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SEO Audit Checklist: 20 Things to Check Right Now
Most business owners know their website could perform better on Google. They just don't know where to start. An SEO audit sounds technical, but it's really just a structured look at why your site is or isn't ranking. This SEO audit checklist gives you 20 concrete things to check, in plain language, without needing to hire an agency first.
Work through these one at a time. Each check takes a few minutes. Together, they'll give you a clear picture of what's working and what's holding you back.
Why a Website Audit Matters
Google uses hundreds of signals to decide where your site ranks. Technical problems, thin content, missing metadata, slow load times, none of these are obvious until you go looking. Many businesses lose rankings for months before they realise something is wrong.
A regular website audit catches problems early. It also finds quick wins, things you can fix in a day that immediately improve your visibility in search results.
You don't need expensive software to run a basic SEO audit checklist. Google's own free tools handle most of it. Let's get into it.
Technical SEO Checks
Is Your Site Indexed by Google?
Go to Google and type site:yourdomain.com.au. If you see pages listed, Google knows about your site. If you get zero results, your site may be blocking search engines or hasn't been submitted to Google Search Console. Fix this first before anything else.
Is HTTPS Active on Every Page?
Open your website and check that the URL starts with https:// and shows a padlock. Click around to other pages, including contact and service pages. If any page shows as insecure, Google may flag your site as a risk to visitors. HTTPS is a basic ranking signal.
Does Your Site Load on Mobile?
Open your website on your phone. Does it display properly? Can you read the text without zooming in? Are the buttons easy to tap? Google ranks the mobile version of your site first. If your mobile experience is poor, your rankings will reflect that.
What Is Your Page Speed Score?
Go to PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev) and enter your URL. Aim for a mobile score above 70. Anything below 50 is a serious problem. The tool shows exactly what to fix, from image compression to unused CSS. Page speed is a confirmed Google ranking factor.
Are There Any Crawl Errors?
Set up Google Search Console (free) and check the Coverage report. Crawl errors mean Google tried to visit a page and couldn't. Common causes include broken links, deleted pages, and incorrect redirects. Fix any errors listed as "Page not found" or "Redirect error."
Is Your Sitemap Submitted?
In Google Search Console, go to Sitemaps and check if yours is submitted. A sitemap helps Google find and index all your pages. If you don't have one, most website platforms (WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify) can generate one automatically. Submit it and check that Google can read it without errors.
On-Page SEO Audit Checks
Does Each Page Have a Unique Title Tag?
The page title is what appears as the blue link in Google search results. Every page on your site needs a unique, descriptive title that includes your main keyword. Right-click any page and select "View Page Source," then search for <title> to see what's there. If multiple pages share the same title, Google gets confused about which one to rank.
Are Your Meta Descriptions Written?
The meta description is the short summary that appears under your title in search results. It doesn't directly affect rankings, but it affects whether people click. Check your main pages have a meta description of around 150 characters that describes what the page offers and includes a call to action.
Does Each Page Have One Clear H1 Heading?
Every page should have exactly one H1 tag, and it should contain your primary keyword for that page. The H1 tells Google what the page is about. Use H2 and H3 headings to structure the rest of the content. View Page Source and search for <h1> to check.
Are Your URLs Clean and Descriptive?
Compare these two URLs: ziondelta.com/page?id=47 versus ziondelta.com/seo-services-brisbane/. The second one tells both Google and humans what the page is about. Check your service and location pages. If your URLs contain numbers, random strings, or are missing keywords, that's worth fixing.
Do Your Images Have Alt Text?
Alt text describes images to Google (and to visually impaired visitors). Without it, Google ignores your images for search purposes. Right-click an image on your site and inspect it. Look for alt="". If it's blank or missing, you're leaving image search traffic on the table.
Is There Enough Content on Your Key Pages?
Thin pages, under 300 words, rarely rank for competitive keywords. Your homepage, service pages, and location pages should have enough content to answer the questions a customer would have. Think about what someone searches before they call you, and make sure your page addresses that directly.
Local SEO Checks for Australian Businesses
Is Your Google Business Profile Fully Filled Out?
Search for your business name on Google. Does a business panel appear on the right side? Is it claimed? Does it have your correct address, phone number, business hours, website URL, and at least a few photos? An incomplete Google Business Profile is one of the most common reasons tradies and service businesses miss out on local search traffic.
Is Your NAP Consistent Across the Web?
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone. If your business details appear differently across Google, Facebook, True Local, Yellow Pages, and your website, Google can't be confident about which information is correct. Run a quick search for your business name and check that the details match everywhere they appear.
Do You Have Schema Markup on Your Key Pages?
Schema markup is code that tells Google what type of business you are, where you're located, and what services you offer. Use Google's Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/rich-results) to check if your site has any structured data. If not, adding LocalBusiness schema is one of the fastest wins in a technical SEO audit.
Content and Link Checks
Are There Any Broken Links on Your Site?
Broken links frustrate visitors and waste Google's crawl budget. Use a free tool like Broken Link Checker or the free version of Screaming Frog to scan your site. Fix or remove any links pointing to pages that no longer exist. Also check that your internal links, especially from the navigation menu, all work correctly.
Do Your Pages Link to Each Other?
Internal linking helps Google understand the structure of your site and distributes ranking strength across pages. Check that your homepage links to your main service pages, your blog posts link to relevant service pages, and your service pages link to your contact page. Good internal linking is often overlooked in a website audit.
Who Is Linking to Your Site?
In Google Search Console, go to Links and check your top linking sites. You want backlinks from relevant, reputable Australian websites, not spam directories or overseas link farms. If you see suspicious-looking backlinks, you can disavow them through Search Console. Quality backlinks remain one of the strongest ranking signals.
User Experience Checks
Is Your Contact Information Easy to Find?
Google looks at user behaviour signals. If visitors land on your site and immediately leave because they can't find a phone number or contact form, that's a bad signal. Your phone number should be in the header. Your contact page should be one click from anywhere. Check this on mobile, where most of your traffic likely comes from.
Is Your Site Tracking Visitor Behaviour?
Without data, you're guessing. Google Analytics 4 is free and takes about 20 minutes to set up. It shows you which pages people visit, how long they stay, where they come from, and where they drop off. This data is essential for any ongoing SEO effort. If you don't have tracking in place, you're flying blind on every decision you make about your website.
What to Do With Your SEO Audit Results
Once you've worked through this SEO audit checklist, you'll have a list of issues. Prioritise them by impact. Technical problems (indexing, HTTPS, mobile) come first because they affect everything else. Then tackle on-page issues. Then content and links.
Don't try to fix everything at once. Pick the top three issues, fix them, give Google a few weeks to recrawl, and measure the change. SEO is a long game, but these foundational checks move the needle faster than most people expect.
If you've run through this list and you're not sure what the results mean, that's where a professional website audit helps. An experienced SEO can prioritise the work, explain what each issue is costing you, and build a plan to address it properly.
The important thing is to start. Most Australian small businesses have five or more of these issues right now. The ones that catch and fix them early are the ones that rank.
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