Easy Steps to Self-Auditing Your Website and Its Pages
Make Sure Your Site is the Best Version of Itself
Make sure your website is in tip-top shape with this simple checklist! An up-to-date and keyword-rich site ensures you are driving traffic and customers. A website is only as good as the time and effort you put into it. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can help you narrow your focus to specific pages and/or posts that might require your attention.
Website Audit Checklist
Content & SEO
Check Core Pages
(Home, Contact, About Us, Services/Offerings, etc.) Make sure that your core pages have accurate information that effectively communicates your business and brand.
Content
Pages include useful, well-written, grammatically correct, keyword-rich content and a call to action.
Check Internal Links
Confirm linked content is functional and appropriate.
Header Tags (H1, H2, H3)
Verify proper use of header tags for readability and SEO.
Meta Tags
Pages and posts have meta descriptions and meta titles to help drive traffic.
Internal Linking Strategy
Ensure pages are interlinked logically and strategically.
Technical SEO & Website Health
Check SSL Certificate
Ensure the site has an active SSL certificate (HTTPS enabled).
Test Broken Links (404 Errors)
Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to identify broken links.
Ensure XML Sitemap & Robots.txt
Confirm your XML sitemap is up-to-date and submitted to Google Search Console, and verify robots.txt isn’t inadvertently blocking key pages.
Image Optimization
Check images for proper sizing, compression, and ALT attributes for accessibility and SEO.
Accessibility Audit
Perform basic checks to confirm your site is accessible (WCAG guidelines, alt text for screen readers, readable fonts, color contrasts).
Structured Data & Schema Markup
Check if appropriate structured data is included to improve SEO visibility and rich snippets in search results.
Canonical Tags
Confirm canonical tags are properly set to avoid duplicate content issues.
Performance & User Experience
Branding
Your site and its pages have a cohesive and uniform design and brand. Graphics and design elements are purposeful and visually interesting.
Navigation
Main, Navigation, and Footer menus are organized and intuitive to seamlessly guide visitors.
Caching & Compression
Verify site caching and gzip compression are enabled to enhance load speed. Use a page speed calculator to check the loadability and processing of actions on your site.
Cross-browser Compatibility
Ensure the site functions properly across different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).
Mobile Testing
Test your website on mobile devices.
Form Functionality
Test forms to ensure submissions are properly received and acknowledged by users.
Privacy & Compliance
Ensure compliance with GDPR/CCPA by verifying cookie notifications and privacy policies are current and accessible.
Analytics & Tracking
Tracking Tags
Ensure analytics tracking codes and pixels (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) are correctly implemented and capturing accurate data.
Set Up Goals & Conversions
Confirm goal tracking in Google Analytics to measure success of calls-to-action.
Published on Mar 28 2025
Categories: News, Small Business Websites, Website Tips