Do you remember the most recent time you checked on your website? Whether this is your first website audit, you haven’t done one in a while or a redesign is in the works, an audit is essential.
You can use the information in this piece as a website audit checklist to get your site ready for optimal search engine optimization (SEO) and conversion rates.
A Website Audit: What Is It?
An audit analyzes your website’s efficiency before extensive SEO and redesigns are implemented. In other words, an audit analyzes your website’s efficiency to attain your traffic objectives and also gives ideas for enhancing it.
Let’s go over the various kinds of audits, including some marketing audits that are commonly used.
Categories of Website Audits
There are several distinct kinds of website audits, including:
1. Analysis of Rival Online Presences
If you want to know what chances your company is missing out on, a productive website audit will help you keep tabs on the competition and the methods they use to succeed online. A competitive audit aims to gain insight into the strategies rival businesses in your industry employ to achieve success.
The first step is a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis of a rival company’s online presence. The website’s advantages, disadvantages, opportunities and dangers are cataloged in a SWOT analysis. For example, you may find that your competitor’s website has a more user-friendly website than yours because it takes too long to load each page.
You may discover gaps in their offering that you may fill with features or resources that would give your website an advantage. What’s more, if their website outranks yours in search engine results pages (SERPs), you run the risk of losing visitors and potential customers to your site.
It is, therefore, essential to also evaluate the efficiency of their current tools and software throughout this audit. Your site’s efficiency and user-friendliness will improve as a result.
2. An SEO Links Audit
Analyzing your website’s backlinks can help you spot any trouble spots or overlooked chances. This audit will evaluate your links and recommend how to optimize your site for your desired keywords.
To determine whether or not your page is receiving value and ownership, a link audit will look at the URL origin, domain and anchor text. In this way, you can determine whether or not a particular link is improving or detracting from your website’s ranking in search engine results pages.
To boost your site’s authority, you should focus on gaining backlinks from reputable sources rather than obscure blogs or forums. Collecting all your link data is the first step in an SEO link audit. Enter your domain into Google Search Console and navigate to the “Links to Your Site” section of the “Search Traffic” tab.
You may get the newest links and start your link audit doc from there. The next step is a human evaluation of your links, during which you’ll want to consider things like IP address, anchor text and web pages.
3. Audit for Optimal Lead Conversion
Lead conversion optimization audits examine weak spots and possible improvements in a website’s ability to convert visitors into leads. Under this audit, you’ll want to look closely at how and from where visitors are accessing your site.
With your audience’s habits and preferences, you’ll be able to tailor your website’s content to them more effectively. Keeping with the content theme, you should also examine the material already on your website. Verify that the material is relevant, helpful and up-to-date.
For example, check if the most recent company data has been uploaded and is simple to find. Does your writing use search engine optimization (SEO) keywords and phrases? Conversion rates and search engine results page rankings can suffer from out-of-date or irrelevant information.
Consider the following for your website:
- Forms: When a potential customer fills out a form, do you get enough information to follow up with them?
- Proceeding to the Payment Screen: Customers encounter difficulties with your website’s purchase process if they see a high shopping cart abandonment rate.
- Architecture and Design: Are there prominent calls to action? Is the font size too small and or difficult to read? Is it simple to find what you’re looking for on this website?
- General Impressions From Users: Is there anything that irritates those that visit your site?
4. Auditing Your Social Media Presence
Social media can affect your brand’s online visibility. It’s time for an audit on social media if your online activity doesn’t result in increased website visitors. The first step of the audit is to make a list of all the social media profiles your firm operates.
Dig deeper to uncover any you might have missed, such as new accounts set up by a different division. Check each profile to see if it follows the company’s branding guidelines (i.e., uses the same photos, logos, tone of voice, Etc.).
The next step is to assess how well individual pages are doing. What works well and what doesn’t? How often do these pages get updated? Use the assessment results to hone social media strategies and better connect with your target audience. Finally, you’ll have the opportunity to revise your approach to social media to surprise and excite your audience, increasing website traffic.
5. Auditing Your Website for Search Engine Optimization
When an SEO link audit looks at the backlinks to your site, the SEO website audit checks for anything that could affect your rankings. This goes beyond just links and covers keywords, metadata, content, site speed, user experience and even video optimization.
Although you can perform an SEO audit independently, hiring a firm will likely yield more accurate results in less time.
