SEO Audit

All right, so today we’re gonna be looking at SEO audits. Okay. And we’re gonna be diving deep. Oh. With an excerpt from understanding SEO audits. A comprehensive guide. Have you heard of SEO audits before? Oh yeah, definitely. They’re kind of a big deal, right? Yeah, they are. You hear about them all the time and you know, they’re important, but a lot of times it’s like, you don’t really know exactly what they are. Yeah, I know what you mean. So we’re gonna demystify SEO audits for you today. Yeah, let’s do that. And I think a good place to start is with you. Okay. Like what is your take on what an SEO audit is? Okay, so an SEO audit, it’s like you take your car to the mechanic, right? Yeah. They’re gonna look under the hood, see how everything is running, make sure everything is, you know. Make sure it’s all good. You’re not gonna have any problems down the line. Yeah. An SEO audit is kind of the same thing for your website. Oh. It’s a way to look at the website and say, okay, how is this performing in terms of search engines, like Google for example? We wanna know, is Google able to understand your website? Can they even find it? Right. Does it load quickly enough? You know, are all the links working? Okay. Is the content high quality? So it’s really looking at everything. It’s looking at everything. It’s a very, very comprehensive overview of your entire website. Okay, so this guide that we’re looking at, it breaks it down into five key components. Right. I think the first one is technical SEO. Yeah. Which can sound kind of intimidating. It can be. For someone who’s not, you know, super technical. Right. But I think you explained it pretty well like you were saying. It’s making sure Google can find you. Right. So like I was saying, it’s making sure that Google can understand your website. Yeah. That all the links are working, that the website loads quickly, that there’s no errors, you know, in the code or anything like that. So it’s like, it’s almost like the foundation. It’s like, is the foundation. Of your website. Exactly. It’s great content, but if Google can’t find it, then. Then it doesn’t matter. What’s the point, right? Yeah. Exactly. So technical SEO is definitely like step one. It’s crucial. It’s where you start. Oh, hey. So once you’ve got that solid foundation. Then you move on to the next step. Which is on page SEO. Okay. And that is, I feel like people are a little bit more familiar with that. They are. Because it’s like keywords, it’s titles. Right. It’s making sure that each individual page on your website is optimized for Google. Okay. So you’re looking at things like, are you using the right keywords? Is your title tag, you know, properly written? Is it enticing? Is it enticing? Yeah. Yeah. Does it make people want to click on it? Right. Are your headings, you know, formatted in the right way? Are you using keywords in a natural way? Absolutely. Not just like keyword stuffing. Nobody likes that. Right. Google can tell when you’re doing that and they can actually hurt you. Yeah. I feel like everyone has been on those websites where it’s just like clearly just trying to. Gemin as many keywords as they can. It doesn’t even sound like a human wrote it. And Google, I think, is getting really good at figuring out like, is this a natural way for a human to speak? Absolutely. Or is this just a bunch of keywords strung together? Google’s algorithms are getting more and more sophisticated every day. So you really have to stay on top of that. Okay. So on page SEO, that’s like. That’s step two. That’s making sure that each individual page is good to go. Yes. And that it’s aligned with the keywords that people are actually searching for. So you can have a great website, but if you’re not using the right keywords, no one’s going to find it anyway. Exactly. Okay. So we’ve got technical SEO. We’ve got on page SEO. What comes next? The next piece of the puzzle is link profile analysis. Link profile analysis. This is kind of like your website’s reputation online. So it’s like if you have a lot of shady people vouching for you. That’s not a good look. Not at all. Okay. So what kind of things are we looking at when we’re talking about link profile analysis? So we’re looking at the backlinks that are coming to your website. And we want to make sure that those backlinks are coming from high quality websites. Websets that Google trusts. So if I have a link from like a spam website, that’s not going to look good. Not at all. It can actually hurt your rankings. Wow. So you really have to be careful about who’s linking to you. You do. Okay. So an audit can help you figure out like which links are good and which ones are. Exactly. You want to get rid of those toxic links. Right. And that are harming your reputation. Okay. So