The SEO Audit Checklist [2022]

Google is constantly changing its algorithms to provide a better experience for internet users. Did you know that Google has more than 200 ranking factors?

Here is the fundamental SEO audit checklist to help you with your SEO auditing process and improve your website and search ranking.

Please note: This is not an official Google ranking list.

Choose a domain for your website?

A good domain name not only has to be short, but it should also convey what your website is about.

If you are using a keyword in your domain, make sure you have thought through the purpose of your website. For example, if you choose a narrow keyword "women's athletic shoes" and later you decide to add another line of product or service, using a broad keyword might be a better option to go with.

• Choose a short domain (6-14 characters) with a unique and easy-to-remember name (if possible).
• Avoid using hyphens (-), single (') and double (").
• Avoid using numbers unless it is very relevant for your website
• Avoid using misspellings of existing words, business names, brands, and trademarks

Integrate keywords and key phrases on your pages

Ask your SEO expert to research keywords that are best for your website target goals. Typically using keywords with "Medium" search volume is the best for small or new businesses.

Do not overcrowd your page with keywords; instead, use one or two similar keywords per page. Your page content should be at least 700 words where appropriate (for instance, the Contact Us page might have a few words - which is fine.)

Too many times, I have seen websites built without best SEO practices in mind. For example, on some websites, you can see all articles appear on one long page, which prevents optimizing an article for a specific keyword.

Keywords should appear naturally throughout your content, URL, Title and alt tags, headings, and throughout the content.

Content Quality

Focus on high-quality, helpful writing that provides your visitors value. Quality content is more likely to be shared on social media, creating viral organic growth. In addition, people will stay longer on your website exploring and engaging with your content which improves your rankings.

Use lists, bullet points, subheadings, and anything that helps to make the content easy to read.

Internal and External Links

All pages and articles should have internal and external links related to the page content. Internal linking will help to improve your rankings and help visitors explore more of your content.

Linking to other websites helps readers to get a deeper understanding of a subject.

High Bounce Rate

Here is Google's definition: "A bounce is a single-page session on your site." 

A bounce rate of 20% to 30% is good, 30% to 50% is average, and 50% and above is poor. Check your Google Analytics for a high bounce rate, if it is 50% or higher, it can indicate that your website is slow, or the website pages are not loading, low-quality design or content.

Be sure to check your website speed with tools like Google Page Speed Insights or Pingdom.

Customer Testimonials

It is crucial for small businesses to generate and showcase their testimonials. Showing social approval will develop trust with your website visitors.

If possible, add video testimonials in addition to text-based. Many customers like this approach, and it will help increase conversion rates on your website.

Mobile-Friendly Design

The number of mobile users is increasing exponentially every day. In fact, more than half of all searches are now coming from mobiles devices. Therefore, It is critical to check your website's user experience on all mobile devices (smartphones and tablets).

Simple things like placing buttons too close to each other might prevent some visitors with "fat finger syndrome" to use your website.

You can check your website with the Google Mobile-Friendly test.

Sitemaps for Search Engines

Implementing a sitemap will help search engine crawlers index pages and increase your website visibility.

You can use robots.txt to guide search engines where they should and should not crawl, like blocking access to specific directories (example: administrative pages).

Website optimization can become complex quickly when you start going through different factors. Having a professional on your side can save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Let us help you with the process so you can focus on building your business. Contact SourceSEM - Results-Driven Online Marketing.