A technical SEO audit sounds complex, but you don’t need expensive tools to get it done. Many common website issues—like slow loading times, indexing problems, and broken links—can be identified and fixed with free tools and simple checks.
This guide walks you through a website audit using only free resources. You’ll learn how to check if Google can index your site, identify broken links, improve page speed, enhance security, and optimize for mobile. If you want to improve your site’s performance without breaking the bank, this step-by-step guide will help you get started.
1. What is a Technical SEO Audit (And Why Should You Care)?
A technical SEO audit is a health check for your website. It ensures that search engines can find, crawl, and index your pages properly. If your site has technical issues, even the best content won’t rank well.
A website audit helps uncover problems that may be harming your rankings, such as indexing errors, broken links, slow loading times, and poor mobile usability. If your pages aren’t appearing in search results, your site is slow, or traffic has dropped unexpectedly, these are signs that an audit is needed. By identifying and fixing these issues, you improve both search engine rankings and user experience.
2. Why You Don’t Need Expensive Tools for a Website Audit
Many people assume a technical SEO audit requires paid software, but that’s not the case. Google provides free tools that offer deep insights into how your site is performing, and manual checks can reveal problems that automated tools might miss.
Some of the best free tools for a website audit include:
- Google Search Console – Check indexing issues, crawl errors, and mobile usability.
- Google PageSpeed Insights – Analyze and improve site speed.
- Google Mobile-Friendly Test – Ensure a smooth mobile experience.
- SEO Meta in 1 Click (Chrome extension) – Review metadata and heading structure.
- Check My Links (Chrome extension) – Find broken internal and external links.
With these resources, you can diagnose and fix major SEO issues without paying for premium software.
3. Step-by-Step Guide to a Free Technical SEO Audit
Step 1: Check If Google Can Find & Index Your Site
If Google can’t find your pages, they won’t appear in search results. To check this, use Google Search Console and review the “Pages” report under “Indexing.” You can also type site:yourdomain.com into Google to see what’s indexed.
If key pages are missing, check for noindex tags, review your robots.txt file, and submit a fresh sitemap in Google Search Console.
Step 2: Find and Fix Broken Links & Redirect Problems
Broken links frustrate users and waste search engine crawl budget. Tools like Check My Links and httpstatus.io can help you find broken links and incorrect redirects.
Fix these by:
- Updating outdated links.
- Setting up proper 301 redirects for pages that have moved.
- Removing unnecessary redirect chains to improve crawl efficiency.
Step 3: Test Mobile-Friendliness
With Google’s mobile-first indexing, mobile usability is crucial. Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check for issues like small text, elements too close together, and slow load times.
If problems arise:
- Switch to a responsive design.
- Simplify navigation for mobile users.
- Avoid intrusive pop-ups that block content.
Step 4: Improve Page Speed Without Paid Tools
A slow website hurts rankings and user experience, but you don’t need expensive software to analyze and improve it. Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix (free version) provide detailed reports on loading speed and performance bottlenecks.
To improve speed:
- Compress images using free tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh.
- Minimize unnecessary scripts and plugins that slow down your site.
- Enable browser caching through
.htaccessor free caching plugins. - Upgrade to better hosting if server response times are consistently slow.
Regular monitoring ensures your site remains fast and optimized for both users and search engines.
4. Security and Crawlability: Ensuring a Healthy Website
A well-optimized website isn’t just about speed and indexing—it also needs to be secure and easy for search engines to crawl. Google prioritizes secure, well-structured sites, so ignoring security and crawlability can hurt your rankings.
Step 5: Check for HTTPS and Security Issues
Google favors secure websites, and HTTPS is a confirmed ranking factor. If your site is still on HTTP, it’s time to migrate. To check for security issues:
- Look for a padlock icon in your browser’s address bar. If it’s missing or shows a warning, your site might have mixed content issues (HTTP and HTTPS elements loading together).
- Use Google Search Console’s Security Issues report to check if Google has flagged your site for malware or other security risks.
- Run an SSL check using a free tool like SSL Labs’ SSL Test to ensure your certificate is properly installed.
To fix security issues, update all internal links to use HTTPS, replace mixed content, and ensure your SSL certificate is valid. If your site has been flagged for malware, follow Google’s recommended steps to remove harmful files and request a review.
Step 6: Ensure Proper Crawlability
Even if your pages are indexed, Google still needs to crawl them efficiently. If your crawl budget is wasted on unnecessary pages, your most important content might not be discovered as quickly.
To check crawlability:
- Use Google Search Console’s Crawl Stats report to see how often Google crawls your site.
- Look at your robots.txt file (found at
yourdomain.com/robots.txt) to make sure important pages aren’t blocked. - Check for orphan pages (pages with no internal links pointing to them) by using Google Search Console’s Internal Links report or free crawling tools like Screaming Frog’s limited free version.
If key pages aren’t being crawled:
- Update your internal linking structure to connect isolated pages.
- Avoid blocking essential pages in robots.txt.
- Reduce duplicate content that might be consuming crawl budget.
A secure and crawlable website not only improves rankings but also ensures your users can access your content safely and efficiently.
Conclusion: A Faster, Healthier Website—No Expensive Tools Needed
A technical SEO audit doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. Free tools and manual checks allow you to uncover indexing issues, fix broken links, improve site speed, enhance security, and ensure proper crawlability—all without paying for premium software.
If your site is struggling with technical issues, fixing them can boost search rankings, increase traffic, and improve user experience. Small changes can make a big impact on how search engines and visitors interact with your website.
Want to ensure your site is running at its best? At Algo Digital, we specialize in technical SEO audits that go beyond the basics. Whether you need expert analysis or hands-on fixes, we’re here to help. 👉 Get in touch today to optimize your site and improve your rankings.