we’ve got the foundation. We’ve got individual pages. And now we’re talking about. The bigger picture. Reputation. Yeah. The overall authority of your website. And I guess that all kind of ties into like content. Right. It does because your content plays a huge role in your website’s authority. Right. Because if you have really great content, then people are going to want to link to it. Exactly. And if you have, and Google is going to see that and say, okay, this is a valuable website. Right. Let’s rank it higher. So what is a content audit looking for? A content audit is looking at all of the content on your website and saying, okay, is this high quality? Is it relevant? Okay. Is it up to date? Is it engaging? Is it engaging? Yeah. Are people actually reading it? Are them sharing? Because you could have a ton of content. Yeah. But if no one’s reading it, then. It’s not doing any good. Is that really helping? No. Okay. So content audit. Yeah. I feel like that’s the one that people are maybe most familiar with. It’s definitely one of the more common types of audits. Okay. So we’ve got four down. One more to go. What’s the last component? User experience. User experience. And this is… This is becoming more and more important. Okay. Because Google really cares about user experience now. Yeah. They want to make sure that people are having a good time on the websites that they’re sending them to. Right. So they’re actually looking at things like, how long do people stay on your website? Oh, wow. Do they bounce right away? That’s really interesting. Yeah. It’s all part of the algorithm now. So a user experience audit is going to look at things like, is your website easy to navigate? Okay. Is it mobile friendly? Right. Because everyone’s on their phones now. Everyone’s on their phones. So if your website’s not mobile friendly, that’s a big… That’s a huge problem. It’s a dual breaker. Yeah. Okay. So user experience. That’s the fifth and final component of an SEO audit. Okay. So we’ve gone over all five now. We have. What I’m really curious about is like, what are the actual benefits of going through this process? Yeah. Why should you bother? Right. Why should you bother with an SEO audit? It seems like a lot of work. It can be. So what’s the payoff? Well, let me tell you about the amazing benefits that await you on the other side of an SEO audit. Okay. I’m ready. Get ready to be amazed. Okay. Because this is where things get really good. So you’re probably thinking, okay, I get it, these five components sound important, but what’s the point of all this? Yeah. Like what’s in it for me? Exactly. Like is this actually going to make a difference from my website? Right. Is it worth the time, the effort, maybe the money? That’s a great question. And the answer is a resounding yes. Okay. I like that answer. Because the benefits of an SEO audit, they’re not just theoretical. They’re very real. And they can have a significant impact on your website’s success. Okay. I’m intrigued. Give me the rundown. What are those benefits? So this guy that we’re looking at, it highlights three major benefits. Okay. Improved organic performance, enhanced user experience, and better return on investment. All right. So that all sounds good, but let’s break it down. Yeah. Let’s do it. Starting with improved organic performance. What does that even mean? So organic performance refers to how well your website ranks and search results naturally. Right. Without you having to pay for ads. Wait. So it’s like free traffic. Exactly. It’s the traffic that comes from people searching for something on Google, and then clicking on your website because it shows up high in the results. Okay. So basically an audit can help me get more free traffic to my site. That’s the goal. I like that goal. Because the higher you rank, the more visible you are. Right. The more people are going to see your website and potentially click on it. Makes sense. Okay. So we’ve got more people coming to the site, but then what happens? That’s where enhanced user experience comes in. Okay. So how does an audit help with user experience? Well, remember all those things we talked about earlier? Like the five components. Exactly. Like making sure your website logs quickly, that it’s easy to navigate, that the content is high quality. Right. All of those things contribute to a positive user experience. Okay. So by addressing those issues through an audit, you’re making your website more enjoyable for people to use. Okay. So they’re more likely to stick around. Exactly. They’re going to spend more time on your site. They’re going to be more likely to engage with your content, and ultimately they’re going to be more likely to convert. Convert meaning. Meaning whatever action you want them to take. Whether it’s buying