{"id":91999,"date":"2026-07-14T02:29:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T00:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/?p=91999"},"modified":"2026-07-14T02:29:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T00:29:04","slug":"how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/","title":{"rendered":"How to find broken SEO basics before paying for an audit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An SEO audit can be valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It can also become an expensive way to learn that your homepage has no clear title tag, half your important pages sit behind a noindex tag or Google has been crawling old URLs for months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before you pay for a full audit, you can check a surprising amount yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You do not need to be an SEO specialist. You need a browser, access to Google Search Console and enough patience to investigate what your site is actually showing search engines. The goal is not to replace a technical audit or professional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brafton.co.uk\/services\/organic-seo-services\/\">SEO services<\/a>. It is to catch obvious problems, fix the easy ones and make any later audit more focused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This guide covers the SEO basics worth checking first, where to look and what each issue may mean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_71 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#TLDR\" title=\"TL;DR\">TL;DR<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#First_define_your_%E2%80%9Cmoney_pages%E2%80%9D\" title=\"First: define your \u201cmoney pages\u201d\">First: define your \u201cmoney pages\u201d<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_1_can_Google_find_and_index_your_important_pages\" title=\"Check 1: can Google find and index your important pages?\">Check 1: can Google find and index your important pages?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#What_to_investigate_first\" title=\"What to investigate first\">What to investigate first<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Quick_manual_check_for_noindex\" title=\"Quick manual check for noindex\">Quick manual check for noindex<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_2_make_sure_one_page_has_one_clear_search_purpose\" title=\"Check 2: make sure one page has one clear search purpose\">Check 2: make sure one page has one clear search purpose<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Example_of_a_page_with_mixed_intent\" title=\"Example of a page with mixed intent\">Example of a page with mixed intent<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_3_inspect_title_tags_and_meta_descriptions_on_key_pages\" title=\"Check 3: inspect title tags and meta descriptions on key pages\">Check 3: inspect title tags and meta descriptions on key pages<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Weak_title_tag\" title=\"Weak title tag\">Weak title tag<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Better_title_tag\" title=\"Better title tag\">Better title tag<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_for_these_common_issues\" title=\"Check for these common issues\">Check for these common issues<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Weak_meta_description\" title=\"Weak meta description\">Weak meta description<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Better_meta_description\" title=\"Better meta description\">Better meta description<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_4_review_H1s_headings_and_page_hierarchy\" title=\"Check 4: review H1s, headings and page hierarchy\">Check 4: review H1s, headings and page hierarchy<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Example_of_weak_heading_structure\" title=\"Example of weak heading structure\">Example of weak heading structure<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Better_heading_structure\" title=\"Better heading structure\">Better heading structure<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_5_look_for_duplicate_pages_and_competing_URLs\" title=\"Check 5: look for duplicate pages and competing URLs\">Check 5: look for duplicate pages and competing URLs<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Signs_that_duplicate_URLs_need_attention\" title=\"Signs that duplicate URLs need attention\">Signs that duplicate URLs need attention<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_6_test_internal_links_like_a_new_visitor\" title=\"Check 6: test internal links like a new visitor\">Check 6: test internal links like a new visitor<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#A_practical_internal-link_test\" title=\"A practical internal-link test\">A practical internal-link test<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Weak_internal_link\" title=\"Weak internal link\">Weak internal link<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Better_internal_link\" title=\"Better internal link\">Better internal link<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_7_find_broken_links_and_broken_redirect_chains\" title=\"Check 7: find broken links and broken redirect chains\">Check 7: find broken links and broken redirect chains<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#What_to_do_with_a_broken_URL\" title=\"What to do with a broken URL\">What to do with a broken URL<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_redirect_chains\" title=\"Check redirect chains\">Check redirect chains<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_8_inspect_your_sitemap_and_robotstxt_file\" title=\"Check 8: inspect your sitemap and robots.txt file\">Check 8: inspect your sitemap and robots.txt file<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Important_distinction\" title=\"Important distinction\">Important distinction<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-28\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_9_review_mobile_usability_and_page_experience_manually\" title=\"Check 9: review mobile usability and page experience manually\">Check 9: review mobile usability and page experience manually<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-29\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_10_compare_what_you_publish_with_what_Google_actually_ranks\" title=\"Check 10: compare what you publish with what Google actually ranks\">Check 10: compare what you publish with what Google actually ranks<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-30\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Example\" title=\"Example\">Example<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-31\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#High_impressions_low_clicks\" title=\"High impressions, low clicks\">High impressions, low clicks<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-32\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_11_look_for_thin_pages_that_exist_for_no_clear_reason\" title=\"Check 11: look for thin pages that exist for no clear reason\">Check 11: look for thin pages that exist for no clear reason<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-33\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Check_12_test_conversion_paths_from_organic_content\" title=\"Check 12: test conversion paths from organic content\">Check 12: test conversion paths from organic content<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-34\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Example_of_a_weak_path\" title=\"Example of a weak path\">Example of a weak path<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-35\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Better_path\" title=\"Better path\">Better path<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-36\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#A_pre-audit_SEO_checklist\" title=\"A pre-audit SEO checklist\">A pre-audit SEO checklist<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-37\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Indexation_and_crawlability\" title=\"Indexation and crawlability\">Indexation and crawlability<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-38\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#On-page_basics\" title=\"On-page basics\">On-page basics<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-39\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Site_structure_and_internal_links\" title=\"Site structure and internal links\">Site structure and internal links<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-40\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#User_experience_and_conversion\" title=\"User experience and conversion\">User experience and conversion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-41\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Search_performance\" title=\"Search performance\">Search performance<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-42\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#When_it_is_still_worth_paying_for_an_SEO_audit\" title=\"When it is still worth paying for an SEO audit\">When it is still worth paying for an SEO audit<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-43\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#FAQ\" title=\"FAQ\">FAQ<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-44\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Can_I_do_an_SEO_audit_myself\" title=\"Can I do an SEO audit myself?