1.1 billion websites.
That’s the staggering number of websites that currently exist. What's more interesting is that by the time you finish reading this article, over 2,000 new web pages will have been created. With only 18% active and visible, most of these pages are going to end up languishing in obscurity.
With the volume of web pages created daily, ensuring your website is discoverable by search engines is crucial. This is where the power of a technical SEO audit comes into play. It's your website's backstage pass to search engine visibility, ensuring your valuable content isn't lost.
By meticulously examining the technical underpinnings of your site, an audit uncovers hidden obstacles that may be hindering your rankings and organic traffic.
Related: How to do Keyword Research in 2024
What is a Technical SEO Audit?
A technical SEO audit is a comprehensive examination of your website's technical infrastructure as it relates to search engine optimization. It's a health checkup for your site, meticulously analyzing various factors that influence how search engines crawl, index, and rank your pages. This can be anything from slow loading times to messy site structures, or broken links.
Why is a Technical SEO Audit Important?
A great user experience is central to every digital strategy. Search engines recognize this and prioritize websites that offer seamless and enjoyable browsing. A technical SEO audit ensures your site meets these high standards, by allowing search engines to;
Crawl Efficiently: Search engine bots need to easily navigate your website's structure to discover and index all your valuable pages. An audit helps identify and eliminate roadblocks like broken links, redirect chains, or complex site architecture.
Index Accurately: Ensuring your pages are properly indexed means they have a chance to appear in relevant search results. An audit helps identify issues that might prevent search engines from including your pages in their vast index, such as noindex tags or incorrect canonicalization.
Rank Higher: When your site is technically sound and user-friendly, search engines view it favorably, increasing your chances of ranking higher in search results for relevant keywords.
Key Components of a Technical SEO Audit
A comprehensive technical SEO audit scrutinizes various elements that impact your website's performance in search engine rankings. Here’s a break down of the critical factors;
Site Speed
It is not just about user satisfaction; it's a major ranking factor for search engines. A sluggish website can lead to high bounce rates, frustrated users, and lower search visibility.
A website audit will identify areas for improvement, such as optimizing images, leveraging browser caching, and minimizing bloated code bloat.
Tools like GTmetrix, Google PageSpeed Insights, and WebPageTest can help you pinpoint bottlenecks and get specific recommendations for optimization.
Mobile-Friendliness
Majority of internet users browse on mobile devices. Consequently, your site must be able to adapt flawlessly to the different screen sizes associated with mobile devices.
A non-mobile-friendly site not only frustrates users but also hurts your search engine rankings. An audit evaluates your site's responsiveness and identifies any mobile-specific issues like viewport configuration problems, touch element sizing, or slow mobile page speed.
Bing's Mobile-Friendly Test is a handy tool for a quick check.
Crawlability & Indexability
While crawlability measures how easily search engines can discover and crawl your web pages, indexability refers to whether search engines choose to include your pages in their index.
Issues like broken links, incorrect robots.txt directives, and overly complex site structures can hinder crawlability, while problems like noindex tags, thin content, or server errors can prevent pages from being indexed.
Tools like Screaming Frog and Lumar can help you visualize your site's structure and identify crawl errors.
Structured Data
This is also known as schema markup. It is a way to provide additional context about your content to search engines.
Appropriate schema markup can help your site show up for rich results in search listings (like star ratings for products or event dates) and improve overall understanding, leading to more relevant search results.
One tool to validate your schema implementation is Google's Structured Data Testing Tool.
XML Sitemaps & Robots.txt
These are essential files that guide search engine bots through your website.
An XML sitemap is like a table of contents, listing all the important pages you want search engines to crawl and index.
Your sitemap must be up-to-date and submitted to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
The robots.txt file, on the other hand, tells search engine bots which parts of your website they can and cannot access.
Security (HTTPS)
This security measure encrypts data transmitted between your website and users, protecting sensitive information. It's also a positive ranking signal for search engines.
Check your site's HTTPS status in your browser's address bar - you should see a padlock icon if it's secure.
URL Structure
Your URL should be clean, logical, and descriptive. This will make it easier for both users and search engines to understand your site's hierarchy.
Avoid long, complex URLs with meaningless characters. Instead, aim for keyword-rich URLs that are easy to read. Don’t try to fit in your entire keyword if it is long (that will amount to keyword stuffing and negatively impact the site).
