name: auditing-seo description: Use this skill when auditing websites for SEO, analyzing search performance, checking technical SEO issues, or optimizing sites for search engines. Performs comprehensive SEO audits covering technical, on-page, and off-page factors. Invoke for SEO analysis, search optimization, keyword research, or improving search rankings.
SEO Audit System
Comprehensive SEO auditing for client websites and Support Forge properties.
Client Sites to Audit
| Site | Type | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| support-forge.com | Business/SaaS | High |
| vineyardvalais.com | E-commerce | High |
| witchsbroomcleaning.com | Local Service | High |
| sweetmeadow-bakery.com | Local Business | High |
| homebasevet.com | Local Service | Medium |
| jpbailes.com / me.jbailes.com | Personal | Low |
Quick Audit Checklist
Technical SEO (15 min)
□ Site loads in under 3 seconds
□ Mobile-friendly (passes Google test)
□ HTTPS enabled (valid SSL)
□ No mixed content warnings
□ XML sitemap exists and submitted
□ Robots.txt properly configured
□ No broken links (404s)
□ Proper redirects (no chains)
□ Clean URL structure
□ Schema markup implemented
On-Page SEO (15 min)
□ Unique title tags (50-60 chars)
□ Meta descriptions (150-160 chars)
□ H1 tag on each page (only one)
□ Proper heading hierarchy (H1→H2→H3)
□ Image alt text on all images
□ Internal linking structure
□ Keyword usage (natural, not stuffed)
□ Content length adequate
□ Readable URLs with keywords
□ Open Graph tags for social
Local SEO (10 min)
□ Google Business Profile claimed
□ NAP consistent (Name, Address, Phone)
□ Local keywords in content
□ Location pages (if multiple)
□ Local schema markup
□ Reviews being collected
□ Listed in local directories
□ Geo meta tags present
Free SEO Tools
Google Tools (Essential)
- Google Search Console: https://search.google.com/search-console
- Index status, search performance, errors
- Google Analytics: https://analytics.google.com
- Traffic sources, user behavior
- PageSpeed Insights: https://pagespeed.web.dev
- Core Web Vitals, performance
- Mobile-Friendly Test: https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly
- Rich Results Test: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
Technical Analysis
- GTmetrix: https://gtmetrix.com - Performance analysis
- SSL Labs: https://www.ssllabs.com/ssltest/ - SSL certificate check
- XML Sitemap Validator: https://www.xml-sitemaps.com/validate-xml-sitemap.html
- Robots.txt Tester: In Google Search Console
On-Page Analysis
- Screaming Frog (free up to 500 URLs): https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk
- SEO Meta in 1 Click (Chrome extension)
- Detailed SEO Extension (Chrome extension)
Backlink Analysis
- Ahrefs Backlink Checker (free limited): https://ahrefs.com/backlink-checker
- Moz Link Explorer (free limited): https://moz.com/link-explorer
Keyword Research
- Google Keyword Planner: https://ads.google.com/keywordplanner
- Ubersuggest (free limited): https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/
- AnswerThePublic: https://answerthepublic.com
- Google Trends: https://trends.google.com
Full SEO Audit Template
1. Technical SEO Audit
Site Crawlability
# Check robots.txt
curl https://[domain]/robots.txt
# Check sitemap
curl https://[domain]/sitemap.xml
# Check for noindex tags
curl -s https://[domain] | grep -i "noindex"
Checklist:
- Robots.txt allows important pages
- XML sitemap exists and is valid
- Sitemap submitted to Search Console
- No accidental noindex tags
- Canonical tags implemented correctly
Site Speed & Core Web Vitals
Run PageSpeed Insights for:
- Homepage
- Key service/product pages
- Blog posts (if applicable)
Target Scores:
- Performance: 90+
- Accessibility: 90+
- Best Practices: 90+
- SEO: 90+
Core Web Vitals Targets:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): < 2.5s
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint): < 200ms
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): < 0.1
Mobile Optimization
- Passes Google Mobile-Friendly Test
