Comprehensive Site Audit Checklist: How to Find and Fix Website Issues

 

A step-by-step website audit checklist to uncover SEO issues, fix technical errors, and improve performance. Learn how to do a site audit that boosts visibility and rankings.

Why Does a Site Audit Matter for SEO Success

A website audit isn’t just a technical task; it is your best diagnostic tool. When your rankings drop, conversions fall, or crawl errors multiply, a site audit helps uncover the root cause.

Think of it as a full health check for your website. You’ll find broken links, missing metadata, slow pages, or even forgotten redirects that quietly impact performance.

This comprehensive site audit checklist walks you through every key area — from technical SEO to content, performance, and user experience — so you can make confident, data-led improvements.

 1. Technical SEO Audit

Technical SEO is the foundation of your visibility. If search engines can’t crawl or index your pages properly, no amount of content will save you.

What to Check

• Crawlability:
  • Use Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to crawl your entire site.
  • Look for 404s, redirect chains, and blocked pages.
  • Ensure meaningful URLs aren’t accidentally noindexed.
• Indexation:
  • Go to Google Search Console → Pages → Indexing report.
  • Check which URLs are excluded and why.
  • Confirm canonical tags are used correctly.
• Sitemap & Robots.txt:
  • Ensure your XML sitemap is clean and submitted to Google.
  • Check that robots.txt isn’t blocking valuable content.
• HTTPS & Security:
  • Confirm SSL is active and no mixed-content warnings appear.

Find out: How to Recover Website Traffic

2. Site Speed and Core Web Vitals

Page speed affects both rankings and user experience.
Even a one-second delay can reduce conversions and time on site.

What to Check

• Google PageSpeed Insights: Review key metrics — LCP, CLS, and FID.
• Image Optimisation: Compress large images using TinyPNG or ShortPixel.
• Caching & Lazy Loading: Use browser caching and load below-the-fold content later.
• Hosting Performance: Consider upgrading your server or using a CDN for global reach.

Read: User Experience SEO Guide

3. Mobile Usability Audit

With mobile-first indexing, a poor mobile experience can crush rankings.
Your website must load fast, look clean, and function smoothly on all screen sizes.

What to Check

• Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
• Ensure font sizes, buttons, and layouts are mobile-friendly.
• Check for intrusive pop-ups or ads.
• Verify responsive design with a manual test across devices.

 4. On-Page SEO Audit

Even the best content can underperform without strong on-page optimisation.
This section of your website audit checklist focuses on titles, meta data, and keyword relevance.

What to Check

• Title Tags:
  • Keep under 60 characters and include primary keywords naturally.
• Meta Descriptions:
  • Stay within 160 characters; make them enticing to boost CTR.
• Headings (H1–H3):
  • Ensure one clear H1 per page, with logical subheadings for readability.
• Internal Linking:
  • Link to related, authoritative pages to strengthen site structure.
• Keyword Placement:
  • Naturally include primary and secondary keywords in the intro, headings, and alt text.

Find out: How to Optimise Old Blog Posts for SEO

 5. Content Quality and Relevance

Content fuels visibility. Outdated, thin, or duplicate content weakens authority, so this step helps you refine what’s already there.

What to Check

• Update Outdated Information: Refresh old stats, screenshots, and examples.
• Content Depth: Add supporting data, FAQs, or visuals to improve value.
• Duplicate Checks: Use Copyscape or Siteliner to find repeated content.
• E-E-A-T: Ensure every page demonstrates Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

Discover: Content Marketing Strategies for SEO Recovery

 6. Backlink and Off-Page Audit

Your backlink profile can make or break your SEO. Toxic links or lost backlinks are common causes of ranking decline.

What to Check

• Use Ahrefs or SEMrush:
  • Identify toxic links and submit a disavow file if necessary.
  • Track lost backlinks and try to reclaim them.
• Anchor Text Distribution:
  • Avoid over-optimisation — keep it natural.
• New Link Opportunities:
  • Find guest posting, PR, or collaboration prospects.

Read our Backlink Audit and Recovery Guide

 7. User Experience (UX) and Conversion Audit

SEO is not just about ranking; it’s about retaining and converting users. A poor UX can quietly sabotage your efforts even when rankings look fine.

What to Check

• Engagement Metrics: Review bounce rate, dwell time, and pages/session in GA4.
• Navigation: Ensure users can reach key pages in 2–3 clicks.
• Design Clarity: Use whitespace, readable fonts, and scannable sections.
• CTAs (Calls-to-Action): Make sure they’re visible, relevant, and conversion-focused.
• Accessibility: Add alt text, contrast checks, and keyboard navigation for inclusivity.

8. Analytics and Tracking Setup

Without proper tracking, you can’t measure what’s working (or what’s not).

What to Check

• Google Analytics (GA4): Confirm event tracking, goals, and conversions.
• Google Search Console: Monitor impressions, clicks, and ranking trends.
• Tag Manager: Ensure tracking codes are firing correctly.
• Heatmaps & Session Recordings: Use Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity to visualise user behaviour.

Key Takeaways

1. Start with crawlability and indexing before anything else.
2. Improve site speed and mobile usability for better user retention.
3. Optimise on-page SEO and refresh thin content.
4. Monitor backlinks to protect domain authority.
5. Use analytics data to guide long-term optimisation.

You can simply Download Your Free Site Audit Template

Need expert insight? Let’s fix your site and grow your traffic, together.