SEO Audit Checklist | Boost Rankings Step-by-Step

SEO Audit Checklist | Boost Rankings Step-by-Step

SEO Checklists
100 Items
Comprehensive SEO audit checklist covering crawlability, content optimization, performance, and technical SEO to improve search rankings.

Complete SEO Audit Guide

Master the art of SEO auditing with our comprehensive checklist covering every aspect of search engine optimization. From technical SEO and crawlability to content quality and performance metrics, this guide ensures your website is fully optimized for search engines. Whether you're auditing a new site or optimizing an existing one, transform your SEO strategy with actionable insights and systematic improvements.

1. Crawlability & Indexing

1Confirm robots.txt file exists and isn't blocking essential pages
2Ensure XML sitemap is present, up to date, and submitted
3Check Google Search Console crawl statistics for errors
4Identify and resolve broken links (404s)
5Ensure proper canonical tags are set
6Validate that pages use correct meta robots (index / noindex)
7Inspect URL parameter handling (avoid duplicate content)
8Detect orphan pages (no internal links pointing to them)
9Check server response codes (2xx, 3xx, 4xx, 5xx)
10Validate hreflang tags for multilingual sites

2. Site Architecture & Internal Linking

1Review hierarchy of pages (depth from homepage)
2Ensure critical pages are reachable within 3 clicks
3Audit internal link count and distribution
4Check for broken internal links
5Identify pages with too many outgoing links
6Use descriptive anchor texts (not "click here")
7Audit navigation menus and footer links
8Review contextual linking between related content
9Check for redirect chains and loops
10Ensure no excessive pagination or infinite scroll issues

3. On-Page Elements & Metadata

1Audit title tags — uniqueness, length, keyword usage
2Audit meta descriptions — uniqueness and relevance
3Check header tags (H1, H2, H3) structure and hierarchy
4Inspect URL slugs — clean, descriptive, no stop words
5Verify alt text on images (with relevant keywords)
6Check image file names reflect topic
7Validate use of schema / structured data markup
8Ensure absence of duplicate titles or meta descriptions
9Evaluate usage of canonical vs noindex tags
10Confirm Open Graph / Twitter Card metadata

4. Content Quality & Optimization

1Identify pages with "thin" content (too little useful copy)
2Detect duplicate content across pages
3Check keyword targeting / mapping per page
4Evaluate content readability (structure, subheads, bullets)
5Audit internal linking within content
6Update outdated or stale content
7Check for missing or weak CTAs
8Evaluate use of semantic / related keywords (LSI)
9Ensure content addresses user intent
10Review content depth vs competitor pages

5. Performance & Page Speed

1Measure Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS)
2Test page load times (desktop & mobile)
3Identify render-blocking JavaScript / CSS
4Compress images / enable lazy loading
5Minify CSS, JS, HTML files
6Leverage browser caching
7Enable GZIP or Brotli compression
8Audit server response time / TTFB
9Use a CDN for static resources
10Remove unused CSS or code

6. Mobile / UX / Accessibility

1Check mobile friendliness (responsive layout)
2Test viewport meta tag settings
3Ensure tap targets / buttons are appropriately sized
4Review font sizes / line spacing for readability
5Confirm no horizontal scrolling on mobile
6Validate color contrast ratios
7Audit keyboard navigation / focus states
8Include alt tags / ARIA roles for accessibility
9Ensure forms / interactive elements are usable
10Test on multiple devices / screen sizes

7. Backlink Profile & Authority

1Extract list of inbound backlinks
2Identify high-quality and low-quality referring domains
3Detect broken / lost backlinks
4Review anchor text distribution
5Find and disavow harmful or spammy links
6Check for internal link equity flow
7Audit outgoing external links (are they valid?)
8Monitor referring domain growth over time
9Compare link metrics vs competitors
10Evaluate domain authority / trust metrics

8. Local, International & Niche SEO

1Verify Google My Business listing (name, address, phone)
2Audit NAP consistency across directories
3Review localized content / landing pages
4Validate hreflang tags for international SEO
5Check for local schema markup (LocalBusiness)
6Audit geotargeting settings in Search Console
7Confirm correct use of country-specific TLDs / subfolders
8Evaluate local reviews / ratings presence
9Check local citations and directory listings
10Monitor local keyword rankings

9. Analytics, Tracking & Reporting

1Confirm Google Analytics / GA4 setup
2Validate Search Console integration
3Check conversion / goal tracking configuration
4Audit events, tags, and custom dimensions
5Validate filters / views setup
6Ensure UTM parameters are used correctly
7Track organic landing pages performance
8Monitor bounce rate and dwell time metrics
9Segment traffic by device, geography, page
10Generate regular audit reports / dashboards

10. Action Plan & Prioritization

1Categorize issues by severity (critical, high, medium, low)
2Estimate effort / cost per fix
3Assign ownership / responsibility
4Create rollout schedule / timeline
5Define metrics to measure improvement
6Document before / after snapshots
7Communicate changes with stakeholders
8Plan retests and follow-ups
9Archive audit versions for comparison
10Schedule next audit (e.g. quarterly)
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