The website audit is a tool we use to measure performance, functionality, and productivity. It involves looking at multiple aspects of a website to identify what is working and what isn’t. Areas of improvement are identified, and an action plan is adopted. It sounds simple enough until you understand that there are five distinct types of website audits.
A comprehensive website audit can include all five. However, sometimes it’s not necessary to be so thorough. Regardless, regular website audits are a good idea; they help keep a website in tip-top shape.
Here are the five types of website audits and the purpose of each one:
1. Technical Audit
There is some debate in our industry as to which type of audit is the most important. They are all equally important, but the one at the top of our list is the technical audit. It focuses on a website’s underlying structure and core function. A technical audit looks at what is under the hood, so to speak.
Technical audits look at:
- Overall site speed, individual page load times
- Mobile friendliness and responsiveness
- Site crawlability and indexability
- Broken links
- The XML sitemap and Robots.txt file
- Current SSL certificates
Looking under the hood is a critical part of the website audit because technical functions impact everything else. It’s a lot like a car. If the engine doesn’t run, the rest of the car becomes useless.
2. SEO Audit
Next up is the SEO audit. As you already know, a website must be optimized for SEO to compete in the modern marketplace. A website audit focusing exclusively on SEO zeros in on those things that directly impact search engine performance. Those things include:
- Keyword analysis
- On and off-page SEO elements
- URL structure
- Internal links and backlink profile
- Content quality
Although an SEO audit does take a look at content for quality and relevance purposes, it is also possible to run a completely separate website audit focused exclusively on content.
3. Content Audit
A content audit evaluates the quality, relevance, and performance of each piece of content on the site. Auditors look at:
- Relevance and accuracy
- How content is structured to ensure readability
- Potential duplicate content
- Content gaps and new opportunities
- Multimedia elements incorporated into content
In our industry we like to say that content is king. A website audit focusing on content ensures the king stays on his throne.
4. Usability Audit
Sometimes known as the user experience audit, the usability audit assesses how friendly a website is to users. It can uncover a variety of things that make a site uncomfortable to use. The usability audit takes a good look at:
- Cite structure and navigation
- User experience (UX) design
- Call to action implementation
- Forms and conversion paths
If a site is both usable and comfortable, audience members will engage with it. Otherwise, they are likely to go elsewhere for the information they need.
5. Security Audit
The final website audit is the security audit. One might argue that it’s the most important. A security audit looks at:
- SSL certificate status
- Plugins and other software
- Password policies
- Data encryption strategies
A good security audit also includes a search for malware, trojans, and other types of nefarious software. The obvious goal is to ensure that a website is as secure as possible.
The website audit is among the many services we offer at Webtek. Whether you’re looking for a comprehensive or partial audit, we can help. Let our team of experts take a look to make sure your site is as functional, productive, and secure as it can be.
