You do not need an expensive agency to audit your website for SEO issues. This checklist walks you through every element of a professional website SEO audit in plain language, with specific instructions for checking each item and fixing any issues you find.

Tools You Will Need (All Free)

Before starting, bookmark these free tools: Google Search Console (search.google.com/search-console), Google PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev), Google Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/rich-results), and Screaming Frog SEO Spider free version (screamingfrog.co.uk).

Section 1: Title Tags (20 Minutes)

A title tag is the text that appears as the clickable headline in Google search results. It is one of the most important on-page SEO elements.

• Every page has a unique title tag (no two pages share the same title)
• Every title tag is between 50 and 60 characters
• Every title tag includes the primary keyword for that page
• The homepage title tag includes your business name, primary service, and city
• No title tag contains “Home,” “Page,” or other generic text

How to Fix: In WordPress with Rank Math Pro, go to each page, click the Rank Math icon, and edit the SEO Title field. Use the format: Primary Keyword | City | Business Name.

Section 2: Meta Descriptions (20 Minutes)

• Every page has a unique meta description
• Every meta description is between 120 and 160 characters
• Every meta description includes the primary keyword and a call to action
• Meta descriptions are written to entice clicks, not just describe the page

Section 3: Heading Structure (30 Minutes)

• Every page has exactly one H1 heading
• The H1 on every page includes the primary keyword for that page
• The H1 on service pages includes the service name and city
• H2 headings are used to break up content into logical sections
• H2 headings include secondary keywords where natural

Section 4: Image Optimization (30 Minutes)

• Every image has a descriptive alt text attribute
• Alt text describes what is in the image and includes relevant keywords where natural
• No alt text is blank, “image,” “photo,” or a filename like “IMG_1234.jpg”
• Image file names are descriptive (myrtle-beach-hvac-installation.jpg not IMG_1234.jpg)
• Images are compressed to under 200KB without visible quality loss (use squoosh.app)

Section 5: Schema Markup (30 Minutes)

• LocalBusiness schema is present on the homepage (test at search.google.com/test/rich-results)
• Service schema is present on each service page
• FAQPage schema is present on pages with FAQ sections
• No schema errors or warnings are flagged by the Rich Results Test

Section 6: Technical SEO (1 Hour)

• Website loads in under 3 seconds on mobile (test at pagespeed.web.dev)
• Website scores 70 or higher on Google PageSpeed Insights mobile score
• Website is fully mobile-responsive
• SSL certificate is active (URL starts with https://)
• Sitemap.xml exists and is submitted to Google Search Console
• No important pages return a 404 error

Section 7: Content Audit (1 Hour)

• Homepage clearly states what you do, who you serve, and where you are located
• Each service has its own dedicated page with at least 500 words of original content
• FAQ sections are present on the homepage and all service pages
• Blog exists and has at least one published post
• Internal links connect related pages

Any section scoring below 70% should be addressed immediately. Need help fixing what you find? Contact Flyt Creative for a free consultation.