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SEO audit checklist: 40 checks for small-business websites

An SEO audit checklist is a pass/fail list of 40 checks in 7 groups: indexing and crawling, speed and mobile, on-page, content, structured data, links and local signals. Each check names the free tool that runs it, from Google Search Console to PageSpeed Insights, and the result that counts as a pass. Work through the checks in order, and use them as your own written SEO audit report.

Written by Bikash Roy · Reviewed by Fredrick FrancisesOverland Park, KSPublished

40 checks across 7 groups; every check runs with a free tool.
GroupChecksCovers
A. Indexing and crawling1–8Search Console verification, sitemap, robots.txt, link depth
B. Speed and mobile9–13Core Web Vitals, image weight, HTTPS, server response
C. On-page elements14–21Titles, meta descriptions, headings, URLs, alt text, links
D. Content22–26Service coverage, cannibalization, thin pages, business facts
E. Structured data27–30Organization markup, enhancement reports, breadcrumbs
F. Links31–35Referring domains, link targets, anchor text, manual actions
G. Local signals on your website36–40NAP, profile link, duplication, click-to-call, tracking
Jump to the 40 checks

How do you do an SEO audit of a website?

Do an SEO audit by running 40 pass/fail checks in 7 groups: indexing and crawling, speed and mobile, on-page elements, content, structured data, links and local signals. Each check uses a free tool, and every failed check becomes one item on your fix list.

Google's own guidance adds 5 direct steps that move these checks: verify the business, keep info up to date, respond to reviews, add photos and videos, and add in-store products. Only canonical pages are expected to be indexed, so a "not indexed" result on a redirected or noindexed URL is not a failure. Prefer a done-for-you review? Our SEO audit service runs these checks plus competitor and profile analysis.

What does a 40-point SEO audit checklist cover?

A 40-point SEO audit checklist covers indexing and crawling, speed and mobile, on-page elements, content, structured data, links and local signals, at 4 to 8 checks per group. Each row names one free tool and the exact condition that counts as a pass.

Group A · 8 checks

Check indexing and crawling

  1. Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools verification

    Tool: Search Console; Bing Webmaster Tools. Pass when: Both properties verified for the https domain.

  2. Page indexing report reasons

    Tool: Search Console → Pages. Pass when: Every "Not indexed" reason is expected (redirects, alternates, intended noindex).

  3. Key page index status

    Tool: URL Inspection. Pass when: Home, service and city pages show "URL is on Google".

  4. robots.txt rules

    Tool: Search Console robots.txt report. Pass when: No Disallow on a page you want found.

  5. XML sitemap contents

    Tool: Search Console → Sitemaps. Pass when: Submitted, "Success", lists only canonical 200-status URLs.

  6. Noindex tags

    Tool: Screaming Frog (free). Pass when: No noindex on a page you want found.

  7. Internal link depth

    Tool: Screaming Frog (free). Pass when: Every key page within 3 clicks of the homepage; no orphan pages.

  8. Single site version

    Tool: Browser and a redirect checker. Pass when: http, https, www and non-www all 301 to one version.

Check 2 covers every status Search Console reports for a URL. Read the full guide to pages Google has not indexed for the fixes behind each one.

Group B · 5 checks

Check speed and mobile experience

  1. Core Web Vitals

    Tool: PageSpeed Insights; Search Console Core Web Vitals. Pass when: LCP ≤ 2.5 s, INP ≤ 200 ms, CLS ≤ 0.1 on mobile.

  2. Image weight

    Tool: PageSpeed Insights. Pass when: No "properly size images" or "modern formats" warnings on key pages.

  3. Mobile layout

    Tool: Chrome DevTools device mode. Pass when: No horizontal scroll at 320 px; tap targets usable.

  4. HTTPS

    Tool: Chrome DevTools → Security. Pass when: Valid certificate, no mixed content.

  5. Server response

    Tool: Search Console → Crawl stats → Host status. Pass when: No host problems; no 5xx spikes.

Group C · 8 checks

Check on-page elements

  1. Title tags

    Tool: Screaming Frog. Pass when: Unique per page, service + city, ≤ 60 characters.

  2. Meta descriptions

    Tool: Screaming Frog. Pass when: Unique per page, no blanks.

  3. H1 headings

    Tool: Screaming Frog. Pass when: One H1 per page naming the page's service or topic.

  4. Heading order

    Tool: Browser outline or Screaming Frog. Pass when: H1 → H2 → H3 with no skipped levels.

  5. URL format

    Tool: Screaming Frog. Pass when: Lowercase, hyphenated, descriptive.

  6. Image alt text

    Tool: Screaming Frog. Pass when: Every meaningful image described.

  7. Broken internal links

    Tool: Screaming Frog. Pass when: Zero 4xx internal links.

  8. Redirect chains

    Tool: Screaming Frog. Pass when: No chain longer than 1 hop.

Group D · 5 checks

Check content quality

  1. Service coverage

    Tool: Site review. Pass when: One page per service sold.

  2. Keyword cannibalization

    Tool: Search Console → Performance → Queries → Pages. Pass when: Each main query maps to one page.

  3. Answer position

    Tool: Manual read. Pass when: Each page answers its main question in the first paragraph.

