To start with, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, although it sounds pretty difficult but once your basics are clear about this, it won’t be a challenge to use it. There is no formula to make a perfect website; whenever you will go through your website you will one or the other glitch or mistakes, be it of content, UX or UI. 
 

Let’s discuss what are the important elements that your SEO audit for the website should include.

1. Mobile-friendly

More than laptops, people are connected through phones because of one reason that they are easily accessible and readily available. Therefore, the website experience one gets through mobile phones should matter the most to you. 

Google has an online test called Google Mobile-Friendly Test which assists you in getting insights regarding the state your website in it. Other than this, you can have:

•    Bigger font size
•    YouTube videos links embedded 
•    Images to be compressed
•    Use AMP: Accelerated Mobile Pages

2. Website Load Time

The efforts which are put into making a website are something no one needs to explain. It is hard to deliver a user-friendly and optimized website. But your efforts go in vain if that website has a slow load time. It screws up the very user experience you worked hard for. So, make sure to optimize the page through optimizing the 

•    Images
•    Java Scripts
•    Cache
•    JavaScript Parsing
•    Redirecting pages
•    Apply CSS and HTML
•    Use Social buttons
•    Use Content Delivery network

Google Page Speed Insights Tool is one way to figure out the areas which are making your site heavy to use in the first place and work out according. To give a fair parameter, the page load time for both laptop and mobile should be for less than 3 seconds and that is your target.

3. HTTPS status codes

Since Google announced last year that ‘S’ with HTTP will automatically give a certain percentage of ranking boost, everyone is looking to change their website’s status. The reason stated behind this is that the websites with the “S” will provide a secure gateway to information shared, making a website credible. So make sure if this switch has not been done on your website, you do it in first priority.

After this, you need to focus on other status codes like 404 errors, you can use Google Search Console which helps you to get a detailed report on potential errors. For optimal use, keep the error list in which Google Search Console generates empty and resolve the listed errors as soon as possible.
 

4. Keyword Cannibalization

Keywords are used by every website to optimize oneself in the race of being the best. If two websites of the same genres are using similar keywords, this puts Google in a tricky position regarding coming with a decision which is a better page amongst them.

The trick is:

•    To not use similar keywords in both home and subpages

•    Google Search Console: This report will help in looking at repeating keywords

•    Look out for keywords in other pages URL using a filter by Google Search Console or use the traditional way of searching for the keywords and analyze what all pages are using the same keyword.

5. Crawl Report

Just like a virus scan, crawl report weed out issues like:

•    Low page speed
•    Duplicate content
•    Missing H1/H2 tags etc

Mostly it will detect SEO related issues, making your tasks easier so that focus could be on the bigger issues as crawl report, with the help of Google Webmaster & Screaming frog tools could turn into an automated feature. This will clean your site and keep it tidy with you putting in not much effort but smart effort!

6. XML sitemap

In the ocean of so many websites, how come you find few on the top and others not ranked high? Just like Google maps, the XML sitemap works as a map for not only Google but for various search engine crawlers. The role of it is to find your web pages, leading them to your website that helps in ranking your website.

Below listed are few guidelines to which your XML sitemap should tick: 

•    The XML document must have your sitemap formatted correctly
•    Protocols for XML sitemap should be followed
•    The sitemap must possess all the updated pages
•    Google Search Console should have your sitemap submitted

So watch out for these above-mentioned points to maintain your SEO ranking. It is a gradual process and constant check is the best way to keep your website in check.

By Doors Studio
 
Read more About : Quality SEO Services