Conduct a Website Audit for Better Online Visibility

Conducting a website audit is like giving your website a check-up. It helps identify areas for improvement, ensuring your online presence is strong and effective.

A website audit typically involves reviewing your website's structure, content, and functionality. This includes analyzing your website's architecture, navigation, and user experience.

You can also use tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics to gather data on your website's performance and identify potential issues.

A well-conducted website audit can lead to increased website traffic, higher conversion rates, and better overall online visibility.

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The website audit process is a crucial step in ensuring your website is running smoothly and effectively.

You'll want to start by choosing a site audit tool, such as Clarity Audits, which connects to Clarity Grid to analyze site health and crawl your website 5x faster than other tools.

Next, enter your website URL into the site auditor, which will then crawl your website, looking for issues and reporting on each one with a comprehensive report.

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A full crawl is a crucial step in the website audit process, allowing you to gather valuable data about every page of your website. This can be done using tools like Screaming Frog, which offers a free audit of 500 URLs and provides insights on aspects such as title tags, meta descriptions, and images.

Screaming Frog is a paid tool, but it's worth the investment if you want to get a deep understanding of your website's architecture and identify broken links. Semrush is another option, offering a comprehensive site audit tool that assesses your site for over 140 issues, including site performance, internal linking, and international SEO.

To run a full crawl with Semrush, simply enter your domain name and click "Start Audit." You can then configure your crawler settings, setting crawl limits, choosing different user agents, and scheduling automatic site audits.

A full crawl can reveal a wealth of information about your website, including its crawlability, loading speed, internal linking, structured data, and on-page SEO. By identifying and addressing issues in these areas, you can improve your website's overall health and search engine rankings.

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Here are some key tools to consider for a full crawl:

Removing Zombie Pages is a crucial step in the website audit process. These are pages that might have had value at one point in time, but now they don't drive traffic or help users.

Many sites have 50-75% more indexed pages than they'd expect. This is because Zombie Pages use up your crawl budget, which could be better spent on more valuable content.

Here are the most common types of Zombie Pages:

Deleting Zombie Pages makes the rest of the SEO audit much easier, as it reduces the number of pages to review and fix.

Choosing the right tool for your website audit is a crucial step in the process. You have a variety of options available, including SEM Rush and Ahrefs, which are well-regarded for their thoroughness and accuracy.

Some tools, like Screaming Frog and Sitebulb, are more niche and offer exclusive audit services. While there are free audit tools out there, we recommend using a paid audit tool for more capability and reliability.

Here are some key features to consider when selecting an audit tool:

Some popular audit tools include Google Analytics, Semrush, Ahrefs, and Screaming Frog. These tools can help you identify any website issues and generate a report of problems that need to be fixed.

A website audit is a comprehensive assessment of a website's performance, usability, and security. It involves evaluating structure and organization, website content review, design and layout evaluation, functionality analysis, and security assessment.

To conduct a thorough website audit, it's essential to take a comprehensive approach, including conducting different website audits and keeping a running list of issues that need to be resolved.

Clarity Audits connects to Clarity Grid to analyze site health, and it's the only intelligent crawl technology that continuously learns and evolves to identify new issues over time.

With Mailchimp, you'll have access to various marketing tools to enhance your auditing process, including valuable website analytics and an in-depth, easy-to-read performance dashboard.

Expand your knowledge: Website Performance Audit Free

Routine site audits are important because they allow you to notice the amount of traffic you are generating, and not addressing issues found during an audit could mean a plateau or even a decrease in website traffic.

Conducting regular website audits will help determine whether your website is fully optimized for search engine traffic, has broken links or files, optimal load-time, user-friendliness, and the status of the content.

Clarity Audits can crawl 5x faster and analyze more than 100+ technical health checks with no limits on crawls or the number of environments you can crawl, all factors that impact your search visibility.

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Optimizing your website's on-page elements is crucial for search engine rankings. To start, focus on your 5 most important pages, which can be identified by their target keyword, traffic, and ranking potential.

Include your keyword in the title tag, first 100 words, and use helpful, SEO-optimized images. Add 5+ external and internal links to relevant pages. Cleaning up your site's HTML code is also essential, and you can use PageSpeed Insights to find problems and measure your Core Web Vitals.

