The Website Audit Checklist I Use Before Writing any SEO Strategy

(And why you shouldn’t listen to someone just selling you more blogs)

I signed a new client last week – all good stuff obviously! We’re not due to get started right away, but as I had a last-minute gap in my diary, I used the time to crack on with my standard preparation using the website audit checklist I use before thinking about keywords, blogs, or SEO strategy.

The client runs a successful recruitment business. Great reputation, excellent service, and a strong LinkedIn presence.

They’d built the website when they first set the business up… and then, like a lot of people, it was left alone.

Sound familiar?

It looked great if someone went looking for it, so the brand and design were doing their job.

But it hadn’t really been built with the goal of generating new business – or attracting the right kind of traffic through organic search.

And this is such a common situation.

Most people know about SEO. They know they should be doing something with it.

But it never quite makes it to the top of the list.

It feels overwhelming – especially when you’re busy running the day-to-day of the business.

And it’s a situation I see all the time.

Because the first instinct is usually – we need to ‘do SEO’. Let’s write a few blogs. Then when that doesn’t seem to work, the momentum fizzles out for another 12 months.

If this sounds like you – you can use my website audit checklist to make life a bit easier. And actually create a plan that works!

You can read more about this in my blog, What should an SEO content strategy include?

The mistake most people make with SEO

First – let’s sort out the basics. SEO isn’t just about getting more traffic (although that can be a big part of it).

It’s about getting the right people landing on your website, and making it as easy as possible for them when they get there.

If you haven’t nailed the foundations, more traffic alone isn’t going to cut it. So whenever I work with a new client, before I write an SEO strategy, or any SEO-focused website copy or content, I use a checklist to help me – and them understand what’s really going on.

The website audit checklist I actually use

Buckle up. Checklist ready. Pen out…

1. Is it immediately clear what your business does?

Someone lands on your website. Be honest – can they IMMEDIATELY see:

• what you offer?
• who it’s for?
• why they should work with you?

If it’s not a big fat yes to all three… you need to:

ADD TO YOUR TO DO LIST
MAKE YOUR MESSAGING CLEAR

In the specific audit I was doing – the messaging was there… but needed sharpening.

Check your own website copy after reading my blog, Website copy checklist: 7 questions to answer before you hit publish

2. Do you know what you want the website to actually do?

This sounds obvious, but can you actually answer it concisely?

‘I want my website to perform ‘better’ you might say. But what do you actually mean?

• More traffic?
• More enquiries?
• More calls?
• More bookings?
• More sales?
• Better quality leads?

In this case, there were some pretty specific goals, once we drilled down into it.

• Attract the right, sector-specific, people to the site
• Build trust and credibility for new visitors – quickly
• Make it super-easy to take the next steps

Once you’ve identified your business goals then your SEO strategy can start to have some purpose.

So before you write another blog which is destined to disappear into the void, ask yourself:

What is the main job of my website?

And if the answer isn’t clear, that’s where you need to start.

ADD TO YOUR TO-DO LIST:
DECIDE WHAT YOUR WEBSITE IS ACTUALLY THERE TO DO

3. Are your existing website pages doing their job?

Next step – look at what is already there. Not to tear it all down and start again (unless this is best for all concerned). More like:

• What’s working?
• What’s useful?
• What needs improving?
• Where are the gaps?
• Can it be refreshed and edited?
• Does it need fresh copy?
• Do you need to add, remove, or repurpose pages?

Just be methodical. Create a list and go through each page in turn.

For example:

If you have a service page, it should make the offer crystal clear: who it’s for, why it matters, how to take the next steps.

The best websites, have pages that have a clear intention and do the job they have been designed for.

Blog pages, should answer real questions, use researched keywords to attract traffic, and support the pillar content of your main pages.

Your ‘About’ page should add some personality and build trust – not send people to sleep with a run-through of your life history.

The website I audited on this occasion had some great existing content – but with some targeted revisions will see some great quick wins.

Every page needs a purpose. Checklist ready – pen out… be brutally honest and audit those pages.

If your not putting a confident tick next to each page…. You know what to do!