\">Can I do an SEO audit myself?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-45\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#What_is_the_first_SEO_issue_I_should_check\" title=\"What is the first SEO issue I should check?\">What is the first SEO issue I should check?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-46\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#How_often_should_I_check_SEO_basics\" title=\"How often should I check SEO basics?\">How often should I check SEO basics?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-47\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Are_404_errors_always_bad_for_SEO\" title=\"Are 404 errors always bad for SEO?\">Are 404 errors always bad for SEO?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-48\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Do_I_need_an_SEO_tool_to_find_broken_basics\" title=\"Do I need an SEO tool to find broken basics?\">Do I need an SEO tool to find broken basics?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-49\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#What_should_I_fix_before_hiring_an_SEO_consultant\" title=\"What should I fix before hiring an SEO consultant?\">What should I fix before hiring an SEO consultant?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-50\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/#Conclusion\" title=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"TLDR\"><\/span><strong>TL;DR<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Start with indexation. A brilliant page cannot rank if Google cannot index it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check Google Search Console before relying on third-party SEO tools.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Review titles, page intent, internal links and canonical tags on your high-value pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/websiteinaboxpro.com\/blog\/why-is-my-website-not-showing-up-on-google\/\">Check if your website is showing up in Google.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test important pages as a user would: mobile, speed, forms and navigation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Treat crawl errors, duplicate pages and accidental noindex tags as urgent when they affect money pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Document what you find. A future audit will cost less when you can show what has already been checked.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"First_define_your_%E2%80%9Cmoney_pages%E2%80%9D\"><\/span><strong>First: define your \u201cmoney pages\u201d<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not begin with every page on the site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start with pages that should bring in leads, sales or qualified traffic. These are the pages where SEO basics matter most because a mistake can affect revenue, not just a forgotten blog post from 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your list may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Homepage<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Core product or service pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pricing page<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Demo or contact page<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Main category pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>High-intent comparison pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your strongest organic blog posts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Landing pages used in paid campaigns<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Location pages, if you serve specific regions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Put them in a spreadsheet. Add the URL, page type and main purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>URL<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Page type<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Main job<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\/<\/td><td>Homepage<\/td><td>Explain the product and route visitors to core pages<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\/pricing\/<\/td><td>Commercial<\/td><td>Help buyers understand plans and self-qualify<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\/email-verification\/<\/td><td>Product page<\/td><td>Rank for product-category terms and drive trials<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\/compare\/tool-a\/<\/td><td>Comparison<\/td><td>Capture buyers researching alternatives<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\/blog\/how-to-clean-an-email-list\/<\/td><td>Informational<\/td><td>Bring in relevant top-of-funnel traffic<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This list becomes your pre-audit checklist. It stops you from spending three hours fixing metadata on pages that no longer matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_1_can_Google_find_and_index_your_important_pages\"><\/span><strong>Check 1: can Google find and index your important pages?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the first thing to check because everything else depends on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open Google and search:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">site:yourdomain.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then search for a specific important URL or page title:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">site:yourdomain.com\/pricing<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">or:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">site:yourdomain.com &#8220;Your exact page title&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This does not give you a perfect indexation report. It does give you a fast sense of whether Google knows the page exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then open Google Search Console and go to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Indexing \u2192 Pages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look for the main categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Search Console status<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>What it can mean<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Indexed<\/td><td>Google has added the page to its index<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Crawled \u2013 currently not indexed<\/td><td>Google saw the page but did not choose to index it<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Discovered \u2013 currently not indexed<\/td><td>Google knows the URL but has not crawled it yet<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Excluded by \u2018noindex\u2019 tag<\/td><td>The page tells Google not to index it<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Alternate page with proper canonical tag<\/td><td>Google sees another URL as the preferred version<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Not found (404)<\/td><td>Google found a URL that no longer exists<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Redirect error<\/td><td>The redirect chain or destination may have a problem<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Blocked by robots.txt<\/td><td>Your robots file stops Google from crawling the URL<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_investigate_first\"><\/span><strong>What to investigate first<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Focus on cases where a high-value page appears in one of these groups:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Excluded by