Search engine optimization (SEO) assessment is the process of analyzing a website’s current SEO health to identify opportunities for improving organic search visibility and traffic. An optimization SEO assessment provides website owners and marketers with actionable insights and recommendations to boost rankings, increase click-through rates, and drive more qualified leads and sales from organic search.
Why is SEO assessment important?
SEO assessment is a crucial first step in developing an effective SEO strategy. Without understanding your site’s current SEO status, gaps, and issues, it’s nearly impossible to set realistic goals and implement the right initiatives to move the needle.
A comprehensive SEO audit examines both on-page and off-page factors that influence search engine rankings. It helps you identify high-impact areas to focus your optimization efforts for maximum ROI.
In addition, regular SEO assessments allow you to:
- Track SEO progress over time
- Monitor ranking changes for important keywords
- Detect algorithm updates that may impact rankings
- Address new issues and challenges as they emerge
Rather than view SEO as a one-time project, ongoing assessments enable you to spot trends, stay ahead of competition, and continuously refine your strategy.
What does an SEO assessment entail?
A comprehensive optimization SEO assessment examines all elements that affect search visibility, including:
Technical SEO audit
- Indexation issues
- Crawl errors
- Site speed optimizations
- Mobile optimization
- Structured data implementation
- Security issues
On-page SEO audit
- Keyword targeting and optimization
- Meta tags
- URL structure
- Headline tags
- Image alt text
- Internal linking
- Content formatting
Off-page SEO audit
- Backlink profile analysis
- Link building opportunities
- Brand mentions
- Social media engagement
- Local SEO citations
Rankings analysis
- Keyword ranking analysis
- Ranking trends
- Ranking competitors
- Click-through-rate
- Featured snippets opportunities
User experience analysis
- Site navigation
- Page speed
- Form completion rates
- Bounce rates
- Exit pages
What tools are used?
SEO audits typically involve using a combination of proprietary and third-party tools to analyze different elements. Here are some of the most common tools used:
Web crawl tools
Crawl tools like Screaming Frog, DeepCrawl, and Botify crawl a website to identify indexation issues, duplicate content, broken links, and other technical problems. They provide comprehensive technical SEO audits.
Keyword research tools
Keyword research tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz Keyword Explorer are used to analyze keyword ranking positions, search volumes, competitor rankings, and other keyword data.
Rank tracking software
Rank tracking tools like Searchmetrics, Moz, and SERPwoo monitor website rankings for target keywords to identify opportunities and benchmark against competitors.
Link analysis tools
Link analysis tools like Ahrefs and Majestic provide data on the quality and quantity of backlinks pointing to a website to assess off-page SEO strength.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console provides official performance data directly from Google, including crawl errors, search queries, and click-through-rates.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics reporting on organic traffic, rankings, pages per session, bounce rates and other data informs website optimization priorities.
Page speed tools
Page speed tools like Pingdom and Google PageSpeed Insights analyze page load times and performance on mobile and desktop.
What does the assessment report include?
The SEO assessment report summarizes the audit findings, highlights issues, compares key metrics to competitors, and provides specific recommendations. Key sections of the report include:
Executive summary
High-level overview of website’s current SEO health and opportunities.
Technical audit findings
Summary of indexing issues, site errors, structured data, page speed, and security.
On-page optimization findings
Analysis of keyword targeting, optimization opportunities, and content gaps.
Off-page SEO findings
Backlink profile analysis, link building opportunities, and review of local SEO citations.
Rankings analysis
Keyword rankings overview, competition comparison, and click-through-rate data.
User experience analysis
Assessment of site navigation, page speed, and analytics data like bounce rates.
SEO performance benchmarks
Comparison of key SEO metrics like rankings and traffic to competitors.
Recommendations
Specific strategic recommendations and next steps for SEO improvement.
How can you use the SEO audit findings?
The optimization SEO assessment report provides critical information you need to develop an effective SEO strategy and plan. Here are some of the key ways you can use the audit findings:
- Prioritize technical SEO fixes to resolve critical issues like crawl errors and indexation problems.
- Identify untapped, high-value keyword opportunities to target.
- Strengthen pages targeting priority keywords with optimized content.
- Enhance page speed and site navigation based on user experience analysis.
- Build high-quality backlinks to pages and content targeting focus keywords.
- Monitor ranking gains for target keywords over time.
- Continuously refine on-page optimization and content based on ranking gains and losses.
- Compare traffic and conversions growth to key SEO KPIs.
Regular assessments enable you to track SEO progress, set realistic targets, align initiatives to business goals, and continuously improve organic search performance.
How much does an SEO audit cost?
SEO audit costs vary based on the depth of analysis required and tools used. Typical price ranges include:
SEO Audit Type | Price Range |
---|---|
Basic SEO Audit | $500 – $1,000 |
Intermediate SEO Audit | $1,000 – $2,500 |
Advanced/Competitive SEO Audit | $2,500 – $5,000+ |
Factors that influence cost include:
- Website size – More pages take longer to audit thoroughly.
- Location – Certain locations have higher SEO consulting rates.
- Competition level – More data is required for competitive analysis.
- Tools needed – More advanced tools add cost but provide deeper insights.
- Expertise – Consultants with higher expertise command higher fees.
While a basic technical crawl can start around $500, large enterprise websites and highly competitive industries may require a more extensive $5,000+ audit. Most small to mid-sized businesses can expect to invest around $2,000-$3,500 for a detailed optimization SEO assessment.
How can you do a simple DIY audit?
While it’s recommended to have an experienced SEO perform your first assessment, once you understand your website’s SEO foundations, you can conduct simple periodic audits internally. Here are some tips:
Use Google Search Console
Search Console provides official Google data on indexed pages, crawl errors, search queries, and clicks. Review key reports monthly.
Check page speed and mobile optimization
Use Google PageSpeed Insights and Pingdom to analyze page load times and optimization tips.
Conduct spot content checks
Randomly review pages and posts targeting priority keywords to ensure SEO best practices.
Monitor keyword rankings
Use rank checking software to monitor target keyword positions monthly.
Review link profile
Check Google Search Console and Ahrefs for new backlinks gained.
Analyze Google Analytics data
Check that organic traffic and conversions are trending up month-over-month.
An experienced SEO can extract 5-10X more insights from an audit, but the above checks will help spot any major drops or changes to stay on top of performance.
Conclusion
Regular optimization SEO audits provide invaluable insights that form the foundation for effective search optimization. A detailed assessment identifies problems to fix, opportunities to capitalize on, and metrics to track progress.
While audits require an investment, the long-term payoff is well worth the cost when it leads to lasting SEO gains. Partnering with an experienced SEO consultant transforms audit findings into an actionable strategy that boosts conversions and ROI from organic search.