What is a website SEO Audit?
…and can it really drive traffic to your website faster?
SEO website audits sound technical, but they’re basically report cards for websites. In a nutshell, these reports identify weak spots on our sites that are costing us conversions and visibility. Which also make us look untrustworthy and less like experts to search engines and therefore potential clients. There are several unknowns for anyone new to the world of SEO, so let’s break this down further!
Why is an SEO Audit important?
As a business owner, it’s critical to know what’s going on with all aspects of the business. That includes marketing… which includes your online presence—your social media profiles, Google My Business page, & your website.
A website audit report shows you the weak spots or gaps of your website SEO strategy—which you have even if you haven’t ever intentionally put one together!
(That’s exactly how I was showing up in Google searches for “massage music playlist” when all I really wanted to do was get clients to book with me.)
Audits reveal foundational issues like: broken links, hidden pages, & usability problems.
What is the purpose of a website SEO audit?
These reports aren’t meant to bog you down with information that you side eye once a month. Rather, they often seem to give my clients hope! They reveal problem areas, sure. But they also include action plans (at least the way I craft SEO audits).
The fixes are typically simple & not terribly time-consuming or costly. (I’d say 95% of fixes can be done for free. The only time you might want or need to pay someone is if you 1. don’t have the time or desire to fix an issue or 2. there’s a more serious issue that pops up.)
If you break an SEO report into 2 parts, it looks like this:
Looking back: what hasn’t been helping the business (i.e., broken links, mobile friendliness issues, usability problems)
Looking forward: how can we use the data to create a better SEO strategy with things like link building strategies & content ideas (blogs).
Is SEO Audit free? What is the cost of an SEO Audit?
It is possible to run audits for free (more on that later), but it’s better to work through an audit with an SEO expert.
With an SEO pro on your side, you’ll:
Save time: instead of spending time researching SEO terms & fixes for the issues that are revealed, you’ll have a professional who is familiar with both to make sense of the information much faster!
Get guidance: remember we talked about next steps & having a better-informed SEO strategy—an SEO expert makes sense of the data & advises you on strategic next steps. Ex: content ideas (blogs, YouTube videos), link building strategies (internal & external), etc.
Save money: these SEO errors are costing you clients & sales—but an SEO pro will fix that in a fraction of the time, saving you more lost dollars.
Speaking of money…
Paid SEO Audits with experts & agencies can cost anywhere from $500-10,000+
Which might make you wonder—
Are SEO Audits worth it? Should I get an SEO Audit?
The short answer is: yes! Website audits plug those holes in your SEO strategy, improve your search engine results rankings, & drive more quality traffic to your site.
Think of it this way—if you don’t get an SEO Audit, picture your business 1 year from now.
You will be ranking for keywords you didn’t want to (like my client who’s ranking for “fart candles”—I cannot make this up!), fielding those same old annoying client inquiries for projects that just aren’t what you want to do, & wondering why that sales page just isn’t converting.
If you’re cool with that—skip the site audit.
If you’re so not here for that, you should know this. ⬇️
What is needed for an SEO audit report?
There’s not a whole lot! This is a very low-lift part of the project for you.
With my SEO clients, I send a quick 3-question survey to get a better understanding of who they help, how they help them, & what they want to be known for.
I also ask for the website URL & their email.
Then I run the audit, create the report, share the results with them via video, & answer any questions they have.
What’s included in an SEO site audit for business websites?
Most website SEO audits include the same general list of items:
Keyword ranking list
List of SEO errors (i.e., broken links, page speed issues, backlinks)
Data: site visitors, domain authority, on-page score, etc.
On-page, Off-page, & technical SEO performance
All SEO Audits I compile for clients include video explainers and a wrap-up Q+A call.
What do you do after an SEO Audit?
When the audit is complete, you’ll want to prioritize the list of action items your SEO pro shares with you.
In the audit reports I create for my clients (a simple Google Doc with clickable links & step-by-step instructions), I list out specific next steps.
They’re usually simple things like: write more words on this page, decide if you want to keep this page hidden, resubmit this link to Google Search Console for indexing.
How often should an SEO audit be done?
This can vary depending on how new a business is, what the content marketing strategy is, how many pages are on the site, & budget.
The most common frequency for audit reports are:
Quarterly (**this is the most ideal frequency especially if SEO is a focus for your marketing efforts)
Every 6 months (**best frequency if you’re releasing 1 blog/mo)
Yearly (**works well if you’re not posting much new content to your site)
Who needs an SEO Audit?
Even if you feel like a beginner business owner, an SEO Audit could help you start this journey on the right foot.
But small business owners (especially those who’ve been in business for at least 1 year), should definitely run an SEO Audit on their website.
The longer you’re in business without investigating your SEO performance, the more likely you are to kick the can down the road. And as a business owner—you simply can’t afford to ignore your SEO for another month or year. It’s costing you—money, effort, & time.
If you want to try your hand at it…
Website SEO Audit checklist for local & online small businesses
If you’d like to walk through your own website SEO Audit for free, this is what I’d recommend…
→ Use these site audit tools:
Google Search Console (GCS)
Google Analytics (GA)
**ensure GSC & GA are connected & you have usable data on the screen
Combine that information from Google with one (or all) of these free software options:
Ubersuggest Chrome Ext: best option if you want to prioritize what to fix & when
SEOmator: best option if you want something simple
SEOptimer: best option if you like good visuals
ahrefs: best option if you want to pay for an SEO tool
SEMrush: best option if you love data
→ And follow these steps:
If that list feels overwhelming or you just want someone else to tell you what you need to know & do, you’re gonna want to hire an SEO expert. ⬇️
Get the best SEO Audit for your business site…
Hiring an SEO expert (like me) to do the grunt work (which I love) is a really appealing option for many business owners.
You’re already busy enough! Why add “run an SEO audit” to the list?
Choose from these SEO services…
Get more traffic coming to your site with the help of a simple copy+paste SEO strategy!
You get LOTS—without doing lots.
Includes:
Website SEO Audit Report
DFY Keyword Research
10 Content Ideas
SEO Strategy Docs
Voxer Access
60-min Wrap Up Call
2️⃣ The SEO Technical Website Audit
**Available only at select times**
Increase traffic to your site quickly by updating your current website SEO!
Because… you know there are problems with your website, but it’s scary to admit that, call in backup, & finally look under the hood.
You’ll learn exactly what the issues are & how to easily fix them just like Justin did ⬇️
“Brittany gave me a lot in the SEO Audit! I didn’t realize how much my SEO was being impacted. She gave me very specific things I was able to fix.”
- Justin Blackman, Brand Voice Expert
Did you know I guest teach & speak in groups about SEO?
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psst: want a more basic place to start with SEO? Download The SEO Basics Checklist.
And check out these podcast episodes to hear what an SEO Audit is really like!