SEO Website Audit
An SEO audit examines whether your website is positioned to attract the search traffic you need. This means evaluating your content quality, keyword targeting, on-page optimisation, and the authority signals that search engines use to determine rankings.
Many businesses have technically sound websites that generate no organic traffic. The problem is not infrastructure. The problem is that search engines do not see the site as relevant or authoritative for the terms that matter commercially.
What an SEO audit examines
On-page optimisation
Title tags, meta descriptions, header hierarchy, image alt text, and structured data. The signals that tell search engines what each page is about.
Common issues
- Missing or duplicate title tags
- Meta descriptions not optimised for CTR
- Improper heading structure
- Missing structured data markup
Content quality
Depth, originality, expertise signals, and user intent alignment. Whether your content genuinely answers the questions searchers are asking.
Common issues
- Thin content with insufficient depth
- Content that does not match search intent
- Duplicate or near-duplicate content
- Outdated information
Keyword positioning
Current rankings, keyword gaps, competitive opportunities, and search volume analysis. Where you rank versus where you should rank.
Common issues
- Targeting keywords with no search volume
- Missing high-value keyword opportunities
- Cannibalisation between competing pages
- Over-optimisation penalties
Backlink profile
Referring domains, link quality, anchor text distribution, and toxic link identification. The external authority signals pointing to your site.
Common issues
- Insufficient high-quality backlinks
- Toxic or spammy link patterns
- Over-optimised anchor text
- Lost links from valuable sources
Search authority
Domain authority metrics, brand signals, E-E-A-T indicators, and competitive positioning. How search engines perceive your overall credibility.
Common issues
- Low domain authority relative to competitors
- Missing author credentials
- Weak topical authority signals
- Brand searches declining
Performance tracking
Search Console data, ranking trends, click-through rates, and impression patterns. The evidence of how search visibility is changing over time.
Common issues
- Declining impressions without explanation
- Low CTR despite good rankings
- Keyword positions fluctuating erratically
- Manual actions or penalties
Common SEO problems we find
SEO problems are often invisible until you look carefully at the data. These issues affect most sites we audit.
Content cannibalisation
Multiple pages targeting the same keyword compete against each other. Search engines struggle to determine which page to rank. Result: neither ranks well.
Impact: Search authority is split. Potential rankings are wasted on internal competition.
Missing search intent alignment
Pages target keywords without understanding what searchers actually want. A commercial page targeting an informational query will not rank regardless of optimisation.
Impact: High bounce rates signal poor relevance. Rankings decline over time.
Thin content at scale
Category pages, location pages, or product variations with minimal unique content. Search engines see these as low-value and may not index them.
Impact: Pages are excluded from search results. Site-wide quality signals are diluted.
Backlink profile decay
Natural link acquisition has stopped. Competitors are building authority faster. The gap widens month by month.
Impact: Competitive rankings slip. Recovery becomes increasingly difficult.
How an SEO audit is conducted
An SEO audit combines automated analysis with manual review. Tools identify patterns. Experience interprets them.
Keyword landscape mapping
Current rankings, search volumes, and competitive gaps are analysed to understand the opportunity space.
On-page element review
Every page is evaluated for title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and content quality signals.
Content gap analysis
Competitor content is compared to identify topics and questions you should be addressing but are not.
Backlink profile assessment
Link quality, anchor text patterns, and referring domain trends are examined for authority signals.
Technical SEO correlation
SEO findings are correlated with technical issues that may be affecting crawling or indexation.
Priority recommendations
Issues are ranked by commercial impact. Quick wins are separated from long-term strategic investments.
Frequently asked questions
A basic SEO audit takes 1-2 weeks. A comprehensive audit including competitor analysis and content strategy takes 3-4 weeks.
No audit guarantees rankings. An audit identifies what is holding you back and what needs to change. Execution determines results.
Comprehensive audits every 6-12 months. Keyword and ranking monitoring should be continuous.
Part of the wider Commercial Assessment
An SEO audit tells you what is visible and what is not. It does not tell you why content decisions were made, or whether the business should even be competing for those keywords.
- SEO problems often have strategic causes: no one defined which terms matter commercially, content was created without a keyword strategy, or teams optimise for vanity metrics.
- Fixing SEO without fixing the content process means new problems will emerge. Sustainable SEO requires governance, not just optimisation.
- Some SEO investments are not worth making: the cost to rank may exceed the commercial value of that traffic.
The Commercial Assessment examines SEO alongside five other domains: channels and reporting, attribution, sales handoff, user experience, and team capability. Search visibility is one piece of a larger picture.
Learn about Commercial AssessmentSearch visibility is earned
If organic traffic is not growing, or rankings have declined, that is worth understanding. But if you suspect the problem is systemic, not just SEO, you need a broader assessment.