SEO audit checklist: 56 checks for any website

An SEO audit checklist lists the checks that find what blocks a site from ranking, from crawling and speed to content, local signals, links and AI search. Tick each check as you review your site, and the checklist keeps score of what is done and what to fix next.

Updated 31 October 2026

01 Basics

What is an SEO audit checklist?

An SEO audit checklist is a structured list of checks that shows whether a website meets the technical, content and authority standards search engines use. Each check names one condition, such as a valid sitemap or a fast page load, and tells you how to confirm it.

A checklist turns an audit into a repeatable process. You find the same problems in the same order every time, compare results between audits, and fix the issues with the biggest effect on rankings and leads first.

The checklist below works for any business website, such as a local service company, an online store or a B2B firm. The local section applies when the business serves customers in a specific area.

02 Checklist

The 56-point SEO audit checklist

Tick a check once your site passes it. Your ticks stay saved in this browser, so you can come back and continue the audit.

0 of 56 checks passed (0%)

Content 8 checks

Content checks confirm that the site covers its topic in depth and keeps every page accurate.

Each page matches the intent of its main query. The top results show the format searchers want, such as a guide, a product list or a local listing.
The topical map has no major gaps. Every important subtopic of the business, such as costs, comparisons and how-to questions, has a page or a section.
No two pages compete for one intent. Search Console shows no query where two of your URLs take turns ranking.
Facts, prices and dates are current. Pages show an updated date, and every changed fact gets corrected at the source page.
Authors are named and qualified. Each article shows who wrote it, their experience and how to reach them.
Pages are easy to scan. Paragraphs stay short, and steps and comparisons sit in lists and tables.
Visuals support the key explanations. Diagrams, photos or short videos show what the text describes.
Underperforming pages have a plan. Pages with few clicks over 12 months in Search Console get updated, merged or removed.

Local SEO 8 checks

Local checks apply to businesses that serve customers in a city, a region or a service area.

The Google Business Profile is complete. It lists the right primary category, services, hours, service area and recent photos.
Name, address and phone match everywhere. The site, the Business Profile and every directory listing show identical business details.
Major directories list the business. Core listings, such as Bing Places and Apple Business Connect, carry the same details as the site.
Each location or service area has its own page. Every page adds local detail, such as the areas served, local proof and directions.
LocalBusiness schema matches the profile. The markup repeats the name, address, phone and hours shown on the Business Profile.
Reviews are requested and answered. Customers get a direct review link, and every review receives a reply.
Local links and mentions are earned. Local organizations, such as chambers of commerce, sponsors and local news sites, link to the business.
Business Profile actions are tracked. Calls, direction requests and website clicks are reviewed every month.

Off-page SEO 7 checks

Off-page checks confirm that other websites trust and mention the business.

Referring domains grow over time. The Links report in Search Console and a backlink tool show new relevant sites linking each quarter.
Spammy links are reviewed calmly. Google states that most sites never need the disavow tool, so reserve it for a manual action or a clear risk of one.
Competitor link gaps are listed. Sites that link to two or more competitors but not to you become outreach targets.
Unlinked brand mentions are found. Articles that name the business without a link get a polite request for one.
Expert quotes and digital PR earn coverage. Data, guides and expert answers give journalists a reason to cite the business.
Third-party profiles stay consistent. Review sites and industry profiles show the same name, services and website.
The brand takes part in its communities. Helpful answers in forums and communities, such as Reddit, build mentions that buyers and AI answers can find.

AI search (AEO and GEO) 8 checks

AI search checks confirm that ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews and other answer engines can find and cite the site.

AI search crawlers are allowed. robots.txt admits OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot, Claude-SearchBot, Googlebot and Bingbot.
The site is indexed in Bing. Microsoft Copilot answers from Bing's index, so Bing Webmaster Tools shows the key pages indexed.
Question headings carry direct answers. Each heading names a question, and the first sentence under it answers that question.
Pages back claims with facts and sources. Statistics, short quotations and named sources make a page easier to quote in AI answers.
Entity facts stay consistent. Organization or Person schema with sameAs links ties the site to its official profiles.
Key answers sit in HTML text. No important answer lives only inside a PDF, an image, a tab or an expandable menu.
Fan-out sub-questions are covered. The related questions an AI engine is likely to search, such as costs and comparisons, each have an answer.
AI referrals and citations are tracked. Analytics shows visits from chatgpt.com and perplexity.ai, and a monthly prompt test shows which pages get cited.

03 Process

How to run an SEO audit in 8 steps

An SEO audit runs in 8 steps, from a performance baseline to a ranked fix list. Work through the steps in order, because each one feeds the next.

Record a baseline. Export 12 months of clicks, impressions and top pages from Search Console, plus leads or sales from analytics.
Crawl the site. A crawler, such as Screaming Frog, lists every URL with its status code, title, canonical and internal links.
Check indexing. Compare the crawl with the Page indexing report and the sitemap to find pages Google skips.
Test speed and mobile use. PageSpeed Insights shows Core Web Vitals from real Chrome users for each key template.
Review pages and content. Run the on-page and content checks on the pages that earn or should earn the most traffic.
Audit links and local signals. Review referring domains, brand mentions, the Business Profile and directory listings.
Check AI visibility. Confirm crawler access and test key prompts in ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Mode and Copilot.
Rank the fixes. Sort every failed check by impact and effort, fix the high-impact items first, and re-check after each change.

04 Tools

Which free tools run an SEO audit?

Six free tools cover most of this checklist. The table shows what each one checks.

Tool	Cost	What it checks
Google Search Console	Free	Indexing, search queries, Core Web Vitals, links and manual actions
Bing Webmaster Tools	Free	Bing indexing, which Microsoft Copilot answers draw on, plus sitemaps and crawl errors
PageSpeed Insights	Free	Core Web Vitals from real users and lab tests for one URL
Rich Results Test	Free	Structured data errors and rich result eligibility
Screaming Frog SEO Spider	Free up to 500 URLs per crawl	Status codes, titles, canonicals, redirects and internal links
Google Analytics	Free	Visits, conversions and referrals from AI assistants

05 Timing

How often should you run an SEO audit?

Run a full SEO audit before and after any redesign or migration, and after any sudden drop in traffic. Between full audits, review the Page indexing and Performance reports in Search Console every month.

A monthly review catches new problems, such as a page that drops out of the index, before they cost traffic. The guide to getting cited by ChatGPT covers the AI search checks in depth.

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