A technical SEO audit checks whether your site can actually be read, indexed and loaded quickly by Google and AI crawlers. Below are the 15 core points every site should have checked — from page speed to schema markup. (New to SEO in general? What Is SEO? is a good place to start first.)
1. Page speed and Core Web Vitals
Google's core speed metrics — LCP (how fast main content loads), INP (interactivity speed) and CLS (visual stability) — are checked for free via PageSpeed Insights. A slow site doesn't just lose visitors, it directly affects Google rankings.
2. Mobile-friendliness
Google now uses mobile-first indexing — your mobile version is the primary version it evaluates. Text needs to be readable on small screens, buttons need to be easy to tap, and there should be no horizontal scrolling — check this via the "Mobile Usability" report in Google Search Console.
3. HTTPS/SSL certificate
A site without a valid certificate gets flagged as "not secure" in the browser, and Google factors this into ranking too. Easy to check — look for the padlock icon in the address bar, or run an SSL checker tool.
4. Indexing status in Google Search Console
The "Page Indexing" report shows which pages are indexed and which are excluded due to errors — noindex tags, crawl errors, duplicates. An important page silently dropping out of the index is one of the most common, least visible causes of a sudden traffic drop.
5. robots.txt configuration
This file controls which crawlers can access which parts of your site. A misconfigured robots.txt can accidentally hide your whole site — or a key section — from Google and from AI crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot). It's usually an honest mistake, but the impact is serious.
6. XML sitemap
Your sitemap tells Google about every important page on your site and helps new content get discovered faster. It needs to stay current and include only pages that should actually be indexed — pointing to outdated or 404 pages undermines its usefulness.
7. Canonical tags
When the same or near-identical content is reachable through multiple URLs (say, with and without a ?utm_source parameter), a canonical tag tells Google which version is the "real" one. Get it wrong, and Google may rank the wrong version — or dilute ranking signals across both.
8. 404 errors and broken links
Internal or external links pointing to pages that no longer exist hurt both user experience and how efficiently crawlers spend their "crawl budget" on your site. Tools like Screaming Frog can surface every broken link on a site within minutes.
9. Redirect chains
When a page redirects A → B → C, each hop adds load time and can confuse crawlers. The right approach is always a single, direct 301 redirect straight to the final destination.
10. URL structure
Short, readable, keyword-based URLs (like /seo/technical-audit) are easier for both users and search engines to parse than long ones packed with parameters and IDs. Any URL change should always go through a proper 301 redirect.
11. Unique titles and meta descriptions
Every page's title and meta description should be unique — duplicates send Google a false signal that two pages cover the same thing. Google Search Console or Screaming Frog can surface site-wide duplicates in one pass.
12. Heading (H1-H6) hierarchy
Every page needs exactly one clear H1, with subsequent headings (H2, H3...) following a logical order. Using headings purely to make text bigger — skipping levels at random — makes it harder for crawlers to understand your page structure.
13. Schema/structured data errors
Schema types like FAQPage, Article, and LocalBusiness need to be valid and match content that's actually visible on the page — check this with Google's Rich Results Test. Broken schema, or markup describing content that isn't really there, can be ignored by Google or even flagged as a policy violation.
14. Image optimization and alt text
Large, uncompressed images are one of the most common causes of slow page speed. Every image needs natural, keyword-relevant alt text — it matters both for image search visibility and for users relying on screen readers.
15. Internal linking and orphan pages
Every important page should have at least one internal link pointing to it from elsewhere on the site — "orphan" pages with no internal links are harder for Google to discover and rank properly. Screaming Frog or Search Console can help you spot them.
When to run a technical audit
A technical audit is essential right after launching a new site, after a major redesign or platform migration, when traffic drops without an obvious cause, and — beyond those triggers — as routine maintenance every 6 months. Core metrics like indexing status and speed are worth checking monthly, since both Google's algorithm and your site's own platform (CMS updates) keep changing.
DIY or hire a specialist?
You can check the basics yourself — indexing, speed, mobile-friendliness — using free tools like Google Search Console and PageSpeed Insights. But deeper issues like schema errors, canonical conflicts, and redirect chains usually require dedicated tools (Screaming Frog, Ahrefs) and experience to interpret correctly — that's where a specialist audit saves real time.
Bottom line
Technical SEO is the foundation everything else is built on — no matter how good your content or link building is, a broken foundation limits what they can achieve. If even one of these 15 points is off, it can drag down your entire SEO strategy. The most reliable way to find out where your site stands is a free technical audit through the SEO service page; for pricing details, see How Much Does SEO Cost?.