How to conduct a SEO audit of a website yourself?
Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2025 5:46 am
An SEO ( Search Engine Optimization ) audit is a comprehensive analysis of your website aimed at identifying its strengths and weaknesses in terms of search engine optimization. Conducting an independent SEO audit allows website owners to improve their visibility in search engines, increase traffic and, accordingly, conversions. In this instagram database article, we will look at the key steps that will help you conduct an effective SEO audit of your website.
Why do you need an SEO audit ?
Understanding the current state of your site from an SEO perspective helps:
- Identify technical issues that prevent search engines from indexing your site.
- Improve user experience and increase time spent on the site.
- Optimize content to improve visibility in search engines.
- Assess the effectiveness of your current SEO strategies and make any necessary adjustments.
Basic steps of conducting SEO audit
1. Analysis of website visibility
The first step in an SEO audit is to check your site’s current visibility in search engines. You can use tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs to do this. These tools will help you understand what keywords your site is showing up for in search results and where it ranks.
What to do:
- Connect your site to Google Search Console .
- Check what queries your site is already ranking for.
- Evaluate which pages attract the most traffic.
2. Checking page indexing
Indexing is the process by which search engines crawl your site and add its pages to their database. It is important to make sure that all important pages of your site are indexed correctly.
What to do:
- Use the `site:yourdomain.com` command in Google to check the number of indexed pages.
- In Google Search Console, check the Coverage report to identify pages that are not indexed.
3. Analyze robots.txt file and sitemap
The robots.txt file and sitemap (sitemap.xml) are important elements that help search engines crawl your site. Make sure they are set up correctly.
What to do:
- Check your robots.txt file for directives that prohibit indexing of important pages.
- Make sure your sitemap is up to date and includes all important pages on your site.
4. Checking the website loading speed
Website loading speed is one of the key ranking factors in search engines. A slow website can negatively impact user experience and search rankings.
What to do:
- Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix to analyze your site's loading speed.
- Optimize images, use caching, and minify CSS and JavaScript files to improve speed.
5. Analysis of internal optimization
On-page optimization includes proper use of keywords, meta tags, headings, and content structuring.
What to do:
- Check the meta tags ( title and description ) on each page. They should be unique and contain keywords.
- Make sure that headings (h1, h2, etc.) are structured logically and contain keywords.
- Optimize content for keywords while avoiding spam.
6. Checking mobile adaptation
With the increase in mobile users, it is important to ensure that your website displays correctly on all devices.
What to do:
- Use Yandex.Webmaster to check the mobile adaptation of your site.
- Make sure that all interface elements (buttons, menus, etc.) are convenient for use on mobile devices.
7. Analysis of external links (backlinks)
Backlinks play an important role in SEO as they indicate the authority of your website. It is important to check the quantity and quality of external links.
What to do:
- Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to analyze your site's backlink profile.
- Evaluate the quality of the sites you link to and remove or disavow low-quality links.
8. Analysis of user behavior
Studying user behavior on your site can help you understand which pages need improvement.
What to do:
- In Yandex.Metrica, check metrics such as bounce rate, average time on site, and number of pages viewed per session.
- Identify pages with high bounce rates and low dwell time and improve their content.
Conclusion
Conducting an SEO audit of your website yourself takes time and attention to detail, but it is an important step to improving your site's visibility in search engines. Following the steps above will help you identify and fix problems, improve user experience, and increase the effectiveness of your SEO strategies. Regular audits will help you maintain a high level of optimization and adapt to changes in search engine algorithms.
Why do you need an SEO audit ?
Understanding the current state of your site from an SEO perspective helps:
- Identify technical issues that prevent search engines from indexing your site.
- Improve user experience and increase time spent on the site.
- Optimize content to improve visibility in search engines.
- Assess the effectiveness of your current SEO strategies and make any necessary adjustments.
Basic steps of conducting SEO audit
1. Analysis of website visibility
The first step in an SEO audit is to check your site’s current visibility in search engines. You can use tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs to do this. These tools will help you understand what keywords your site is showing up for in search results and where it ranks.
What to do:
- Connect your site to Google Search Console .
- Check what queries your site is already ranking for.
- Evaluate which pages attract the most traffic.
2. Checking page indexing
Indexing is the process by which search engines crawl your site and add its pages to their database. It is important to make sure that all important pages of your site are indexed correctly.
What to do:
- Use the `site:yourdomain.com` command in Google to check the number of indexed pages.
- In Google Search Console, check the Coverage report to identify pages that are not indexed.
3. Analyze robots.txt file and sitemap
The robots.txt file and sitemap (sitemap.xml) are important elements that help search engines crawl your site. Make sure they are set up correctly.
What to do:
- Check your robots.txt file for directives that prohibit indexing of important pages.
- Make sure your sitemap is up to date and includes all important pages on your site.
4. Checking the website loading speed
Website loading speed is one of the key ranking factors in search engines. A slow website can negatively impact user experience and search rankings.
What to do:
- Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix to analyze your site's loading speed.
- Optimize images, use caching, and minify CSS and JavaScript files to improve speed.
5. Analysis of internal optimization
On-page optimization includes proper use of keywords, meta tags, headings, and content structuring.
What to do:
- Check the meta tags ( title and description ) on each page. They should be unique and contain keywords.
- Make sure that headings (h1, h2, etc.) are structured logically and contain keywords.
- Optimize content for keywords while avoiding spam.
6. Checking mobile adaptation
With the increase in mobile users, it is important to ensure that your website displays correctly on all devices.
What to do:
- Use Yandex.Webmaster to check the mobile adaptation of your site.
- Make sure that all interface elements (buttons, menus, etc.) are convenient for use on mobile devices.
7. Analysis of external links (backlinks)
Backlinks play an important role in SEO as they indicate the authority of your website. It is important to check the quantity and quality of external links.
What to do:
- Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to analyze your site's backlink profile.
- Evaluate the quality of the sites you link to and remove or disavow low-quality links.
8. Analysis of user behavior
Studying user behavior on your site can help you understand which pages need improvement.
What to do:
- In Yandex.Metrica, check metrics such as bounce rate, average time on site, and number of pages viewed per session.
- Identify pages with high bounce rates and low dwell time and improve their content.
Conclusion
Conducting an SEO audit of your website yourself takes time and attention to detail, but it is an important step to improving your site's visibility in search engines. Following the steps above will help you identify and fix problems, improve user experience, and increase the effectiveness of your SEO strategies. Regular audits will help you maintain a high level of optimization and adapt to changes in search engine algorithms.