Achieving top rankings in Google search results for keywords that are relevant to your business is only possible if you know what’s going on with your website which is why regular
SEO audits are essential. An SEO audit allows you to better understand where your website stands in terms of getting ranked in search engine results and being found online. But what does an SEO audit involve, exactly? In this article, you’ll learn about the SEO audit process so you can see how it can help you grow organic traffic in 2021 and beyond.
How Long Do SEO Audits Take?
The time it takes to perform an SEO audit depends on the size and number of your web properties. An SEO audit for a five-page website will be much quicker than an SEO audit for a large corporation that has multiple websites and each has 100+ pages. Even though the time it takes to perform an SEO audit varies, your audit should provide a thorough review, analysis, reporting, and strategic recommendations regardless if it takes three days, weeks, or months.
Typical SEO Audit Process
An SEO audit reveals the strengths and weaknesses of a website and offers recommendations based on real data. The SEO audit process typically consists of different types of analysis to create a comprehensive picture.
Strategic Objectives
Define your SEO objectives which can be to increase organic traffic by a certain amount, move rankings from the second search results page to the first, etc. Whichever goals you set, make them S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely).
Keyword Analysis
Review your keyword strategy with a fine-tooth comb. Determine which keywords are working and find keyword opportunities.
Competitor Analysis
See what competitors are doing so you can reverse-engineer tactics that work for them into your own SEO strategy. Check out their keywords, rankings, content, links, and social media.
Technical Analysis
Google is all about the user experience so it’s important to identify technical issues that hurt website performance and frustrate users. For example, having a fast page load speed
improves website usability which will decrease your bounce rate and lead to higher rankings.
Page Level Analysis
Examine each landing page to see if it has been optimized effectively for its target keyword and satisfies the user’s search intent. Review the headings, body copy, page format, links, and imagery to see if there are ways to improve optimization and user experience.
Content Analysis
Evaluate your current content strategy to determine if it’s working. Look at which types of content and topics perform well with users (e.g. low bounce rate, high conversion rate) so you can update your strategy to increase user engagement and conversions.
User Experience Analysis
Google Analytics provides a wealth of insights into the user experience. Find out how users interact with your website by looking at the bounce rate, average time spent, conversion rate, and other engagement metrics to identify underperforming pages.
Link Analysis
Website links fall into two categories: internal and external. Internal links point from one page to another in the same website, which helps define the website’s architecture. External links are those that point from your website to another. It’s important to review all of your links to identify broken links, improve link quality, and find link opportunities. Another type of link to review is
backlinks (aka “inbound links”) which are links from other websites that point to yours. Having quality backlinks shows search engines that your website is trustworthy and credible.
Citation Analysis
Last but not least, check to make sure that there are consistent listings of your business’s name, address, phone, and website address across your website,
Google business listing, social media profiles, directories, and anywhere else online.
Improve Your SEO with an Audit
An SEO audit is crucial for improving your website’s performance in organic search results. It allows you to examine all of the elements of your website and SEO strategy to see what is and isn’t working. By analyzing real data instead of making guesses, you’ll be able to develop an action plan that will produce the kind of SEO results you want like an increase in organic traffic, higher conversion rates, and more.