Complete SEO Audit Checklist

Use this checklist to perform comprehensive SEO audits. Check off each item as you complete it to ensure thorough coverage.

Crawlability & Indexability

Robots.txt

• Robots.txt file exists and is accessible
• Important pages are not blocked
• Sitemap URL is included
• No conflicting directives

XML Sitemap

• Sitemap exists and is accessible
• Submitted to Google Search Console
• Contains only indexable pages
• No 4xx or 5xx URLs included
• Updated with recent content changes

Indexation

• Check indexed page count in Search Console
• No important pages excluded from index
• Noindex tags only on intended pages
• Canonical tags point to correct URLs

On-Page Elements

Title Tags

• All pages have unique titles
• Titles are under 60 characters
• Primary keywords included
• No duplicate titles across site

Meta Descriptions

• All pages have meta descriptions
• Descriptions are 150-160 characters
• Unique for each page
• Include calls-to-action

Headings

• Each page has one H1 tag
• H1 includes target keyword
• Proper heading hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)
• No skipped heading levels

Content

• No thin content pages (< 300 words)
• No duplicate content issues
• Content matches search intent
• Internal links to related content

Technical Performance

Site Speed

• Core Web Vitals passing
• Largest Contentful Paint < 2.5s
• First Input Delay < 100ms
• Cumulative Layout Shift < 0.1
• Images optimized and compressed

Mobile-Friendliness

• Mobile-responsive design
• Text readable without zooming
• Touch targets appropriately sized
• No horizontal scrolling required

HTTPS & Security

• Valid SSL certificate
• All resources load over HTTPS
• No mixed content warnings
• Security headers implemented

URL Structure

URL Best Practices

• URLs are descriptive and readable
• Use hyphens, not underscores
• Lowercase characters only
• No excessive parameters

Redirects

• No redirect chains (> 2 hops)
• No redirect loops
• 301 redirects for permanent moves
• Broken redirects identified and fixed

Link Analysis

Internal Links

• All pages reachable within 3 clicks
• Important pages have many internal links
• No broken internal links
• Descriptive anchor text used

External Links

• External links open in new tabs
• No broken external links
• Nofollow on sponsored/untrusted links
• Balance of internal to external links

Structured Data

Schema Markup

• Organization/LocalBusiness schema on homepage
• Article schema on blog posts
• Product schema on e-commerce pages
• FAQ schema where appropriate
• Valid in Google's Rich Results Test

Analytics & Tracking

Google Search Console

• Site verified and accessible
• All versions verified (www, non-www, http, https)
• Sitemap submitted
• No manual actions

Google Analytics

• Tracking code on all pages
• Goals/conversions configured
• Filters for internal traffic
• E-commerce tracking (if applicable)

Quick Reference Scores

After your audit, rate each area:

Use: ✅ Good | ⚠️ Needs Work | ❌ Critical Issue

Next Steps

1. Prioritize critical issues first
2. Create implementation timeline
3. Schedule follow-up audit in 30 days
4. Document changes made