Free checklist
SEO audit checklist
Find what's holding your site back.
This SEO audit checklist covers what we check on any business website: set-up, crawling and indexing, speed and mobile, on-page basics, content, local listings, structured data and links. Work through it from the top, because a page Google can't crawl or index won't rank however good the copy is.
You need Google Search Console and an hour or two. No paid tools are required to start.
+389%
search impressions in 6 months
At a glance
- What
- A plain-text SEO audit checklist in eight sections, free to copy.
- For
- Business owners, marketers and developers checking a website before or after a change.
- You need
- Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools and PageSpeed Insights. All free.
- Next
- Want a second pair of eyes? Our SEO audit gives you a written list of fixes in priority order. We'll reply within the hour (working hours).
Ready when you are.
We'll reply within the hour (working hours).
Can Google crawl and index your site?
Start here. If Google can't reach a page, or has been told to leave it out, nothing else on the list matters for that page.
- robots.txt.It controls what crawlers may visit. Make sure it isn't blocking pages you want found.
- Sitemap.A live XML sitemap, listed in robots.txt and submitted in Search Console.
- Page indexing report.In Search Console. Check your important pages are indexed and understand why the others aren't.
- noindex and canonicals.A stray noindex tag or a canonical pointing at the wrong page can drop a page from results.
- One version of the site.https, with or without www, and every other version redirecting to it.
- Redirects and broken links.Old URLs redirect to the closest new page, in one hop, and internal links don't hit errors.
Is the site fast and easy to use on a phone?
Google looks at the mobile version of your site first, and slow pages lose visitors before they read a word.
- Core Web Vitals.Check the report in Search Console. It groups pages by loading speed, responsiveness and layout shift.
- PageSpeed Insights.Test your homepage and a key service page on mobile, and fix the biggest issues it lists first.
- Images.Compressed, in a modern format and sized for the screen they show on.
- Phone use.Readable text, buttons that are easy to tap, and no pop-ups covering the content.
Are your on-page basics right?
Each page should be about one thing, and say so clearly in its title, headings and first lines.
- One topic per page.And one main search it's built to answer.
- Titles and descriptions.Unique on every page. Our meta title checker shows whether yours fit.
- Headings.One H1, then H2s that follow the questions your buyers ask, each with a short plain answer underneath.
- Images and URLs.Descriptive alt text on meaningful images, and URLs a person could read out.
Does your content match what people search for?
Most small business sites lose out because a service is buried in a list instead of having its own page.
- One page per service.Named the way buyers search, with prices, turnaround and proof.
- No overlap.If two pages chase the same search, merge them or give each a clear job.
- Prune and update.Improve, merge or remove thin and out-of-date pages.
- Internal links.Link from related guides and pages to each money page, using plain descriptive words.
Are local listings, schema and links in place?
These are the signals other sites and search engines use to confirm who you are and whether to trust you.
- Google Business Profile.Complete, in the right category, with the same name, address and phone as your site.
- Structured data.Organization or LocalBusiness, plus Service, FAQPage and BreadcrumbList where they fit. Our schema markup templates are ready to copy.
- Links and mentions.Who links to you, who links to the competitors above you, and which press, directories and partners could.
Copy the SEO audit checklist
The full checklist in plain text, with tick boxes. Paste it into a doc or task list and note what you find under each line.
SEO AUDIT CHECKLIST
Site: [domain] Date: [date] Checked by: [name]
SET-UP
[ ] Google Search Console verified for the right version of the domain
[ ] Bing Webmaster Tools verified
[ ] Analytics installed, with enquiries and sales tracked as conversions
CRAWLING AND INDEXING
[ ] robots.txt doesn't block pages you want found
[ ] XML sitemap live, listed in robots.txt and submitted in Search Console
[ ] Page indexing report checked: important pages indexed, reasons for the rest understood
[ ] No important page set to noindex by mistake
[ ] One version of the site (https, with or without www) and the others redirect to it
[ ] Canonical tags point to the right page
[ ] No broken internal links or redirect chains
[ ] Old URLs redirect to the closest new page
[ ] Key copy readable with JavaScript turned off
SPEED AND MOBILE
[ ] Core Web Vitals report in Search Console checked
[ ] Pages tested in PageSpeed Insights, on mobile
[ ] Images compressed and sized for the screen
[ ] Every page usable on a phone: text readable, buttons easy to tap
ON-PAGE
[ ] Each page has one clear topic and one main search it targets
[ ] Unique title on every page, with the main search near the start
[ ] Unique meta description that says what the page offers
[ ] One H1 per page, with H2s that follow the questions buyers ask
[ ] A one or two sentence answer straight after each heading
[ ] Descriptive alt text on meaningful images
[ ] Clean, readable URLs
CONTENT
[ ] One page per service, named the way buyers search
[ ] No two pages competing for the same search
[ ] Thin, duplicate or out-of-date pages merged, improved or removed
[ ] Prices, turnaround and proof on service pages
[ ] Internal links from related pages to each money page
LOCAL
[ ] Google Business Profile complete and in the right category
[ ] Name, address and phone the same on the site and every listing
[ ] Location pages only where you have something real to say
STRUCTURED DATA
[ ] Organization or LocalBusiness schema
[ ] Service, FAQPage and BreadcrumbList schema where they fit
[ ] Schema tested in Google's Rich Results Test, and matches the page
LINKS AND MENTIONS
[ ] Backlink profile reviewed: who links to you and why
[ ] Gaps against the competitors who rank above you
[ ] Press, directories and partners that could link to youHow does Foundry run an SEO audit?
We start in Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, crawl the whole site, then check every page type against this list. Then we look at the searches you should be winning and who wins them now.
You get a written list of fixes in priority order, with the quick wins first. For BidScript, the SEO work that followed meant +389% search impressions in 6 months.
Our averages. Not our best days.
Our averages
5days
Website, kick-off to live
3hours
Google Ads setup
4hours
Meta Ads setup
7days
To a first PR feature
20mins
Average reply timethis service
SEO audit checklist FAQs
A full audit once a year, and after any redesign, migration or big content change. Check Search Console every month for new indexing or speed problems.
Yes. Everything on this checklist can be checked with free tools: Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools and PageSpeed Insights. An agency adds a full site crawl, competitor research and priorities.
Anything stopping pages being crawled or indexed. Then speed and mobile problems, then titles, headings and content on your main service pages.
Not to start. Paid crawlers and backlink tools save time on bigger sites, but the most important data is in Search Console, which is free.
Nobody can promise a ranking. The checklist removes the problems that hold sites back. Rankings then depend on your content, links and competition.
It includes the technical checks and adds content, local and links. Our technical SEO audit checklist guide goes deeper on the technical side.
Related
Want the fixes done? Get moving.
Tell us what you need. We'll reply within the hour (working hours), and most websites go live about 5 days after kick-off.
We'll reply within the hour (working hours).
Or email hello@foundryagency.co.uk