a product, signing up for your email list, or just learning more about your brand. Right. So it’s not just about getting people to the website. Yeah. It’s about getting them to do something once they’re there. Exactly. It’s about turning those visitors into customers, clients, or subscribers. Got it. So that leads us to the third benefit, better ROI. Right. Return on investment. So how does all of this translate into actual dollars and cents? Well, think about it this way. Okay. You’re getting more traffic to your website because of improved organic performance. Mm-hmm. And those visitors are more likely to convert because of the enhanced user experience. Right. So you’re essentially getting more bang for your buck. Okay. I see what you’re saying. So it’s kind of like a snowball effect. It is. One thing leads to another, leads to another. And it all starts with an SEO audit. So you’re saying an SEO audit is like the key to unlocking all of these benefits. I’m saying it’s the foundation for online success. Okay. Well, I’m convinced, but I do have one more question. Okay. Hit me with it. Is this a one-time thing? Ah, that’s the million-dollar question. Right. Like, do I just get an audit once and then I’m good to go forever? Unfortunately, no. Okay. Why do you think it is? Because the online world is constantly changing. That’s true. Google is always updating its algorithm. Exactly. And your competitors are always trying to outrank you. Yeah. Good boy. So you need to stay on top of things. So how often should you get an audit? It depends on a few factors, like how competitive your industry is. Okay. How often you’re updating your website. But a good rule of thumb is to get an audit at least once a year. Okay. So it’s kind of like a checkup. Exactly like going to the doctor. Right. You want to make sure everything is running smoothly and catch any potential problems early on. Okay. So it’s not just a one-time thing. It’s an ongoing process. It is, but it’s a process that can pay off big time. Okay. Well, I think we’ve covered a lot of ground today. We have. But before we wrap up, I want to shift gears a little bit. Okay. And talk about how this applies to individuals. Individuals. Yeah. Like people who aren’t necessarily running a business. Oh, I see what you’re saying. Right. Because so far we’ve been talking about… The business benefits. Yeah. But what about someone who has a personal website or a blog? That’s a great point. And the truth is that SEO is important for anyone with an online presence. Really? Absolutely. Whether you’re a blogger and artist, a musician, or just someone who wants to share their thoughts with the world. Okay. SEO can help you get your content seen by the right people. So I think it’s really interesting to think about SEO from that perspective. Yeah. Like it’s not just about selling products. It’s about visibility. It’s about getting your message out there. Right. Whatever that message might be. Exactly. So how can someone who’s not running a business use an SEO audit to their advantage? Well, let’s say you’re a musician. Okay. You have a website where you share your music. An SEO audit can help you make sure that your website is showing up in search results. Oh, okay. When people search for music like yours. So people can actually find me. Right. Because if your website isn’t optimized, it’s basically invisible. That makes sense. So an audit can help you identify the right keywords to use on your website. Okay. And it can also help you improve the overall user experience. So that when people do find your website, they’re more likely to stick around and listen to your music. So it’s about making it easy for people to find you and then making it enjoyable for them to stay. Exactly. I like it. And the same principles apply to bloggers, artists, anyone who’s creating content online. So it’s really about taking control of your online presence. It is. And making sure that you’re putting your best foot forward. Absolutely. Because in today’s world, your online presence is often the first impression you make. That’s so true. So you want to make sure it’s a good one. Well, I think that’s a great place to wrap up our deep dive. Yeah, I think so too. We’ve covered a lot of ground today. We have. From the technical aspects of SEO audits to the bigger picture of why they’re so important. For everyone. For everyone, whether you’re a business owner or an individual. It’s about visibility. It’s about connecting with your audience. And ultimately, it’s about achieving your goals online. Well said. So to our listeners out there, I hope this deep dive has inspired you to take your online presence to the next level. And remember, an SEO audit is a great place to start. Absolutely. Thanks for joining us and happy optimizing.