What is an SEO Audit?

Every single one of my clients gets an SEO audit. It’s the first step of any awesome SEO strategy to help them achieve their goals. But what is an SEO audit and why is it the first thing I complete for my clients? Read on to find out everything you need to know about SEO audits. Plus, why any SEO freelancer or agency should offer one before beginning any work.

What is the purpose of an SEO Audit?

An SEO audit is the first step in any SEO strategy. An audit’s purpose is to identify:

• Where your website sits in the online marketplace.
• What foundational issues may be affecting its organic search performance.
• The core target audience of the site.
• Who the brands’ main competitors are in search engines.

Once the information for these areas has been extracted and analysed, a plan of action can be implemented. As with any business audit, an SEO one is all about understanding the current state of the business. But in this case, it relates only to Organic Search performance.

What is part of an SEO Audit?

Now we understand what the purpose is, we can identify the key things an SEO audit should cover to gain the correct information. Every SEO expert will approach audits in a slightly different way. Ultimately, this is because the SEO specialist working on your project will hone it so they can work effectively on your site using their specific specialisms and skills. An SEO audit may also look different depending on:

• The size of the company.
• The industry they are in.
• How the website has been created and its digital history.
• The goals, challenges and opportunities of the business being audited.

These are some of the most common sections of an audit that are often presented to the customer in written format.

Website Analysis

Analysis is the key part of an SEO audit and one that cannot be skipped. Website analysis includes analysing traffic, behavioural metrics and conversions. This will be primarily from Organic Search sources, but may also analyse direct, social and other referral traffic. This will determine what’s working on a website. But, it will also highlight areas of improvement. Depending on the score of the audit, this may include an analysis of the site from any area of SEO; technical, off-page, on-page or UX related.

Keyword Research

Another vital part of an SEO audit and probably the most important aspect of SEO is keyword research. Keywords are the words and phrases that users search for in Search Engines (SEs). As SEs are serving up Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs) for users based on their queries, it’s important to know what those queries are. If you discover the terms people are searching for that relate to your business, you can optimise your site for them. By understanding your keywords you may build your audience, increase your customers and grow your business. An audit will reveal which keywords are most important for your business. At the same time, it will highlight whether you are currently ranking for those keywords.

Target Market Identification

Every business should know its target audience or customer persona. Researching and identifying your core target market and the audiences that want your products and services determines a lot. It can help you choose the right language for content, the best branding to get their attention and the correct content campaigns to rank higher. Finding your target audience will not only inform your SEO strategy but all other marketing campaigns you pursue.

Competitor Analysis

Competitor research helps determine where your brand needs to focus its SEO efforts. If you identify your main competitors for keywords and phrases, you can place emphasis on keywords that are working for them. You can also take a leaf out of their book as to how to tackle your campaigns. But remember, it’s never about copying competitors, only offering better. A competitor analysis from a content perspective will also highlight copy and content that performs well socially as well as in search engines.

The Benefits of an SEO Audit

An SEO audit is the most beneficial step you can take when first starting your SEO journey. It’s also beneficial if you are changing SEO providers. It can also be helpful when you are undertaking a new strategy for business reasons such as a new product, new service or new branding. Here are the top reasons why you should get an SEO audit.

• Highlight what needs to be fixed on your site, while also showing what is working and therefore doesn’t need to change.
• Identify keywords and phrases that will attract traffic and convert to sales or leads.
• Identifies the right audiences to target and helps determine how to target them.
• Determines your main competitors and how to gain the edge over them.
• Improve your website for users through content, site speed & user experience optimisations
• Helps plan your next move. This is the key benefit you will gain. Strategy is nothing without a plan to follow.

An SEO Audit with Middleton Marketing

The SEO Audits I perform for my clients include; website analysis, target market identification, competitor analysis and keyword research. Plus, every one of my audits provides a 3-month optimisation plan as standard. My SEO audits can be provided on a one-off basis or as part of an extended SEO campaign. If you would like just an audit, there is no obligation after completion. You can choose for me to implement the plan, give it to another contractor or sign up for one of my consultancy packages if you are ready to take on the challenge and do it yourself. However you want to work, we can grow your business together.