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What Is a Website Audit for SEO, And Why Does It Matter?

by | May 5, 2023 | Search Engine Optimization

Do you want to rank higher in search results? Schedule a consultation with our team at Results Digital today to see how we can improve your SEO strategies. 

Attempting to master Google Search rankings involves a multitude of complex strategies. While researching best practices, you likely discovered website audits. So, what is a website audit, and why does it matter?

At Results Digital, a reputable SEO company in The Woodlands, TX, we want to help you understand how to master all things regarding digital marketing. Below, we discuss key facts you need to know about website audit processes. Contact our team if you need support with your audit and SEO strategies

What Is an SEO Website Audit?

An SEO website audit is an analysis process that determines how well your website performs in terms of different SEO ranking factors.

Website audits are the critical first step in creating data-driven optimization strategies for ranking higher, generating more traffic, and influencing better conversion rates. SEO website audits show you everything from technical website errors, like broken links, to SEO opportunities, like keywords missing from meta descriptions

What Do Website Audit Tools Reveal?

SEO audits crawl your website to uncover key insights regarding your technical SEO, on-page content, and server log. Audits generally cover indexation (how well bots can crawl your site), accessibility (how well users can navigate), and optimization. 

The most important insights you can uncover from an SEO website audit include the following:

  • Indexation analysis
  • Status and error codes
  • Page redirects
  • Page loading times
  • URL structuring errors
  • Canonical tags
  • Content duplications
  • General crawlability
  • Domain issues
  • Mobile SEO analysis
  • Content structure accessibility 
  • Keyword research recommendations
  • Copy theme analysis
  • Metadata analysis 
  • User experience insights
  • Internal linking and sitemap problems

Audits help you locate technical, structural, and on-site problems while offering key improvement insights. For example, the tool may show you keyword gaps in your content where you can potentially rank higher by introducing new terms. 

Why SEO Website Audits Matter

Now that you know the answer to “What is a website audit?” it’s time to learn about the business value. Audits are critical in all SEO strategies. 

Google alone has over 200 ranking factors, so you cannot blindly guess what your website is and isn’t doing right. Website audits show you exactly how to improve. By conducting regular audits, you can:

Evaluate Technical Performance

An overwhelming number of issues can appear on your website without you knowing, causing lower rankings and reduced user experiences. From slow loading speeds to broken internal links and confusing navigational paths, technical problems can ruin all the hard work you put into building your site. Website crawlers locate all technical performance problems that bots or users could encounter and tell you exactly how to fix the issue. 

For example, say you deleted one of your pages but forgot to remove links pointing to this page. The broken links prevent bots from crawling your entire site, which reduces your rankings and frustrates users trying to navigate. An audit will show you each link you must resolve to fix this issue. 

Identify SEO Opportunities

Attempting to master every SEO tactic is impossible, especially without support. Website audits evaluate your strategies and recommend ways to improve your rankings based on your existing content, traffic, strategies, and more. The tools evaluate the effectiveness of your current SEO strategies to help you understand what does and doesn’t work so you don’t waste time. 

For example, say you created a bunch of content around a single keyword you wish to rank for. The audit might reveal that you used a term too many times, resulting in negative rankings for keyword stuffing. With this insight, you can re-adjust your strategy for better results. 

Improve Conversion Effectiveness

The whole purpose of your website is to attract leads and convince them to convert. Website audits show you how effectively different aspects of your website contribute to this goal. The tool can analyze your different landing pages, offering improvement recommendations for higher conversion rates—like adjusting keywords. 

For example, you may accidentally forget to place a CTA (call-to-action) button on a few of your pages. Website auditing tools can locate these missed opportunities so you can improve your site’s conversion effectiveness. SEO is only valuable if the new users you attract to your site know how to convert.  

Uncover Competitor Tactics

Your competitors use their own tactics to rank in search results, encourage conversions, and generate revenue. Because you share a similar target audience, you can learn a lot from your competition. For example, you may discover a few keyword opportunities that you hadn’t considered in the past. 

Website audits can show you how your content performs compared to the competition, plus strategy ideas. You can view how competing companies prioritize SEO to create more comprehensive and research-based strategies for your website. 

Locate Ranking Issues

Website audits help you locate SEO problems in your content and on-page materials. Issues may include:

  • Pages without enough words
  • Keyword stuffing
  • Missing metadata
  • Metadata without keywords
  • Poorly structured headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
  • Titles exceeding 60 characters
  • Missing alternative texts behind images
  • Duplicate content across pages
  • Plagiarized content
  • Broken links
  • And more

SEO involves many complex and specific rules that you cannot master on your own. The website audit will help you improve your content for optimal results. Certain tools also offer content ideas based on your keyword goals. 

Conducting Regular Audits for Consistent Improvements

Website audits are not one-and-done strategies. Your website should evolve to meet changing ranking requirements and user needs. 

As you publish more content, you may create new issues or additional improvement areas that an audit can help you locate. We recommend regularly conducting website audits for optimal performance improvements. 

Need Website Audit Support? Contact Results Digital 

Now that you know the answer to “What is a website audit?” continue learning about when to redesign your website with our digital marketing resources. If you need help with your website audit, schedule a consultation with our team at Results Digital today to see how we can improve your website’s SEO strategy and rankings. 

About Preston Toor
Preston, the founder and co-owner of Results Digital, brings nearly a decade of rich experience in the digital marketing realm. His journey began in the world of WordPress web design, swiftly transitioning into the intricacies of SEO and Google Ads. His tenure at two prominent digital marketing agencies equipped him with invaluable insights and expertise in website design, SEO, and Google Ads management. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and a deep-seated passion for elevating businesses, Preston ventured to establish Results Digital. His commitment is rooted in guiding businesses to achieve unprecedented growth and success. On a lighter note, Preston’s admiration for Obi-Wan Kenobi, his favorite Jedi, mirrors his approach to digital marketing – wise, strategic, and always focused on the greater good. This is subtly reflected in his bio picture, a nod to his personal interests and character.