ADD TO YOUR TO-DO LIST:
CHECK EVERY PAGE HAS A CLEAR PURPOSE

4. Do you know what people are actually searching for?

Good keyword research underpins everything about a good SEO strategy.

And lot of businesses have never done it – so their entire website has been based on how they see their business, and how they explain what they do.

Which isn’t entirely wrong – it’s what gives your website tone of voice a distinct flavour, and stops you sounding… well – a bit dull to be honest.

But it doesn’t necessarily tally up with what people are typing into Google – which is a problem.

You can have the best service on the planet – but if no-one can find you… what a wasted opportunity!

This is where an SEO strategy comes in.

It looks at:

• what people are searching for
• how many people are searching for it
• how difficult it is to be competitive in those searches
• what kind of page Google is already showing
• search intent

When you have this sort of information in your arsenal, you’re able to make decisions about your website content that actually mean something.

Not – ‘can someone come up with a blog title? It’s Monday again.’

Instead you can start to ask:

• Do we need a better service page?
• Are we missing opportunities by not using ‘blah blah blah’ (insert keyword of choice)?
• Can we get more local business if we mention Leeds in the home page and meta title?

You get the picture.

And the starting point for all of this is good keyword research (which does of course come as standard if you sign up for my SEO content strategy, the Impact Magic Content System).

Do you really know what your customers type into Google? If not…

ADD TO YOUR TO-DO LIST:
FIND OUT WHAT YOUR IDEAL CLIENTS ARE ACTUALLY SEARCHING FOR

5. Is the website easy to move through?

Let’s be real… when it comes down to it, most humans are an essentially lazy bunch. And we definitely don’t want to waste our time and energy working out how to buy and sign up for stuff on a website that is just hard work.

Just make it easy!

When your website visitor lands on a page, do they know what you do and why it matters (hello again point 1)?

But also – where does the page take them next? Is it to a sign-up page? A purchase CTA? Can they get more information if that’s the stage they are at?

When you arrive at this point of the website audit checklist, have a play around on your site – imagine you’re a first-time visitor.

If you have to skip around between pages, go backwards and forwards, or scroll to the bottom of a VERY long page to find the action button, then guess what? It’s probably costing you business.

People are busy. And in a rush. If the next website offering your services makes life easy for them, then chances are that’s where they will go next.

So I look at the journey. The navigation. The internal links. The next steps. The places where someone might drop off.

In the the website audit I did last week, this was definitely a focus area. But the great thing is – after the audit we KNEW it was a focus area. No more guesswork when it comes to creating an action plan.

ADD TO YOUR TO-DO LIST:
MAKE THE NEXT STEP EASY – AND OBVIOUS

6. Do your calls to action actually drive any action?

‘Contact us’ the button says.

But if someone is looking for some key information, or wants to book a call… or even immediately place an order – then ‘Contact us’ suddenly seems a little weak.

You’ve probably realised by now that these steps on the checklist are pretty connected. Remember when I said that the pages of your website had a purpose? And you needed to think about the best way to move around the website for your customers’ journey?

We’re back to that same focus with your CTAs.

Yes, have a clear enquiry route.

But also think about other next steps and their placement on your website.

How about options like:

• Read the case study
• Book a call in my calendar
• Download the guide
• Start your free trial
• Watch the video
• Sign up here

As I’ve said before… make it easy.

ADD TO YOUR TO-DO LIST:
GIVE PEOPLE CLEAR AND HELPFUL NEXT STEPS

7. Would you trust this recruiter*?

*No shade recruiters! But this was the industry for the audit last week. Insert copywriter/coach/accountant/personal trainer as appropriate.

This is VERY important. You can say you’re good until you’re blue in the face. Shout about it on LinkedIn. Tell the room at a social networking event. All fine.

But PROVE IT.

When people land on your website can they see:

• Client testimonials (with real names and businesses – not anonymous snippets)?
• Recognisable logos from credible past clients?
• Case studies, where you explain your process and impact?
• Hard evidence of impact – data, tangible improvements, specific results?

Other trust factors are a great ‘About’ page. And a tone of voice that sounds human and knowledgable.

For the business last week, trust was no issue at all in the real world, or on LinkedIn. We just need to get that trust on to the website, so that new visitors just got it straight away.