- Text readable without zooming
- Tap targets properly sized
- No horizontal scrolling
- Viewport configured correctly
Security
- HTTPS enabled site-wide
- Valid SSL certificate
- No mixed content
- Security headers implemented
2. On-Page SEO Audit
Title Tags
For each key page, document:
| Page | Current Title | Length | Recommendation |
|------|---------------|--------|----------------|
| Home | | /60 | |
| About | | /60 | |
| Services | | /60 | |
| Contact | | /60 | |
Best Practices:
- 50-60 characters
- Primary keyword near beginning
- Brand name at end
- Unique for each page
- Compelling for clicks
Meta Descriptions
| Page | Current Description | Length | Recommendation |
|------|---------------------|--------|----------------|
| Home | | /160 | |
| About | | /160 | |
Best Practices:
- 150-160 characters
- Include primary keyword
- Compelling call-to-action
- Unique for each page
Heading Structure
Check each page for:
- [ ] One H1 tag (includes keyword)
- [ ] Logical H2-H6 hierarchy
- [ ] Keywords in subheadings
- [ ] Headings describe content
Content Quality
- Adequate word count (300+ for basic, 1000+ for cornerstone)
- Original content (not duplicated)
- Answers user intent
- Keywords used naturally
- Updated/fresh content
Images
- All images have alt text
- Alt text is descriptive
- Images are compressed
- Proper file names (not IMG_1234.jpg)
- Lazy loading implemented
3. Local SEO Audit (For Local Businesses)
Google Business Profile
- Profile claimed and verified
- Business name matches website
- Address is accurate
- Phone number is correct
- Hours are current
- Categories are appropriate
- Description is optimized
- Photos uploaded (10+ recommended)
- Posts being published
- Q&A monitored
- Reviews being responded to
NAP Consistency
Check NAP across:
- Website
- Google Business Profile
- Facebook
- Yelp
- Industry directories
- Local directories
Any inconsistencies? Document and fix.
Local Schema Markup
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Business Name",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Main St",
"addressLocality": "City",
"addressRegion": "MA",
"postalCode": "01234"
},
"telephone": "978-XXX-XXXX",
"url": "https://website.com"
}
4. Off-Page SEO Audit
Backlink Profile
- Total backlinks: ___
- Referring domains: ___
- Domain authority: ___
- Toxic backlinks: ___
Competitor Comparison
| Metric | Your Site | Competitor 1 | Competitor 2 |
|--------|-----------|--------------|--------------|
| Domain Authority | | | |
| Backlinks | | | |
| Keywords Ranking | | | |
5. Content Audit
Existing Content Inventory
| URL | Title | Word Count | Traffic | Action |
|-----|-------|------------|---------|--------|
| | | | | Keep/Update/Delete/Merge |
Content Gaps
- What topics are competitors covering that you're not?
- What questions are customers asking?
- What keywords have opportunity?
SEO Audit Report Template
SEO AUDIT REPORT
================
Website: [URL]
Date: [Date]
Audited by: Support Forge
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
-----------------
Overall SEO Health: [Good/Needs Work/Critical Issues]
Key Findings:
✓ [Positive finding]
✓ [Positive finding]
✗ [Issue found]
✗ [Issue found]
Priority Actions:
1. [Highest priority fix]
2. [Second priority]
3. [Third priority]
DETAILED FINDINGS
-----------------
Technical SEO: [Score/10]
[Details...]
On-Page SEO: [Score/10]
[Details...]
Local SEO: [Score/10] (if applicable)
[Details...]
Content: [Score/10]
[Details...]
RECOMMENDATIONS
---------------
Immediate (This Week):
1. [Action item]
2. [Action item]
Short-term (This Month):
1. [Action item]
2. [Action item]
Long-term (Ongoing):
1. [Action item]
2. [Action item]
NEXT STEPS
----------
[Recommended next steps and timeline]
Quick Commands
"SEO audit [domain]" → Run comprehensive audit
"Check speed for [domain]" → PageSpeed analysis
"Local SEO check for [business]" → Local SEO specific audit
"Keyword research for [topic/business]" → Keyword opportunity analysis
"Compare SEO [domain1] vs [domain2]" → Competitive analysis