Internal Linking
Interlinking allows you to connect pages within your website, aiding navigation and distributing link equity (ranking power).
Ensure your internal links are relevant to the content on both the linking and linked pages, and use descriptive anchor text that accurately reflects the content of the linked page.
Duplicate Content
With duplicate content, you confuse search engines, making it difficult to determine which version of the content to rank. This can arise from URL variations, product pages with similar descriptions, or syndicated content.
Address duplicate content issues using canonical tags or 301 redirects, or consider rewriting the content to make it unique.
5 Critical Steps When Conducting a Technical SEO Audit
A technically sound website is the foundation for a successful SEO strategy. So how do you perform one? Whether you’re a newbie or seasoned SEO pro, the following steps and tools will help you conduct a thorough technical SEO audit and identify areas for improvement.
Crawl Your Website
The first step in any technical SEO audit is to crawl your website. This involves using a tool to systematically navigate through your site's pages and gather data about its structure, content, and technical elements.
Tools for Crawling
Screaming Frog: This popular tool offers both a free and paid version. The free version allows you to crawl up to 500 URLs, which is sufficient for smaller websites. The paid version unlocks unlimited crawling capabilities and advanced features like custom extractions and JavaScript rendering.
Lumar: This is an industry-renowned website crawler that's ideal for larger and more complex websites. It provides in-depth technical SEO analysis and actionable insights.
Sitebulb: Sitebulb is another powerful website crawler that offers a visual representation of your site's structure and highlights technical SEO issues.
Ahrefs & Semrush: These comprehensive SEO suites also include site audit features that can help you identify technical problems.
Key Elements to Analyze during the Crawl
Broken Links: Identify and fix any internal or external links that lead to 404 errors. Broken links create a poor user experience and can negatively impact your search engine rankings.
Missing Meta Tags: Ensure all pages have unique and descriptive title tags and meta descriptions. These elements provide crucial information to search engines and users about the content of your pages.
Duplicate Content: Identify and address any instances of duplicate content using canonical tags or 301 redirects. Duplicate content can confuse search engines and dilute your site's authority.
Redirect Chains & Loops: Check for long redirect chains or redirect loops that can slow down your site and confuse search engines. Aim to keep redirects to a minimum and ensure they are implemented correctly.
XML Sitemap & Robots.txt Issues: Ensure these files are properly configured and accessible to search engines. Your XML sitemap should list all the important pages on your site, while your robots.txt file should guide search engine bots on which pages to crawl and index.
Check Indexability
Once you've crawled your website, the next step is to ensure that your important pages are indexed by search engines. This means they are included in the search engine's database and have a chance to appear in relevant search results.
Tools for Checking Indexability
Google Search Console: The report in Google Search Console provides valuable information about which pages on your site are indexed and which ones are excluded.
Site: Search: You can also perform a simple site: search in Google (e.g., site:yourwebsite.com) to see which pages are currently indexed.
Addressing Indexation Issues
If you find important pages that are not indexed, investigate the reasons and take corrective action. This might involve:
Removing Noindex Tags: Check if any pages have a "noindex" tag in their meta robots tag or HTTP header, which instructs search engines not to index the page.
Improving Content Quality: Thin or low-quality content might not be deemed valuable enough for indexing. Enhance the content on these pages or consider consolidating them with other relevant pages.
Fixing Crawl Errors: Address any crawl errors identified in your website crawl that might be preventing search engines from accessing and indexing your pages.
Analyze Site Speed
Website speed is a critical factor for both user experience and search engine rankings. Slow-loading pages can lead to high bounce rates, frustrated users, and lower search engine visibility.
Tools for Analyzing Site Speed
GTmetrix: Provides detailed insights into your website's loading speed, including waterfall charts, performance scores, and actionable recommendations for improvement.
Google PageSpeed Insights: Another valuable tool from Google that analyzes your page speed and offers suggestions for optimization.
WebPageTest: Allows you to test your website's speed from different locations and browsers, providing a more comprehensive understanding of its performance.
Identifying and Addressing Bottlenecks
Review Tool Recommendations: Pay close attention to the specific recommendations provided by these tools to identify areas for improvement.