noindex<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Crawled \u2013 currently not indexed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Discovered \u2013 currently not indexed for a long time<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Blocked by robots.txt<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Not found (404)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Duplicate without user-selected canonical<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A forgotten tag can remove a core page from search. That is often more urgent than optimising another blog heading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quick_manual_check_for_noindex\"><\/span><strong>Quick manual check for noindex<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open the page in a browser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Right-click and choose <strong>View page source<\/strong>. Search for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">noindex<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may see something like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&lt;meta name=&#8221;robots&#8221; content=&#8221;noindex, nofollow&#8221;&gt;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">or:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&lt;meta name=&#8221;robots&#8221; content=&#8221;noindex&#8221;&gt;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That tells search engines not to add the page to results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A noindex tag may be correct for internal thank-you pages, login pages or test URLs. It is not correct for your main product page unless there is a very deliberate reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_2_make_sure_one_page_has_one_clear_search_purpose\"><\/span><strong>Check 2: make sure one page has one clear search purpose<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A lot of SEO problems are not technical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They are intent problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A page may try to rank for five different things at once. It talks about a broad category, a feature, a use case, an industry and a generic educational term. Google cannot tell what it should rank for. Visitors cannot tell whether the page solves their problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For each money page, write one sentence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This page should help [specific audience] understand or do [specific thing].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Page<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Clear intent<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\/crm-for-small-business\/<\/td><td>Help small business owners compare CRM options and see whether the product fits<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\/email-verification\/<\/td><td>Help teams understand how email verification works and start using the product<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\/project-management-for-agencies\/<\/td><td>Help agencies assess a project tool for client work and delivery workflows<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\/pricing\/<\/td><td>Help active buyers understand plans, limits and the next step<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then compare that sentence with the actual page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Does the H1 match the page\u2019s purpose?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does the opening explain the problem quickly?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does the page answer the question someone searched for?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is the CTA relevant to the intent?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does the page drift into unrelated topics?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Example_of_a_page_with_mixed_intent\"><\/span><strong>Example of a page with mixed intent<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A page targets \u201cemail marketing software.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It starts by defining email marketing. Then it explains cold outreach. Then it lists campaign ideas. Then it promotes a transactional email product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The page may contain plenty of keywords. It still lacks a clear promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A better structure would separate those ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Product page for the actual software category<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Educational guide for email marketing basics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dedicated page for cold outreach, if relevant<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use-case page for transactional email<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You do not need one page to do every job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_3_inspect_title_tags_and_meta_descriptions_on_key_pages\"><\/span><strong>Check 3: inspect title tags and meta descriptions on key pages<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Title tags are still one of the clearest signals you control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They help search engines understand what the page covers. They also influence how the result appears in Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Check titles on your highest-value URLs first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can inspect them in several ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hover over the browser tab<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>View page source and search for &lt;title><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use an SEO browser extension<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Crawl the site with Screaming Frog or a similar tool<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A good title should describe the page clearly without trying to cram in every keyword variation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Weak_title_tag\"><\/span><strong>Weak title tag<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Best CRM Software | CRM System | Sales Tool | Customer Management<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This looks like a keyword pile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Better_title_tag\"><\/span><strong>Better title tag<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CRM software for small sales teams | Brand name<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It tells users what the page is about and who it is for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_for_these_common_issues\"><\/span><strong>Check for these common issues<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Issue<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Why it matters<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Missing title tag<\/td><td>Google may create its own weak title<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Same title on many pages<\/td><td>Search engines struggle to distinguish page purpose<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Title too vague<\/td><td>Users may not understand the result<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Title stuffed with keywords<\/td><td>Can look spammy and reduce clarity<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Brand name takes most of the title<\/td><td>You lose space for the actual topic<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Old year or old offer<\/td><td>Creates a stale result in search<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meta descriptions do not directly decide rankings in the same way titles can help with relevance. They still matter because they shape the search snippet in many cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Check whether the description tells a real person why they should click.