A content audit can help identify areas where you may need to add or update information, and regularly performing one ensures you're providing visitors with the most up-to-date information about your business.

For more insights, see: How to Use Any Website for Free

Schema Markup is a powerful tool that helps search engines understand your website's content. It's used to add rich snippets like product reviews, recipes, events, and more.

Adding schema markup to your site can help you identify opportunities to improve your search engine results. Structured data audits can help you achieve this.

Schema markup is a type of structured data that allows search engines to better understand your website. It's used to add rich snippets like product reviews, recipes, events, and more.

The purpose of structured data is to help search engines understand what kind of content they're seeing, so they can provide more relevant search results to users. It also allows you to attach additional information that search engines can use in their algorithms.

By adding schema markup to your site, you can make it easier for search engines to find and understand your content. This can lead to improved search engine page rankings.

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Improving your on-page optimization is a crucial step in boosting your website's visibility and driving more traffic to your site.

On-page SEO is super important, and it's not as daunting as it sounds. You don't have to optimize every page on your site immediately. Instead, focus on your 5 most important pages, which can be identified by their relevance to your target keyword, their traffic potential, or their ranking on search engines.

To identify these pages, consider the following factors:

For example, if you have a page that's already on the first page for your target keyword, it has a good chance of cracking the top 3.

If you're really pressed for time, focus on the following 5 strategies:

By implementing these strategies, you can improve your on-page SEO and drive more traffic to your site.

A technical optimization is crucial for a website's visibility and user experience. You want to make sure your website is easy for search engines to index, which means it should be crawlable and have a clear structure.

To ensure this, you should check for crawl errors, which appear when search engine bots are unable to crawl certain pages. This can be a major issue, as it prevents those pages from being indexed and potentially ranking in search results.

Some common technical errors to look out for include HTTPS status, XML sitemap status, and site and page load times. These can all impact your website's performance and user experience.

Here are some key technical errors to check for:

Most of these technical issues are simple to fix, and regular site audits can help you stay on top of them.

Fixing indexing problems is a crucial step in technical optimization. You can check if Google is indexing your site correctly by typing different versions of your site's URL into your browser.

A common issue is having multiple versions of your site indexed, such as http://yoursite.com and https://yoursite.com. You can redirect these versions properly to avoid Google considering them as separate websites.

Consider reading: Seo Website Audit Template

To find webpages that Google isn't indexing, head to Google Search Console and click the "Pages" report under "Indexing." This report will provide information about pages Google hasn't indexed.

Some common reasons for indexing problems include accidentally blocking pages with your robots.txt file or using a noindex tag. However, not everything you see in this report is an issue to fix – you might want to block some pages intentionally.

Here are some common reasons why pages might not be indexed, along with potential solutions:

Fixing these issues will help your website run more smoothly and be more user-friendly.

Technical errors can have a significant impact on your website's visibility and user experience. These errors can include crawl errors, HTTPS status issues, and XML sitemap problems.

Crawl errors occur when search engine bots are unable to crawl certain pages on your website. This can happen due to various reasons such as incorrect URL formatting or blocked access. Fixing crawl errors is crucial to ensure that search engines can crawl and index your website's content.

HTTPS status issues refer to problems with your website's SSL certificate. This can affect the security and trust of your website, leading to a decrease in user engagement and search engine rankings. Ensure that your website's SSL certificate is up-to-date and functioning properly.

XML sitemap status issues can prevent search engines from understanding your website's structure and content. This can lead to poor search engine rankings and decreased visibility. Regularly update your XML sitemap to ensure that it includes all updated pages and is formatted correctly.

Site and page load times are also essential to consider. Slow load speeds can impede user experience and negatively impact search engine rankings. Aim for load speeds of under 3 seconds for optimal user experience.

Mobile friendliness is another critical aspect to consider. Ensure that your website is accessible and functions correctly on mobile devices. Broken images and links can also negatively impact user experience and search engine rankings.

A robots.txt file is a crucial aspect of website optimization. This file helps search engines understand which pages to crawl and index. Ensure that your robots.txt file is configured correctly to avoid any issues.

