A website audit is a key activity that needs to be performed before we get serious about positioning the website, i.e. building its visibility in Google search. What should be included in such a document? Who should be responsible for its preparation? These questions, among others, will be answered in this article.
What is an SEO audit?
This is a very broad term, as SEO analysis encompasses a lot of data: both technical (verification of the redirect chain, checking pagination, unindexed subpages) and content, i.e. the content that is on the page. Contrary to appearances, their impact on positioning is very large. Amongst other things, the specialists will check whether the texts on the homepage or on the subpages contain selected phrases that correctly "hint" to Google robots what the company does and what services it provides.
The SEO agency responsible for performing the audit uses a number of tools to help it familiarise itself with the site's situation. Applications such as:
- ScreamingFrog,
- SurferSEO,
- Senuto,
- Ahrefs.
Any specialist who is familiar with SEO will also ask the site owner for access to a Google Analytics account and to Google Search Console. The next step is to check the subsequent pages, identify areas for improvement (for example, it may be that the page needs to be rebuilt to comply with the Mobile First by Google rule) and prepare a comprehensive document indicating the problems of the page and recommendations to be implemented so that search engines index our site better - regardless of the industry in which we operate.
Such an SEO report is a comprehensive document with which an effective remediation plan can be implemented. 
Who is an SEO audit for and why is it worth doing one?
Website analysis is an essential solution that all companies wishing to reach a wider audience should opt for. Let's assume that your company sells natural cosmetics. There are quite a few such entities on the market. An SEO audit and optimisation of the website can make your managed website appear on the first page in search results when specific key phrases are typed in.
The higher your website ranks in the search results, the more users will visit it. It is therefore quite likely that the sales of your products will also increase, i.e. you will also increase your income. This is why it is worthwhile to take an interest in SEO and use the services of specialists. Traffic gained from so-called organics, rather than from search engine advertising, can translate into quick and long-term increases in your website's visibility.
Is this solution only for companies? Not necessarily. An SEO audit and the associated evaluation of a website's reputation should be of interest to anyone wishing to increase the visibility of their site, whether it is a blog, a site about the life of your city or a forum where, for example, mountain hiking enthusiasts gather.
What should be included in an SEO audit?
The more information provided by the SEO agency, the better. However, a few key areas that such a document should contain can be identified. These are:
- inbound and outbound links,
- problems within the domain (e.g. cannibalisation),
- error analysis in the redirection chain,
- information on the rules for the use of Hx headers on your site,
- organic traffic data,
- competitive analysis,
- recommendations and recommendations to be implemented on the site.
Who can perform an SEO audit?
In theory, anyone with access to data from GSC, GA and selected web tools, e.g. Senuto and Ahrefs, will be able to check basic information about a site's health. From a purely practical point of view, however, it is worthwhile to outsource both the audit and the SEO service to a specialist, such as an SEO agency. Why? Because audits are not just about the information itself, but about analysing it meticulously.
SEO experts not only do the analysis, but also point to viable solutions to help the website to appear on Google. Despite the fact that many people are able to recognise a fault in a car, not all of us can, for example, replace the timing belt in a vehicle by ourselves. The same principle applies to web positioning. 
How to read and understand an SEO audit?
Any SEO specialist familiar with their work will point out areas in this document that need correcting. It may be, for example, that a website is responsive, loads quickly and has perfectly configured headings and content, but there are no valuable links leading to it. If this is the case, you can implement marketing measures, such as a linkbuilding campaign, to increase the number of links to your site.
Similarly, it may be that the site ranks for a number of great phrases, but the homepage displays poorly on mobile devices, plus it is not secured with SSL. In such a situation, you will need to focus more on technical optimisation. SEO competitor analysis is also important - in this way, for example, you can see what your competitors are focusing on and then aim to outbid them.
There are no universal SEO campaigns that will always ensure success. Every website is different and therefore requires an individual approach from the auditor. A company that decides to use SEO services should always make sure that the cooperation is preceded by an audit. Otherwise, we run the risk that the money we spend on marketing and promotion will not work on itself properly.
An SEO audit can contain a lot of complicated wording, which will be quite a challenge to understand. It would be good if the agency performing the site analysis for us additionally discussed the results, for example during a video conference. In this way, all technical issues can be explained much more easily and further cooperation and implementation of audit recommendations can be discussed.
Website Usability Audit
Website usability audit is as relevant today as an SEO audit. In many ways the two overlap and complement each other. It allows analysis of a website and how users interact with the site and how effectively it meets their needs. During the audit, key aspects such as navigation, content layout, intuitiveness of the interface and responsiveness on different devices are analysed. The aim of the audit is to identify areas that may be frustrating users or hindering the achievement of their goals, and to provide recommendations for optimisation. An effective usability audit helps to improve user experience (UX), which often leads to increased conversions and customer satisfaction.
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