The SEO audit is a tool for better understanding how a website is performing as both an SEO and marketing vehicle. Here at Webtek, we recommend regular audits to ensure that things are always going as planned. How ‘regular’ is defined depends on the size, scope, and nature of the website in question.
Ideally, an SEO audit should not uncover any problems. But that is rarely the case as no website is perfect. No web developer or SEO expert does things right all the time. That’s why we do audits. With that in mind, here are five of the most pressing issues uncovered by SEO audits:
1. Lack of Proper Security
A lack of proper security is the most pressing issue for obvious reasons. At the very least, a website should be protected by the hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) protocol. HTTPS is the secure version of the traditional HTTP protocol.
This is a major issue but one that can be corrected very easily. A website owner simply converts the entire site to HTTPS after obtaining an SSL certificate from a trusted certificate authority. One of the more commonly used authorities is known as Let’s Encrypt.
2. Mobile Optimization Issues
When an SEO audit reveals mobile optimization issues, it’s a safe bet that the site is not performing will in organic Google searches. Why? Because Google gives preference to mobile friendly sites. When all things are equal and Google needs to choose between a site that is mobile friendly and one that is not, it will choose the friendly site. That makes mobile optimization issues pressing for SEO purposes.
Among the most common issues in this category is a lack of responsiveness. A truly responsive website functions properly and looks aesthetically pleasing on any kind of device regardless of screen size. A lack of responsiveness does not appeal to mobile users.
3. Poor Load Times
In addition to mobile friendliness, Google also gives high priority to pages that load quickly. Yet oftentimes, an SEO audit reveals just the opposite. The audit shows poor load times for one or more pages on the site. If the entire site loads too slowly, its owner can expect less traffic along with poor performance in organic search results.
4. Indexing-Related Issues
SEO audits often reveal indexing-related issues, especially where new websites are concerned. Indexing is the ability of a search engine to include a particular page in its list of results during an organic search. If pages are not being indexed, they are also not being displayed.
Common indexing-related problems include a missing or incorrect robots.txt file, pages returning error codes, and a variety of similar issues that keep crawlers from doing their job. If Google cannot crawl your website, your site will not be indexed.
5. URL and Redirection Issues
A URL is a page’s address on the worldwide web. An SEO audit revealing URL and redirection issues could point to:
- Multiple versions of a single page
- Conflicting canonical URLs
- Dead URLs (pages that no longer exist)
- Internal or external redirect loops
Given the importance of the URL as a way of locating a page on the web, problematic URLs really should be addressed as quickly as possible.
When Was Your Last Audit?
When was the last time your website underwent an SEO audit? If it has been a while, perhaps it’s time to contact Webtek. As a Salt Lake City SEO and digital marketing firm, we provide auditing services capable of uncovering pressing issues with even the most complex sites. Let us help you get your site back up to spec.
