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Last updated: October 29, 2026
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Site Audit Checklist (2027): 25 SEO Checks for Small Websites
A site audit checks whether search engines can find, understand and rank your pages. Work through five areas: indexing, technical health, on-page SEO, content and links. Google Search Console covers much of it for free; tools such as SE Ranking, Semrush, Ahrefs and Moz crawl your site and list issues automatically. Use the 25 checks below once a quarter.
- Five areas: indexing, technical, on-page, content, links.
- Free tools: Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, PageSpeed Insights.
- Paid crawlers: SE Ranking Core $103.20/month (annual), Semrush SEO $117.33, Moz Standard $79 (yearly), Ahrefs Lite $129.
- Fix issues by impact: indexing first, then on-page, then nice-to-haves.
- Repeat quarterly and after redesigns.
1. Indexing
- Your site is verified in Google Search Console.
- An XML sitemap is submitted and lists only pages you want indexed.
- robots.txt doesn't block important pages.
- Important pages are indexed (check the Pages report).
- No accidental "noindex" tags on key pages.
2. Technical health
6. The site uses HTTPS everywhere. 7. One version of the domain (www or not) redirects to the other. 8. No broken internal links (404 errors). 9. Redirects are single hops, not chains. 10. Pages load quickly on mobile (check PageSpeed Insights). 11. The site works well on phones.
3. On-page SEO
12. Every page has a unique title of about 50 to 60 characters. 13. Every page has a meta description of about 150 to 160 characters. 14. Each page has one H1 that matches its topic. 15. Headings follow a logical order. 16. Images have descriptive alt text (decorative images can be empty). 17. URLs are short and readable. 18. Canonical tags point to the preferred version of each page.
4. Content
19. Each important page targets one main topic or keyword. 20. No two pages compete for the same keyword. 21. Content is current; prices, dates and facts are up to date. 22. Thin pages are improved, merged or set to noindex.
5. Links and structured data
23. Important pages receive internal links from related pages. 24. Structured data (for example breadcrumbs, articles, FAQs where appropriate) is valid. 25. Your site has share tags (Open Graph) so pages look right on social media.
Tools for a site audit
| Tool | Free option | Paid plan (annual billing) | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Free | None | Indexing, real queries, Core Web Vitals |
| PageSpeed Insights | Free | None | Speed and mobile performance |
| SE Ranking | 14-day trial | Core $103.20/month | Site audit, rank tracking |
| Semrush | Free plan | SEO $117.33/month | Site audit, competitor data |
| Moz Pro | Free trial | Standard $79/month (yearly) | Site crawl, AI visibility |
| Ahrefs | Ahrefs Free (your own site) | Lite $129/month | Site audit, backlinks |
See best SEO tools for small business and best free SEO tools.
Run a site audit with SE Ranking → 14-day free trial · Affiliate link
How to prioritize fixes
| Priority | Examples |
|---|---|
| Fix now | Important pages not indexed, site-wide noindex, broken checkout or contact pages |
| Fix this month | Missing titles, broken internal links, slow mobile pages |
| Improve over time | Thin content, image alt text, structured data |
Common mistakes
- Trying to fix every warning a tool reports, including minor ones.
- Ignoring Search Console, which shows Google's own view.
- Auditing once and never again.
- Changing URLs without redirects.
Terms explained
- Crawl: a tool or search engine visiting your pages.
- Index: the search engine's database of pages.
- Canonical tag: tells search engines the preferred version of a page.
- Structured data: code that describes page content to search engines.
- Core Web Vitals: Google's page experience metrics.
How to run the audit in an afternoon
- Open Google Search Console and review the Pages report for indexing issues.
- Check the Sitemaps report: your sitemap should be read successfully.
- Run PageSpeed Insights on your homepage and two key pages.
- Crawl the site with a tool such as SE Ranking or Semrush (both have trials).
- Export the issues list and sort by the number of pages affected.
- Fix indexing and broken pages first, then titles and descriptions.
- Re-crawl after fixes to confirm.
Example audit findings and fixes
| Finding | Why it matters | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 12 pages with "noindex" by mistake | They can't appear in Google | Remove the tag and request indexing |
| 40 broken internal links | Wasted crawl and poor experience | Update or redirect the links |
| Duplicate titles on product pages | Pages compete with each other | Write unique titles |
| Missing share tags | Pages look bare on social media | Add Open Graph tags |
| Slow mobile homepage | Visitors leave | Compress images, reduce scripts |
Audits after a redesign or migration
Redesigns and domain changes are the riskiest moments for SEO. Before launch, list every old URL, plan redirects for any that change, and keep titles and content for important pages. After launch, crawl the new site, check Search Console daily for a week and compare traffic with the previous month.
Free checks you can do today
- Search "site:yourdomain.com" in Google to see roughly how many pages are indexed.
- Open yourdomain.com/robots.txt and check nothing important is blocked.
- Open yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml and check it lists your key pages.
- Run PageSpeed Insights on your homepage.
- Check your top pages on your phone.
Site audit tools
| Tool | Entry price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SE Ranking | Core $103.20/month (annual) | Website audit plus rank tracking |
| Semrush | SEO Toolkit $117.33/month (annual) | Site Audit with over a hundred checks |
| Ahrefs | Lite $129/month | Site Audit and Site Explorer |
| Google Search Console | Free | Indexing and Core Web Vitals reports |
| PageSpeed Insights | Free | Speed tests per page |
How often to audit
Run a full audit every quarter, and a quick check after redesigns, migrations or large content updates. Schedule weekly automated crawls in your SEO tool so new problems show up before they affect rankings.
Prioritizing fixes
Fix issues that block indexing first (robots.txt blocks, noindex tags on important pages, server errors), then broken links and redirects, then titles and descriptions, and finally speed and smaller warnings.
Audits after a redesign or migration
Redesigns and migrations are the riskiest moments for SEO. Before launch, list your current URLs and map each to its new URL. After launch, check that redirects work, titles and descriptions moved across, the sitemap lists new URLs, and Search Console shows no spike in errors. Watch rankings and traffic for a few weeks.
Our verdict
Run this 25-point checklist every quarter: start with Search Console for indexing, fix technical issues that block pages, then improve titles, content and internal links. A paid crawler such as SE Ranking speeds up the process once your site grows.
How we compiled this guide
The checklist reflects common technical SEO practice; tool prices come from official pricing pages checked October 29 to 30, 2026. See also what is rank tracking.
FAQ
What is a site audit?
A review of whether search engines can find, understand and rank your pages.
How often should I audit my site?
Every quarter and after redesigns or migrations.
Can I audit my site for free?
Yes, with Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools and PageSpeed Insights.
Which paid tool is best for site audits?
SE Ranking for value; Semrush, Ahrefs and Moz are strong alternatives.
What should I fix first?
Indexing problems, then broken pages and missing titles.
Do I need structured data?
It's optional but helps search engines understand pages; add it where it fits.
How long does a site audit take?
A small site can be audited in an afternoon; fixing issues takes longer.
Can I audit a competitor's site?
Crawl tools can audit any public site, which helps you compare technical quality.
What is the most common site audit issue?
Broken links and missing or duplicate titles are among the most frequent findings on small sites.
Can I audit my site for free?
Yes, with Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights and the free trials or limited free plans of SEO tools.
What is a crawl error?
A problem a search engine or audit tool meets when visiting a page, such as a server error, a broken link or a blocked page.
How long does a site audit take?
A small site can be checked in an afternoon; larger sites need a tool and several days to review and fix issues.
Sources
Official pricing pages of SE Ranking, Semrush and Ahrefs, checked October 29, 2026; Moz, checked October 30, 2026.