A comprehensive site analysis includes all available types of audits, namely search audit , technical, usability, etc. This is a large amount of work, but if your finances are limited, then you can do it yourself.

Independent comprehensive site audit affects:

  • accessibility of the resource to search engines. We determine the speed of the resource, the availability of pages to be indexed by search robots, and position in search results;

  • usability . Ease of perception and use of the site. Features of the structure;

  • analysis of internal ranking factors. Uniqueness of content, page weight, code validity, presence of duplicates;

  • analysis of external ranking factors. Backlink profile, social media presence.

The first stage of an independent site audit is studying the robots.txt file. Here are the parts of the site that are prohibited from indexing. You need to make sure that there are no important pages that are necessarily checked by the search robot. This operation can be performed manually or using special programs (for example, Screaming Frog SEO Spider - a powerful tool for complex analysis).

We check the presence and completion of XML, as well as HTML sitemaps . The first helps the search engine check sites, the second ensures ease of navigation for users.

We check the HTTP headers:

  • 200 – there must be a majority;

  • 301 – used for gluing mirrors;

  • 302 – temporary redirect. Used in required places;

  • 404 – present, not duplicated

The optimal resource loading speed is no more than 2-3 seconds. Otherwise, it is necessary to optimize the size of images and remove heavy code. There are many tools to check this parameter. Choose the most convenient one.

Checking the indexing is accompanied by determining the position of the site in the search results and the presence of a ban for individual pages. The command in the search bar Google site: (site address) will help you complete this task.

A discrepancy between the number of reflected pages and existing ones may indicate 2 problems:

  • if there are more of them, there are many mirrors, takes . Some important pages will not be indexed, or the resource will be subject to filters;

     

  • if there are fewer of them, the robots.txt file is configured incorrectly or there is a ban on individual pages.

Usability

Ease of use of a website is an important conversion criterion. Need to evaluate:

  • convenience of arrangement of elements;

  • presence of contacts in the expected location;

  • optimal category structure;

  • logo clickability;

  • text optimization;

  • footer content (no unnecessary elements).

It is important to look at the site through the eyes of a new user. This will help to understand whether he will be able to quickly find the necessary information.

The site structure must meet the following requirements:

  • minimal nesting (3-4 levels is the norm, 5 is only for large resources);

     

  • there are no uninformative pages;

  • provided " bread crumbs " for navigation;

  • the menu is conveniently located.

Internal Ranking Factors

Special tools should be used to help identify:

Duplicate Content

We check the availability of the resource when writing the address in different ways (with and without www, through extensions .html, .php, .htm etc). It is necessary to glue the mirrors through 301 redirect . It is important to remove duplicate content on different pages, otherwise the site will get filtered.

We check the validity of the code through W3C. We note key errors that need to be corrected.

Analysis of external ranking factors

We study the incoming link mass and identify dubious sources of links. Nowadays, spam purchases are punished especially harshly.

We check whether the resource is represented on social networks. Links from such pages carry significant weight, so if necessary, you should promote in this direction.

Based on the collected data, we compile a list of problems that impede the promotion and development of the resource. It must be eliminated sequentially.

Conclusion

A comprehensive website audit is a comprehensive study of a resource, which allows you to identify its strengths and weaknesses, as well as find areas of growth. It includes:

  • Search audit : analysis of site accessibility for search engines, page loading speed, their indexing, positions in search results.
  • Technical audit : checking the validity of the code, the presence of duplicates, the functionality of scripts, etc.
  • Usability audit : assessing the usability of a website for users.
  • Analysis of internal ranking factors : assessment of the uniqueness of content, quality of links, site structure, etc.
  • Analysis of external ranking factors : assessment of the link profile, presence in social networks.

Self-audit is a labor-intensive process , but it can save money. When conducting it, it is important to use special tools and carefully study the data obtained.

The result of the audit should be a list of problems that need to be corrected to improve the site’s position in search results and increase its conversion.

Self-audit of a website is a completely normal practice, especially if you have a limited budget.

However, it is important to understand that professionals:

  • They have extensive experience and knowledge in the field of SEO and website auditing.
  • They use special tools and services that allow them to obtain more accurate and complete data.
  • May reveal problems you might have missed.
  • They will be able to not only find problems, but also offer effective solutions to eliminate them.

Therefore, if you do not have the time or desire to audit the site yourself, it is better to turn to professionals.

They will help you:

  • Save time and effort.
  • Improve your website's position in search results.
  • Increase conversion.
  • Overall, make your website more effective.

An investment in a professional website audit will more than pay off due to the growth of your business.