As an SEO professional, it’s often difficult to persuade small business clients to invest in an SEO campaign. Most think of it as an expense rather than an investment. However, many small business owners invest thousands into a website, only to discover later that it generates minimal or no traffic for relevant search terms related to their business. Ughhh!
Providing a free SEO audit is a straightforward method to assist business owners in comprehending the reasons behind issues, both technical and otherwise, with their websites.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the basics of SEO auditing and why it’s important for your business.
The pandemic highlighted to small business owners the significance of having a digital presence, as it equated to being visible. Lockdowns and restrictions underscored the importance and impact of having a website and social media.
In fact, the data show a rapid increase in online marketing since 2020.
The Match2One Blog article, How COVID-19 Has Affected Digital Marketing, concluded that “More digital solutions need to be considered for all industries. Webinars, digital entertainment, and virtual doctor visits are examples of solutions to come when physical contact is restricted.
Even during a time that feels like a downward spiral – there can be an opportunity to be seized.”
According to Harvard Business Review, 10 Truths About Marketing After the Pandemic, “The Covid-19 pandemic upended a marketer’s playbook, challenging the existing rules about customer relationships and building brands. One year in, there’s no going back to the old normal.”
On Google Search, the keywords ‘local’ and ‘business’ were up 80% while the combination of ‘who has’ and ‘stock’ went up by a whopping 8,000%! Staying local meant shopping local (or #shoplocal). See, Local vs. global marketing – The value of community
What is an SEO Audit?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is an important aspect of digital marketing. Regular SEO audits are crucial to maximize your website’s search engine ranking and visibility.
What is SEO Auditing and an SEO Audit Checklist?
In a nutshell, conducting an SEO audit involves examining your website from the perspective of search engines to determine how well it is optimized for ranking.
You can complete the audit checklist using something as simple as an Excel file.
You can complete the audit checklist using something as simple as an Excel file. Many “technical” SEO elements involve HTML elements, proper meta tags, website code, JavaScript, and proper website extensions. For a technical SEO checklist, it’s not necessary to check every single part of an SEO campaign.
To perform an audit, you’ll require a checklist or guidelines encompassing the following key points:
- What Search Engines Are You Competing With?
- Who Are Your Competitors?
- What are Your Keywords of Interest?
- What is Your Website’s ‘About’ Page About?
- How often does your site update and how frequently is it updated?
Importance of SEO Audits
An SEO audit is very similar to taking your car to get an oil change. As you are aware, regular oil changes are one of the most effective methods to prolong your car’s lifespan.
An SEO audit optimizes website visibility, usability, and conversion by examining technical infrastructure, on-page elements, and off-page essentials. Performing an SEO audit regularly is necessary for ensuring the long-term success of your website’s performance.
SEO audits are an important, necessary component of keeping your SEO strategy up to date. If you don’t have proper optimization for search on your website, you’re missing out on a significant amount of search engine traffic, as well as attention from potential customers.
Performing an annual SEO audit is crucial to identify and rectify any potential issues that may have arisen. Websites are constantly changing with new content, plugins, tracking scripts, and so on – so it’s important to do an SEO audit every year to make sure something isn’t holding you back.
Checking Site’s Technical Compliance with Google Guidelines
Google has a set of guidelines that webmasters and site owners should adhere to.
This involves creating a mobile-friendly site, designing the layout and content, and utilizing appropriate keywords. Google is constantly updating its guidelines, so it’s important for site owners to keep up with them.
Important Google Guidelines
Google’s guidelines for webmasters are the best way to stay on top of SEO. The general outline they provide defines what is and isn’t allowed, but the key points are to generate good content, include links to other relevant pages on your site, use keywords appropriately, and remember to optimize for mobile.
Examining Website’s Internal Link Structure and its Anchor Texts
When it comes to link building, many people only think of external links. Analyzing internal links and anchor text provides significant value in optimizing your website’s performance.
Conclusion
By scheduling regular website audits, you can make improvements to your site throughout the year. Then, you can improve your search engine rankings, expand your reach, and generate more business.
Making regular website updates and improving your strategy can help you maximize your revenue.
Does your digital marketing strategy need improvements? Request a digital marketing review today.
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