Website Audit Checklist: Technical, SEO & Content Review
Audit Checklists
Comprehensive website audit checklist covering technical infrastructure, performance, mobile usability, SEO, content quality, UX, accessibility, security, and analytics.100 Items
Website Audit Checklist
Complete website audit checklist covering all critical aspects of website evaluation including technical infrastructure, performance optimization, mobile usability, SEO factors, content quality assessment, user experience analysis, accessibility compliance, security implementation, and competitive analysis for comprehensive website improvement.
1. Technical / Infrastructure
1Verify SSL certificate is valid and site served via HTTPS (no mixed content)
2Check server response codes — ensure no 5xx, many 4xx errors, or redirect loops
3Inspect robots.txt for disallowed pages that shouldn't be blocked
4Check XML sitemap — present, up to date, correctly referenced in robots.txt
5Ensure canonical tags exist and are correctly implemented
6Audit redirects (301, 302) and ensure no excessive redirect chains
7Check site uptime (server reliability) and hosting performance
8Assess whether subdomains / www vs non-www are properly canonicalized
9Validate structured data (Schema.org / JSON-LD) for pages
10Check for any hidden or rogue scripts (unauthorized JS, CSS)
2. Performance / Speed / Core Web Vitals
1Measure page load time (desktop & mobile) via tools like PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix
2Analyze Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
3Optimize images (compression, correct formats, lazy loading)
4Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files
5Leverage browser caching & set proper cache headers
6Use Content Delivery Network (CDN) if applicable
7Defer noncritical JavaScript (async / defer)
8Reduce number of HTTP requests (combine files, remove unused assets)
9Remove or optimize render-blocking resources
10Check for and eliminate unused CSS / JS
3. Mobile / Responsiveness / Cross-device Usability
1Test responsive layout on multiple screen sizes and devices
2Ensure viewport meta tag is implemented correctly
3Check tap target sizes (buttons, links) — should be large enough, spaced
4Verify font sizes and readability on small screens
5Ensure no content or images get cut off or overflow horizontally
6Validate forms and interactions on mobile (touch friendly)
7Test navigation menu (hamburger, toggles) for usability
8Check mobile page load speed (mobile vs desktop)
9Ensure mobile-only features (e.g. slideouts, offcanvas) work properly
10Verify mobile compatibility of third-party scripts / plugins
4. On-Page SEO & Metadata
1Every page has a unique, optimized title tag (within character limits)
2Unique, compelling meta descriptions (correct length, relevant keywords)
3Use of heading tags (H1, H2, …) in a logical hierarchy
4Keywords naturally used (not stuffed) in title, heading, body, meta tags
5Proper alt attributes on images, describing content, and with keywords when relevant
6Check for duplicate title / meta description / heading conflicts
7Internal linking structure to related pages, with descriptive anchor text
8URL structure is clean, readable, keyword-friendly (no long query strings, unnecessary parameters)
9Use of canonical tags to prevent duplicate content issues
10Check for broken internal links and fix or redirect them
5. Content Quality & Relevance
1Perform content inventory — list all pages, their content, last update dates
2Check for thin content (pages with very little useful content)
3Identify duplicate content (same or very similar content on multiple URLs)
4Assess content freshness — outdated posts/pages should be updated or removed
5Check readability / clarity (sentence length, jargon, grammar)
6Ensure content matches user intent / is useful to the visitor
7Use of multimedia (images, videos, infographics) appropriately
8Content is well-structured (introduction, body, subheadings, conclusion)
9Check for proper use of internal cross-links to deep content
10Assess performance of each content piece (traffic, engagement) and plan improvements
6. UX / Usability / Design
1Navigation is intuitive, consistent, and accessible across pages
2Main calls to action (CTAs) are visible, clear, and compelling
3Check forms — labels, validation, error feedback, success messages
4Ensure consistent branding (colors, fonts, logo placement)
5Visual hierarchy — most important elements stand out
6White space and layout — content is not cramped
7Ensure links/buttons are recognizable and distinguishable
8Check for broken UI elements (buttons, dropdowns, toggles)
9Test common "user journeys" (e.g. home → product → checkout) for friction
10Provide search functionality (if applicable) and check its accuracy
7. Accessibility / Inclusive Design
1Verify proper semantic HTML (use of landmarks, ARIA roles where needed)
2Ensure contrast ratio between text and background meets standards
3All images have alt text (even decorative ones may have empty alt)
4Keyboard navigation — site should be usable without a mouse
5Focus indicators visible (for links, buttons)
6Form inputs have labels and associated "for" attributes
7Skip navigation link present (for screen readers)
8Video / audio content has captions, transcripts, or alternatives
9No flashing or auto-playing content that may trigger seizures
10Accessible error messages and instructions for users with disabilities
8. Security & Privacy
1SSL / TLS properly configured and no insecure content served
2Check for known vulnerabilities in plugins, themes, or modules
3Ensure software / CMS is up to date
4Implement HTTP security headers (Content Security Policy, X-Frame-Options, HSTS, etc.)
5Use secure cookies (HttpOnly, Secure, SameSite settings)
6Validate user inputs (to prevent XSS, SQL injection, etc.)
7Use CAPTCHA or bot protection on forms if needed
8Privacy / cookie policy is present and up to date
9Check for any exposed sensitive files (backup, .git, config files)
10Ensure admin / login endpoints are private or protected (limit access, use 2FA)
9. Analytics, Tracking & Conversion (CRO)
1Ensure Google Analytics (or other analytics) is properly installed and tracking
2Verify goals, events, and conversion tracking are configured correctly
3Check for duplicate or conflicting tracking tags / scripts
4Validate that form submissions, button clicks, downloads are tracked
5Analyze bounce rate, session duration, pages per session for anomalies
6Heatmaps / scroll maps / user recordings to see behavior (Hotjar, etc.)
7A/B testing / experiments set up (if applicable)
8Funnel analysis (check where users drop off)
9Check that CTAs / offers / lead magnets are working
10Review attribution and traffic source data for correctness
10. Off-Page, Backlinks & Competitive Analysis
1Audit backlink profile — number, quality, relevance of inbound links
2Check for toxic / spammy backlinks and plan disavow if necessary
3Analyze domain authority / domain rating / trust metrics
4Compare competitor backlink profiles (which sites link to them that don't link to you)
5Monitor brand mentions / unlinked mentions and try to convert them into links
6Check social signals / presence (active profiles, shared content)
7Evaluate referral traffic sources and quality
8Assess mentions or reviews on external sites / directories
9Conduct keyword gap analysis vs competitors
10Monitor backlinks over time (growth / loss)
Overall Progress
Total Progress0/100
0% complete
Checklist Progress
1. Technical / Infrastructure0/10
2. Performance / Speed / Core Web Vitals0/10
3. Mobile / Responsiveness / Cross-device Usability0/10
4. On-Page SEO & Metadata0/10
5. Content Quality & Relevance0/10
6. UX / Usability / Design0/10
7. Accessibility / Inclusive Design0/10
8. Security & Privacy0/10
9. Analytics, Tracking & Conversion (CRO)0/10
10. Off-Page, Backlinks & Competitive Analysis0/10
Checklist Progress0 of 100 items completed
0% complete - Ready to download!
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