Best SEO Audit List
[This article was written in by Steve Wiideman (me) and published on multiple blogs of mine. Many of the articles on this website were copied to a different different domain in 2009, which I was not able retract. This is the original version, which I've since then made even better. I hope you find it useful and that it helps your business.]
Disclaimer: While I’d like to credit for the techniques and strategies in this (maybe the best) SEO Audit List, there really isn’t anything new here that you wouldn’t find on the Google Webmaster Checklist, SEOMOz.org’s Top SEO Ranking Factors, or in David Mihm’s Local SEO Ranking Factors. All I did was consolidate them and provide links to help you learn more about each factor. Success will depend on proper execution, avoidance of spam tactics, and on the rare occasion, a handshake from a local chimney sweep.
Website-Level, On-Page SEO Audit
The list below involves changes you can make on your website that may increase your ranking in the search results. These tasks involve making your website search engine-friendly, reducing duplicate content, and avoiding actions that could get your website penalized from the search results altogether. I personally chose the order, email me if you disagree with the sequence or the technique.
SEO Strategy was reviewed by an industry expert Website is not created in Full Flash Website is not created using frames Website has no broken links or images HTML validation to W3C standards span style=”text-decoration: line-through;”>CSS validation to W3C standards CSS table-less template used Average “time on site” duration greater than 2 min Keyword-focused anchor text from internal links Duplicate titles and meta descriptions corrected Internal link popularity adjusted Non WWW 301 redirect corrected Custom 404 page added Trailing slash on pages without file name extensions Server/hosting uptime verified Use of an inclusive or segmented sitemap Dynamic URLs replaced with static or fixed with canonical tag Use of XML sitemap(s) JavaScripts extracted to JS folder CSS styles extracted to CSS folder Use of feeds on the domain Use of external links to reputable, trustworthy sites/pages Google Analytics installed (for your analyst) (Local) Country code TLD of the root domain (Local) Language of the content used on the site (Local) Geographic location of the host IP address of the domainWebpage-Level, On-Page SEO Audit
So you’ve made your website search engine-friendly, but that doesn’t mean that you’re going to suddenly appear for every keyword you’d like to rank for in the search results. The following website-level, on-page SEO audit checklist relates to the individual pages that you will be creating targeting specific keywords (or keyword themes). Example, when you search for “SEO Expert”, it’s not my Top 10 SEO Tips homepage that appears, it’s my seo_expert.htm page that appears (try it).
NOT keyword stuffing in the on-page text NOT keyword stuffing in the title tag NOT cloaking by JavaScript/rich media support detection NOT cloaking by cookie detection NOT using of “poison” keywords in anchor text of external links NOT linking to domain banned from Google’s index for web spam NOT having excessive number of dynamic parameters in the URL Compiled a Content Tracking Spreadsheet Title tag principles used on keyword-targeted pages Including an engaging, useful video between text on the page Average “time on page” duration Existence of substantive, unique content on the page Keyword use in the meta description tag Keyword use in the page name URL Keyword use anywhere in the H1 headline tag Total page size is under 150k Use of links on the page that point to other URLs on the domain Keyword Use in <strong> tags Short or moderate URL length Location in information architecture of the website Keyword use in image names included on the page Keyword use in image alt text Using keyword-rich links in anchor text (not necessarily w/target keyword) Conversion form exists Page contains less than 100 outbound links Images are optimized for faster loading Keyword density proportional Keyword use in the first 50-100 words in HTML on the page Keyword Use in other headline tags (<h2> – <h6>) (Local) Not using an 800 number exclusively (Local) Business name, city and state in title (Local) Address in on-page text content (Local) Product/service used in URLOff-Page SEO Audit Checklist
The recipe for a delicious SEO campaign involves one part on-page SEO and one part off-page SEO. Mix in a little click-through rate (CTR) optimization and now you’re cookin’! The checklist below will help you improve your visibility over time. I strongly advise against launching a new website and raising a flag with Google by acquiring a massive amount of links all at once. Keep your campaign as organic as possible. Don’t make your link building look like a blurp on a chart, make your link building look like Google’s stock chart from 2004 to 2008 (you know what I mean).
Additionally, getting a mention can in some cases be just as important as getting a link, so don’t discount the value of a profile on a trusted website just because they won’t link. Ask the major brands what life was like after the Vince update and you’re sure to get a smile.
Factors You Can’t Control & Shouldn’t Worry About
With every new account I take on comes the questions of “because my competitor’s domain is older, does that mean I’ll never get the top spot?”. SEO is a journey, not a destination. Wit the right amount of nurturing, you can own the top spot for any non-ambiguous, relevant keyword you desire. These factors have historically played a very small role in ranking, but because you can not control them, should not be worried about. Being aware of these factors will help you understand why a competitor may have a top placement even though they may not be doing much search engine optimization work.
Domain name Length of domain registration Historical click-through rate from search results to a specific URL Historical click-through rate from search results to all pages on a domain Geographic location of visitors to the site
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