Key takeaways
- Audit against a dated crawl and a known baseline, not memory.
- Fix indexation and canonical problems before writing new content.
- Internal links and page performance are part of technical SEO.
- Keep a monitoring routine so regressions are caught early.
On this page
Start with a dated crawl
Run a full crawl and export every URL with its status code, title, meta description, canonical, robots directive, and number of internal links. Add the pages that earn the most organic clicks and the pages with the most external links, because those are the ones an audit must protect.
Save the export with the date and crawl settings. When traffic moves later, comparing the baseline with a new crawl is faster than trying to remember what changed.
- Every indexable URL and its status code.
- Titles, descriptions, canonicals, and robots directives.
- Orphan pages and pages with very few internal links.
- Top landing pages and pages with external links.
Check indexation before content
A page that cannot be indexed will not rank, regardless of how good the copy is. Confirm that important pages are not blocked by robots, noindex tags, authentication, or accidental canonical tags. Check the XML sitemap against the crawl so the two agree.
Look for duplicate versions of the same page: trailing slashes, parameter variants, HTTP and HTTPS, and www and non-www. Choose one version, redirect the others, and make the canonical point to the preferred URL.
- Robots and noindex directives on important pages.
- Canonical tags that point to the wrong page or another domain.
- Duplicate hosts, protocols, and parameter variants.
- Sitemap URLs that redirect, 404, or are noindexed.
Review internal links and architecture
Internal links tell search engines which pages matter and help visitors find the next step. Check that every service page is linked from the homepage or services index, and that articles link to the service they support. A page with no internal links is effectively hidden.
Keep anchor text descriptive. A link that says services or read more gives less context than one that names the topic. Avoid adding the same exact-match anchor to every page; write the link the sentence needs.
| Page type | Should link to | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Homepage | Core service pages | Visible links, descriptive anchors |
| Service page | Related guides and projects | At least three useful links |
| Article | One primary service and related guides | Contextual and closing links |
| Project page | The service used | Service CTA and outcome context |
Performance and mobile
Technical SEO includes the experience of loading and using the page. Check the largest content element, layout stability, and interaction delay on a mobile connection. Large unoptimised images, third-party scripts, and font loading are common causes of avoidable delay.
Test the pages that earn traffic, not only the homepage. A fast marketing page does not help if the service page or article that ranks is slow. Fix the largest bottleneck first and measure again rather than changing several things at once.
- Largest contentful paint on mobile.
- Cumulative layout shift from images, ads, or embeds.
- Render-blocking scripts and unused third-party tags.
- Tap targets and horizontal overflow at 320px.
Structured data and monitoring
Validate the schema on each template: Organization, Service, Article, FAQ, and BreadcrumbList where relevant. Schema should describe what is visible on the page. Marking up content that is not shown, or adding reviews and ratings that do not exist, creates risk without benefit.
Set a monthly check for status codes, indexation, sitemap errors, and Core Web Vitals. Record the date and the change. A technical audit is a routine, not a one-off project; most damage happens gradually through small releases.
- Schema validation on every page template.
- Search Console coverage and sitemap errors.
- Core Web Vitals by page group.
- A dated log of releases and changes.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a technical SEO audit run?+
A full audit once or twice a year is enough for a stable site. Check indexation, status codes, and Core Web Vitals monthly, and run a focused crawl after any migration or template change.
Should I fix content or technical issues first?+
Fix anything that prevents indexing or wastes crawl budget first. Then improve the pages that already earn impressions. New content is harder to judge while technical problems are unresolved.
Do I need a paid SEO crawler?+
Not to start. A free crawler, Search Console, and a sitemap comparison cover most of the work. A paid tool helps when the site is large or the crawl needs scheduled comparison.
What is the most common technical SEO mistake?+
Publishing useful pages that are not linked, not in the sitemap, or canonicalised to another URL. The content exists, but search engines and visitors have no clear path to it.
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