What is an SEO Audit? The Cornerstone of Every Good SEO Campaign
Last Updated on 2 October 2025 by Dorian Menard
As the founder of Search Scope, I’ve seen many Australian business owners get tangled in complex marketing advice. When it comes to growing online, the most effective starting point is often the simplest: a thorough SEO audit.
This process gives you a clear, actionable roadmap to increase your visibility and generate more leads, focusing your efforts where they will have the biggest impact. It’s not about ticking boxes; it’s about understanding exactly what’s holding your website back and fixing it systematically.
Here’s what you need to know to get started:
- What it is: A complete health check for your website’s performance on search engines like Google.
- Why it matters: It pinpoints the exact technical, content, and authority issues that are costing you traffic and sales.
- The outcome: A clear, prioritised action plan to improve your search rankings and achieve measurable business growth.
What is an SEO Audit? A Comprehensive Guide for Business Owners
An SEO audit is a detailed checkup of your website’s search engine performance. It identifies what’s working, what’s not, and how to improve.
The process focuses on three main areas: technical health, on-page content, and off-page authority.
The SEO Audit Process
A successful audit starts with clear goals and a proper understanding of what to look for.
Setting Objectives for an SEO Audit
Defining clear objectives is the first step to aligning your SEO audit with your business goals. In my experience helping Perth businesses, focusing on specific outcomes makes the entire process more effective.
You should concentrate on areas that directly impact your website’s search performance and bottom line.
| Objective Type | Focus Areas | Expected Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Technical Performance | Site speed (Core Web Vitals), mobile usability, crawl errors. | Improved user experience and better rankings. A 1-second delay in load time can reduce conversions by up to 7%, according to Portent. |
| Indexing & Accessibility | Robots.txt file, XML sitemap, index coverage report in Google Search Console. | Ensures search engines can find and display all your important pages. |
| Content Optimisation | Keyword targeting, content gap analysis vs. competitors, E-E-A-T signals. | Increased organic traffic and visibility for valuable search terms. |
| Competitive Authority | Competitor backlink profiles, brand mention sentiment, market position. | A stronger domain authority that builds long-term trust with Google. |
Once your objectives are set, you can choose the right type of audit.
Types of SEO Audits
SEO audits generally fall into three categories. Each serves a specific purpose, and a comprehensive audit will cover all three.
- Technical SEO Audit: Focuses on foundational issues like site speed, mobile usability, and crawl errors. This is the bedrock of your SEO.
- On-Page SEO Audit: Examines content optimisation, meta tags, and keyword usage. This ensures your content meets user search intent.
- Off-Page SEO Audit: Reviews backlinks and your online reputation to boost authority. This builds trust and credibility online.
“An SEO audit is a comprehensive review of your website’s SEO effectiveness. It can help identify areas where your site needs improvement, such as poor keyword selection, broken links, or duplicate content.”
When to Conduct an SEO Audit
Timing your audits strategically can make a big difference. It’s not just a once-off task.
Here are the best times to schedule one.
| Timing | Reason |
|---|---|
| After a Website Redesign | To check if major updates have negatively impacted SEO performance. |
| During a Sudden Traffic Drop | To diagnose and resolve the root cause of performance issues quickly. |
| Before a Major Content Push | To ensure the website’s technical foundation can support new content efforts. |
| Quarterly or Bi-Annually | For regular maintenance to stay ahead of algorithm changes and competitors. |
“SEO audits are an essential part of any SEO analysis. At the base minimum, they help keep your clients’ websites healthy and energized.”
A healthy website typically maintains a site health score above 90% in tools like SEMrush to stay competitive. Regular audits ensure your site remains optimised. Read our full Semrush review here.
Key Parts of an SEO Audit
A complete audit dives deep into the technical, on-page, and off-page elements of your site.
Technical SEO Analysis
Technical SEO analysis focuses on your website’s structure and how easily search engines can access it. These elements directly impact crawling and indexing.
