SEO Audit explained

What is a website? SEO Audit Explained

If you have been in the online world for a while, then there are many terms and phrases that I’m sure you would have heard of, and one of the most prominent ones is most likely SEO website audits.

Heavy emphasis is usually put on its importance, and you may have a faint idea of what it is. However, to fully utilise it to your website’s advantage, you need an in-depth and intimate understanding of it.

Therefore I will explain to you what an audit is, why it is needed and break down how it is conducted – in that order.

What is an SEO Audit?

An SEO audit is essentially a site-wide evaluation, checking every nook and cranny to ensure the website is functional and search engine optimised.

What is an SEO Audit?

Source: Dev Community

I will go into more detail in the breakdown section, but the type of check can be put into one of 2 categories – either front-end or back-end.

Back-end refers more to the technical side, e.g. how the site is developed and ran, while front-end refers more to the interface, content & user experience.

Both categories have their distinct advantage but ultimately contribute to a website’s search engine ranking.

Why It is Needed

Regular audits are vital for the long-term success of your company.

Firstly because it helps to ensure your SEO strategy is up to date. Tools like the keyword checker (more on that later) check how effective your current tactics are doing and give you suggestions on how to modify and perform better.

These give you an idea on how the whole landscape for your chosen field is operating, allowing you to prepare better.

Similarly, it makes sure that you can adapt as search engines change their algorithm and criteria, which happens relatively frequent. 

The changes can be discreet and relatively minor but can still affect your company’s SEO hence why you should constantly be checking.

Also, it makes sure your website is running smoothly at all times and doesn’t experience gradual degrade.

On top of this, it just helps to keep your content fresh and make sure you don’t have any outdated content.

Audit Breakdown

Audit Breakdown

Source: Apptech Systems

A good SEO website audit is comprehensive and should check every little thing about your website, so I can’t discuss every method here in detail, so I will give a shortlist with a brief discussion to give you an idea.

  • Keyword checker

This is to make sure the keywords used are SEO relevant and ensure they are appropriately used in your website. This means appearing consistently on your website.

  • 404 Pages

This checks for any broken links on your website and can modify them. It can modify an unsightly 404 error page, which can be off-putting to customers to redirect users back to your site. 

  • Backlink checker

This is to make sure your website has usable links to good, reliable websites which help its SEO. It also makes sure that sketchy websites aren’t linking to your site, which could harm you.

  • Domain Checker

This is to make sure your domain is correct, so people are directed to your site if they put in the exact URL and similar ones. Also, makes sure the domain you are using does not have any bad history that could harm your site’s present and future.

  • Meta Data checker

This is back-end information that tells search engines and other relevant sources what your site is about. This is different from visible front-end content that ordinary users see, and although they are linked, they should be treated differently.

  • Speed Check

This checks a range of factors that can negatively affect the speed of your site, such as page size, counterproductive caches, inefficient videos or pictures etc.

As I said, these are only a few different ways, but each of these alone can significantly improve your site through the front-end as well as the back-end.

So imagine just how much all of these factors, in addition to the ones I didn’t mention, can boost your brand’s SEO.

Final thoughts

Now that you know what an SEO website audit is, the next step would usually be to find one to use, but luckily for you, Serpwizz is right here, so look no further.

We offer a range of services, including auditing so browse our website to find out what works best for you and your needs!