Here are some common technical errors to look out for:

Fixing these technical errors can have a significant impact on your website's visibility, user experience, and search engine rankings. By regularly monitoring and addressing technical errors, you can ensure that your website runs smoothly and efficiently.

Link building is a crucial aspect of a website's overall health, and it's closely tied to internal linking. Internal linking is one of the most underrated SEO strategies on the planet.

To internal link the right way, make sure you link to high-priority pages as much as possible. Don't just link to what you think are the most important pages, ideally every page should have at least one relevant internal link pointing to it.

Aiming for 5+ internal links per page is a good start, as long as they're all relevant. You can quickly find out if you have pages that are deeper than 3 clicks using the Semrush Site Audit tool. This helps avoid "orphaned pages" and minimizes your website's crawl or click depth.

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Internal linking is one of the most underrated SEO strategies on the planet. It's simple: make sure you link to high-priority pages as much as possible.

Don't just link to what you think are the most important pages. Ideally, every page should have at least one relevant internal link pointing to it.

Aiming for 5+ internal links per page is a good start, as long as they're all relevant. You'll often find yourself including way more than this.

As long as the links are relevant and add value for the reader, they're worth adding. This helps avoid "orphaned pages", making it easier for search engines and users to find your content.

Internal links also minimize your website's crawl or click depth. Ideally, keep your crawl depth to 3 clicks at most, at least for your most important content.

You can quickly find out if you have pages that are deeper than 3 clicks using the Semrush Site Audit tool.

For more insights, see: Seo Backlink Audit

Fixing broken links is crucial for user experience, which can ultimately hurt your SEO. Google may not "lose sleep" over broken links, but it's still a problem that needs to be addressed.

Using a free tool like Broken Link Check can help you identify and fix broken links on your site. This tool can make the process much easier.

Crawling software like Screaming Frog can also help you find broken links by showing you how your site looks from a technical perspective. You can use this tool to scan your site and identify any broken links.

Semrush Site Audit is another tool that can help you find broken links on your site. It's a comprehensive tool that can identify a wide range of technical issues, including broken links.

Fixing broken links takes time and effort, but it's a necessary step in maintaining a healthy and user-friendly site.

The top result in Google has 3.8x more backlinks than pages in positions 2-10, according to a study of 11.8 million search results.

Enter your domain into a backlink analysis tool to get a report on your links. We're using Semrush's Backlink Analytics tool for this step.

Pay attention to the number of referring domains pointing to your site, which is the number of different websites linking to you.

Your domain's Authority Score is also important, as it reflects the quantity and quality of your backlinks.

Don't stress too much about the exact numbers, you're just benchmarking where you're at.

Look for toxic links that might be harming your site's credibility. You want backlinks from real and relevant websites.

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Competitor analysis is a crucial part of your routine website audits. It helps you understand how you rank compared to your competitors and identify areas for improvement.

To start, find your competitors' best keywords using a tool like Semrush. This will give you a good chance to rank for those keywords too, making them great to target. Analyze the pages that are ranking for those terms and figure out what they have in common.

You can break down your competitors' pages into common characteristics such as:

This will give you an idea of what type of content works best in your niche.

Analyzing your competitors is a crucial step in understanding what works and what doesn't in your niche.

To find your competitors' best keywords, use a tool like Semrush. This will give you an idea of what terms they're ranking for and which ones you can target.

Competitors' pages that rank for these terms have something in common, so it's essential to identify these patterns. For example, long-form content (3k+ words) is a common trait among top-ranking pages.

Custom visuals and illustrations are also a common feature among high-performing pages. Citing research studies, data, and statements from Google is another pattern that emerges.

You can also analyze competitors' backlink profiles using Semrush's Backlink Analytics tool. This will tell you what content gets links and what kinds of websites already link to the kind of content you might want to create.

Here's a quick summary of what to look for in your competitors' top-performing pages:

To analyze your topical authority, you can use a handy spreadsheet created in collaboration with Graphite that automatically pulls information from your Google Search Console property.

This spreadsheet provides a breakdown of keywords and phrases your website ranks for and gets clicks for, helping you understand where your topical authority lies.

