An SEO audit doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful. While there are over 200 distinct ranking factors Google uses to determine results in organic search, only a fraction of them actually yield significant results.
We’ve consolidated all the need-to-know info to run a quick and clean audit that brings your entire site up to Google’s latest algorithmic standards
1. Get All Backlinks In Order
Your backlinks need to be treated like SEO gold, especially the ones you earn from authoritative websites in your niche.
Simple tools like Google Analytics can give you basic backlink info, but it’s usually not enough to provide a blueprint for real action. It’s worth taking the time to fix broken links, earn extra mentions, and develop a treasure trove of backlinks that will serve you well for years.
Backlinko also reminds us to perform domain authority analysis to see how we rank in the eyes of the Google Algorithm, comparing your site to previous performances and competitors.
2. Put Keyword Rankings On Track
Most SEO efforts boil down to one thing: how your web pages rank in the search engine results pages. With hundreds of rank tracking tools available, you have no excuse to avoid this crucial aspect of SEO auditing, so start tracking ASAP for the keywords that matter most.
Ideally, you will use a tool that tracks all the keywords you rank for and gives you analysis that points you in the right direction for future SEO efforts.
There are so many free and paid software subscriptions available to track keywords for various goals, so you can get a 360-degree view of your current keyword standings.
Rather than just assuming your keyword strategy is working, analyze the lay of the land and allocate resources to improve your results in the SERPs.
3. Do Your Competitor Analysis
A wealth of information is available that will tell you how key competitors are performing with regards to keywords, backlinks, and domain authority, so don’t ignore this data.
Competitor analysis is the secret to success for the biggest brands on the planet, and you shouldn’t ignore the information that’s right in front of your eyes.
Watch how the competition is moving and see where they are focusing their resources. This gives you the chance to go head-to-head, or take an alternate route to victory if you have the confidence to try something new.
4. Get Mobile Pages Up to Speed
We are officially living in a “mobile-first” world, where search engines give top priority to sites that are designed and optimized for user experience on smartphones and tablets. Assessing mobile readiness should therefore be a key step in any SEO audit.
Countless studies show that users are not willing to wait for more than a couple of seconds for a mobile page to load on their phone, according to Backlinko, and this has direct consequences for where your site ends up in organic search.
Look into solutions such as Google Accelerated Mobile Pages if you need a comprehensive overhaul for mobile page speed and indexing. Whether you perform the update in-house or outsource the process, you won’t regret the investment.
5. Ditch Old and Unnecessary Content
Be willing to take an “out with the old, in with the new” approach to content as part of your SEO audit, since outdated and irrelevant pages can hold you back in organic search results.
If an article or image contains information about old products or uses data that no longer interests the public, don’t hesitate to hit that delete button in your content manager.
Still feeling attached to an article and don’t want to say goodbye? Revamp it with the latest product info and make it more relevant for current readers. You can salvage old content with a bit of work, and repurpose it to fit your new marketing goals.
6. Analyze and Improve On-Page SEO
Back in the day, the pioneers of digital marketing had to manually assess the on-page SEO quality for each individual page on their website. This required digging through meta information, analyzing page structure, and other esoteric factors that had no real benchmark.
In 2020, you have free tools at your fingertips to give you all the on-page SEO data you need to sharpen up every aspect of your site. The best software will not only highlight any issues, but will also give you the best course of action for SEO success.
Internal linking is a perfect example of an on-page SEO tactic that goes overlooked, and according to Spyfu, you could improve traffic up to 40% by creating a matrix of internal links that boost engagement and time-on-page.
7. Look for Google Feature Opportunities
Most of the SEO battle is fought in organic search, but more marketers are learning that major progress can be made by obtaining Google Features like snippets and rich answers.
Website content factors are the key here, as Search Engine Journal points out, primarily the quality and structure of the data that will land you a spot in “position zero” above the competition in organic search.
You may need to create new charts, clarify answers, or restructure your how-to guides to earn these coveted spots, but the SEO benefits can be transformative when done right.
8. Make a Clear Game Plan for New Content
While audits are meant to assess the current state of things on your site, you always need to look forward to your next move. By far the best thing you can do during an SEO audit is to honestly analyze the success of your content with regard to ranking, reader feedback, and the customer journey from clicks to conversions.
As you conduct a thorough audit of your site, be thinking about ways to improve your content for the coming weeks, months, and years, learning from your mistakes and following formulas that have proven successful in the past.
This may require a spark of creative energy from freelancers or agencies, or simply taking a new approach to content creation with new formats and riskier concepts.
Don’t be afraid of trial-and-error when crafting new content, and experiment with the latest trends in the industry to see what sticks. Even if an idea flops, you will gain confidence in taking risks and be ready for the next competitive evolution when it comes.
Conclusion
Performing an SEO audit doesn’t have to be as harrowing as it sounds. There are so many automated tools that highlight and fix existing technical SEO problems, and you can apply some simple techniques to give your site a near-instant algorithmic boost.
The heavy lifting comes after you complete the audit and get to work on the next chapter of your SEO journey, which must be informed and mapped out by the failures and mishaps of the past. Leave the ego aside, acknowledge any mistakes, and set forth on a prosperous new path.
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