Think of it as the foundation of your house.
| Technical Element | Key Focus Areas | Impact on SEO |
|---|---|---|
| Site Architecture | URL structure, crawl depth, robots.txt file, XML sitemap. | Helps search engines discover and index your pages efficiently. |
| Page Speed | Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS), server response time. | Directly influences user experience and is a confirmed Google ranking factor. |
| Mobile Optimisation | Responsive design, mobile-first indexing checks. | Critical for rankings, as Google primarily uses the mobile version for indexing. |
| Security | HTTPS protocol, SSL certificate implementation. | Builds user trust and is a minor ranking signal. |
You can use Google Search Console to find crawl errors and indexing issues for free. Once your technical setup is solid, you can focus on optimising your content.
On-Page SEO Evaluation
On-page SEO involves optimising your content for both users and search engines. It’s about creating valuable content that is also technically sound.
| Element | Optimization Focus | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Content Quality & Structure | Headings (H1, H2), meta descriptions, readability. Demonstrating E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). | Enhances click-through rates and signals quality to Google. |
| Keyword Integration | Primary and LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords. Checking for keyword cannibalisation. | Aligns your content with what your audience is searching for. |
| Internal Linking | Using descriptive anchor text to link to relevant internal pages. | Distributes page authority throughout your site and helps users navigate. |
| Structured Data | Implementing schema markup (e.g., LocalBusiness, FAQ) to get rich snippets. | Can improve visibility and click-through rates in search results. |
After optimising on-page elements, it’s time to look at external authority signals.
Off-Page SEO Assessment
Off-page SEO assesses your site’s reputation and authority across the web. These factors help search engines understand how trustworthy and credible your brand is.
| Factor | Evaluation Criteria | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Backlink Quality & Quantity | Referring domain authority (e.g., Ahrefs DR), relevance of the linking site, anchor text used. | High-quality backlinks are one of the strongest ranking factors. |
| Toxic Backlinks | Identifying and disavowing spammy or low-quality links using Google’s Disavow Tool. | Protects your site from potential manual actions or algorithmic penalties. |
| Brand Mentions | Unlinked mentions of your brand name across the web. | Contributes to your site’s overall authority and online presence. |
| Local Citations (for local businesses) | Consistency of your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) across online directories. | Crucial for ranking in local search results and Google Maps. |
Tools like SEMrush and Screaming Frog can simplify this process. Combining all three audit types creates a powerful foundation for improving your search rankings.
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Tools for Conducting an SEO Audit
SEO audits rely on specific tools designed to analyse different parts of a website’s performance. No single tool does everything, so we use a combination.
Essential SEO Audit Tools
These tools have unique strengths that help you identify and address issues effectively.
| Tool | Primary Function | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Performance Monitoring | Index coverage, Core Web Vitals report, search analytics. | Free |
| SEMrush Site Audit | All-in-One Analysis | Over 140 technical and on-page checks, scheduled audits, custom reports. | Starts from around $130 USD/month |
| Screaming Frog SEO Spider | Website Crawling | In-depth technical analysis, finds broken links, audits redirects. | Free version available; paid is around $259 USD/year |
| Ahrefs Site Audit | Backlink & Content Analysis | Detailed backlink profile analysis, content gap tools, rank tracking. | Starts from around $99 USD/month |
| PageSpeed Insights | Speed Optimisation | Core Web Vitals data, mobile vs. desktop performance analysis. | Free |
Screaming Frog is our tool of choice here at Search Scope for deep technical crawls.
Using Tools Effectively
The key is to focus on actionable findings, not just data collection.
- Use Screaming Frog to find specific technical issues like broken links (404s) or incorrect redirects. You can export reports that highlight critical problems to tackle first.
- Use SEMrush’s automated audits to regularly monitor your site’s health without manual checks. This helps you catch issues before they become serious problems.
- Check Google Search Console weekly. It can alert you to urgent problems like indexing errors or manual actions from Google.
When fixing issues, prioritise changes that directly improve user experience. Addressing slow-loading pages or fixing mobile usability errors often delivers a noticeable impact.
This targeted approach is especially helpful for larger websites where resources may be limited.
Analysing Results and Taking Action
An audit is only useful if you act on its findings.
Prioritising Issues
After your audit, you will have a list of issues. The next challenge is deciding what to fix first.
