SEO Audit Checklist: Everything We Check (And Why)

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When you buy an SEO audit from us, what exactly are we checking? Here's the complete checklist -- every item, every category, with a brief explanation of why it matters.

Use this as a DIY checklist if you want. Or let us run through it for you in 5 minutes.

1. Technical SEO

Why it matters: If Google can't crawl and understand your site properly, nothing else matters.

- [ ] SSL/HTTPS -- Your site must be served over HTTPS. Confirmed ranking factor since 2014.

[ ] Page speed (LCP) -- Largest Contentful Paint should be under 2.5 seconds. We test with Google Lighthouse.

[ ] Visual stability (CLS) -- Cumulative Layout Shift should be under 0.1. Content shouldn't jump around as the page loads.

[ ] Responsiveness (INP) -- Interaction to Next Paint should be under 200ms. Buttons should respond instantly.

[ ] Security headers -- 6 headers that protect your visitors and signal trustworthiness to Google.

[ ] Mobile-friendliness -- Does your site work properly on a phone?

[ ] robots.txt -- Is Google allowed to crawl your important pages?

[ ] XML sitemap -- Does Google have a map of all your pages?

[ ] Crawlable links -- Can Google follow your navigation links?

2. On-Page SEO

Why it matters: These elements tell Google what each page is about.

- [ ] Title tags -- Every page needs a unique, descriptive title (50-60 characters)

[ ] Meta descriptions -- Compelling descriptions that appear in search results (120-160 characters)

[ ] H1 heading -- Exactly one per page, describing the page topic

[ ] Heading hierarchy -- Logical structure (H1 > H2 > H3), not skipping levels

[ ] Image alt text -- Every image needs a description. Google can't "see" images without it.

[ ] Canonical tags -- Tell Google which version of a page is the "real" one

[ ] URL structure -- Clean, descriptive URLs using words, not random IDs

[ ] Content quality -- Is the content genuinely useful, original, and well-written?

3. Domain & Redirects

Why it matters: Domain changes and redirect mistakes can silently destroy your rankings.

- [ ] Redirect chains -- Every hop between domains loses 10-15% of link equity

[ ] HTTP to HTTPS redirect -- Should be a single hop, not a chain

[ ] www vs non-www -- One should redirect to the other consistently

[ ] Old domains -- If you changed domains, are the old URLs redirecting correctly?

[ ] Page-to-page redirects -- Old pages should redirect to their equivalent, not all to the homepage

[ ] Brand consistency -- Does your email domain match your website domain?

4. Local SEO & Google Maps

Why it matters: For businesses with physical locations, the map pack appears ABOVE organic results.

- [ ] LocalBusiness schema -- Structured data telling Google your name, address, hours, and services

[ ] Google Business Profile -- Is it claimed, verified, and complete?

[ ] NAP consistency -- Is your Name, Address, and Phone identical across all platforms?

[ ] Location pages -- Does each location have its own dedicated page?

[ ] Reviews -- How many Google reviews? What's your average rating? Are you responding?

[ ] Photos -- Does your GBP have recent, high-quality photos?

5. Content Strategy

Why it matters: Content is what Google actually ranks. Everything else supports it.

- [ ] Content freshness -- When was your site last updated?

[ ] Blog/article presence -- Are you regularly publishing useful content?

[ ] Keyword targeting -- Are your pages targeting terms people actually search for?

[ ] Internal linking -- Do your pages link to each other logically?

[ ] Content gaps -- What topics do your competitors cover that you don't?

[ ] Search intent -- Does each page match what the searcher is looking for?

6. AI Search Readiness

Why it matters: AI search features (Google AI Overviews, Bing Copilot) are growing rapidly.

- [ ] Structured data -- Schema markup helps AI understand your content

[ ] Content structure -- Clear headings, lists, and direct answers help AI extract information

[ ] FAQ sections -- Question-answer pairs with schema are highly citable

[ ] Author credentials -- AI favours content from identifiable experts

[ ] Multi-platform presence -- Are you on Bing Places and Apple Business Connect?

[ ] Entity establishment -- Is your business consistently described across the web?

7. Image & Accessibility

Why it matters: Accessibility is a legal requirement (UK Equality Act) and an SEO signal.

- [ ] Alt text on all images -- Descriptions for every meaningful image

[ ] Image optimisation -- WebP format, appropriate file sizes, lazy loading

[ ] Colour contrast -- Text readable against backgrounds

[ ] Keyboard navigation -- Can someone use your site without a mouse?

8. Competitor Comparison

Why it matters: Your score doesn't exist in isolation. What matters is how you compare.

- [ ] Lighthouse scores -- Your Performance, SEO, Accessibility vs competitors

[ ] Core Web Vitals -- Your load speed vs competitors

[ ] Content volume -- How much content do competitors have vs you?

How to Use This Checklist

Option 1: DIY. Go through each item yourself. It will take a few hours but you'll learn a lot about your site.

Option 2: Let us do it. We check every item on this list (and more) automatically, score each category, and give you a prioritised action plan. Takes 5 minutes. Costs from GBP 29.

The choice depends on whether you value your time or your money more. For most business owners, GBP 29 to save 3-4 hours of technical diagnostic work is a straightforward decision.

*Want the full checklist run on your site automatically? [Get your SEO audit](https://seorankmasters.com) -- from GBP 29.*