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Weak_meta_description\"><\/span><strong>Weak meta description<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learn more about our solution and discover the best way to improve your business today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This could sit under almost any page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Better_meta_description\"><\/span><strong>Better meta description<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Compare CRM features for small sales teams, see pricing and learn how to organise contacts, deals and follow-ups in one place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That gives a clearer expectation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_4_review_H1s_headings_and_page_hierarchy\"><\/span><strong>Check 4: review H1s, headings and page hierarchy<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A page does not need to mention the exact keyword in every heading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It does need a logical hierarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open your important pages and check:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Is there one clear H1?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does the H1 reflect the page\u2019s main topic?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do H2s divide the page into useful sections?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are headings descriptive, not decorative?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does the page answer important questions in the order users need them?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Example_of_weak_heading_structure\"><\/span><strong>Example of weak heading structure<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">H1: Welcome to the future<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">H2: Why we are different<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">H2: Our solution<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">H2: The platform<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">H2: Ready to get started?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This may sound polished, but it gives search engines and users very little context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Better_heading_structure\"><\/span><strong>Better heading structure<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">H1: Email verification software for cleaner contact lists<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">H2: What email verification checks<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">H2: How to verify a list before a campaign<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">H2: Who uses email verification<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">H2: Email verification pricing and limits<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">H2: Start verifying email addresses<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You do not need to make every page dry. You do need to make it understandable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_5_look_for_duplicate_pages_and_competing_URLs\"><\/span><strong>Check 5: look for duplicate pages and competing URLs<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Duplicate content does not always mean someone copied your work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It often comes from small technical issues:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>HTTP and HTTPS versions both load<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>www and non-www versions both load<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>URLs work with extra parameters<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Category filters create many similar pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Product pages exist under multiple paths<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Old campaign pages remain live<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CMS tags create thin archive pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pagination or print versions create duplicates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start with an easy test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Try variants of your homepage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">http:\/\/yourdomain.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/yourdomain.com\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">http:\/\/www.yourdomain.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.yourdomain.com\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Only one version should load as the final destination. The others should redirect to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then check whether pages have canonical tags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open the source code and search for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">rel=&#8221;canonical&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&lt;link rel=&#8221;canonical&#8221; href=&#8221;https:\/\/yourdomain.com\/pricing\/&#8221;&gt;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That tells search engines which version should count as the primary page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Signs_that_duplicate_URLs_need_attention\"><\/span><strong>Signs that duplicate URLs need attention<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The same page appears several times in Search Console<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Google ranks a strange parameter URL instead of your clean URL<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Different versions of a page show different traffic data<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your sitemap includes URLs with campaign parameters<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You see many \u201cduplicate\u201d statuses in Search Console<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Internal links point to several versions of the same page<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not panic when Google reports some duplicates. That is normal on many websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Investigate when the duplicates involve pages you want to rank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_6_test_internal_links_like_a_new_visitor\"><\/span><strong>Check 6: test internal links like a new visitor<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Internal links help people move through the site. They also help search engines understand which pages matter and how topics connect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many websites have strong content but weak internal routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A reader lands on an article, learns something useful and then has nowhere sensible to go. The article links to the homepage, a generic \u201ccontact us\u201d button and maybe a random related post from 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That wastes attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For each high-value page, ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Can visitors reach it from the main navigation or another important page?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does it link to related product, service or conversion pages?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do relevant blog posts link to it naturally?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does the anchor text explain where the link goes?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are key pages buried several clicks deep?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_practical_internal-link_test\"><\/span><strong>A practical internal-link test<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Choose one core commercial page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then search Google:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">site:yourdomain.com &#8220;exact phrase from the page&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open the relevant articles and see whether they link back to that commercial page where it makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, if you sell session replay software, guides about website behaviour, UX analytics or conversion friction should often lead readers toward the relevant solution page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not every article needs a product CTA. But your best informational content should not exist in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Weak_internal_link\"><\/span><strong>Weak internal link<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Click here to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Better_internal_link\"><\/span><strong>Better internal link<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See how session replay software can help teams investigate conversion friction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second