  4. Thin or duplicate pages

    Tool: Manual review and Search Console "Crawled – currently not indexed". Pass when: No pages without unique information.

  5. Business facts in text

    Tool: Manual read. Pass when: Prices or price ranges, service areas, hours and phone stated as text.

Group E · 4 checks

Check structured data

  1. Organization or LocalBusiness markup

    Tool: Rich Results Test; Schema Markup Validator. Pass when: Present on home and contact pages, zero errors.

  2. Markup-to-text match

    Tool: Schema Markup Validator and manual check. Pass when: Name, address, phone and hours in markup match the visible page.

  3. Enhancement reports

    Tool: Search Console → Enhancements. Pass when: No errors.

  4. Breadcrumb markup

    Tool: Rich Results Test. Pass when: BreadcrumbList valid on inner pages.

Group F · 5 checks

Check links

  1. Referring domains

    Tool: Search Console → Links; Bing Webmaster Tools → Backlinks. Pass when: Count recorded; trend stable or rising.

  2. Link targets

    Tool: Search Console → Links → Top linked pages. Pass when: Top linked pages return 200, not 404.

  3. Anchor text

    Tool: Search Console → Links → Top linking text. Pass when: No spam or unrelated anchors.

  4. Manual actions

    Tool: Search Console → Security & Manual Actions. Pass when: "No issues detected".

  5. Internal links to money pages

    Tool: Screaming Frog. Pass when: Every service page linked from the navigation or homepage.

Group G · 5 checks

Check local signals on your website

  1. Footer NAP

    Tool: Manual check. Pass when: Name, address, phone match the Google Business Profile character for character.

  2. Profile landing page

    Tool: Google Business Profile → Website field. Pass when: Links to the matching location or home page, with UTM tags.

  3. City-page duplication

    Tool: Manual review and Screaming Frog near-duplicates. Pass when: No two city pages share the same body text.

  4. Click-to-call

    Tool: Manual check on a phone. Pass when: Phone number is text with a tel: link, not an image.

  5. Conversion tracking

    Tool: Google Analytics 4. Pass when: Calls, forms and profile clicks recorded as key events.

Ticks on this page are not saved; keep your own copy of the pass/fail results as you work through the groups.

What are the best free SEO audit tools?

The best free SEO audit tools are Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, PageSpeed Insights, Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free up to 500 URLs), the Rich Results Test, the Schema Markup Validator, Chrome DevTools and Google Analytics 4. Together they cover all 40 checks.

Every tool on this checklist is free. Tools find problems; crawling and indexing fixes need server, CMS or template changes a tool cannot make on its own.

One free tool per check group; Screaming Frog's free version crawls up to 500 URLs.
ToolChecks it coversCost
Google Search ConsoleChecks 1–5, 9, 13, 23, 29, 31–34Free
Bing Webmaster ToolsChecks 1, 31Free
PageSpeed InsightsChecks 9, 10Free
Screaming Frog SEO SpiderChecks 6, 7, 14–21, 35, 38 (free to 500 URLs)Free
Rich Results TestChecks 27, 30Free
Schema Markup ValidatorChecks 27, 28Free
Chrome DevToolsChecks 11, 12Free
Google Analytics 4Check 40Free

What is an SEO audit score?

An SEO audit score is a tool's 0–100 summary of the issues its own crawler found. Each tool weights issues differently, so a score from one tool does not match another. This checklist records pass or fail per check instead of a score.

How do you make an SEO audit report?

Make an SEO audit report in 4 parts: a summary of failed checks, a table of all 40 checks marked pass or fail, a screenshot per failure, and a fix list ranked by pages affected.

  • Summary — failed checks by group
  • Check table — all 40 with pass or fail
  • Evidence — a screenshot per failure
  • Fix list — failures ranked by pages affected

40 checks is the free path — here is what a paid audit adds

Can I do an SEO audit myself?

Yes. All 40 checks on this page run with free tools, and a small-business site of under 100 pages fits the free crawler limits. A paid audit adds competitor, backlink and Google Business Profile analysis, a fix order ranked by impact, and a walkthrough call.

Map-pack rankings depend on your Google Business Profile, citations and reviews, which this list does not cover; the 35-step local SEO checklist does.

Both paths run the same 40 website checks; a paid audit adds profile, competitor and ranking analysis.
Do it yourselfPaid SEO audit
Cost$0 (free tools)$349
Checks40 website checks40 website checks plus competitors, backlinks, Google Business Profile, citations, rankings
OutputYour own pass/fail sheetWritten report, screenshots, fix list ranked by impact
HelpNone20-minute walkthrough call
Who fixes itYouYou, or the technical SEO sprint from $750

Questions about SEO audit checklists

What is the difference between an SEO audit and a local SEO audit?

An SEO audit checks the website: indexing, speed, pages, content, markup and links. A local SEO audit checks the Google Business Profile, citations and reviews that decide map-pack rankings. This checklist covers the website plus 5 website-side local checks.

What is a technical SEO audit?

A technical SEO audit is the part of an SEO audit that checks whether search engines crawl, render and index a site, and how fast it loads. On this checklist it equals checks 1 to 13: indexing and crawling plus speed and mobile.

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