What Does an SEO Audit Include? (Everything You Need to Know)

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You're considering getting an SEO audit but you're not sure what you'll actually receive. Fair enough -- "SEO audit" is one of those terms the industry throws around without explaining.

Here's exactly what a proper audit covers, what it doesn't, and how to get the most from it.

What an SEO Audit IS

An SEO audit is a systematic examination of your website to identify factors affecting your search engine visibility. Think of it as a health check for your online presence.

A good audit answers three questions: 1. What's working? (So you don't accidentally break it) 2. What's broken? (So you know what to fix) 3. What's missing? (So you know what to add)

The 8 Sections of Our Audit

1. Technical SEO

The foundation. Can Google actually crawl, read, and understand your site?

We check:

  • Page loading speed (Core Web Vitals -- Google's own metrics)
  • HTTPS and security headers
  • Mobile responsiveness
  • Server configuration
  • Crawlability (can Google follow your links?)

    • Why it matters: If the technical foundation is broken, nothing else matters. A beautiful website that takes 20 seconds to load won't rank.

    2. On-Page SEO

    The content and structure of your individual pages.

    We check:

  • Title tags and meta descriptions (what appears in search results)
  • Heading structure (H1, H2, H3 hierarchy)
  • Content quality and keyword relevance
  • URL structure
  • Canonical tags (preventing duplicate content issues)

    • Why it matters: These elements directly tell Google what each page is about and whether it's relevant to a search query.

    3. Domain & Redirect Analysis

    Your domain history and redirect configuration.

    We check:

  • Whether you've changed domains (and the impact on link equity)
  • Redirect chains (each hop loses 10-15% of ranking power)
  • HTTP/HTTPS and www/non-www consistency
  • Old domain handling

    • Why it matters: Domain changes and redirect mistakes are a hidden killer. Many businesses don't know they're losing ranking power through poorly configured redirects.

    4. Local SEO & Google Maps

    Your visibility for "near me" and local searches.

    We check:

  • LocalBusiness schema markup
  • Google Business Profile presence
  • NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone across the web)
  • Location page quality
  • Review presence

    • Why it matters: For businesses with physical locations, the Google Maps pack appears ABOVE organic results. If you're not in it, you're invisible for local searches.

    5. Content Strategy

    The quality, relevance, and freshness of your content.

    We check:

  • Blog/content freshness (when was it last updated?)
  • Keyword targeting (are you writing about what people search for?)
  • Content gaps (what do competitors cover that you don't?)
  • Internal linking (do your pages connect logically?)

    • Why it matters: Content is what Google actually ranks. Without useful, targeted content, you're competing with one hand behind your back.

    6. AI Search Readiness

    How visible you are to AI-powered search features.

    We check:

  • Structured data quality (schema markup)
  • Content structure (can AI extract clear answers?)
  • Author credentials and expertise signals
  • Multi-platform presence (Google, Bing, Apple)

    • Why it matters: Google AI Overviews and other AI search features are growing. Sites optimised for AI citation get featured prominently.

    7. Image & Accessibility

    Whether your visual content is accessible and optimised.

    We check:

  • Alt text on every image
  • Image file sizes and formats
  • Accessibility compliance (relevant to UK Equality Act)

    • Why it matters: Images without alt text are invisible to Google. Poor accessibility isn't just an SEO issue -- it's a legal one.

    8. Competitor Comparison

    How you compare to your direct competitors.

    We check:

  • Lighthouse scores side-by-side
  • Core Web Vitals comparison
  • Strengths and weaknesses relative to competitors

    • Why it matters: Your SEO score doesn't exist in isolation. What matters is where you stand in your market.

    What an SEO Audit is NOT

    - It's not an ongoing service. It's a snapshot in time. For ongoing monitoring, you'd need a monitoring plan.

  • It's not implementation. We tell you what to fix, not fix it for you (unless you buy our fix package).
  • It's not guaranteed rankings. Nobody can guarantee specific Google positions. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.
  • It's not keyword research. While we identify gaps, a dedicated keyword research project goes much deeper.

    • What to Do After Your Audit

    1. Start with the Critical issues. These are actively hurting your rankings right now. 2. Then tackle the High priority items. These are significant but not urgent. 3. Work through Medium and Low items as time allows. 4. Re-audit in 3-6 months to measure progress.

    Most businesses see measurable improvement within 4-6 weeks of implementing the critical and high-priority recommendations.

    *Ready? [Get your SEO audit](https://seorankmasters.com) -- from GBP 29. All 8 sections. Branded PDF. Results in 5 minutes.*

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