Is your website invisible to potential customers? You’ve invested in a professional website, compelling content, and even some digital marketing—yet your site remains buried in search results. At the same time, competitors capture the traffic and leads that should be yours.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many businesses struggle with search visibility despite their best efforts. The problem often lies not in what you’re doing, but in what you’re missing—the hidden technical issues, content gaps, and strategic oversights that only a comprehensive SEO audit can reveal.

In this expert guide, we’ll walk you through how to perform a professional-grade SEO audit that uncovers these invisible barriers to your online success. Whether you’re a business owner looking to understand the process or a marketing manager preparing to conduct your audit, you’ll discover the same methodical approach our SEO specialists at ProfileTree use to transform underperforming websites into powerful lead-generation engines.

What is an SEO Audit?

Is your website failing to generate the traffic and leads you expect? Are you wondering why your site isn’t performing well in search results despite your investments in digital marketing? The answer to these problems might lie in conducting a comprehensive SEO audit.

An SEO audit is a thorough analysis of your website that identifies issues preventing optimal search engine performance. It examines your site’s technical foundation, content quality, and external factors to uncover opportunities for improvement that can significantly boost your online visibility and conversion rates.

At ProfileTree, our digital marketing experts focus on three core areas when conducting a professional SEO audit:

• Technical SEO – The foundation that makes your site accessible to search engines
• On-Page SEO – Content and structural elements that signal relevance to search engines
• Off-Page SEO – External factors that build trust and authority

“A properly executed SEO audit doesn’t just identify problems—it provides a strategic roadmap that aligns with your business goals and delivers measurable results. We’ve seen businesses transform their digital performance after implementing the recommendations from a comprehensive audit.” – Ciaran Connolly, Director of ProfileTree

It’s essential to have your technical SEO in order before moving on to other elements.

On-Page SEO Audit

The on-page SEO audit deals with how the content looks on the website. This is pretty general, but any problems with the content are fixed during the SEO website audit. Quick fixes include:

• Unique Titles—Each page’s title must be unique and tell your reader what the page is about. Each title is between 50 and 65 characters.
• URL Structure—URLS should be clean, unique, and formatted correctly for every page. Be sure to include your keyword in your URL.
• Description Tag – This should be between 150 – 160 characters. You mustn’t be stuffing keywords into the description tag.
• Content-Length – This has been discussed at length, but it’s always best to have content that’s long at least 500 words. If your content is less than that, there’s a chance it.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the things you should look out for during the on-page stage of your audit.

Unique Content

Quality content is the most significant part of ranking better than other websites. Copyscape is an SEO audit tool that checks each page’s uniqueness and for duplicate or plagiarised content.

Formatting

Plain text won’t work. Each page is formatted correctly with an H1 (Title) and multiple H2S (subheadings). Use bold, italics, and lists when needed.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics finds your most popular pages. These pages are free of spelling mistakes, grammar issues, wrong information, or incorrectly formatted content.

Redirect Similar Pages

With duplicate or similar pages, the 301 redirect directs your readers to the popular page. Everything on the site should be fresh to improve rankings. While posting every day is not needed, a regular schedule is recommended.

Internal Linking

Another vital SEO website audit task is using internal linking. Most people create content but don’t link to their website. Not only is this helpful to your readers, but search engines will take notice. Each page should have at least two internal links but no more than 10.

Fix Links

While on the topic of links, check for broken links. Broken links are a horrible user experience. There are multiple tools to use when checking external links. The other option is the “raw errors” report on Google. Three hundred and one redirects are the best and easiest way to fix broken links.

Images

Images add a high-quality look to your page while making it easier to read. During the SEO website audit, there are three things to check:

• Filenames describe what your image is. Keywords can be used.
• Every single image needs an ALT tag description.
• Every image is compressed to the smallest size.

Off-Page SEO Audit

Once you have fixed everything on your page, it’s time to focus on the off-page audit.

The off-page audit checks the results to determine the website’s popularity. During this time, we’ll check whether or not people are linking to your website and which websites have your links.

