How to Perform a Technical SEO Audit: A Step-by-Step Guide

A technical SEO audit is a comprehensive review of a website’s technical health, ensuring search engine guidelines are met and that the site is optimized for organic search performance. By dissecting the architecture of a site and its underlying technology, a technical audit aims to uncover issues that may prevent a website from achieving the highest possible ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).

The process entails examining a site’s crawlability, indexability, site structure, internal linking, and content uniqueness, among other factors.

A technical SEO audit should be a regular part of a digital strategy, as it can reveal critical problems that need immediate attention. This kind of audit is vital for recognizing issues with crawlability and indexability that could prevent search engines from accessing and processing content appropriately.

Identifying and resolving these issues is crucial for ensuring all valuable content is visible to search engines. Moreover, a well-structured site with effective internal linking and no duplicate content is favored by both users and search algorithms, making an audit an essential tool for ongoing website optimization.

Key Takeaways

• A technical SEO audit identifies issues impacting a site’s search engine rankings.
• Regular audits are necessary to ensure ongoing website health and performance.
• Addressing identified SEO issues helps make content accessible and improves SERP positions.

What Is a Technical SEO Audit?

A technical SEO audit comprehensively examines a website’s technical health. This process involves checking the website’s architecture, coding, and other critical technological elements that impact its visibility in search engine results. The goal is to identify and fix any issues hindering search engine crawlers from indexing and ranking the site effectively.

Key areas addressed in a technical SEO audit include:

• URL Structures: Ensuring URLs are clean and well-structured for easy crawling.
• Site Speed: Analyzing load times, as search engines favor faster sites.
• Mobile Responsiveness: Verifying the site is optimized for mobile devices.
• SSL Certification: Make sure the site is secure with HTTPS.
• XML Sitemap and Robots.txt Files: Ensuring these files are accurate and accessible to search engines.
• 301 Redirects: Checking for proper implementation of permanent redirects.
• 404 Errors: Identifying broken links that lead to non-existing pages.

The auditor typically uses various tools to collect data on these and other aspects. Once identified, technical issues should be systematically addressed to improve the site’s overall SEO performance. Running a technical SEO audit is not a one-time task; it should be conducted regularly to ensure the website stays up-to-date with current search engine guidelines and algorithms.

How to Perform a Technical SEO Audit

To start a technical SEO audit, an auditor should crawl the website using tools like Screaming Frog or Google Search Console. This provides a comprehensive view of the site’s structure, status codes, and URLs.

• Check for crawl errors: Tools help identify errors that search engines might encounter, such as 404 or server errors.
• Review sitemap: The sitemap should be clean, well-organized, and submitted to search engines.
• Evaluate site speed: Page speed insights tools will reveal page load times, critical for ranking and user experience.

The auditor must then assess the website’s mobile compatibility. Google’s mobile-friendly test can be used to ensure that the site is optimized for mobile devices, a factor significantly impacting search engine rankings.

Next is assessing indexing issues. Auditors should verify that pages are correctly indexed by search engines by reviewing the robots.txt file. To improve site crawlability, the meta tags that prevent indexing should be reviewed during a technical site audit.

Moreover, the importance of HTTPS security must be balanced. A secure site provides user trust and is also a ranking factor.

Regarding on-page elements, title tags, meta descriptions, and headings (H1, H2, etc.) should be evaluated for proper keyword usage and length.

Lastly, checking internal and external links is crucial. Broken links can significantly impact your site’s SEO and should be quickly addressed with a technical site audit. 

Element	Status	Notes
Title Tag	Missing	Add relevant title tags
Meta Desc	Duplicate	Rewrite to be unique per page
Headings	Overused H1	Limit to one per page

It must be fixed, and redirects should be minimized. An auditor can use link analysis tools to analyze link health and relevance.

Spot and Fix Crawlability and Indexability Issues

Crawlability and indexability are foundational to SEO. They ensure that search engines can access and understand website content.

