An SEO audit should end with a repair list that someone can act on and retest. This checklist starts with the pages that help a customer choose your business, then separates access problems, weak information and measurement gaps.
Start with five page types: the homepage, the main service or product page, a useful supporting guide, a genuine project example and the contact page. Replace a type that does not apply to your business. Keep the exact URLs in the audit record so that a later reviewer checks the same pages.
1. Check access before rewriting content
Open each URL while signed out and on a phone. Record the final address after redirects and whether the expected content appears. A successful response containing an error screen is not a working service page.
In Search Console, inspect an important URL and note its specific status. Discovered but not indexed means Google knows the address; crawled but not indexed means it fetched the page but has not included it. Neither status identifies one universal cause. Compare the result with the page's actual purpose before changing it.
Private account screens, redirects and sitemap files do not need to appear as ordinary search results. Do not judge the site only by the total number of excluded URLs.
2. Use an evidence checklist
For each row below, record Pass, Fail, Investigate or Intentional. Save a screenshot, tool result or exact URL rather than writing only a score.
| Check | What to inspect | Evidence to keep | Next action when it fails |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public access | Final URL, page response and visible content | Address and dated browser check | Repair the response, redirect or access setting |
| Indexing instructions | robots.txt, noindex and preferred canonical | URL Inspection result and page instructions | Remove an unintended block; retain deliberate exclusions |
| Discovery | Navigation, contextual links and sitemap membership | The page that links to the URL | Add a useful route from a relevant page |
| Search purpose | Title, main heading and the question answered | Intended query group and page notes | Clarify the purpose and fill missing decision information |
| Images | Visible image, working image address and accurate description | Image URL and page screenshot | Repair the file or display rule; supply a suitable cover where needed |
| Mobile task | Read service details and reach the enquiry route | Phone, page and observed obstruction | Fix overlap, unreadable text or an inaccessible control |
| Enquiry delivery | Submit one labelled test and check the destination | Test identifier and received status | Repair storage or delivery before counting leads |
| Measurement | Correct property, consent and test exclusions | A labelled test event and configuration note | Correct the event and document gaps |
3. Compare the page with the customer's decision
Write one sentence describing the search intent. A service buyer may need scope, service area, exclusions, examples and a clear way to ask for a quotation. A learner needs an explanation or activity that answers the question. The same layout and call to action will not suit both.
Compare the kind of pages appearing for the search and the information they provide. Do not use keyword repetition or word count as a substitute for useful information. Label design concepts and illustrative calculations so they cannot be mistaken for delivered customer results.
4. Inspect the image and its landing page together
Open the image address directly. Check that it returns an image, is allowed to be crawled and is also presented on the relevant page. A file can be healthy while a CSS rule hides it from visitors.
Use a normal HTML image element, a description that matches the image and a stable address. Where a sitemap or preview names a primary image, keep it consistent with the page. These checks make discovery clearer; they do not force Google to display a thumbnail.
5. Investigate speed in the affected journey
Use real-user evidence when available and a repeatable test to investigate a particular problem. Keep the tested URL, device mode and observed behaviour. A slower response, unstable layout and unresponsive button need different repairs.
The PageSpeed report guide explains how to turn a result into a fix record. A good score alone does not establish a search position or prove that enquiries work.
6. Keep a repair and retest record
Copy this row for each finding. The example is illustrative, not a reported customer incident.
| URL | Observed problem | Customer impact | Owner | Repair | Retest and outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact page in the selected sample | Test submission showed success but no saved enquiry was found | A genuine enquiry might be missed | Assigned maintainer | Check the submission response and storage result | Repeat one labelled test; record received or unresolved |
Prioritise a broken contact route or unintentionally blocked core service page before a cosmetic issue on a low-use archive. Retest the same URL and task after the change. If the cause is still uncertain, keep Investigate as the status rather than marking the issue fixed.
Use the maintenance checklist for ongoing checks and the SEO measurement guide for the next reporting period.
Sources
- Google URL Inspection guidance
- Google technical requirements
- Google image SEO guidance
- Google page experience guidance
If you are evaluating a supplied report, use the SEO audit acceptance checklist to separate supported findings from items needing clarification. The testable developer brief then helps you scope agreed implementation.
If a finding concerns an important page with no useful incoming route, follow the orphan service-page link audit for a focused discovery record and retest.
