Because so many users are searching from phones or other mobile devices, considering and optimizing mobile UX supports your site’s overall performance. To fix this, determine the canonical page and implement 301 redirects. These are HTTP status codes used to correct indexed duplicate content. They alert search engines when a page moves to a new location, merging multiple page rankings into one and prompting search engines to remove duplicate URLs from their indices. This process focuses search engine authority on one version of content and clarifies which page should rank higher in search results.
Design editor meet dynamic content
Also, look at session duration and exit rates to find pages where people quickly leave your site. In broad terms, information gain refers to the additional value you add to the overall search results with your content. Structured data can also tell Google about the author of your post, information about your business, and more. You can do this by jumping back into Semrush’s Backlink Analytics tool for each page.
- XML sitemaps are files that allow search engines to find and understand your website, making it possible to index and show your site to searchers.
- If you can’t use a plugin, you can create an XML sitemap online.
- Knowing where your traffic is coming from will help you better understand your audience’s behavior and will help you optimize your site’s content to suit their needs.
- SEO is not just about getting users and search engines to your site —it’s also about keeping and showing them around.
- • Duplicates – if multiple pages share the same title or meta description, rewrite them to be distinct.
Step #5: Assess the User Experience
To pull all this together, I decided to run a website audit on one of my favorite bloggers, Christina Galbato. Identify areas of your navigation that are entirely Flash or JavaScript. Search engines have challenges with reading and accessing these, which could prevent your site from getting indexed. Here's what I’d be looking for in the technical assessment stage of your website audit. This is where optimized calls-to-action (CTAs), marketing offers, and landing pages play a major role in the performance of your website. As part of determining the overall efficiency of your website, your audit should check to make sure your site is designed with your visitors in mind.
Prior to starting with an SEO audit checklist, you need to set up analytics tools. When I was leading marketing for PlushCare, a telemedicine provider that was acquired for $450M, we did some crazy things in the name of search engine optimization (SEO). Google Search Console is one of the best free SEO tools for analytics.
If you can’t use a plugin, you can create an XML sitemap online. While backlinks are only rarely included in a technical SEO audit, a lack of relevant backlinks is often the number one reason good, relevant content struggles to rank. While this doesn't represent a complete link audit, we recommend a few quick link checks to make sure you aren't leaving rankings behind. Content isn't often considered "technical" SEO, but many technical issues with the content itself can impact indexing and rankings. Beyond the quality of the content itself, these technical issues need to be checked and addressed. With that in mind, your first step should be to ensure that your business has an active Bing Places profile.
Whenever you perform a technical SEO audit, you’ll always have tons to fix. The important thing is to get your priorities straight first. Luckily, Ahrefs’ Site Audit gives you a predefined priority rating for each issue. However, for someone looking to learn where to get started in order to successfully complete a technical SEO audit, this is a great place to begin.
Linking your pages together is useful to both search engines and users. The next step is to use a site audit tool like Semrush Site Audit, Ahrefs Website Audit, Screaming Frog, or others to identify potential issues with your SEO. The next step before doing a deeper analysis is to check your organic traffic. Login to Google Search Console and view the "Search Results" report.
The dashboard offers instant access to reports, monitors, and analysis tools. Run a website crawler to get a technical SEO audit whether you are launching a site, moving your website, or looking for ways to improve search performance. It contributes to your site’s ranking and sends a signal to the user that they can trust your site. If you don’t have a lot of experience diving into the backend of your website, you might consider consulting a web expert to secure your site. Now you have to use it in your content if you aren’t already.
Click the “Why and how to fix it” link next to the error SEO Anomaly you’d like to learn more about. You’ll get detailed information about why you should fix the specific issue and how to do it. This will take you to a list of all the errors Semrush found on your website.
So if you want to get higher Google rankings, you’ll love the actionable steps in this guide. Only after ensuring your on-page SEO and internal links are strong and confirming that backlinks are indeed the differentiating factor, should you invest in targeted link building. Log files track every visit from search engine bots, like Googlebot or Bingbot.
