SEO audit checklist: 40 things to check

A good SEO audit comes down to working through the same categories every time. Here is a practical 40-point checklist - grouped into on-page, technical, content, schema, AI visibility, and local - that you can run on any page or site. Work top to bottom and you will catch the issues that matter most.

On-page (the basics that decide rankings)

• Every page has a unique, descriptive title tag (about 50-60 characters)
• Every page has a unique meta description (about 150-155 characters)
• Exactly one H1 per page, stating the topic in plain words
• Logical heading order (H2s and H3s, not skipped or random)
• Target keyword appears naturally in the title, H1, and first paragraph
• No duplicate titles or descriptions across pages
• Images have descriptive alt text
• URLs are short, readable, and keyword-relevant
• Internal links use descriptive anchor text
• A clear call to action on every important page

Technical (so Google can crawl and trust you)

• Pages are indexed (check with site:yourdomain.com)
• An XML sitemap exists and is submitted in Search Console
• robots.txt is not accidentally blocking important pages
• Canonical tags are set correctly (no duplicate-content confusion)
• The site is mobile-friendly and responsive
• HTTPS is enabled site-wide
• No broken links (404s) or broken images
• Core Web Vitals and load speed are reasonable

Content (the part that earns the ranking)

• Each page has enough genuinely useful content to answer its topic
• No thin or near-duplicate pages (especially swapped-city pages)
• Content reflects real first-hand experience, not generic filler
• Question-style headings with direct answers in the first sentence
• A visible FAQ section on key pages
• Content has a visible author and a published or updated date
• Cost and pricing content includes specifics where possible
• Outdated pages are refreshed, merged, or removed

Schema (what machines and AI read)

• Organization or LocalBusiness schema is present
• Review schema (AggregateRating) if you have ratings
• FAQPage schema where you have a visible FAQ
• Article and author Person schema on blog posts
• Schema matches the visible content (no mismatches)
• sameAs links connect your profiles and listings

AI visibility (the 2026 layer)

• Content can be read without JavaScript (check the page source)
• AI readiness signals - schema, structure, trust - are in place
• Clear, consistent business identity (entity clarity)
• Direct answers to common questions AI engines might pull

Local (if you serve an area)

• Google Business Profile is claimed, verified, and complete
• Name, address, and phone are consistent everywhere (NAP)
• You are actively earning reviews (and responding to them)
• Location pages have unique local content, not just a swapped city name