The more websites that link to your site, the more trustworthy it’s considered.

How to Perform an SEO Audit in 8 Steps

Before you start planning this SEO campaign, you must have a good idea of where your website stands in the eyes of search engines. You can do this by performing at least one SEO audit on your website. Here is a guide that will help you perform the first SEO audit for your site. Some pieces of software will be helpful to – some will be free, and some may be charged. These will range from website crawling to a rank tracker, so you can measure any changes you make to rank higher.

Step 1. Use Screaming Frog Crawl

First, you should use a program like Screaming Frog to crawl your website. This will identify the following during your SEO audit:

• Errors – 404 pages and other server and client issues.
• Redirects – Temporary or permanent redirects (301, 302).
• External links – All of the sites your website links to.
• URL issues – Uppercase characters, underscores, lengthy URLs and dynamic URLs.
• Duplicate pages – Pages with duplicate content.
• Page title tags – Short, long, missing, or duplicate page title tags.
• Meta description tags – Short, long, missing, or duplicate meta description tags.

It should only take a few minutes to crawl your entire website using Screaming Frog. You should export all the data you receive in the report to an Excel spreadsheet, where you can use it to analyse the data and plan the next step of your SEO strategy.

Step 2. Use Google Webmaster Tools and Analytics

Register your website or blog with Google Webmaster Tools. If you don’t have Google Analytics, sign up for it.

Use the Google Webmaster Tools and Analytics to measure your website’s health and pinpoint crawl errors that Google is encountering during your SEO audit. You will be able to know how fast your website loads and more. There is a guide that will teach you about all the features of the Google Webmaster Tools.

Step 3: Keywords

Now that you have data about your title tags, meta keywords and meta descriptions from Screaming Frog, you can determine what your website is attempting to rank for.

Use this and the keyword data from your Google Analytics to determine which keywords drive traffic to your website or blog.

Enter the keywords from Google Analytics and Screaming Frog into the Keyword Planner. This tool will list keyword ideas – an essential tool in your SEO audit.

One of the main advantages of Google’s Keyword Suggestion tool is that it will provide you with information about how competitive various keywords are.

You will also know the number of times the keyword has been searched worldwide. This is referred to as ‘global searches’. You will also know the number of monthly local searches for the keyword. All searches for a keyword in your country are local searches.

Both the Keyword Suggestion Tool and Screaming Frog will help you compare the keywords you are targeting with those you could be targeting. Be sure to keep the following in mind when using the Keyword Suggestion Tool for your SEO audit:

• Local searches matter more – Since a U.S. website is more likely to rank well in the United States, you should focus on regional rather than global searches.
• Don’t target the most competitive keywords. Instead, focus on keywords that are not competitive but receive a significant search volume.

Comparing Keyword Tracking Tools

When selecting a keyword-tracking platform, consider the following features:

• Keyword data – Rankings, search volume, CPC, competition metrics
• Ranking tracking – Track website and competitor rankings in SERPs
• Alerts – Get notified when keywords hit specific ranking milestones
• Reporting – Customizable ranking reports and charts
• API integration – Connect with other analytics platforms like Google Analytics
• Export options – Download ranking data as CSV/Excel

Top tools include

• Semrush – Robust keyword data, rank tracking, and reporting. Competitor analysis. Higher pricing tiers.
• Ahrefs – Tracks rankings across 210+ countries. Alerts and reporting. 7-day trial available.
• Moz – Full keyword data plus rank tracking. Good reporting and API options.
• Serpstat – Affordable plans as low as $15/month. Tracks Bing and Google.
• Rank Tracker – A specialised rank checker just for rankings. Free version available.

Statistics to Add

• 72% of marketers say they check keyword rankings at least 2x per month, according to an Impact survey.
• The average CTR for the top 3 rank positions is between 10% and 20%, a key benchmark for high-volume keywords.
• Websites that track keywords weekly, long-term, see 133% more organic traffic on average (JumpFly study).