Check for and Fix Robots.txt Issues

Robots.txt is a file that tells search engine crawlers which pages or sections of a site should not be crawled. To ensure there are no crawl ability issues:

1. Locate the robots.txt file by appending /robots.txt to the main URL.
2. Review the file for disallow directives that might inadvertently block important pages. For example:

User-agent: *

Disallow: /important-directory/

1. Remove or modify incorrect disallow directives that prevent search engines from accessing vital content.

Spot and Fix XML Sitemap Issues

An XML sitemap is a roadmap for search engines to identify and index the site’s content. To check indexability:

1. Ensure the sitemap is submitted to search engine webmaster tools, like Google Search Console, to improve how search engines crawl your site.
2. Verify that the XML sitemap is up-to-date and complete with Accurate URLs. These are crucial for site performance and help search engines understand your site structure.

For each URL, check that:

• <loc> Tag is present and properly formatted.
• <lastmod> Note their severity and impact on SEO, employing an audit tool for comprehensive analysis.

1. Remove Identifying broken or redirected URLs is a critical step in a technical site audit to maintain the integrity of pages on your site. To streamline the crawling process.

Addressing these technical SEO elements improves a website’s relationship with search engines, fostering better visibility in search results.

Audit Your Site Architecture

A technical SEO audit of a site’s architecture is crucial for understanding how search engines crawl and index the website’s content. Examining the site hierarchy, navigation, and URL structure can reveal areas for improvement to enhance the website’s search engine ranking.

Site Hierarchy

The site hierarchy should reflect a logical structure categorizing content from general to specific. It functions as a map for users and search engines to understand the importance and relevance of pages.

• Home page: At the start of the hierarchy, clear paths should be provided to the main sections.
• Main Sections: Major categories or services offered; each should be equally accessible, reflecting a coherent SEO strategy.
• Subsections: Nested below main sections; should be organized by topic or service.

Navigation

Navigation is the guide that helps users and search engines to move through the site. It should be intuitive, consistent, and easily accessible across all pages.

1. Main Menu: This should contain links to all major sections of the site.
2. Footer Menu: This can offer shortcuts to important but less prominent pages.
3. Verify that the XML sitemap is up-to-date and has accurate links to ensure the entire site is crawled effectively. This is helpful for users to track their path from home to the current page.

URL Structure

Clean and consistent URLs are essential for a well-structured website, aiding both user experience and search engine optimization.

• Hierarchy Indication: URLs must indicate the hierarchy—for example, www.example.com/services/seo/ for an SEO services page.
• Use Hyphens to separate words: www.example.com/about-us/. Use hyphens instead of underscores or spaces in URLs to make them more SEO-friendly and ensure more accurate URLs across pages on your site.
• Keep URLs The Tag reflects the most recent update, which is crucial for maintaining the site’s relevance and integrity in an SEO strategy. Avoid long strings of numbers or characters.

Fix Internal Linking Issues

Scrutinizing internal links is vital to enhancing a website’s SEO performance. These links connect various pages on your site, boosting its navigability and establishing hierarchy, which helps search engines understand and crawl your site more effectively. Websites should ensure a logical structure through effective internal linking.

First, an auditor should catalog all pages and their respective URLs. One can employ tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to extract this data. These tools list URLs and highlight broken links, redirects, and unlinked pages.

Common issues detected in an audit include:

• Broken links: Links leading to non-existent pages.
• Redirect chains often require thorough analysis with a technical site audit to ensure optimal site performance and multiple redirects before reaching the final destination.

A table displaying issues and actions is beneficial:

   Issue Action 

    Broken links: Correct or remove the faulty URL.  

  Redirect chains Simplify to a single, direct link.  

  Optimal internal linking practices suggest:

1. Relevance: Links should connect related content.
2. Use descriptive anchor text to clarify the link’s destination.
3. Balance: A page shouldn’t be overloaded with links; keep it user-friendly.

Breadcrumb Navigation enhances the user’s ability to understand their location within the site hierarchy, a key aspect often reviewed during a site audit. Pages without inbound internal links, termed orphan pages, warrant attention. They often need to be noticed by users and search engines, leading to missed opportunities.

Lastly, updating and enriching cornerstone content with new internal links can fortify a site’s structure. It guides visitors to important pages, increasing dwell time and the potential for conversions.

Spot and Fix Duplicate Content Issues

Duplicate content issues can undermine a website’s SEO performance, as they can confuse search engines regarding indexing and ranking pages. Resolving these issues is essential for maintaining site health and search visibility.

