On average, Google makes changes to their core ranking algorithms about once a day. These changes, which can number 300-400 a year, range from small tweaks most of us don’t even notice to major changes like this year’s update, dubbed “Mobilegeddon,” by media and web pros alike. If you’re not staying up to date with Google’s evolution, your search ranking – and as a result, your sales – may be taking a hit.

How do you keep your site on track? You should perform an SEO site audit about every six to twelve months or after a major Google algorithm update. A thorough SEO audit will identify issues that are preventing you from ranking favorably on Google and other major search engines.

What is an SEO Audit? – Keeping Your SEO Healthy

Do you schedule an annual exam or “well-visit” with your doctor? Well, think of an SEO audit as a well-visit for your website. An SEO expert analyzes your site to assess its overall health, relevance, and compliance with SEO best practices. The report will also provide a list of suggested action items and other recommendations to help you increase organic search traffic by improving your ranking on Google.

 

What Gets Analyzed?

The specifics of your assessment vary based on who is conducting your audit and what tools they are using. An effective audit, however, should scan for hidden SEO errors that are hurting your search engine ranking. Our SEO audit, for example, will look for critical issues such as broken links, how quickly your site loads, content deficiencies, and other search engine red-flags.

What are the Benefits of an SEO Audit?

Research shows that three-quarters of Internet users will never scroll past the first page of search results. If you want to drive traffic to your website, you need to rank well on keywords relative to your market. This first-page mentality among web users should put an intelligent SEO strategy and regular audits high on your list of marketing priorities.

Keep in mind: There are a lot of competitors vying for that first-page Google listing, so to reach this placement, you need to be on top of your game. While there is much you can do to improve your search engine ranking, there is also a lot that can be done to remove the obstacles that are hurting your placement. An SEO audit gives you a roadmap on how to clean up and tweak your site to improve your ranking.

Other Benefits Include:

Get Current: 

Today’s SEO is different than last year’s. In fact, SEO guidelines can change from week to week or even day to day. An SEO audit will uncover hidden issues that may have been irrelevant to search engines when you first published your site, but now need to be changed to meet current standards and algorithm updates. Performing regular SEO audits will ensure your website is compliant with the latest Google Webmaster Guidelines.

Competitive Intelligence:

Your SEO audit will not only tell you how your site is ranking, but it will also show how well your competition is performing in comparison. Wouldn’t you like to know how well you measure up to your competition in the usage of important keywords? Even a quick audit like our SEO Report Card will give you an idea of how your site stacks up against others in your market space.

Freshen Up:

Google, just like your site visitors, likes fresh, relevant content. Taking a closer look at your site through an audit can highlight content that needs some SEO TLC. You may find outdated information, duplicate content (a Google red-flag!), or text that harkens back to the days of keyword-heavy SEO writing. Today’s search engine is looking for fresh, quality content written in a natural voice.

Weed out the Hacker:

If you have experienced a significant drop in search engine ranking or traffic, it may be due to malware left behind in a hacker’s wake. A thorough site audit can scan for any malware that may be present. Once this malicious content is identified and removed, your site’s performance should pick up.

Increase Conversion Rates:

Getting visitors to your website is only half the battle. Your ultimate goal is to get people to stick around your site long enough to take a desired action. Here’s how an SEO audit can help reach this goal: Many of the website features that make a Google search-bot happy are the same things that make human visitors engage with your site. Fast load times and relevant content will spike your search ranking as well as your visitor experience; so, the changes you’ll be making on the heels of a site audit will benefit your conversion rates as well as your SEO foundation.

Get focused:

When Google rolls out a large-scale algorithm update, the uncertainty and concern about its impact on search rankings is almost palpable. What do you have to fix or update? Where do you get started? What is already earning you Google penalties or otherwise dragging your SEO score down? A site audit will clear that fog. You’ll be able to zero in on exactly what you need to address. A seasoned digital marketer and SEO expert will also be able to create a list of specific action items to get you started.

This is helpful even without major changes to the way sites are indexed. In fact, if your site hasn’t been audited recently, there may be minor issues that are moving you lower in search results. Many issues can be fixed with a simple tweak to your site. An SEO audit is one of the smartest and most cost-effective ways of growing your business.

When was the last time your site had an SEO checkup? You can get started with our SEO Report card that you’ll find here. If you’re ready to improve your search engine rankings, drive more website traffic, enjoy more conversions, and increase sales, schedule a strategy session with one of our strategists. And it’s less intrusive than a visit to your doctor. Schedule your SEO checkup today! Schedule your session with us today.