SEO or Search Engine Optimisation is a process used to make a website more visible on search engines. This is achieved through changing and updating specific details on the website. The aim of the game is to get the website ranking in the number 1 position for specific search terms that relate to the product, service or content offered by the website.
While this may seem straightforward, it is a very technical and time-consuming process and isn’t something that should be considered without a clear and thought-out strategy. To get the best result, it’s best to speak to an SEO Agency Australia for guidance. The first step before starting your SEO journey is to run an SEO audit on your site.
What is an SEO Audit?
An SEO audit is an inspection by an SEO Agency of all the SEO elements of the website and how well they are optimised. It covers every aspect of SEO, from on-page content to the use of keywords and the sites speed and performance. An SEO audit highlights what areas of opportunity your site has in terms of SEO to help push your rankings higher.
An SEO audit will tell you what areas are already optimised and the areas that aren’t. When you know what areas to focus on, you can start creating an SEO plan and updating the required areas of the website.
Is an SEO Audit Necessary?
An SEO audit is necessary if you want to improve your search engine rankings, increase traffic and increase customer engagement. It is used to help align your website with search engine guidelines. An SEO audit provides you with the research and knowledge to make informed SEO decisions. Without it, you could be over-optimising some aspects of the website and under-optimising others.
Parts of an SEO Audit
- Keyword Analysis – No SEO audit would be complete without keyword analysis. You can write the longest and best content, but you won’t see any traffic or rankings if you aren’t targeting the right keywords. A keyword analysis will align your products or services to the correct keywords. It will also influence your on-page content. Low competition keywords will require less content, while high competition keywords may require more.
- On-Page Analysis – this is where you get to use your keywords. From title tags to keyword density and internal linking, your on-page analysis is where you will see most of your SEO updates.
- Site Performance – this relates to website speed and usability. This is directly related to user experience and how your website offers the best experience to the user. While you may not see these aspects of the site physically, you will experience them. They include things like page speed and load time and are impacted by hosting, images and videos.