option tells people and search engines what to expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_7_find_broken_links_and_broken_redirect_chains\"><\/span><strong>Check 7: find broken links and broken redirect chains<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Broken links create a bad user experience. They can also waste crawl activity, especially on larger sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can find them with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Screaming Frog<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ahrefs Site Audit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Semrush Site Audit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Google Search Console<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A browser extension for individual page checks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your CMS, if it has a broken-link report<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you do not use a crawling tool, start in Search Console:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Indexing \u2192 Pages \u2192 Not found (404)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look for URLs that receive impressions, clicks or external links. Those deserve attention first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_do_with_a_broken_URL\"><\/span><strong>What to do with a broken URL<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Situation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Best next step<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Old page has a close replacement<\/td><td>Add a 301 redirect to the most relevant live page<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Page should still exist<\/td><td>Restore the page<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>URL came from a typo or junk parameter<\/td><td>Ignore if it has no value, but check internal links<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Old campaign page has useful backlinks<\/td><td>Redirect it to a relevant current asset<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Broken internal link<\/td><td>Update the source page directly<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not redirect every broken URL to the homepage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That creates a poor user experience and may confuse search engines. Redirect to the closest relevant replacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_redirect_chains\"><\/span><strong>Check redirect chains<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A redirect chain happens when one URL redirects to another, which redirects again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">old-page \u2192 old-category \u2192 new-category \u2192 final-page<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One redirect is usually fine. Long chains are not ideal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They can slow down users and make crawling less efficient. A crawling tool can show these clearly, but you can also test important legacy URLs in a browser and inspect where they end up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_8_inspect_your_sitemap_and_robotstxt_file\"><\/span><strong>Check 8: inspect your sitemap and robots.txt file<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/cubecreative.design\/blog\/small-business-marketing\/ultimate-technical-seo-checklist-service-businesses\">sitemap<\/a> tells search engines which URLs you want them to know about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It does not guarantee ranking or indexation. It should still be clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most sites have a sitemap at one of these locations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/yourdomain.com\/sitemap.xml\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/yourdomain.com\/sitemap_index.xml\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open it and check:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Does it load?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does it include important pages?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does it include URLs that no longer exist?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does it contain test pages, tags, search results or low-value archives?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are the URLs canonical and clean?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then check your robots.txt file:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/yourdomain.com\/robots.txt\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look for lines such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Disallow: \/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That would block all crawling and needs urgent attention unless it is a staging site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also look for blocks affecting folders that contain important content:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Disallow: \/blog\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Disallow: \/product\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Disallow: \/pricing\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A robots.txt file can be correct and still cause problems when someone adds one broad rule without understanding the impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Important_distinction\"><\/span><strong>Important distinction<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">robots.txt controls crawling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A noindex tag controls indexation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They are not the same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If a page is blocked from crawling through robots.txt, Google may not be able to see the noindex tag placed on that page. That can create confusing results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_9_review_mobile_usability_and_page_experience_manually\"><\/span><strong>Check 9: review mobile usability and page experience manually<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You do not need a technical performance report to notice when a page feels broken on mobile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open your key pages on a phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not only look at them. Use them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Try to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Read the first screen without zooming<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Open the menu<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click the main CTA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Submit a form<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scroll past images and tables<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Open accordions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Watch embedded videos<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigate from a blog article to a product page<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Look for obvious problems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Problem<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Why it matters<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>CTA button sits too low or disappears<\/td><td>Users may never reach the conversion action<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Pop-up blocks the page immediately<\/td><td>It can create frustration and reduce engagement<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Text is tiny or crowded<\/td><td>Content becomes harder to consume<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Images overflow or crop badly<\/td><td>The page feels unreliable<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Form fields are difficult to use<\/td><td>You lose leads even if traffic is strong<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Cookie banner blocks key actions<\/td><td>Users may leave before they reach the content<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sticky elements cover content<\/td><td>Mobile users cannot read or click properly<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Google Search Console also has a <strong>Core Web Vitals<\/strong> report and may flag mobile issues. Use it as a signal, but do not ignore what you can see with your own eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A page can pass a technical metric and still create a poor user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_10_compare_what_you_publish_with_what_Google_actually_ranks\"><\/span><strong>Check 10: compare what you publish with what Google actually ranks<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A common SEO blind spot appears when teams optimise pages for one phrase but Google ranks them for something else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open Search Console:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Performance \u2192 Search results<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Filter by a page, then review the search queries that generate impressions and clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Do these queries match the page\u2019s intended purpose?