# SEO Audit Checklist > A step-by-step checklist for reviewing your website's search health, page quality, mobile experience, and tracking, without relying on a single tool score. Canonical: https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/seo-audit-checklist/ **Maintained by Vassal Marketing** · Last updated on September 26, 2026 Reviewed at least quarterly and whenever a platform or rule it cites changes. General information, not legal or professional advice. Check rules that affect your business with a qualified professional. Copy this into a spreadsheet and add a Status column. Start with your most important service and contact pages. Fix problems in order of how much they affect customers, not by how many warnings a tool shows. ## Can Google find your pages? Make sure your important pages can be found and that old or duplicate pages are handled on purpose. - [ ] Verify your website in Google Search Console. — Either · Once - [ ] Open the Pages report and list important pages that are not indexed. — Provider · Quarterly - [ ] Check that robots.txt does not block important pages. — Provider · Quarterly - [ ] Check that important pages load normally (a 200 status), not a redirect or error. — Provider · Quarterly - [ ] Confirm your XML sitemap lists only live pages you want in search. — Provider · Quarterly - [ ] Crawl the site to find broken links and chains of redirects. — Provider · Quarterly - [ ] Confirm the main text and links appear on the page Google sees, not only after scripts run. — Provider · Once ## Does each page do one clear job? Each important page should answer one customer need with accurate details. - [ ] List your main services and locations, and give each one a single page. — Either · Once - [ ] Merge pages that cover the same service twice. — Provider · Once - [ ] Flag thin pages that have no real examples, process details, or next step. — Provider · Once - [ ] Give every important page a unique title and one clear main heading. — Provider · Once - [ ] Check prices, credentials, and claims with the owner before publishing. — Owner · When something changes - [ ] Check that structured data only describes what the page visibly shows. — Provider · Quarterly ## Mobile experience and trust Walk through the site the way a customer on a phone would, then check the details people use to judge you. - [ ] Fill in your contact form on a phone and confirm the message arrives. — Owner · Quarterly - [ ] Check for pop-ups that cover the page on mobile. — Either · Quarterly - [ ] Check Core Web Vitals in Search Console for slow page types. — Provider · Quarterly - [ ] Confirm HTTPS works on every page with no security warnings. — Provider · Quarterly - [ ] Confirm who renews the domain and SSL/TLS certificate, and when. — Owner · Once - [ ] Check your top listings and review sites for wrong details. — Either · Quarterly ## Turn findings into a plan An audit is only useful if each finding has a fix, an owner, and a date to check it again. - [ ] Record a starting point: indexed pages, clicks, and leads by page. — Provider · Once - [ ] For each problem, note the page, the fix, who owns it, and how you will confirm it worked. — Provider · Once - [ ] Mark third-party scores and traffic estimates as estimates, not Google data. — Provider · Once - [ ] Fix blockers on important pages before minor wording changes. — Provider · Once - [ ] Schedule the work in 30-, 60-, and 90-day batches. — Either · Once - [ ] Recheck each fix on the live site and write down the date. — Provider · When something changes ## Questions business owners ask ### How often should we run an SEO audit? Run a focused check after a redesign, migration, or big template change, and a broader review every six to twelve months. Sites that change often need more frequent checks. ### Is a high audit-tool score enough? No. Tool scores can point to patterns, but they do not know your priorities, customers, or which warnings are false alarms. ### Should every audit issue be fixed? No. Confirm each issue is real, estimate how many pages and customers it affects, and compare it with other work. Some warnings do not matter for your site. ## Primary guidance - [Google SEO Starter Guide](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide) - [Google: Debug traffic drops](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/monitor-debug/debugging-search-traffic-drops) - [Google Core Web Vitals guidance](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/core-web-vitals) ## Related guides - [SEO audits: what a useful audit includes](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/seo-audits.md) - [Technical SEO basics](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/technical-seo.md) - [Website performance stewardship](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/website-stewardship/website-performance-stewardship.md) ## Related resources - [Monthly SEO Reporting Template](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/monthly-seo-reporting-template.md): A one-page monthly template that connects search visibility, completed work, and qualified leads to next month's decisions. - [SEO Website Migration Checklist](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/website-migration-checklist.md): Protect search visibility, tracking, and customer paths before, during, and after a redesign or domain move. - [High-Quality Service Page Checklist](https://vassalmarketing.com/information/resources/service-page-checklist.md): Plan, write, check, and improve a service page that answers real customer questions without keyword stuffing. 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