If you’re a business owner, I’m sure you’ve received the persistent sales emails with the subject line “Free Website Audit Results!” If you respond, they’ll perform a half-assed audit and try to sell you on services you may (or may not) need. And if you decline, they’ll call you 37 times and haggle you for their business.
Well, today, you’re in luck! We’ve compiled some of our top website audit factors and are providing guidance on how you can learn more about your website. See if your site is following SEO best practices that maximize visibility and impact performance. Download our worksheet, score your website and decide for yourself whether your site is in need of optimization. If so, give us a call.
Search Engine Indexing
“If you build it, they will come” only applies to web pages that Google can see. It’s critical that you know whether or not your high-value pages are being indexed and displayed by Google in search results. If your pages are blocked for whatever reason, users won’t be able to reach the site via organic search.
Follow the steps below to see which pages on your site Google is indexing:
In Google search > search “site:example.com” and replace example.com with your URL
If you aren’t seeing your high-value pages in the search results, there is a major opportunity to improve your site traffic.
Google My Business
Google My Business continues to be the most impactful driver of local SEO, so it’s important that your account is optimized to its fullest potential.
Here are the things you can do to improve your visibility on local results:
- Verify your business location through physical mail
- Keep your business information accurate – website, hours, menus, description, categories
- Add photos of your business – exterior, interior, staff
- Respond to reviews – both good and bad
See Google’s recommendations >
Ranking
75% of searchers don’t make it to the second page of search results. Do you know how your site ranks for your key terms? Search your main service line and location (i.e. “Scottsdale advertising agency”) in an incognito Chrome window and see if your site makes the first page in search results or local results.
Site Speed
According to Google, “Advertising and speed go hand in hand, with faster landing pages delivering better ROI.” With the data to back up that statement, they now use page load speed as a ranking factor. Faster sites provide a better user experience, therefore, Google prioritizes them in ranking over slower sites.
Check out your homepage’s desktop and mobile page speed >
Mobile Usability
According to Google, 94% of people search for local information on their phones, and interestingly, 77% of mobile searches occur at home or work. So it’s critical that your users have a good experience when visiting your site on a phone or tablet.
Google rates mobile usability by looking at elements on a webpage like text size, buttons, and content width.
See if your site is mobile-friendly by Google’s standards >
How does your site compare?
We’ve created an easy tool for you to use and discover how your website stacks up in the rankings. Download our Site Audit Worksheet and score your website!
