How to Audit Your Own Website for SEO in Under 30 Minutes
When was the last time you took a hard look at your website’s SEO?
Search engines are your #1 source of organic traffic. If your site isn’t properly optimized, you’re handing traffic to your competitors.
Here’s how to audit your own website in under 30 minutes, no expensive tools or coding knowledge required.
1. Check How Your Site Ranks
Time: 5 minutes
Start by Googling your business name and key services. Do you show up on page one? What about local map results?
Look for:
- Branded search visibility (e.g., “[Your Business] + location”)
- Service keyword rankings (e.g., “custom home builder in Richmond, VA”)
If you’re not seeing your site in the top results, there’s a visibility problem.
Use Google Search Console to see what keywords you do rank for.
2. Run a Quick Site Speed Test
Time: 3 minutes
Go to PageSpeed Insights and enter your homepage URL. Fast-loading sites rank higher and convert better.
Check both mobile and desktop scores. Aim for:
- Mobile score above 70
- Desktop score above 80
If it’s slow, the usual culprits are:
- Oversized images (any image over 1.2MB)
- Lots of content/blogs/uploads
- Too many scripts/plugins
3. Make Sure Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly
Time: 2 minutes
Pull up your site on your phone. Do all pages load properly? Is text readable without zooming? Are buttons easy to tap?
A poor mobile experience can tank your rankings, especially for local searches.
4. Review Your Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Time: 5 minutes
Open a few key pages and inspect:
- Page title (what shows in the browser tab)
- Meta description (what shows on Google)
Your title should include your target keyword and location (e.g., “Affordable SEO Services | Richmond VA”).
Meta descriptions should be:
- 140–160 characters
- Include a clear call-to-action
- Relevant to the page content
Avoid duplicates across pages. Every page should have unique metadata.
5. Check for Broken Links
Time: 3 minutes
Dead links create a poor user experience and hurt SEO. Run your URL through Ahrefs Broken Link Checker.
Fix or remove any broken internal and outbound links.
6. Look at Your Headers and Content
Time: 5 minutes
Visit a few high-priority pages (homepage, service pages, blog posts). Check that:
- Each page has a clear H1 (headline)
- Subheadings use H2 and H3 tags properly
- Main keywords appear naturally in headings and text
Make sure your content speaks directly to your audience. Are you answering questions real customers are searching for?
7. Review Internal Linking
Time: 3 minutes
Each page should link to other relevant pages. This helps:
- Guide users through your site
- Improve crawlability for search engines
- Pass authority between pages
For example:
If you mention “SEO services” on your homepage, link to your SEO services page.
Keep anchor text clear and keyword-relevant (e.g., “learn more about our SEO audits”).
8. Check Your URL Structure
Time: 2 minutes
URLs should be short, readable, and keyword-rich.
Bad:
yourdomain.com/page-id=123?ref=site
Better:
yourdomain.com/seo-services
Avoid long strings or random characters. Clean URLs are better for both users and search engines.
9. Make Sure You Have an XML Sitemap and Robots.txt File
Time: 2 minutes
Visit yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml and yourdomain.com/robots.txt
These files help Google index your site properly. If they don’t exist, generate a sitemap with XML Sitemaps or through your CMS.
Submit your sitemap to Google via Search Console.
10. Check for Google Analytics and Tracking
Time: 1 minute
Make sure you’re tracking traffic and behavior. If you don’t have Google Analytics or GA4 installed, set it up ASAP.
Without analytics, you’re flying blind.
Want Expert Help?
A simple SEO audit like this won’t replace a full technical review, but it’s enough to catch critical issues.
Repeat this check every few months. If you spot major problems, it may be time for a deeper SEO strategy or a conversation with an expert.
Want help with SEO? Our SEO experts at FreshMove Media can run a full audit and build an action plan to get your rankings moving again.
Unsure About Your Current Website’s Performance?
Get a Free Website Quality Audit Today
Discover how well your current website supports your business goals and where improvements can be made.