If you’re serious about getting more traffic from Google, understanding how to conduct a technical SEO audit is essential. Whether you’re a small business owner or a digital marketer, this step-by-step guide will help you carry out a technical SEO audit even if you’re just starting out.
What is an SEO Technical Audit?
An SEO technical audit is a comprehensive review of a website’s infrastructure to ensure it meets search engine guidelines. It focuses on elements like crawlability, indexing, site architecture, and performance that affect how search engines understand and rank your site.
How to Do a Technical SEO Audit (Step-by-Step)
1. Check Website Crawlability and Indexing
Use tools like Google Search Console and Screaming Frog to find crawl errors, broken links, and indexation issues. Make sure your robots.txt and sitemap.xml are correctly configured.
2. Analyse Site Architecture
Ensure a logical URL structure, with proper use of internal linking, breadcrumbs, and a clean navigation flow.
3. Mobile Usability and Core Web Vitals
Check your website’s mobile-friendliness using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and measure Core Web Vitals via PageSpeed Insights.
4. Technical SEO Score Check
Use a web SEO checker like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Sitebulb to get a score and improvement suggestions.
Technical SEO Audit Checklist
- Ensure site is crawlable (robots.txt)
- Submit sitemap.xml
- Fix broken links
- Optimise page speed
- Ensure mobile usability
- Check for duplicate content
- Use HTTPS
- Structured data/schema markup
- Correct 301 redirects
- Canonical tags in place
SEO Audit Tools You Can Use Today
Here are some powerful SEO audit tools, including free options:
- Google Search Console (Free)
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider (Free & Paid)
- Ahrefs Site Audit
- SEMrush Site Audit
- Sitebulb
- GTmetrix
These tools help you perform a full SEO audit by analysing crawl errors, site structure, speed issues, and more.
How to Check the SEO of a Website
To check the SEO of a website:
- Run a crawl using Screaming Frog.
- Check Core Web Vitals in PageSpeed Insights.
- Look for duplicate content and indexation errors.
- Use SEO analysis websites like Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest or Moz.
Creating and Understanding an SEO Audit Report
Your SEO audit report should include:
- Summary of critical issues
- Technical SEO score
- Suggestions for improvements
- Priority levels (Critical, High, Medium, Low)
- Tools used for analysis
Make sure the report is clear and actionable for web developers and stakeholders.
When to Hire an SEO Audit Service
If your site is large, eCommerce-based, or experiencing ranking drops despite content efforts, it might be time to hire a professional SEO audit service. These experts can identify hard-to-spot technical issues and offer tailored fixes.
Frequently Asked Questions about SEO Technical Audit
What is SEO technical audit?
It’s a comprehensive analysis of a website’s technical health to ensure it’s optimised for search engines.
How much does a technical SEO audit cost?
It varies. A basic audit can be free (using tools), while professional services range from £200 to £1,000+ depending on the complexity.
What is your approach to conducting a technical SEO audit?
We use a mix of automated tools and manual checks to assess everything from crawlability to performance, ensuring nothing is missed.
How to check technical SEO score?
Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs Site Audit to generate a technical score with detailed breakdowns.
How long does a technical SEO audit take?
A simple audit takes 1-2 hours. A full audit of a large site can take 1-2 weeks including reporting.
Ready to find out how your site scores? Contact us for a free SEO audit report or explore our professional SEO audit service.
