SEO Audit

When to Use This Skill

Website pages aren't ranking for target keywords
Launching a new website and want to start with solid SEO
Redesigning a site and need to preserve/improve SEO
Haven't reviewed SEO in 6+ months
Competitor is outranking you and you want to know why

Core Principle

SEO IS ABOUT MATCHING SEARCH INTENT, NOT STUFFING KEYWORDS. Google rewards pages that best answer the searcher's question.

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Inputs

Ask the user:

What's the URL or page content to audit?
What keywords do you want to rank for? (1-3 primary keywords)
Who's your target audience?
Who are your top 2 competitors?

Minimum needed: question 1. If no keywords provided, infer from the page content.

Step 2: On-Page SEO Audit

Analyze each element and score as PASS, NEEDS WORK, or FAIL:

Element	What to Check	Best Practice
Title Tag	Length, keyword placement, uniqueness	50-60 chars, primary keyword near front
Meta Description	Length, CTA, keyword inclusion	150-160 chars, includes keyword + action verb
H1 Tag	Exists, contains keyword, only one per page	One H1 per page, includes primary keyword
Heading Structure	H2s and H3s use logical hierarchy	Keywords in H2s, no skipped levels
URL Structure	Short, descriptive, includes keyword	/primary-keyword, no dates or IDs
Internal Links	Links to/from other relevant pages	3-5 internal links per 1,000 words
Image Alt Text	Descriptive, includes keywords where natural	Every image has alt text
Content Length	Sufficient for topic depth	Match or exceed top-ranking competitor length
Keyword Density	Natural usage, not stuffed	1-2% for primary keyword
Mobile Friendliness	Responsive, readable without zoom	All content accessible on mobile

Step 3: Content Gap Analysis

Compare the page against top-ranking competitors:

What subtopics do competitors cover that this page doesn't?
What questions do competitors answer that this page skips?
What content formats do competitors use (tables, lists, videos)?

Step 4: Deliver Recommendations

Prioritize fixes by impact:

Critical (do first):

Missing or duplicate title tags
No H1 or multiple H1s
Missing meta description
Thin content (under 300 words for a topic that needs depth)

High Impact:

Keyword not in title tag or H1
No internal links
Missing alt text on images
URL contains unnecessary parameters

Medium Impact:

Meta description too long/short
Heading hierarchy issues
Content gaps vs. competitors

Low Impact (nice to have):

Schema markup missing
Open Graph tags incomplete
Minor keyword density adjustments

Examples

Example 1: Coaching Business Homepage

URL content analysis:

AUDIT RESULTS — www.sarahcoaching.com

Title Tag: "Sarah Johnson — Life Coach"
→ NEEDS WORK — Missing primary keyword "executive coaching."
  Recommended: "Executive Coaching for Women Leaders | Sarah Johnson"

Meta Description: (none found)
→ FAIL — No meta description. Google will auto-generate one.
  Recommended: "Transform your leadership with 1-on-1 executive coaching
  for women in corporate roles. Book a free discovery call with Sarah Johnson."

H1: "Welcome to My Website"
→ FAIL — Generic, no keywords.
  Recommended: "Executive Coaching for Women Who Lead"

Heading Structure:
  H2: "About Me" → NEEDS WORK — Should be "About Your Executive Coach"
  H2: "Services" → PASS
  H2: "Testimonials" → PASS
  H3: (none) → NEEDS WORK — Add H3s under Services for each offering

URL: www.sarahcoaching.com → PASS (homepage)

Internal Links: 0 links to blog or service pages
→ FAIL — Add links to service pages, blog posts, and booking page

Content Length: 247 words
→ FAIL — Homepage should have 500-800 words minimum for a service business

PRIORITY FIXES:
1. Add meta description (5 min fix, immediate impact)
2. Rewrite H1 with primary keyword (5 min fix)
3. Rewrite title tag (5 min fix)
4. Add 300+ words of content about services and outcomes
5. Add internal links to service pages and blog

Example 2: E-commerce Product Category Page