18-Step SEO Audit Checklist for 2025

Use this checklist to produce a complete, prioritized action plan for rankings across Google, AI chat platforms, and other search surfaces. Start in a single spreadsheet with tabs for Crawl, Issues, Opportunities, and Roadmap.

1) Crawl + Indexability Baseline

  • Run a full crawl (e.g., Screaming Frog).

  • Integrate GA4, Search Console, and PageSpeed APIs.

  • Export indexable URLs with status code, canonical, robots directives, indexability, word count, internal links, depth, and performance fields.

2) Internal Linking & Depth

  • Flag pages with crawl depth > 3 and unique internal links < 5.

  • Add contextual links from relevant hubs, nav/footer inclusions where appropriate, and “related” modules.

  • Target: money pages ≤ depth 3, hubs ≤ depth 2.

3) Speed & Core Web Vitals

  • From the crawl, sort by lowest Performance/Lighthouse score or failing CWV.

  • Fix at the template level first: image optimization, font loading, critical CSS, script deferral, server/edge caching, and CLS hygiene.

  • Aim for LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1 on mobile.

4) 404s, 410s, and Broken Links

  • Not all 404s are bad.

  • If a deleted page has clicks/impressions/backlinks, reclaim value: 301 to the closest topical match (never to the homepage unless truly the best fit).

  • Fix internal links that point to 4xx/5xx.

5) Thin Content

  • Flag < 500 words as a screening rule (context matters).

  • Decisions: enrich with real information (data, examples, media), consolidate into a stronger parent, or remove if no demand and no links.

6) Duplicate & Near-Duplicate

  • Use crawl “near duplicates” and a second opinion tool to spot >30% similarity.

  • Remedies: canonicalize, noindex, rewrite for distinct intent, or merge.

7) Keyword Cannibalization

  • Group URLs by core seed + intent.

  • Keep one page per topic + intent (e.g., commercial page vs. comparative list).

  • Consolidate overlapping articles; re-route internal anchors to the canonical winner.

8) Irrelevant/Off-Topic Pages

  • Filter titles that don’t contain your core domain topics.

  • If they earn meaningful traffic/links, consider rewrites to align with your topical authority; otherwise remove or noindex.

9) Topic Clusters (Strength & Gaps)

  • Inventory clusters: pillar page + supporting reviews, alternatives, tutorials, comparisons, FAQs.

  • Strong clusters often have 20–100 supporting assets.

  • Add missing supporting nodes and interlink to the pillar.

10) Content Quality Signals

  • From GSC, sort by low impressions and low CTR; from analytics, check engagement rate/time on page.

  • Improve E-E-A-T cues (author, credentials, sources), refresh outdated data, upgrade visuals, add demonstrations and first-hand evidence.

11) On-Page SEO Fundamentals

  • Target keyword in: title tag, meta description, H1, first paragraph, URL slug.

  • One clear H1, logical H2/H3 hierarchy, descriptive alt text, internal links with natural anchors, and a readable format.

12) NLP-Driven Content Optimization

  • Use an optimizer that extracts topical terms from the top results.

  • Cover the optimal range of key entities/phrases, FAQs, and comparison attributes.

  • Avoid over-stuffing; aim for topical completeness, not keyword density.

13) Low-Hanging-Fruit Lifts

  • Find pages ranking positions 2–15.

  • Actions: refresh on-page/NLP coverage, add 3–10 high-relevance internal links, tighten title to boost CTR, and improve speed.

  • Only then consider targeted link acquisition.

14) New Cluster Opportunities (Positions 50+)

  • Queries where you show up 50–100 often indicate unmet demand with no dedicated page.

  • Create the correct intent page (commercial, informational, local, etc.), then publish supporting assets around it.

15) Topic Domination Across Surfaces

  • For your proven topics, expand to YouTube, Reddit, Q&A, slides/docs, and marketplaces where relevant.

  • Interlink assets; aim to own multiple first-page slots and influence AI retrieval.

16) Citation & Retrieval Coverage for AI Search

  • Run target topics in major AI chat systems and note recurring cited sources.

  • Secure inclusion on those source types (reference pages, glossaries, benchmark posts, data sets, docs).

  • Keep facts structured and crawlable (schemas, tables, lists).

17) Competitor Linkbait Patterns

  • In link tools, sort competitors by Best by Links.

  • Note repeatable frameworks (statistics, studies, calculators, industry maps).

  • Build your differentiated version with better methodology or fresher data and promote it.

18) Brand Accuracy & Misinformation Sweep

  • Check how AI systems and search features describe your brand, products, pricing, and founders.

  • Fix inaccuracies via updated site copy, structured data, press/partner pages, and outreach to curated lists/directories commonly cited.

AI SEOFrancesca Tabor