Topical authority is essential for ranking well in search engines, as it makes it clear to users and Google that you're a trustworthy authority on a given topic.

You can check your website's topical authority by using this spreadsheet, which gives you a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses in this area.

Making it clear to users and Google that you're a trustworthy authority on a given topic is crucial for ranking well, and this spreadsheet helps you achieve that.

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A website audit is a great way to boost your site's search engine optimization (SEO). Clarity Audits connects to Clarity Grid to analyze site health, crawling 5x faster and analyzing more than 100+ technical health checks with no limits on crawls or the number of environments you can crawl.

Take a look at this: Website Health Audit

This intelligent crawl technology continuously learns and evolves to identify new issues over time, leveraging trillions of connected data points to provide intelligent website analysis. It's a game-changer for website owners who want to maximize their search visibility.

To identify on- and off-page SEO issues, it's essential to review your site's search results rankings. You can use a tool to review your site's search results rankings and assess your keyword density to ensure you use the best terms and phrases for your industry.

Here are the key areas to focus on:

A website audit can also help you identify SEO issues that are negatively affecting your site's performance in search, such as duplicate content, missing meta descriptions and titles, and broken links.

A website audit is not just about checking for technical SEO issues, but also about ensuring that your website is user-friendly and easy to navigate. A usability audit can help identify any issues with navigation or functionality that might be causing visitors to have trouble finding what they're looking for on your site.

Design and usability go hand-in-hand when it comes to creating a great user experience. A design audit can help you look at your website's design and ensure it's laid out appropriately for your users. This includes reviewing your CTA buttons to ensure they're easy to read and appropriately placed throughout your site.

A website's usability is also important for SEO. You want to make sure that users can easily find what they're looking for on your site without getting lost in a sea of text or pages. A rule of thumb is to aim for a site that's easy to navigate and doesn't require users to spend too much time looking for what they're searching for.

Here are some key areas to focus on when it comes to design and usability:

To ensure your site is mobile-friendly, use a responsive design, create mobile-friendly content, and use high-quality images. You can also use tools like PageSpeed Insights to test your site's mobile-friendliness.

A website audit can help you identify ways to enhance the user experience on your site, including optimizing for UX signals like clicks and user satisfaction. By making your content more user-friendly, you can improve your rankings in search results.

A website audit can help you identify security issues that could put your site at risk, including outdated plugins and themes, and technical vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to gain access to your server or data.

Regular website audits can also help you strengthen your website's security by creating a plan to improve things, which may be as simple as updating plugins and themes with the latest security patches.

A comprehensive website audit can identify critical performance issues that may be impacting your key performance indicators, and by correcting these problems, you can ensure your visitors have a positive experience with your business.

A security audit will examine all aspects of your site, including server-side code and third-party plugins, to ensure there are no vulnerabilities that could lead to attacks by hackers.

A fresh viewpoint: Website Performance Audit

Google confirmed that your site's loading speed is a ranking factor, and it's something you need to prioritize as part of your SEO audit checklist.

To get your site to load really fast, start by cleaning up your site's HTML code, which you can easily find problems with using PageSpeed Insights. This test will also show you how you're performing in terms of your Core Web Vitals.

Core Web Vitals measure how fast your site loads, how responsive it is to user interactions, and whether there are any unexpected layout shifts as your page loads. You can check out our guide to Core Web Vitals for more tips to optimize for them.

Huge images can bring your site speed to a screeching halt, so consider compressing your images with a tool like Kraken.

A secure website is crucial for protecting your visitors' data and preventing potential threats. A security audit will examine all aspects of your site, including server-side code and third-party plugins, to ensure that there are no vulnerabilities.

To evaluate the security of your site, start by checking if you're using HTTPS for all pages. This ensures a secure connection to the internet. Your site should also have an SSL certificate in place if you're selling products online or collecting sensitive information.

A secure site is not just about external protection, but also about internal security. Check if the CMS itself has any security issues that could affect your site's performance and rankings. This includes vulnerabilities such as cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF), and SQL injection.

Regular updates of outdated software or plugins are essential to maintaining a secure site. This helps prevent potential threats and ensures your site remains secure from external attacks.