If you’ve got proof, use it. Don’t be shy.

Because shy girls get nowt as the saying goes!

ADD TO YOUR TO-DO LIST:
BRING YOUR PROOF ONTO THE PAGE

Look at my case studies page and get some inspo!

8. What needs fixing first?

This is the bit that turns the audit into a proper plan.

Because once you’ve looked at points 1-7 and ticked (or not) as you worked through them you can start to see the plan appear.

You might be in a stronger position than you thought. Or maybe you thought it was all great – and you’ve had a bit of an eye-opening.

Whatever the outcome of the website audit – you now know exactly what your starting point is and can decide on what your next steps are.

The best thing about the audit is that you’re no longer guessing.

You’re making decisions based on what the website needs.

ADD TO YOUR TO-DO LIST:
CREATE A PRIORITISED ACTION PLAN

So now what?

The good news is that if you’ve worked through this checklist, you’ve basically done a decent DIY website audit. And you should already be in a stronger position than before.

And the even better news – you haven’t had to spend any money.

You might already have a list of things to fix, or even just done the work already to make the improvements.

All great news. But also sometimes a point where people get stuck or frustrated.

What if you do all of that, but you’re STILL not seeing the results you need? Unfortunately, even with the best DIY checklist in the world, this might happen.

There’s a layer of SEO that lives behind the website, which unless you’re a techy whizz for the technical issues, or an SEO expert for all the other stuff, you just won’t see.

Things like:

• Doing thorough keyword research and looking at volume and intent
• Mapping the right keywords to the right pages (and tracking it)
• Structuring content so both people and search engines can understand it (headings, hierarchy, internal links – all the stuff that makes you glaze over)
• Writing meta titles and descriptions that actually improve search and click-through rate
• Tracking what’s happening using tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4
• Spotting opportunities in the data and turning them into new content or page improvements
• Building a content plan that supports your services and targets your ideal client

And sometimes, there are technical elements in the background that need attention too – website speed and broken links etc.

So, if you’ve done the checklist and things still aren’t quite right, it doesn’t mean SEO is a scam!

But it might mean you need a bit more help.

The full picture of your website and SEO content

The checklist is there to help you understand your website. And hopefully, it helped you spot any weaknesses and fill any gaps. So where you are now is the best place you can be without extra help – and if you get help, you’re not wasting money addressing things you could sort out yourself.

Winning so far then.

But if you really want the best results possible then it might be time to take your SEO focus to the next level.

• A deep dive ‘crawl’ and detailed audit of all on-page and technical aspects of the site
• An SEO strategy with your business goals underpinning every step and action
• Thorough keyword research that feeds into and supports your SEO content plan
• A website review that ensures pages are designed with purpose
• A user experience that is easy and helps visitors become customers (back to those CTAs!)
• A clear plan that means your SEO activity is monitored, reported and built over time

That’s the difference between doing ‘a bit of SEO’ and having a strategy that helps you get seen, make sales and grow your business.

Want some help with your SEO content strategy?

If you’ve read this, done the work, and want to take the next steps – I’m here to help.

The checklist is ALWAYS the best starting point. It addresses the basics, and helps to identify the work that needs to be done. When you work with me, that’s where we’ll start – getting a clear picture of where you are rigt now – and where you want to be in the future.

My Impact Magic Content System looks at that picture and helps us to create an SEO strategy and content plan that works.

Get in touch today or drop me an email to book a call.

hello@victoriaburton.uk

Frequently asked questions about website audits and SEO

What is a website audit checklist?

A website audit checklist is a structured way to review how your website is performing. It looks at things like your messaging, pages, structure, keywords, user journey and SEO foundations, so you can clearly see what’s working and what needs improving.

Why isn’t my website generating leads?

In most cases, it’s not one single issue. It’s usually a combination of unclear messaging, weak page structure, poor alignment with what people are searching for, and a lack of clear calls to action. A website audit helps you pinpoint where those gaps are.

Do I need SEO or a website audit first?

A website audit should always come first. It gives you a clear picture of your current setup, so any SEO work — whether that’s content, keywords or strategy — is built on solid foundations rather than guesswork.