By Jen Ruhman, SEO Expert in San Diego
Every SEO Audit Starts the Same Way…
People often ask me what software I use when performing an SEO audit.
The truth is…
Software isn’t where I start.
Yes, I eventually use tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and professional SEO software. Those tools provide valuable data.
But before I open any reports, I spend time looking at the website the same way a potential customer would.
After more than 20 years working in SEO, I’ve learned something important:
A website usually tells me what’s wrong within the first 30 minutes.
Not because I’m looking for mistakes.
Because I’m looking for patterns.
Most SEO problems aren’t caused by one broken page.
They’re caused by dozens of small issues working against each other.
That’s why every audit I perform begins with understanding the bigger picture before diving into the details.
First, I Ask One Simple Question
What is this business trying to accomplish?
It sounds obvious.
But you’d be surprised how many businesses skip this step.
SEO isn’t about rankings.
It’s about helping a business reach its goals.
Before I analyze a single keyword, I want to understand things like:
• Are they trying to generate phone calls?
• More online purchases?
• Appointment requests?
• Local customers?
• National visibility?
Because the strategy changes depending on the answer.
A local plumber doesn’t need the same SEO strategy as an e-commerce store.
A law firm doesn’t need the same strategy as a medical practice.
Understanding the business comes first.
Everything else comes second.
Then I Pretend I’m a Customer
This might be the most underrated part of my entire process.
I stop thinking like an SEO.
Instead…
I become the customer.
If I landed on the homepage for the first time…
Would I immediately understand:
- What this company does?
- Who they help?
- Why they’re different?
- What I should do next?
If I can’t answer those questions within a few seconds, there’s already an opportunity to improve the website.
SEO doesn’t begin with Google.
It begins with people.
Because if visitors don’t understand your website, rankings won’t solve the problem.
Next, I Look at the Overall Website Structure
One of the first things I evaluate is how the website is organized.
Can I easily find important services?
Does the navigation make sense?
Are related pages connected together?
Or does everything feel scattered?
Google prefers websites that are logical.
Visitors do too.
When a website is well organized, search engines have a much easier time understanding what each page is about.
That’s one of the reasons I spend so much time thinking about website architecture before recommending new content.
Sometimes the biggest improvement isn’t creating another page.
It’s reorganizing the pages you already have.
If you’ve read my article about why publishing more blogs doesn’t always improve SEO, you’ll understand why I believe strategy comes before content.
I Look for Search Intent Problems
This is where many websites begin falling apart.
A page can be beautifully written.
It can rank for keywords.
It can receive traffic.
And still fail.
Why?
Because it’s attracting the wrong audience.
Every page should answer one simple question:
What is the visitor hoping to accomplish when they searched for this?
Sometimes a page is trying to answer five different questions.
Sometimes it targets a keyword nobody searches.
Sometimes it ranks for informational searches when the business actually needs buying-intent visitors.
Those are strategy problems.
Not writing problems.
One of my favorite parts of an audit is identifying pages that already have potential but simply need better focus.
Those opportunities often produce faster results than starting from scratch.
Then I Review Internal Linking
Internal links tell a story.
They show me which pages the website considers important.
Unfortunately…
Many websites accidentally tell Google the wrong story.
I frequently see excellent service pages with almost no internal links pointing toward them.
Meanwhile, outdated blog posts have dozens.
That’s backwards.
Every internal link should help strengthen your most important pages.
I often describe internal linking as the plumbing system of a website.
Visitors don’t always notice it.
But when it’s working properly, everything flows naturally.
If you’d like to learn more about this, I wrote another article explaining how internal linking improves SEO.
I Want to See Topical Authority
One thing I ask myself during every audit is:
Does Google clearly understand what this business specializes in?
Sometimes the answer is yes.
Sometimes the website looks like it was written by five different companies.
One article discusses marketing.
Another discusses recipes.
Another discusses office furniture.
Then suddenly there’s a service page.
Google has a harder time understanding websites that lack focus.
That’s why I believe topical authority has become one of the most important concepts in modern SEO.
I’m not looking for hundreds of blog posts.
I’m looking for a collection of pages that reinforce one another.
If you’re unfamiliar with this concept, I recently wrote a guide explaining what topical authority is and why it matters more than ever.
