Is Your Website Helping or Hurting Your Rankings?
An SEO audit reveals the issues preventing your website from reaching its full ranking potential. While comprehensive audits require professional tools and expertise, you can conduct a basic audit yourself using free tools and this checklist.
Technical Health Check
Site Speed
Test your site at PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev). Green scores (90+) are good. Yellow (50-89) needs improvement. Red (below 50) is hurting your rankings. Pay special attention to Core Web Vitals: LCP, FID/INP, and CLS.
Mobile-Friendliness
Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. With mobile-first indexing, a non-responsive site is a critical issue. Check that text is readable, buttons are tappable, and nothing requires horizontal scrolling on phones.
HTTPS
Your entire site should load on HTTPS. Check for mixed content warnings (HTTP elements on HTTPS pages). Install and configure an SSL certificate if you haven’t already.
Crawl Errors
Check Google Search Console’s Coverage report for crawl errors, 404s, server errors, and redirect issues. Fix or redirect any broken pages.
On-Page SEO Check
Title Tags
Every page should have a unique title tag under 60 characters that includes your target keyword. Check for duplicates, missing titles, and titles that are too long or too short.
Meta Descriptions
Each page needs a unique meta description under 160 characters. While not a direct ranking factor, compelling meta descriptions improve click-through rates from search results.
Heading Structure
Every page should have one H1 tag that includes the primary keyword. Use H2s and H3s to structure content logically. Avoid skipping heading levels.
Content Quality
Review your top pages. Is the content comprehensive enough to rank? Does it satisfy search intent? Is it better than what currently ranks for your target keywords? Thin or outdated content should be expanded or refreshed.
Off-Page Check
Use free tools like Ahrefs Webmaster Tools or Moz Link Explorer to review your backlink profile. Look for toxic links that should be disavowed and identify link building opportunities.
Local SEO Check
Verify your Google Business Profile is claimed, complete, and accurate. Check NAP consistency across major directories. Review your review profile on Google and other platforms.
Get a Professional SEO Audit
Brandastic provides comprehensive SEO audits with prioritized recommendations. Get a free SEO audit.
