The Audit Process for Search Engine Optimization

Many organizations struggle with seeing results with SEO, because they bypass the groundwork necessary to do the process well. Good SEO starts with the audit. Before amplifying keywords and creating content, take a look at what your site is already doing and what can be improved upon.

A well-rounded SEO audit consists of several components: Website Quality, Technical SEO (for larger sites), Keyword and Key Page Research, and On-Page SEO.

For most smaller businesses and websites —especially those built on quality platforms—Technical Audits (which involve backend errors) are largely unnecessary to see an impact. Instead, hone your focus on auditing the quality of your website and its content. Remember, when speaking about “quality” in terms of SEO, the determining factors largely center around what Google (and other search engines to a lesser extent) value. Check out the latest edition of the Google Search Essentials for more details on that.

Google also prioritizes the structural component of your website. How easy is it to use and navigate for both the user, and for the search engine “crawlers” on the backend? Does it show well on both mobile and desktop versions?

The ability of your website to satisfy the user’s intent when searching is one of the other dominating considerations when Google is assessing the value of your pages. Does the content you have available actually meet the needs of the user when they search for a particular keyword, question, or topic for which your site ranks? This is where auditing your Keywords and Key Pages comes in.

Lastly, how often is your website talked-about? While the content you build on your socials and other platforms doesn’t directly contribute to your keyword rankings by google, per se. Google values sites that are popular and scans the web for organic conversations about your content when ranking your site for authority.

Do your organization a favor and don’t skip the audit phase when working on your SEO. Take the time to collect data on your work from several platforms and cross-reference that data for a full picture before choosing the path that best serves your goals.