Technical SEO Audit: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to run a technical SEO audit in seven steps: crawling, indexing, Core Web Vitals, structure, internal links, structured data and mobile.
Quick answer
Work through seven checks in order: can Google crawl the site, which pages are indexed, how fast pages load on phones (Core Web Vitals), whether the structure is shallow and clear, whether internal links reach every important page, whether structured data is valid, and whether the mobile version works fully. Fix anything that keeps money pages out of the index first; everything else is ranked by how many important pages it affects.
A technical SEO audit checks whether search engines can crawl, index and correctly read your pages, and whether the site works well on a phone.
Great content on a site Google cannot reach or read does not rank.
This guide is the how-to: seven steps, the tools for each, and how to put the findings in order.
When an audit is worth paying for and what it should deliver is covered in why an SEO audit is important.
What Do You Need Before You Start?
- Access to Google Search Console for the site, with the sitemap submitted.
- A crawler such as Screaming Frog, which shows every address, status code and link.
- PageSpeed Insights for speed, with field data from real visitors where Google has it.
- A list of your money pages: the services, products or locations that bring enquiries.
Step 1: Can Google Crawl the Site?
- Check robots.txt does not block important pages or the files they need to render.
- Check the XML sitemap lists the pages you want indexed, and only those.
- Crawl the site and list pages returning 404 or server errors.
- Find redirect chains (A to B to C) and point A straight at C.
- Find internal links that point to redirected or broken addresses and update them.
Step 2: Which Pages Are Indexed?
The Page indexing report in Search Console shows which pages are indexed and why others are not.
Look for money pages that are excluded, and for the reason given: a stray noindex tag, a canonical pointing elsewhere, a duplicate Google chose instead, or a page Google crawled but decided not to index.
Then look the other way: pages that are indexed but should not be, such as filter combinations, internal search results or thin test pages.
They make the site harder to understand without bringing anyone in.
Step 3: How Fast Are Pages on a Phone?
Google recommends good Core Web Vitals and says they align with what its core ranking systems seek to reward.
The thresholds for a good score, which at least 75% of page visits should meet, are: Largest Contentful Paint (main content visible) within 2.5 seconds, Interaction to Next Paint (reaction to a tap) of 200 milliseconds or less, and Cumulative Layout Shift (how much the layout jumps) of 0.1 or less.
Check the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console for groups of pages that fail, then use PageSpeed Insights on one page from each group.
Our Core Web Vitals guide explains what to fix first.
- Large images, especially the first image on the page.
- Scripts that block the page from showing.
- Slow server response.
- Third-party scripts such as chat widgets and trackers.
- Images and embeds without reserved space, which make the layout jump.
Step 4: Is the Structure Shallow and Clear?
Important pages should be reachable within a few clicks from the home page.
Addresses should be readable and consistent, and the breadcrumb should match the structure.
Look for parameters that create many addresses for the same content, and for sections that grew without a plan.
Step 5: Do Internal Links Reach Every Important Page?
- Find orphan pages, which no other page links to.
- Check that every money page receives links from related pages, not only from the menu.
- Replace vague anchor text such as "click here" with words that describe the target page.
- Fix internal links that point to broken or redirected addresses.
Step 6: Is the Structured Data Valid?
Check which types each template uses: Organization on the home page, LocalBusiness where you have premises, Product on product pages, Article or BlogPosting on articles, BreadcrumbList on deeper pages.
Test a page from each template in the Rich Results Test and fix errors.
The data must match what the page shows.
Step 7: Does the Mobile Version Work Fully?
Google uses the mobile version of a site's content for indexing and ranking.
So anything missing from the mobile version, such as text, links, structured data or images, is missing for Google too.
Check that the main content matches desktop, that text is readable without zooming, that buttons are easy to tap, and that forms work.
How Do You Prioritise What You Find?
Rank each finding by what it blocks and how many important pages it affects, not by how alarming the tool makes it look.
- First: anything keeping money pages out of the index or uncrawlable (noindex, wrong canonicals, redirect loops, server errors).
- Second: speed and mobile problems on the templates with most traffic and enquiries.
- Third: duplicates, canonical tidying and structure.
- Fourth: structured data improvements and smaller fixes.
- After each release, check Search Console and analytics before moving to the next batch.
A technical audit is the foundation check before content and links. Run the seven steps, fix what blocks indexing first, and then build on a site Google can read. If you want it done for you, a technical audit is the first step of our SEO service, and the first audit is free.
Want a plan for your own site based on this article?
Book a free SEO auditFrequently asked questions
How often should we run a technical SEO audit?
Before an SEO campaign starts, after any redesign or migration, and as a lighter check a couple of times a year. Search Console alerts cover the time in between.
Which tools do we need?
Google Search Console, a crawler such as Screaming Frog, and PageSpeed Insights cover most of an audit. The Rich Results Test checks structured data.
Which fixes usually have the biggest effect?
Removing a stray noindex or a wrong canonical from money pages, fixing redirect chains and speeding up the main templates on mobile.
Can we do the audit in-house?
Yes, with this checklist and the free tools. Large sites, migrations and shops with big catalogues usually benefit from someone who has done many audits.