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are people reaching the page for an unrelated topic?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does the page rank for a valuable query but fail to mention it clearly?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is another page ranking for a term that belongs to this one?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are impressions high but clicks low?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Example\"><\/span><strong>Example<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A guide called \u201cHow to improve customer onboarding\u201d receives many impressions for \u201ccustomer onboarding checklist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That may suggest an opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You could add a clear checklist section, make the heading more explicit and create a downloadable version if it fits the page. The existing page already has some topical relevance. You are strengthening what search demand shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"High_impressions_low_clicks\"><\/span><strong>High impressions, low clicks<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can happen for several reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The title does not match the query<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The meta description is weak<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The result ranks below stronger brands<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The page intent does not match what searchers want<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The page looks outdated<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A competing result answers the query more directly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not change everything at once. Start with the title, H1, introduction and visible value proposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_11_look_for_thin_pages_that_exist_for_no_clear_reason\"><\/span><strong>Check 11: look for thin pages that exist for no clear reason<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thin content is not simply \u201cshort content.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A short pricing page may be perfectly useful. A short tool page may answer the query well. A concise contact page does not need 2,000 words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A thin page is a page that offers little unique value and has no clear role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Common examples include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Empty tag archives<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Old job pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Search-result pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Near-identical location pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Programmatic pages with almost no differentiation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Old webinar registration pages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Category pages with no introduction or useful navigation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Duplicate feature pages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask of each page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Does this page have a clear audience, purpose and reason to exist?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If not, choose one of three options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Option<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>When it makes sense<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Improve it<\/td><td>The topic matters and the page could become useful<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Merge it<\/td><td>Another page already covers the same intent<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Remove or noindex it<\/td><td>It offers little value and does not need to appear in search<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not delete pages blindly. Check whether they have backlinks, rankings or conversion value first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_12_test_conversion_paths_from_organic_content\"><\/span><strong>Check 12: test conversion paths from organic content<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SEO is not only about getting the click.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A page can rank well and still waste the traffic if it gives people no sensible next move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open a top organic article and ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Does it offer a relevant next step?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is the CTA too generic?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does it link to a relevant product page or template?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can a reader understand how your product relates to the topic?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does the page ask for a demo before providing enough value?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are forms working?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does the page have a clear path for someone who is not ready to buy?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Example_of_a_weak_path\"><\/span><strong>Example of a weak path<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A guide about sales follow-up includes one CTA at the bottom:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Book a demo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reader may be early in research. They may not know the product. The CTA feels abrupt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Better_path\"><\/span><strong>Better path<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The guide could offer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A relevant follow-up template<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A product workflow that shows how the task works<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A comparison page for people evaluating tools<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A demo CTA for readers who are ready<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You are not trying to force every visitor into a call. You are making the next step fit the stage they are in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_pre-audit_SEO_checklist\"><\/span><strong>A pre-audit SEO checklist<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use this before you pay for an audit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Indexation_and_crawlability\"><\/span><strong>Indexation and crawlability<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Search Console is verified and accessible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Core pages appear in Google searches.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Important pages do not have accidental noindex tags.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Robots.txt does not block important folders.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>XML sitemap loads and contains current URLs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>High-value pages are not stuck in \u201ccrawled \u2013 currently not indexed.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Important 404 errors have a relevant fix or redirect.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"On-page_basics\"><\/span><strong>On-page basics<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Every key page has a unique, clear title tag.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Main pages have a clear H1.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The first paragraph explains the page\u2019s purpose.