What is an SEO Audit?
An SEO audit is a process for evaluating the search engine friendliness of a website in a number of areas. The audit is the first step towards implementing a plan to create measurable results.
It’s important to establish the background of the business, what’s already in place and what the desired objectives are for the future. This applies to both long- and short-term goals.
An SEO audit then commences with the process of analysing how productively your website currently relates to these goals and the existing best practices. Beginning at this point puts you in the best position to identify foundational issues impacting the organic search performance of your site. The SEO audit will disclose vital factors including technical search engine optimisation issues, website structural issues, on-page SEO issues and opportunities, existing and potential off-site concerns, user-experience problems, content marketing gaps and opportunities and competitive marketplace insights.
An SEO audit should not be considered something you do once and then be done with. It is something that is required on a regular basis, acting as a health check for your business’ website. It should become standard procedure to oversee an SEO audit on a six-monthly basis.
SEO Audit: Best Practice
There are three fundamentals to SEO audits: Comprehensive, Actionable and Measurable.
There should be multiple levels to the audit, and this should be pre-determined by the business and website in question. Objectives are everything. What are you trying to achieve from this audit? Once you’ve established this framework in your mind, you’re in the best position to begin.
Comprehensive: The audit should provide a window into the content and structural components of your website. Its purpose is to identify the positives and negatives of your websites current search engine visibility, therefore to achieve the best results from your audit, no stone should be left unturned. Any missed steps could result on your business missing opportunities to improve the visibility of the site.
Measurable: We all want to see that our actions are producing positive results. Return on investment is vital to the success of any business so why should your SEO strategy be any different? A solid SEO audit should show you the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to your website, giving you the ability to see the big picture. Steps are then taken to rectify any issues raised and take advantages of any opportunities available. These steps should be measured and reported upon throughout. Each step should be understandable and explained using simple language rather than strategic jargon designed to muddy the waters of what is actually taking place. All recommendations made by Front Foot Social will be clearly measurable allowing you to navigate the ladder of online visibility through our guidance or through our monthly SEO management services.
Actionable: The overall goal of an SEO audit is to light the path in front of you. It should be a clear indication of how to proceed moving forward. Front Foot Social run a concise diagnostic of your website before presenting you with a clear path to completing the necessary steps for improvement. We’ll prioritise these steps and present them to you alongside the projected impact and timeframe required for each recommendation. In essence, an audit with Front Foot Social provides your business with an SEO roadmap for the future. You can choose to follow the map yourself or work with us to implement the strategy for you.
SEO Audit: What not to do
Never let anyone tell you that an SEO audit is a simple, “one-size-fits-all”, standard process. It’s not. An SEO audit should always be unique to multiple factors; the business, the industry, the marketplace, the website and the objectives. This is the starting point and always the starting point. Don’t be told it’s easy because it isn’t, and nor should it be. This is your business at stake so it must be taken seriously and done comprehensively if you want to see results.
The audit should not be rushed. Your websites current health should be tested thoroughly and therefore requires time. It’s important to do your due diligence when undertaking a methodical investigation. Only this way can accurate, achievable and impactful recommendations be made.
Front Foot Social won’t miss a step. To discuss an SEO audit for your business, call us on 0800 689 5493, email hello@frontfootsocial.co.uk or contact us via our online enquiry form here.