Then I Start Looking at the Data
Only after I’ve spent time understanding the website do I open the reports.
This is where Google Search Console and Google Analytics become incredibly valuable.
Now I’m asking questions like:
- Which pages already have momentum?
- Which pages are receiving impressions but very few clicks?
- Are visitors finding the right pages?
- Where are people leaving the website?
- Which opportunities are being overlooked?
The data rarely tells me exactly what to do.
Instead, it confirms—or challenges—the observations I made during those first 30 minutes.
That’s why I never rely solely on software.
The tools provide information.
Experience helps determine what matters most.
Finally, I Build a Roadmap
This is where my process becomes different from many SEO agencies.
I don’t finish an audit with a giant checklist of everything that’s wrong.
Instead, I prioritize.
Some improvements will have a significant impact.
Others can wait.
There’s no reason to spend hours fixing tiny technical issues if the website has much larger strategic problems.
I want every recommendation to move the business closer to its goals.
That’s why every audit ends with a roadmap—not just a report.
A roadmap answers questions like:
- What should we fix first?
- What can wait?
- Which improvements will have the biggest impact?
- How do all of these pieces work together?
To me, that’s the difference between an SEO audit and an SEO strategy.
The Biggest Mistake I See
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned after auditing hundreds of websites, it’s this:
Most businesses don’t have one big SEO problem.
They have dozens of small ones.
Individually, they don’t seem like a big deal.
Together, they hold the website back.
That’s why I don’t look for magic bullets.
I look for momentum.
When you consistently improve content, strengthen internal linking, organize your website, answer your customers’ questions, and build topical authority, those improvements begin working together.
That’s when SEO starts compounding.
Curious What I’d Find on Your Website?
Every business is different.
That’s why no two SEO audits are ever the same.
Some websites need better content.
Some need stronger internal linking.
Others need clearer messaging, better organization, or a more strategic content plan.
The key isn’t fixing everything at once.
It’s knowing what to prioritize first.
If you’re wondering how your website is performing—or you’d like an experienced second set of eyes—I’d be happy to take a look.
Schedule a Free SEO Consultation
Key Takeaways
- Every successful SEO campaign starts with understanding the business—not the keywords.
- The first 30 minutes of an SEO audit often reveal the biggest opportunities.
- Strategy should always come before tactics.
- Small improvements made consistently produce stronger long-term results than chasing quick wins.
- An SEO audit should end with a prioritized roadmap, not just a list of technical issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should an SEO audit include?
A thorough SEO audit should look beyond keywords and rankings. It should evaluate your website’s structure, content quality, technical SEO, internal linking, user experience, search intent, topical authority, and how well your website supports your overall business goals. An audit should end with a prioritized action plan—not just a list of problems.
How long does an SEO audit take?
It depends on the size and complexity of the website. A small local business website may take just a few hours to review, while larger websites with hundreds of pages can require significantly more time. Regardless of size, I always spend the first part of an audit understanding the business before diving into technical details.
What are the biggest SEO problems you usually find?
Most websites don’t have one major issue. Instead, I usually find several smaller issues that work against each other, such as weak internal linking, pages targeting the wrong search intent, outdated content, poor site structure, missing calls to action, or opportunities to strengthen topical authority.
Can an SEO audit improve rankings?
An audit itself doesn’t improve rankings, but it identifies the changes that are most likely to make a meaningful impact. Once those recommendations are implemented, many websites begin seeing improvements in visibility, traffic, and user engagement over time.
How often should I perform an SEO audit?
I recommend reviewing your website at least once a year. If your business is actively publishing new content, redesigning your website, or operating in a competitive industry, more frequent audits can help identify opportunities before they become larger issues.
What’s the difference between an SEO audit and an SEO strategy?
An SEO audit identifies opportunities for improvement.
An SEO strategy prioritizes those opportunities and creates a roadmap for long-term growth.
In other words, the audit tells you what’s happening. The strategy determines what to do next.
Why do you focus on strategy before making SEO changes?
Because not every recommendation has the same impact. I’d rather spend time improving the pages most likely to generate qualified leads than fixing dozens of tiny issues that won’t move the needle. Prioritizing the right work is one of the most important parts of a successful SEO campaign.