Meta Tag Issues

Meta tags must be unique for each page to accurately describe and differentiate the page’s content. Common problems include issues that can be detected using a site audit tool. 

Include:

• Duplicate title tags: Ensure each page across the site has a distinct title to improve SEO efforts.
• Duplicate meta descriptions: Create unique descriptions for every page.

Canonical Tag Issues

Canonical tags designate the preferred version of a webpage to search engines.

• Incorrect usage: Canonical tags should point to the original page.
• Absence of tags: Always specify canonical tags where needed.

Hreflang Attribute Issues

Correct hreflang attributes are crucial for multilingual or multi-regional sites, as they guide search engines to the appropriate language or regional URL.

• Inconsistencies: Every language version should have self-referencing hreflang tags. These tags are essential for international SEO efforts, ensuring content is correctly served to users based on language and regional differences—attribute and reference other language versions.

JavaScript Issues

JavaScript can inadvertently create duplicate content if search engines index pages with and without JavaScript rendering.

• Solution:
  • Implement dynamic serving or prerendering so content is consistent whether JavaScript is enabled.

Structured Data Issues

Duplicate content in structured data can lead to incorrect or conflated information on search engine result pages.

• Unique identifiers: Every piece of structured data, such as Schema.org, should have unique identifiers relevant to its specific page.

Check for and Fix HTTPS Issues

Ensuring that the website is securely served over HTTPS when performing a technical SEO audit is imperative. Here are the steps one should follow to check for and correct any HTTPS issues:

Verify Certificate Validity

One should ensure the SSL/TLS certificate is current and registered to the correct domain. This can be verified through browser security indicators or using SSL checkers online, an essential step for ensuring the encryption of pages on your site.

Confirm Protocol Configuration

The server should be configured to force HTTPS, redirecting all HTTP requests to the secure HTTPS version. One can check this configuration by accessing the site through HTTP and observing if it redirects.

Check for Mixed Content

A common issue with HTTPS is mixed content, where some resources on the page load over HTTP. This can be identified using browser dev tools under the ‘Console’ tab.

Crawl the Site with a Tool

A crawler tool that supports HTTPS, such as Screaming Frog, can help identify URLs that do not use HTTPS. These URLs should be updated to use the secure protocol.

Ensure HSTS is Enabled

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) should be enabled to instruct browsers to only connect via HTTPS. Browser dev tools, specialized HSTS checkers, or comprehensive SEO tools can check this.

These steps are vital for maintaining a website’s security and SEO integrity. Ensuring these elements are in place and functioning correctly will improve user trust and website rankings.

Find and Fix Problematic Status Codes

In a technical SEO audit, identifying and resolving problematic status codes is crucial for enhancing a website’s health and user experience. Status codes inform the server’s response to a browser’s request, and problematic codes can indicate significant issues.

3XX Status Codes

3XX status codes signify redirection. A standard code in this category is 301 (Moved Permanently), which should be used for permanent URL redirection. Monitor and minimize the number of 302 (Found) redirections, as they indicate temporary changes and can confuse search engines. Use the following checklist to address 3XX issues:

• Verify that all 301 redirects point to relevant pages.
• Replace 302 redirects with 301s if the change is permanent.
• Ensure redirect chains are minimized – the fewer the redirects, the better the load time.

4XX Status Codes

4XX status codes indicate client errors, with 404 (Not Found) being widely recognized. These errors can harm the user experience and must be addressed promptly. Tackling 4XX codes involves:

• We are identifying all URLs that result in a 404 error.
• I am setting up proper 301 redirects for those with previous traffic and value.
• Regularly updating or removing broken links that lead to 4XX errors should be part of a technical site audit checklist to improve site performance.

5XX Status Codes

5XX status codes point to server errors, where 500 (Internal Server Error) is the most general. These errors can severely impact a site’s functionality and search engine rankings. When managing 5XX errors:

• Monitor server performance and optimize to prevent overloads.
• Investigate logs for recurring errors and address the root causes.
• Ensure a proper server configuration to handle requests efficiently.

Wrapping Up

Staying organized and following these steps can systematically address the problems found during an SEO audit. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, and continual improvements are necessary for maintaining and improving search engine rankings. Regular site audits using a site audit tool can help. Regular audits and updates ensure a website complies with the latest search engine algorithms and best practices.