A simple framework I recommend to clients is to prioritise based on impact and effort.
| Priority Level | Impact on SEO | Examples | Recommended Timeframe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical | Severe. Prevents crawling or indexing. | Website offline, incorrect robots.txt blocking the whole site. | Immediately (within 24 hours) |
| High | Significant. Harms user experience or rankings. | Slow Core Web Vitals, major mobile usability issues, broken critical pages. | Within 2 weeks |
| Medium | Moderate. Opportunities for improvement. | Missing meta descriptions, unoptimised title tags, content gaps. | Within 4-6 weeks |
| Low | Minor. Good to have but not urgent. | Missing image alt tags on non-critical images, minor URL structure tweaks. | Within 3 months |
Start with critical issues. As the team at HubSpot notes, SEO is not a static measure; it requires continuous attention.
Once you have your priorities, it’s time to build a plan.
Creating an Action Plan
Transform your audit findings into a structured action plan. A simple spreadsheet is perfect for this.
Your plan should include:
- Task Description: A clear explanation of the issue (e.g., “404 error on the services page”).
- Priority Level: Critical, High, Medium, or Low.
- Action Required: The specific steps to fix the issue (e.g., “Redirect the broken URL to the new services page”).
- Owner: The person or team responsible (e.g., “Web Developer”).
- Deadline: A target completion date.
- Status: Not Started, In Progress, or Complete.
A well-organised plan ensures accountability and keeps the project moving forward.
Tracking Progress After the Audit
To measure the effectiveness of your fixes, you need to monitor both technical and business metrics.
| Metric Category | What to Track | Monitoring Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Technical Health | Crawl errors in GSC, PageSpeed Insight scores. | Weekly |
| Search Performance | Keyword rankings for target terms, organic traffic growth. | Bi-weekly |
| User Engagement | Bounce rate, time on page, pages per session via Google Analytics. | Monthly |
| Business Impact | Conversions and revenue from organic traffic. | Monthly |
“When you start a new SEO activity and try out a hot technique, you test the water first. You make small steps, measure, analyze, and decide if the endeavor is worth your while.”
Remember that SEO results often take 4-12 months to become fully apparent. Regularly review your progress and adjust your strategy based on the data.
Your Next Steps After an SEO Audit
Key Points
An SEO audit is the cornerstone of a successful SEO strategy. It shows you exactly how your website is performing and what to fix.
Websites on the first page of Google get the vast majority of clicks. A 2023 study by First Page Sage found the #1 result gets an average click-through rate of 39.8%.
A thorough audit examines technical, on-page, and off-page SEO factors. This provides clear, actionable steps to improve and maintain your SEO performance.
Next Steps for Businesses
To make the most of your SEO audit, follow these steps:
- Start by using free tools like Google Search Console and PageSpeed Insights to perform a basic audit.
- Prioritise issues based on their potential impact on your traffic and business goals.
- Track your progress consistently to ensure your SEO efforts are delivering a return on investment.
SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. Whether you handle audits in-house or work with Perth SEO experts, a regular schedule will keep your website competitive and delivering results.
FAQs About SEO Audits
What is a local SEO audit?
A local SEO audit focuses on how well your business ranks in local search results, like Google Maps and the “local pack.”
It examines specific factors to improve your visibility to customers in your service area.
| Key Component | Focus Areas |
|---|---|
| Local Presence & Citations | Google Business Profile optimisation, NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency across directories like Yellow Pages and TrueLocal, customer reviews. |
| On-Page Website Optimisation | Including local keywords (“plumber in Perth”), creating location-specific service pages, embedding a Google Map. |
| Technical Elements | LocalBusiness schema markup, site speed, and mobile compatibility are especially important for users on the go. |
We recommend running these audits every 3-6 months. Tools like BrightLocal can help you check for inconsistent directory listings, which is a common issue that can harm local rankings.
Unlike a general SEO audit, a local audit zeroes in on strategies to connect with nearby customers.
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Dorian Menard
https://searchscope.com.auI’m Dorian, founder of Search Scope and an SEO obsessed with ROI and lead generation. After a decade in the trenches, I’ve built and ranked digital assets for businesses across the world. I cut through the noise with data, automation, and strategies that actually convert. When I’m not scaling rankings, you’ll find me on a motorbike or setting chess traps — always planning three moves ahead.