In 2025, search engine optimisation (SEO) is more complex, and more critical, than ever. With Google’s algorithm now factoring in AI-driven search behaviour, voice queries, mobile-first indexing, and evolving user experience signals, businesses can’t afford to rely on guesswork when it comes to their website’s performance.
That’s where an SEO audit comes in. A proper SEO audit isn’t just a technical health check, it’s a strategic roadmap that identifies missed opportunities, content gaps, crawl issues, and conversion blockers. It’s the foundation for boosting visibility, attracting qualified traffic, and improving your bottom line.
In fact, according to a 2024 SEMrush report, 43% of marketers say their biggest SEO win came from conducting a comprehensive site audit and fixing technical errors. But many businesses skip this step or don’t know where to start. This blog breaks it down into a simple, actionable process.
Why Every Website Needs an SEO Audit
Your website may look fine on the surface—but under the hood, there could be issues holding back your rankings, such as:
- Broken links or crawl errors
- Duplicate or thin content
- Slow loading times
- Outdated meta tags or missing alt attributes
- Pages not indexed or optimised for mobile
Even small issues can compound and cause your site to lose trust with search engines. A detailed audit uncovers these problems so you can fix them before they impact your visibility or user experience.
Step 1: Start with a Crawl of Your Site
Use tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs Site Audit, SEMrush, or Google Search Console to crawl your site and identify:
- Pages with missing or duplicate meta titles and descriptions
- 404 errors and broken internal links
- Redirect chains
- Pages blocked by robots.txt or noindex tags
- Incorrect canonical tags
This gives you a high-level view of how search engines are crawling and interpreting your site.
Step 2: Evaluate Technical SEO Health
Technical SEO is the backbone of your site’s performance. In 2025, Google’s Core Web Vitals are essential. These include:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): How quickly the main content loads
- First Input Delay (FID): How fast your site becomes interactive
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Visual stability while loading
Run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to assess page speed and mobile usability.
Make sure your site is:
- Mobile-responsive
- Secure with HTTPS
- Fast-loading (aim for under 3 seconds)
- Free from broken links or large, unoptimised images
According to Google, 53% of mobile users abandon a site that takes more than three seconds to load, which directly impacts rankings and conversions.
Step 3: Identify Content Gaps and SEO Opportunities
Next, evaluate your existing content to find:
- Pages with thin content (under 300 words)
- Keyword cannibalisation (multiple pages competing for the same terms)
- Missing internal links to other valuable content
- Lack of long-tail keyword targeting
Use Google Search Console and tools like SurferSEO or Clearscope to compare your content with top-ranking pages and see where you’re falling short. Consider:
- Adding FAQs
- Including case studies
- Updating outdated blog posts
- Targeting underutilised keywords
Step 4: Review On-Page SEO Elements
Every page should have a clear, consistent structure. Check that each has:
- A unique and keyword-rich title tag
- An engaging meta description that improves click-through rate
- Clear H1 and H2 tags for content hierarchy
- Alt text on all images
- Schema markup where relevant (e.g., product, service, FAQ, reviews)
These elements help both users and search engines understand your content—and they can make the difference between Page 2 and Page 1 rankings.
Step 5: Check Indexing and Crawlability
Head to Google Search Console and check:
- How many pages are indexed
- If any important pages are being excluded
- If there are crawl anomalies or server issues
- Whether sitemaps are correctly submitted
Pages that aren’t indexed can’t rank, so make sure your valuable content is being discovered and crawled efficiently.
Case Study
How Wildbunch Florist Boosted Orders with an SEO Audit
Challenge
Wildbunch Florist was expanding into new suburbs but wasn’t seeing the SEO traction they expected. Their site had content inconsistencies, technical issues, and duplicate service pages that weren’t ranking well.
Solution
Digital Presence performed a full SEO audit to uncover:
- Multiple duplicate location pages without unique content
- Missing meta data on key service pages
- Poor mobile performance and slow loading times
- Lack of internal linking between relevant blog and service content
We implemented:
- A content refresh with unique suburb-based pages
- Mobile optimisation and image compression
- Proper internal linking and technical fixes
- GBP optimisation for each location
Result
Within months, Wildbunch Florist saw a 69.7% increase in online orders, improved visibility across multiple suburbs, and stronger rankings in both organic search and the Google Map Pack.
This proves that even well-established businesses can benefit massively from an SEO audit—and that real growth happens when you fix the foundation.
Your SEO Audit Checklist for 2025
Crawl & Technical Health
☑ Use Screaming Frog or SEMrush to identify crawl errors
☑ Fix 404s, redirect chains, broken links
☑ Optimise site speed and Core Web Vitals
☑ Ensure mobile responsiveness and HTTPS
Content & On-Page SEO
☑ Address thin content and keyword cannibalisation
☑ Optimise title tags, meta descriptions, headers
☑ Add schema markup and alt text
☑ Improve internal linking and content structure
Indexing & Visibility
☑ Submit and verify sitemap in Google Search Console
☑ Check index coverage report
☑ Monitor crawl stats for issues
☑ Ensure important pages are not blocked or deindexed
Conversion & UX
☑ Optimise CTAs on key pages
☑ Use heatmaps and session recordings to assess behaviour
☑ Improve layout, navigation, and load time
☑ Test contact forms and conversion funnels
Don’t Guess…Audit Your Way to Better SEO
If your website isn’t bringing in the traffic or leads you expect, the problem may not be your products or services, it could be hidden issues on your site. A structured SEO audit reveals exactly what’s holding you back and provides a clear action plan to move forward.
Need help auditing your website for SEO performance? Contact Digital Presence at 1300 867 726 or visit our website for a professional audit that uncovers growth opportunities and gets results.
Download our SEO Audit Checklist and start improving your website today—no guesswork required.
