
But where do you start with conducting an SEO audit? In this guide, I will walk you through the most important steps to perform a comprehensive SEO audit for your website. From analyzing your site’s technical structure to evaluating your content and backlink profile, we will cover the fundamental aspects of SEO auditing that can help you enhance your website’s organic search performance and drive more traffic to your site.
Check Your Page Speed
For me it always begins with checking page speed, as it directly impacts user experience and search engine rankings. A slow-loading website can lead to higher bounce rates and lower engagement, which can negatively affect your site’s visibility on search engine result pages. How fast should your website be? The results from a recent study by Portent suggest a load time between 1-4 seconds is best.
For checking website page speed I turn to Google’s PageSpeed Insights. Not only does this tool give you a quick bird’s eye view about your page speed, it also tells you the exact cause of any problems you may have.
The reason I like to start with a page speed audit is that for so many website owners this one step is often all that’s standing in the way of them ranking and banking.
Here are some key steps to evaluate and improve the page speed of your website based to the typical errors reported by PageSpeed Insights:
Optimize Images – Large images are often a primary culprit for slow page loading times. Compress and resize images on your website to reduce their file size without compromising quality. For this I use compressor.io. If you’re using a content management system and you’d like to automate this process across the entire website then there are free plugins that can take care of that for you.
Minimize HTTP Requests – Minimize the number of HTTP requests required to load your website by combining CSS and JavaScript files, reducing the use of external scripts, and leveraging browser caching. This can help speed up the loading process and improve the overall performance of your website.
Now you’re probably thinking this part goes right over your head but don’t worry. If you’re on a CMS platform like WordPress then there are easy to use caching plugins (like Litespeed cache) that handle this for you automatically.
Page Structure
The next part begins with checking and optimizing various tags on your website for improving its visibility and search engine rankings. From page titles to meta descriptions, each tag plays an important part in helping search engines understand and index your content.
Here are key tags to check and optimize as part of how to do a website audit:
Page Title – The page title is displayed as the headline in search engine results and is a key ranking factor. Make sure that each page on your website has a unique, descriptive, and keyword-rich title that accurately reflects the content of the page. Limit the length of the title to around 50-60 characters so that it displays properly in search results.
Meta Description – The meta description provides a brief summary of the page content and is displayed below the page title in search engine results. Write compelling and informative meta descriptions that entice users to click on your link. Keep the length of the meta description under 160 characters to ensure it is fully displayed in search results.
Header Tags – Proper use of header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) helps structure the content of your web pages and improve readability for both users and search engines. Use H1 tags for main headings, and utilize H2 and H3 tags for subheadings to organize your content and make it easier for web crawlers to scan.
Alt Text – Alt text, or alternative text, is used to describe images on your website for visually impaired users and search engine crawlers. Ensure that all images on your site have descriptive and relevant alt text that includes keywords related to the image content. This can improve accessibility and help images appear in relevant search results.
Regularly reviewing and optimizing these various tags on your website can help enhance its search engine visibility, improve click-through rates, and ultimately drive more organic traffic to your site. By paying attention to these key on-page elements, you can ensure that your website is effectively optimized for search engines and delivers a positive user experience.
User Experience
Creating a positive user experience is essential for retaining visitors and improving the overall performance of your website. According to Forrester, better UX can yield conversion rates of up to 400%. User-friendly page structure, intuitive navigation, and mobile responsiveness are key components that contribute to a seamless user experience.
“88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience.”
Justin Mifsud, founder, Usability Geek
Here are steps to address user experience through proper page structure:
Clearly Defined Sections with Headers – Organize your content into clearly defined sections with descriptive headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.). Use headers to break up content and make it easier for users to scan and digest information. Clear and concise headers not only improve readability but also help search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your content.
Consistent Page Layout – Maintain a consistent and visually appealing page layout throughout your website. Use whitespace effectively to provide breathing room between elements and ensure that text, images, and other content are well-organized and easy to read. Consistent navigation menus, footer sections, and call-to-action buttons contribute to a cohesive and user-friendly design.
Intuitive Navigation – Simplify navigation on your website by organizing content logically and providing clear pathways for users to find information. Utilize dropdown menus, breadcrumbs, and internal linking to guide users to relevant pages and help them easily navigate through your site. Place important content and call-to-action buttons prominently (more on this below) to ensure that users can easily access key information.
By focusing on proper page structure, clear navigation, mobile responsiveness, and overall user experience, you can create a website that engages visitors, encourages interaction, and ultimately drives conversions. Prioritize user experience in your SEO audit to ensure that your website is user-friendly, accessible, and optimized for success in the competitive online landscape.
Optimized Calls-to-action (CTAs)
Calls-to-action guide users towards taking a specific action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting your business. By strategically placing and optimizing CTAs on your website, you can encourage user engagement, drive conversions, and improve the overall effectiveness of your digital marketing efforts.
Consider these strategies when creating impactful calls-to-action:
Clear and Compelling Messaging – Craft concise and compelling messaging for your CTAs that clearly communicates the desired action and the benefit to the user. Use action-oriented language that prompts immediate response, such as “Enroll today,” “Sign up now,” or “Call Us.” Clearly state what users can expect when they click on the CTA to encourage them to take the next step.
Eye-Catching Design – Design visually appealing CTAs that stand out on the page and capture users’ attention. Use contrasting colors, bold fonts, and enticing graphics to make CTAs visually appealing and easy to spot.
Placement and Visibility – Strategically place CTAs throughout your website where users are likely to engage with them. Consider placing informational CTAs on blog posts, and other relevant content to guide users towards further reading. Test different placements and variations of CTAs to determine what resonates best with your audience.
By incorporating clear, compelling, and strategically placed calls-to-action on your website, you can drive user engagement, boost conversions, and achieve your digital marketing goals. Prioritize CTAs in your SEO audit to ensure that they are effectively designed, optimized, and tailored to guide users towards valuable actions that support your business objectives.
Keyword Optimization
Keyword optimization involves researching, selecting, and strategically integrating relevant keywords into your website content to improve its visibility and ranking on search engines. By aligning your website content with the search terms and phrases that users are likely to use, you can attract targeted traffic to your site and increase your chances of appearing in search results.
Each page of your website has a chance to rank on its own in Google and therefore should be optimized for its own keyword. This prevents pages from competing with one another (aka keyword cannibalization).
92.96% of global traffic comes from Google Search, Google Images, and Google Maps.
SparkToro
Editing your web pages for effective keyword optimization:
Research and Identify Target Keywords – Start by conducting keyword research to identify relevant keywords and phrases that are related to your business, products, services, and target audience. Utilize keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner, or Ahrefs (free tier) to discover popular and high-ranking keywords in your industry. Consider including a mix of short-tail (broad) and long-tail (specific) keywords in your keyword strategy.
Use Keywords Naturally in Content – Once you have identified target keywords, incorporate them strategically into your website content, including page titles, meta descriptions, headers, body copy, image alt text, and URLs. Ensure that keywords are used naturally and contextually within the content to avoid keyword stuffing, which can harm your website’s ranking and readability.
Create High-Quality and Relevant Content – Develop high-quality, informative, and engaging content that naturally incorporates target keywords and provides value to your audience. Produce content that addresses user intent and addresses common questions, concerns, or pain points related to your industry. Regularly update and refresh your content to remain relevant and competitive.
Adhering to these SEO audit guidelines and applying them to every page of your website is enough to improve your search engine ranking and user experience significantly.