Step 4: URLs

URLs provide necessary signals to both users and search engines:

• URL format check – Ensure URLs are static rather than dynamic when possible
• Length evaluation – Keep URLs under 100 characters for a better user experience
• Readability assessment – Create URLs that humans can easily understand and remember
• Keyword inclusion – Incorporate relevant keywords naturally in the URL structure

If your audit reveals problematic URLs, implement 301 redirects from old URLs to new, improved versions to preserve link equity.

Step 5: Title Tags

One major misconception about title tags is that Google and other search engines measure them using character limits.

However, Google counts the pixels to measure title tags. Therefore, you should export title tag data from the Screaming Frog report to your Excel spreadsheet. Change the font type of the data to Arial and the font size to 12.

Google evaluates your title tags this way. Set the Excel column width to 520 pixels, which is Google’s cut-off limit. Three hundred twenty pixels is considered too short, while 520 pixels is too long.

Here are the guidelines you should follow to change your title tags:

• Limit title tags to 50 to 65 characters.
• Use unique title tags for every page.
• Use the keyword for the specific page once if there is enough space.
• Include a geo-qualifier if it is relevant.

Step 6: Meta Descriptions

One of the main mistakes companies make regarding their meta description tags is keyword stuffing. Of course, you should put keywords in your meta descriptions. However, you also want your meta descriptions to be engaging and readable.

An engaging meta description will encourage people to click on the link to your website in the search results.

If you don’t have duplicate or missing meta description tags, here are a few guidelines for writing excellent meta descriptions:

• Ensure the meta description is relevant and unique to the page.
• Write the meta description with a call to action and descriptive ad text.
• The meta description should not exceed 160 characters, including punctuation and spaces; the ideal is 140-150 characters (fewer than 51 characters is considered too short).
• The meta description should consist of one to two complete sentences with proper punctuation and no more than five commas.
• Use the keyword once for each sentence; the keyword should be closer to the beginning of each sentence.
• Include geo-qualifiers if relevant.

Step 7: Meta Keyword Tags

Content remains the foundation of SEO success:

• Word count assessment – Check for sufficient depth (aim for at least 400-600 words for standard pages)
• Originality verification – Use tools like Copyscape to confirm uniqueness
• Formatting evaluation – Verify proper use of headers, lists, and paragraph structure
• Readability analysis – Ensure content is accessible to your target audience
• Keyword usage – Check for natural incorporation of target terms
• Media inclusion – Assess use of images, videos, and other engaging elements

For essential pages targeting competitive terms, aim for comprehensive content (1000+ words) that thoroughly addresses user questions.

Step 8: Content

Chances are, you know about the saying, “Content is king.” Therefore, you want to ensure each page on your website has enough content.

Unfortunately, Screaming Frog is not the best at analysing content on all pages of your website or blog. However, you can simply browse your website to identify the pages that don’t have sufficient content.

If a page lacks content, you should add unique content to it regularly. Also, be sure to add valuable content. In general, the web pages that rank highest in the search results of

Google is for those with more than 2,400 words of content. Since you may struggle to ensure each page has at least 2,400 words of content, you should initially strive for 400 to 600 words.

Outsourcing vs DIY: Making the Right Choice

You have two main options regarding SEO audits: conduct the audit yourself using free tools or hire professionals like ProfileTree to do it for you.

DIY SEO Audit Approach

If you have some technical knowledge and a limited budget, you can perform a basic SEO audit using free tools:

• Advantages:
  • No direct financial cost
  • Valuable learning experience
  • Complete control over the process
• Challenges:
  • Time-intensive (expect to spend several days for a thorough audit)
  • Limited access to premium tools
  • Risk of missing important technical issues
  • Difficulty interpreting results without expertise

Professional SEO Audit Services

Hiring an experienced agency like ProfileTree offers significant benefits:

• Advantages:
  • Comprehensive analysis using premium tools
  • Expert interpretation of technical issues
  • Actionable recommendations tailored to your business goals
  • Time savings for your team
  • Implementation support for complex fixes
  • Training to help maintain best practices
• Our Approach:
  • In-depth technical analysis beyond surface-level issues
  • Content evaluation from both SEO and user experience perspectives
  • Competitive analysis to identify market opportunities
  • Custom recommendations aligned with your business objectives
  • Implementation support for technical changes
  • Follow-up monitoring to verify improvements

Perform an SEO Audit: Outsource or Do It Yourself?

