How to Do an SEO Audit: The Complete Checklist

• 3 min read

How to do an SEO audit: the complete checklist
SEO audit pipeline in 3 phases Flow diagram showing the three phases of an SEO audit: technical, content and off-page, with their main actions and the recommended tools for each phase. PHASE 1 · TECHNICAL Crawl & performance Load speed (< 2s mobile) HTTPS & valid certificates URL architecture Sitemap.xml + robots.txt Title + meta description H1-H6 hierarchy JSON-LD structured data Broken links (404 → 301) PHASE 2 · CONTENT Keywords & semantics Primary keyword set 1-2% density, no stuffing Search intent Internal anchor text Length ≥ 300 words PHASE 3 · OFF-PAGE Authority & links Backlink profile Anchor text diversity Internal link clusters TOOLS PageSpeed Screaming Frog Keyword Planner Ahrefs Structured Data Tool NEXT STEPS 1 Technical checklist 2 5-10 keywords 3 JSON-LD 4 Link building 5 Monthly review RESULT Better rankings More organic traffic Higher conversion Core Web Vitals ✓ · Authority ↑
SEO audit pipeline: the three analysis phases (technical, content, off-page) with their key actions, the recommended tools and the five implementation steps that lead to better rankings and organic traffic.

Why an SEO audit is crucial

Without a solid technical and content foundation, even the best copy won't show up in search results. An SEO audit shows you the bottlenecks that stop Google from indexing and ranking your pages.

Technical checklist

  • Load speed: PageSpeed Insights – target under 2 s on mobile.
  • HTTPS and valid certificates: every URL must be served over https://.
  • URL architecture: clean URLs, no unnecessary parameters, and hyphens instead of underscores.
  • Sitemap.xml and robots.txt: make sure the sitemap includes all your important pages and that robots.txt isn't blocking essential content.
  • title and meta description tags: optimal length (50-60 and 150-160 characters respectively) with your keywords up front.
  • H1-H6 headings: one H1 per page, a logical hierarchy and keyword use.
  • Structured data: implement JSON-LD for BreadcrumbList, Organization and FAQ where it applies.
  • Broken links: use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to find 404s and redirect them (301).

Content and keyword analysis

  • Identify your primary keyword set (use Google Keyword Planner or Semrush).
  • Check keyword density (1-2% recommended) and avoid keyword stuffing.
  • Review search intent (informational, navigational, transactional) and align your content.
  • Optimise internal anchor text: use natural keywords, don't always write "click here".
  • Make sure every page has enough copy (at least 300 words to rank).

Off-page SEO

  • Backlink profile: quality > quantity. Prioritise domains with authority above 30.
  • Anchor text diversity: a mix of branded, exact-match and generic anchors.
  • Internal links: build a "cluster" structure that strengthens your pillar pages.

Recommended tools

TypeToolMain use
SpeedGoogle PageSpeed InsightsMeasure and get recommendations
CrawlScreaming FrogFind broken links and missing tags
KeywordsGoogle Keyword PlannerResearch volumes and intent
BacklinksAhrefsAudit your link profile
Structured dataGoogle Structured Data Testing ToolValidate JSON-LD

Next steps

  1. Run through the technical checklist and fix what you find.
  2. Set 5-10 target keywords and align your titles, descriptions and H1s.
  3. Add the relevant structured data (FAQ, breadcrumb).
  4. Build a link building strategy around niche guest posts.
  5. Schedule a monthly review to make sure your metrics (Core Web Vitals, rankings) keep improving.

Want BigLobster to run your SEO audit? Contact us to start climbing in Google. You can also read our local SEO guide for small businesses or discover the 7 mistakes that kill web conversion.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an SEO audit take?

A focused audit of a small business website takes about a day with the right tools: technical checks, keyword review, and a prioritized fix list.

How often should you run an SEO audit?

At least quarterly, and always after a site redesign, a platform migration, or a major content launch. Smaller checks can be monthly.

Can I do an SEO audit myself?

Yes, for the basics: use PageSpeed Insights, a crawler like Screaming Frog, and manual checks of titles, headings and internal links. BigLobster can audit and fix the rest.