When a website isn’t getting much search traffic, it’s tempting to publish more content or target different keywords. Sometimes the problem is more basic. Search engines may be having trouble finding, crawling, or understanding pages already on the site.
A technical SEO audit helps you spot those problems. You don’t need expensive software or advanced coding skills to get started. By checking indexing, crawlability, redirects, mobile usability, and page performance, you can identify issues that may be affecting your website’s visibility.
Start with your most important pages, fix clear problems first, and avoid changing settings just because a tool displays a warning.
1. Decide Which Pages Matter Most
Before opening any tools, make a short list of the pages you want people to find through search. These might include your homepage, main category pages, service or product pages, and useful articles.
This keeps the audit manageable. A large website may have thousands of URLs, but not every page needs the same level of attention. Start with pages that support your main goals, then check other sections as time allows.
For each page, ask: Should this page appear in search results? Some pages, such as private account pages or internal search results, may not need to be indexed. But if a useful page is meant for visitors and is not appearing in search, investigate why.
2. Check Whether Important Pages Are Indexed
Search Google for site:yourdomain.com to see some pages from your website that appear in its index. This is a quick check, not a complete list or an exact count.
For more detail, open Google Search Console and review the Pages report. Look for important pages that are not indexed and check the reason provided. A page may be excluded because it has a noindex instruction, redirects elsewhere, returns an error, or is considered a duplicate of another URL.
Not every exclusion is a problem. Search engines may correctly leave out pages you do not want indexed. Focus on useful pages that should appear in search but do not.
If a page should be indexed, inspect its URL in Search Console. Check whether Google can access it, whether indexing is allowed, and whether Google has selected the expected canonical URL.
3. Make Sure Search Engines Can Find Your Pages
Search engines discover pages by following links and using information such as your XML sitemap. Check that your robots.txt file is not blocking important parts of your website. You can usually view it by visiting yourdomain.com/robots.txt.
Also check that important pages have links pointing to them from other pages on your site. A page that exists but has no internal links may be difficult for visitors and search engines to find.
Your XML sitemap should list the important pages you want search engines to discover. Avoid including URLs that redirect, return errors, or are marked as noindex. Once you have checked the sitemap, submit it through Google Search Console and review any reported issues.
A clear site structure helps visitors and search engines move between related pages. This guide to website architecture and technical SEO explains how organizing your pages can support easier navigation.
4. Look for Broken Pages and Redirect Problems
Visit your main navigation links, important pages, and a sample of older articles. Check for pages that return an error or send visitors somewhere unexpected.
When a page has permanently moved, redirect it to the most relevant replacement. Avoid redirect chains, where one address redirects to another and then to yet another. Also check for redirect loops, where the browser keeps being sent back and forth.
If you remove a page, redirect it only when there is a genuinely relevant replacement. Otherwise, it is usually clearer to let the page return a not found response than to send every deleted page to your homepage.
5. Review Your Website’s URL Versions
A website may be accessible through more than one version of an address. For example, it may load with or without “www,” or through both HTTP and HTTPS.
Choose the version you want visitors and search engines to use. Then make sure the alternatives redirect consistently to that preferred version. Use the preferred URL in your internal links and sitemap.
Check the canonical tag on a few important pages as well. It should identify the page’s preferred URL. A canonical tag can help clarify duplicate or similar URLs, but it should not point to an unrelated page.
6. Test the Mobile Experience and Page Speed
Open your most important pages on a phone. Make sure the text is readable, buttons are easy to tap, menus work, and the main content is visible without intrusive elements getting in the way.
Next, use PageSpeed Insights to review a few representative pages. Look beyond the overall score and check the specific recommendations. Common opportunities include resizing large images, removing scripts that are not needed, and improving server response time.
A tool can point out potential improvements, but it does not replace testing the site yourself. Try the pages on a slower connection or an older phone if possible. Notice whether images take too long to appear or whether the page shifts around while loading.
For more detail on speed and user experience, read this guide to Core Web Vitals and technical SEO.
7. Check That Each Page Is Clear
Important pages should have a descriptive title, useful headings, and content that matches the page’s purpose. Titles should help people understand what a page is about, and headings should make the content easy to scan.
Check that each important page has its own title and that headings follow a sensible order. A page does not need to repeat the same keyword in every heading. It should explain the topic clearly for its intended reader.
Structured data can provide search engines with additional information about certain types of content. If your site uses it, make sure it accurately describes information that visitors can see on the page. Do not add markup for reviews, products, or other details that are not actually present. Google’s Rich Results Test can help check supported structured data.
8. Turn Your Findings Into a Fix List
An audit is useful only if you act on what you find. Keep a simple list that includes the issue, the affected pages, and the next step.
For example:
- An important page is marked noindex. Remove the instruction if the page should appear in search.
- Internal links lead to deleted pages. Update them to working URLs.
- The sitemap includes redirected URLs. Replace them with the preferred destinations.
- Images are slowing down a key page. Resize and compress them.
Prioritize problems that prevent important pages from being crawled or indexed. Then address issues that affect visitors, such as broken navigation or slow loading. After making changes, test the affected pages again and check Search Console for updates. Search results may take time to reflect fixes.
Keep the Audit Manageable
You do not have to inspect every URL in one sitting. Start with your homepage, your main category or service pages, and a few important articles. Fix the problems you find, then expand the review to other parts of the site.
Technical SEO is easier to manage when it becomes a regular check rather than a one time emergency. A short review every so often can help you catch broken links, indexing changes, and problems introduced during site updates.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed for clarity and accuracy.