Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become an important staple for any website or blog. Attracting viewers to a site can be a difficult process, but knowing the right SEO tricks is extremely helpful. For some sites, optimizing search engine ranking can be a struggle, so it’s important to perform SEO audits in order to understand which areas need improvement. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know about SEO audits.
What to Expect
There are a few different things to expect from an SEO audit. For starters, you’ll be receiving a description of the state of your site with a detailed breakdown of how the site is performing in different aspects of search optimization. This includes how well the site works with search engines, the amount of internal and external links in your content, and social media performance on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
There will also be a report detailing an Internet marketing strategy that will capitalize on all forms of traffic, and usually not just via SEO techniques. This will help ensure that SEO isn’t the only form of Internet marketing taking place on your corner of the Web. Overall, the information found in the audit should be a good overview of how well your Internet marketing strategy is being executed.
Performing Your Own Audit
Now comes the hard part. Performing your own SEO audit can take a great deal of time, as there is a checklist that will need to be marked off point-by-point. While you will need more than what’s described here, there are some major points to be covered and specific aspects to assess while auditing. These include:
Are the titles unique for each page?
Are the URLs well-built and do they include keywords?
Are the formatting and grammar correct?
Is the content as well written as possible?
Is all of the content unique?
Are there links for each post that direct to another part of the same site?
Are the images on the site SEO friendly?
Is the website running as fast as it could be?
These, however, just scratch the surface of the many issues a detailed audit would address from your blog or website. There are dozens of items to cover to make sure a website is search engine optimal, and sometimes it may just be easier to bring in a professional to perform a professional audit.
Should I Pay Someone to Perform an Audit?
If you truly are invested in the SEO of your site and want to see it succeed, then this may be your best option. That is, unless you feel able to perform the audit yourself without having to ask for extensive help. Performing an audit isn’t easy, and that’s why some companies are making a new business opportunity for themselves by providing this service.
It will be extremely important to shop around if that’s the road you decide to take. SEO auditors run a wide gamut in terms of talent and cost. According to one SEO specialist, “Website audits are customized for individual businesses, so the prices vary, but the typical range is $2,500 to $3,500 (audits for larger “enterprise” websites can be considerably more). Ongoing SEO ranges from consulting to “do it for me” SEO services where Blue Corona’s team acts like your own in-house SEO department (for a fraction of the cost of having your own SEO team). Ongoing SEO ranges from $1,000 per month on the low end to $10,000 (or more) per month on the high end.”
There are many reasons to perform an SEO audit, and it is ultimately an essential tool for virtually every marketing strategy. If the price becomes too much, then it may be necessary to invest in learning more about SEO so you can perform an audit yourself. If you feel comfortable with your ability to answer the questions stated earlier, however, then the effort of learning to perform an audit yourself could certainly be worthwhile.
Sara Collins is a writer for NerdWallet, a site that helps consumers find the best coupon deals.