Of course, it is worth considering whether you want to conduct an SEO audit yourself or pay a professional to do it.

There are pros and cons to each. For instance, SEO analysis tools can tell you the technical issues with your site, but that doesn’t help if you don’t know how to fix them. By contrast, you might not have the budget to hire an agency.

Perform a Free SEO Audit

If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, conducting a free SEO audit by yourself is a fantastic option. As we’ve seen, this requires you to use existing software to crawl your site for issues.

Hire an Agency to Audit your SEO

Usually, hiring a marketing agency to audit your site for SEO is the best option. Even if you’re on a tight budget, most modern agencies will offer a combination of training and direct services to help you get the most SEO value.

Engaging an agency can be more cost-effective in the long run than going down the DIY route. A task that takes you a day to complete might only take an hour for an experienced SEO professional.

Specialists are also less likely to break something in the back end of your site.

As such, you should always contact at least a few agencies for quotes before taking any SEO actions yourself.

How ProfileTree Enhances Your SEO Performance

At ProfileTree, our approach to SEO goes beyond basic audits. We provide comprehensive digital marketing solutions that integrate seamlessly with your business goals:

Web Design & Development Expertise

Our web design and development team creates websites that not only look great but are built with SEO success in mind:

• SEO-friendly architecture – Structuring your site for optimal crawling and indexing
• Mobile-first design – Ensuring perfect performance across all devices
• Performance optimisation – Building for speed and user experience
• WordPress expertise – Leveraging the platform’s SEO advantages with custom implementations

Content Marketing Strategy

Our content specialists help you develop and implement content that ranks well and converts visitors:

• Keyword-driven content planning – Creating content maps based on search demand
• Engaging multimedia content – Producing videos, infographics, and interactive elements
• Content optimisation – Refining existing assets for better performance
• Regular content audits – Identifying underperforming content for improvement

Technical SEO Implementation

Our technical team handles the complex backend optimisations that many businesses struggle with:

• Site speed enhancements – Improving Core Web Vitals and overall performance
• Schema markup implementation – Adding structured data for rich snippets
• JavaScript optimisation – Ensuring proper rendering of dynamic content
• International SEO – Setting up hreflang and other multi-regional elements

AI Integration for SEO Advantage

As AI continues to transform search, we help businesses leverage these technologies for competitive advantage:

• AI content analysis – Using advanced tools to optimise content quality
• Predictive keyword research – Identifying emerging trends before competitors
• Automated technical monitoring – Catching issues before they impact rankings
• AI training for your team – Building internal capabilities for sustainable success

Conclusion: Transform Your Digital Presence with a Comprehensive SEO Audit

A properly executed SEO audit is not merely a technical exercise—it’s a strategic business investment that delivers lasting returns. Whether you conduct the audit using our guide or partner with ProfileTree’s expert team, the insights gained will help you build a more substantial online presence that drives traffic, leads, and revenue.

Remember that SEO is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. Regular audits (quarterly or biannually) help ensure your site maintains optimal performance as search algorithms evolve and your business grows.

Ready to unlock your website’s full potential? Contact ProfileTree today for a professional SEO audit that identifies growth opportunities and provides a clear roadmap to digital success.

Ready to Boost Your Search Rankings?

Book your free 15-minute SEO consultation with ProfileTree today.

Discover what’s holding your website back and get a clear roadmap to better rankings and more leads. Our Belfast-based experts have helped businesses across Northern Ireland, Ireland, and the UK achieve measurable results through strategic SEO improvements.