What is an SEO audit?

In common, a full SEO audit checks:

• On-page SEO — Looks at things like page titles, meta descriptions, headings, image alt text, and internal links to make sure search engines can read and understand your pages, and users can find your site through relevant search queries.
• Off-page SEO — Focuses on backlinks, which help build your site's reputation.
• Technical SEO — Evaluates how your site is structured and how well it performs for search engines and users, including factors such as loading speed, mobile-friendliness, site architecture, and whether pages can be crawled and indexed.
• Local SEO — Ensures your site is optimized to appear in local searches by verifying location information and local listings.

Regular SEO audits keep your website healthy, competitive, and aligned with best practices. They help you avoid traffic losses, improve user experience, and make sure your SEO efforts are actually paying off.

Here is a breakdown of benefits:

• Keeps your site search engine friendly: Regular audits ensure your site is properly crawled, indexed, and ranked by search engines like Google.
• Catches technical issues early: Issues such as broken links, slow load times, and crawl errors can cause your site's position to drop in search results if not addressed in time.
• Protects you from traffic loss: Sudden drops in traffic often signal deeper problems, and audits help you spot and fix them before they escalate.
• Improves user experience: By identifying issues like confusing navigation or poor mobile performance, audits help you create a smoother experience for visitors.
• Reveals new growth opportunities: Audits highlight areas where you can improve, such as optimizing underperforming pages or targeting new keywords.
• Aligns with algorithm updates: Since search engine algorithms are constantly evolving, SEO is also dynamic. Regular audits help you stay compliant with the latest search engine updates and best practices.
• Ensures your SEO efforts pay off: Audits show what's working and what's not, so you can adjust your strategy for better ROI.

An SEO audit is a structured, multi-step process. Here’s how specialists typically approach it:

1. Preparation and planning

Before diving into the analysis, SEO specialists define the audit's purpose: improving rankings, diagnosing a traffic drop, or preparing for a site redesign, etc. They gain access to key tools and platforms like Google Analytics or Search Console.

Tools are selected depending on the focus of the audit: Screaming Frog, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and PageSpeed Insights.

2. Website crawl and technical review

Specialists begin by crawling the site using an app like Screaming Frog or an online platform like Ahrefs to identify:

• Broken links
• Redirect chains
• Crawl errors, duplicate
• Missing meta tags
• Issues with indexation, canonicalization, or site structure

They also review the robots.txt file and XML sitemap, check mobile-friendliness and Core Web Vitals, and use PageSpeed Insights to detect slow-loading elements such as uncompressed images or render-blocking scripts.

3. On-page SEO analysis

On-page elements are reviewed to ensure alignment with search intent:

• Check title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and alt texts for uniqueness and keyword use.
• Review one page of each key type (homepage, category, product, blog).
• Assess content quality, E-E-A-T signals, and natural keyword integration.
• Flag duplicate content, thin pages, and keyword cannibalization.
• Ensure all visible content is indexable and properly rendered.

4. Site architecture and UX review

This step ensures both users and search engines can navigate the site efficiently:

• Internal linking and content silos.
• Breadcrumbs and menu hierarchy.
• Pagination and crawl depth.
• Clean, logical URL structures.

This phase often uncovers issues that prevent Google from efficiently crawling and understanding your content layout.

5. Schema markup and content quality

Then, specialists check for structured data (schema.org) and evaluate content for depth and trust signals:

• Validate schema implementation and compliance with best practices.
• Ensure content matches search intent and supports engagement.
• Look for signs of E-E-A-T, such as author info, sourcing, and trust indicators.

6. Backlink profile and off-page SEO

A good SEO audit always includes a backlink analysis using multiple tools (Ahrefs, Majestic, SEMrush) to get a complete picture. Specialists look for:

• Number and quality of backlinks.
• Toxic or spammy links that may need deleting.
• Competitor comparisons (usually top 2–3 rivals) to benchmark link volume and identify high-authority domains worth targeting.

7. Analytics review and reporting

The audit concludes with a performance assessment and actionable reporting:

• Review traffic trends, rankings, bounce rates, and conversions.
• Set or refine key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Deliver a clear, prioritized report with recommended actions.

The most important thing is that an SEO audit isn't just a one-time task. It's an ongoing process that helps maintain and improve your website's visibility in search engines. Ideally, you should run a full audit every three to six months to stay ahead of potential issues and keep up with changes in algorithms, user behavior, or your competitors' strategies.

At Mad Devs, we offer a full range of SEO services designed to boost your search visibility and drive long-term growth. If you’re struggling with low traffic, outdated content, or technical issues, we conduct a deep SEO audit to identify problems and opportunities. We create a tailored strategy that includes technical optimization, on-page and off-page improvements, content enhancement, and ongoing performance monitoring.