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Headings follow a useful hierarchy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Metadata does not contain old offers, dates or product names.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Each page targets one clear intent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Site_structure_and_internal_links\"><\/span><strong>Site structure and internal links<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Core commercial pages are easy to reach.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strong blog posts link to relevant product or service pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Important pages do not compete with duplicate URLs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Redirects do not send users through long chains.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Broken internal links have been fixed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Old high-value URLs redirect to the closest relevant replacement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"User_experience_and_conversion\"><\/span><strong>User experience and conversion<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Key pages work properly on mobile.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Main CTAs are visible and clickable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Forms submit correctly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pop-ups do not block content or conversion paths.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Important images and embedded tools load.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Organic pages offer a relevant next step.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Search_performance\"><\/span><strong>Search performance<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You have checked top queries for key pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>High-impression pages have clear titles and intent.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pages that rank for the wrong topic have been reviewed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can identify your top organic entry pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You know which content supports sign-ups, demos or assisted conversions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_it_is_still_worth_paying_for_an_SEO_audit\"><\/span><strong>When it is still worth paying for an SEO audit<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A pre-audit check can catch obvious issues. It cannot replace deeper technical investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You should still consider a specialist audit when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A site migration caused a traffic drop<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Organic traffic falls sharply with no obvious reason<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Search Console reports widespread indexation or crawl issues<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You have a large ecommerce site or thousands of programmatic URLs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>International targeting, hreflang or multiple domains create complexity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>JavaScript renders key content<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You suspect security, performance or structured-data issues<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your team lacks the time to investigate and fix technical problems properly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The difference is that you now know what questions to ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of paying for a generic PDF full of red, amber and green labels, you can ask the auditor to investigate the issues that affect your business most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span><strong>FAQ<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_do_an_SEO_audit_myself\"><\/span><strong>Can I do an SEO audit myself?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can complete a strong first-pass review yourself, especially for indexation, metadata, internal links, broken pages and mobile usability. A full technical audit may still need specialist tools and expertise, particularly on large or complex websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_first_SEO_issue_I_should_check\"><\/span><strong>What is the first SEO issue I should check?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Check whether Google can index your important pages. Review Google Search Console, search for key URLs in Google and look for accidental noindex tags, robots.txt blocks or major crawl errors. A page cannot rank if search engines cannot access or index it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_often_should_I_check_SEO_basics\"><\/span><strong>How often should I check SEO basics?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Review core SEO basics every quarter, and after major changes such as a site redesign, migration, new CMS setup or large content update. Check high-value pages more often if they support active campaigns or a major source of leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_404_errors_always_bad_for_SEO\"><\/span><strong>Are 404 errors always bad for SEO?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. Some old or invalid URLs naturally return 404 errors. They become a problem when they affect important pages, internal links, backlinks or user journeys. Redirect valuable old URLs to a close relevant replacement and fix broken links inside your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_I_need_an_SEO_tool_to_find_broken_basics\"><\/span><strong>Do I need an SEO tool to find broken basics?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not always. Google Search Console, browser checks and a spreadsheet can reveal a lot. A crawling tool such as Screaming Frog can speed up the process, especially when your site has many pages, but it is not mandatory for a first review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_should_I_fix_before_hiring_an_SEO_consultant\"><\/span><strong>What should I fix before hiring an SEO consultant?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fix obvious issues that you can confirm safely: accidental noindex tags, broken internal links, missing titles, outdated metadata, obvious mobile problems and incorrect redirects. Document anything uncertain instead of making risky technical changes without understanding the impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You do not need to pay for an audit before you look under the bonnet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start with the basics that affect visibility and conversion: indexation, page purpose, metadata, links, redirects, mobile usability and the route from content to action. These checks will often uncover issues that deserve attention immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, if you bring in an SEO specialist, you will have a cleaner site, better questions and a much stronger chance of getting an audit that leads to useful work rather than a long list of generic warnings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An SEO audit can be valuable. It can also become an expensive way to learn that your homepage has no clear title tag, half your important pages sit behind a noindex tag or Google has been crawling old URLs for months. Before you pay for a full audit, you can check a surprising amount yourself. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":195,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-container-style":"default","site-container-layout":"default","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-transparent-header":"default","disable-article-header":"default","disable-site-header":"default","disable-site-footer":"default","disable-content-area-spacing":"default","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marketing"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to find broken SEO basics before paying for an audit - WEBFIXTOOL BLOG<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/webfixtool.com\/blog\/how-to-find-broken-seo-basics-before-paying-for-an-audit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to find broken SEO basics before paying for an audit - WEBFIXTOOL BLOG\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An SEO audit can be valuable. 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