Common Issues: Some common culprits for slow site speed include large image files, unoptimized code, and excessive HTTP requests.
Implement Fixes: Work with your web developer to implement the recommended changes, such as optimizing images, minifying code, and leveraging browser caching.
Test Mobile-Friendliness
With the majority of internet users accessing websites on mobile devices, ensuring your site is mobile-friendly is no longer optional. It's essential for providing a positive user experience and maintaining good search engine rankings.
Tool for Testing Mobile-Friendliness
Bing’s Mobile-Friendly Test Tool: This free tool from Bing allows you to quickly check if your website is optimized for mobile devices.
Addressing Mobile Usability Issues
If the tool identifies any problems, such as:
Viewport Configuration Errors: Ensure your website's viewport meta tag is correctly set up to control how the page is displayed on different screen sizes.
Touch Element Sizing Issues: Make sure buttons and other interactive elements are large enough and spaced appropriately for easy tapping on touchscreens.
Slow Mobile Page Speed: Optimize your website's performance for mobile devices to ensure fast loading times.
Review XML Sitemap & Robots.txt
These two files play a crucial role in guiding search engine bots through your website and ensuring they can access and index your content effectively.
XML Sitemap
Check Accessibility: Make sure your XML sitemap is properly formatted, up-to-date, and submitted to Google Search Console.
Verify Inclusion: Confirm that your sitemap includes all the important pages on your site that you want search engines to index.
Robots.txt
Review for Blocks: Examine your robots.txt file to ensure it's not inadvertently blocking important pages or resources from being crawled and indexed.
Disallow Sensitive Content: Use robots.txt to disallow access to sensitive or private areas of your website that you don't want search engines to index.
Related: Organic Vs Paid Traffic
Conclusion
Whether you choose to embark on a DIY audit or enlist the help of a professional SEO agency, the insights gained in this guide will empower you to make informed decisions and optimize your site for long-term success.
By mastering the technical SEO audit, you'll ensure your website remains in peak condition, attracting more organic traffic, engaging visitors, and ultimately driving conversions.
Ready to take your website's performance to new heights? Explore our comprehensive SEO services at Bluematech and let our team of experts guide you.
Frequently Asked Question
What is the difference between a technical SEO audit and a regular SEO audit?
A technical SEO audit focuses specifically on the technical aspects of your website that impact its search engine visibility. A regular SEO audit, on the other hand, encompasses a broader range of factors, including on-page optimization, content quality, and backlink profile.
How often should I conduct a technical SEO audit?
The frequency of technical SEO audits depends on the size and complexity of your website, as well as the frequency of changes and updates you make. As a general guideline;
Small websites: Conduct an audit every 6-12 months.
Medium websites: Conduct an audit every 3-6 months.
Large websites: Conduct an audit every 1-3 months.
After major website changes: Always conduct an audit after significant changes to your website's structure, design, or content.
Can I fix technical SEO issues myself, or do I need to hire a professional?
While some basic technical SEO issues, like fixing broken links or optimizing images, can be addressed with a bit of technical know-how and readily available tools, the complexity of technical SEO can quickly escalate.
If you're dealing with anything more complex, hiring a professional at Bluematech can be a game-changer. Our team of experts has the experience and specialized knowledge to conduct comprehensive audits, identify even the most subtle technical problems, and implement effective solutions.
What are some common technical SEO issues that can impact my website's performance?
Some of the most common technical SEO issues include;
Slow page loading speed: This can frustrate users and lead to higher bounce rates.
Mobile usability problems: A non-mobile-friendly website can negatively impact both user experience and search engine rankings.
Crawl errors: These prevent search engine bots from accessing and indexing your pages.
Incorrect canonicalization: This can lead to duplicate content issues and confuse search engines.
How long will it take to see results after fixing technical SEO issues?
The time it takes to see results after fixing technical SEO issues can vary depending on the severity of the issues and the overall competitiveness of your industry. However, you can typically expect to see some improvements in your website's search engine visibility and organic traffic within a few weeks to a few months.
What are some tips for maintaining good technical SEO health?
Regularly monitor your website's performance using tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics.
Conduct periodic technical SEO audits to catch any new issues that might arise.
Stay updated on the latest SEO trends and algorithm updates.
Work with a reputable SEO agency or consultant for ongoing support and guidance.
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