How to perform a Technical SEO Audit

Many websites struggle to rank, even with good content and backlinks. The reason is often technical SEO issues running in the background. Problems like crawl errors, slow page speed, poor internal linking, or indexing issues can stop search engines from properly accessing and understanding your site.

A technical SEO audit helps you find and fix these issues step by step. It shows what’s blocking your pages from ranking and what to prioritize first for better visibility. In this guide, I’ll break down a clear, practical process you can follow to improve crawlability, performance, and organic search results.

What a Technical SEO Audit Covers

A technical SEO audit looks at the foundation of your website — the parts that affect how search engines crawl, index, and rank your pages. It focuses on issues that quietly block performance, even when content and links are in place.

This includes crawlability and indexing checks, site speed and Core Web Vitals, URL structure, internal linking, mobile usability, HTTPS security, duplicate content, canonical tags, and basic structured data. The goal is to make sure your website is easy for search engines to access, understand, and trust.

A proper technical audit doesn’t just list problems. It shows what matters most, what to fix first, and how each fix impacts rankings and traffic.

Step 1 – Check Site Crawlability

What Crawlability Means

Crawlability refers to how easily search engines can access your website pages. If a page can’t be crawled, it won’t be indexed or ranked.

Crawlable pages allow search bots to read content and links. Non-crawlable pages are blocked by files, tags, or server rules that stop bots from accessing them.

How to Check Crawlability

Start with Google Search Console to review crawl stats and errors. This shows which pages Google can and cannot access.

Check your robots.txt file to make sure important pages aren’t blocked. Review sitemap.xml to confirm all key URLs are listed and updated. Use Live URL Inspection to test individual pages in real time.

Common Problems to Fix

Pages blocked by robots.txt
Missing or outdated XML sitemap
Important URLs disallowed from crawling

Step 2 – Review Indexing Issues

What Indexing Problems Look Like

Indexing issues show up when pages don’t appear in search results or when too many low-value pages are indexed.

You may also see pages indexed that shouldn’t be, such as filtered URLs or duplicate versions.

Tools to Use

Use the Indexing and Coverage reports in Google Search Console to spot errors and warnings.

Run manual site:domain.com searches to check which pages are indexed and compare them to what should be visible.

What to Look For

Soft 404 pages
Duplicate content is being indexed
Pages accidentally marked as noindex

Step 3 – Test Page Speed and Performance

Why Speed Matters

Page speed affects user experience and rankings. Slow websites lose visitors and struggle to rank well in Google search results.

Core Web Vitals measure loading speed, visual stability, and interaction performance, especially on mobile devices.

Tools for Testing

Google PageSpeed Insights
Lighthouse performance reports
GTmetrix or similar tools

Common Areas to Improve

Uncompressed or oversized images
Heavy JavaScript and CSS files
Slow hosting or server response time

Step 4 – Check Mobile Usability

Importance of Mobile Performance

Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it evaluates your site based on its mobile version first.

If your mobile experience is poor, rankings and traffic will suffer even if desktop performance looks fine.

How to Test

Use the Mobile Usability report in Google Search Console to find errors.

Manually test pages on different mobile devices to catch layout and usability issues.

Common Mobile Problems

Text too small to read
Buttons and links are too close together
Missing or incorrect viewport settings

Step 5 – Review On-Page and Metadata

What This Covers

This step focuses on how search engines understand each page. It includes page titles, meta descriptions, headings (H1–H3), and image alt text.

These elements help Google understand page topics and improve click-through rates from search results.

Tools to Use

Use Screaming Frog or any site crawl tool to review titles, descriptions, and headings at scale.

Check Google Search Console for HTML improvements and on-page issues flagged by Google.

Issues to Fix

Missing or empty title tags
Duplicate page titles
Incorrect or skipped heading structure

Step 6 – Audit Site Structure and Internal Linking

Why It Matters

Site structure helps search bots navigate your website and understand the importance of each page.

Internal links pass link equity and help important pages rank better.

What to Check

Main navigation and menu links
Broken internal links
How deeply important the pages are from the homepage

Fixes

Add internal links to key pages
Simplify navigation for better flow
Reduce clicks needed to reach important pages

Step 7 – Analyze Security (HTTPS)Why Secure Sites Are Needed

Google prefers secure websites and may flag non-HTTPS pages.

HTTPS also builds trust with users, especially on forms and checkout pages.

What to Look For

Mixed content errors
Missing or expired SSL certificates

Tools

Browser security warnings
Online SSL checker tools

Step 8 – Detect Duplicate Content & Canonical Issues

What Causes Duplicate Content

Same content accessible through multiple URLs
Pagination, filters, or archive pages

Duplicate content confuses search engines and weakens rankings.

How to Fix

Use canonical tags correctly
Apply 301 redirects for duplicate URLs
Keep URL structure consistent

Tools You Can Use for a Technical SEO Audit

Google Search Console
Google Analytics
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Google PageSpeed Insights
Lighthouse
Ahrefs or SEMrush site audit tools
Other optional crawl and log analysis tools

How to Record and Report Your Findings

Structure your audit in clear sections like crawlability, indexing, performance, and on-page issues.

List problems in a table with page URL, issue type, impact level, and fix suggestion.

Prioritize issues based on impact, not volume. Focus first on problems blocking crawling, indexing, or conversions.

Share findings in simple language so developers or clients can act without confusion.

Common Technical SEO Problems You’ll Find

Redirect chains and loops
Wasted crawl budget on low-value pages
Slow server response times
Heavy JavaScript blocking rendering
Broken or missing structured data

Next Steps After the Audit

Fix high-impact issues first, starting with crawl and index problems.

If technical fixes are complex, involve a developer or SEO specialist.

Set up ongoing monitoring in Google Search Console and performance tools.

Track improvements in rankings, traffic, and conversions over time to measure results.

Conclusion

A technical SEO audit gives you a clear picture of what’s holding your website back. Instead of guessing or relying only on tools, it helps you focus on the issues that actually affect crawling, indexing, speed, and user experience.

By fixing these problems step by step, you make it easier for search engines to understand your site and easier for users to convert. If you want faster results or expert guidance, getting a professional audit can save time and prevent costly mistakes.