SEO audit template
A 43-point checklist that covers technical SEO, on-page, content, links and measurement, scores each area as you go, and turns what you find into an action plan.
Download for Excel (XLSX). Free to use, no sign-up needed.
| # | Check | How to check it | Status | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | An XML sitemap exists and has been submitted | Open /sitemap.xml, then check Sitemaps in Search Console shows it as read successfully. | Pass | High |
| 5 | No important page carries a "noindex" tag | Inspect key pages with the URL Inspection tool, or crawl the site and filter for noindex. | Pass | High |
| 11 | Pages pass Core Web Vitals | Check the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console: loading within 2.5 seconds, responsiveness within 200 milliseconds, layout shift under 0.1. | Needs work | High |
| 16 | Every page has a unique, descriptive title | Crawl the site and look for missing, duplicate or very long titles. | Fail | High |
| 24 | Each key page matches what the searcher wants | Search the target term and compare the top results with your page. | Needs work | High |
| 31 | Important pages are linked from other pages | Check each key page can be reached in a few clicks from the home page. | Pass | High |
What is an SEO audit?
An SEO audit is a structured review of a website to find what is stopping it from appearing, or ranking well, in search results. It checks whether search engines can find and read your pages, whether each page is clear about its subject, whether the content answers what people are searching for, and whether other pages and sites link to it.
The result should not be a long report nobody reads. It should be a short, ordered list of fixes. This template is built to get you there: a checklist, a score for each area, and an action plan.
How to use this SEO audit template
- Fill in the details. Note the website, the date and the tools you used, so the next audit can be compared with this one.
- Work down the checks. Each one has a "How to check it" note that says where to look.
- Choose a status for each: Pass, Needs work, Fail or Not applicable.
- Adjust the priority. Each check starts with a usual priority. Raise it when the problem affects your most important pages.
- Write down what you found. Name the specific pages and what needs fixing.
- Read the summary. The Summary sheet scores each area. Low scores show where to start.
- Build the action plan. Move each fix to the Action plan sheet with an owner, a priority and a due date.
Fix what stops pages being found before polishing titles and content. A page that is not indexed cannot rank.
What the SEO audit checklist covers
| Area | Checks | What it looks at |
|---|---|---|
| Crawling and indexing | 10 | Search Console, the sitemap, robots.txt, noindex tags, canonical addresses, HTTPS, broken pages and redirects |
| Page speed and mobile | 5 | Core Web Vitals, loading speed on a phone, small screens, image sizes and intrusive pop-ups |
| On-page | 8 | Titles, meta descriptions, headings, page addresses, target search terms, image alt text and structured data |
| Content | 7 | Search intent, pages competing for the same term, thin, outdated or duplicated content, and gaps to fill |
| Links | 6 | Internal links, pages nothing links to, link text, broken links and links from other sites |
| Local search | 3 | Google Business Profile, matching contact details and reviews (for businesses serving a local area) |
| Measurement | 4 | Analytics, tracked conversions, search performance and rankings |
Alongside the checklist, the file has a Summary sheet that counts the results and scores each area, an Action plan sheet for the fixes, and a short guide.
Tools you will need
Most of the audit can be done with free tools:
- Google Search Console for indexing, sitemaps, Core Web Vitals, links and search performance.
- PageSpeed Insights for loading speed and what is slowing a page down.
- Google's Rich Results Test for structured data.
- A site crawler to check titles, descriptions, headings and broken links across many pages at once. On a small site you can check these by hand.
How often should you run an SEO audit?
For most small and mid-sized sites, every three to six months is enough, with a quick check after any major change such as a redesign, a move to a new platform or a change of domain. Keep each completed audit: comparing the scores over time is the simplest way to show that the work is paying off.
From audit to finished fixes
An audit only helps if the fixes get done. Once the action plan is filled in, each row can become a task in Flow with an owner and a due date, and a recurring task can remind you when the next audit is due. For more on handing routine work to the system, see our guide to workflow automation.
Frequently asked questions
Is this SEO audit template free?
Yes. You can download the Excel file and use it without creating an account.
How long does an SEO audit take?
For a small site of up to about fifty pages, a first audit with this checklist usually takes a few hours. Larger sites take longer, mostly because of the page-by-page checks, which a crawler speeds up considerably.
Do I need paid SEO tools to use it?
No. Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights and the Rich Results Test are free and cover most of the checks. Paid tools mainly save time on larger sites and add more detail on links and rankings.
What should I fix first after an SEO audit?
Start with anything that stops pages being found or indexed, then problems on your most important pages, then the rest in order of priority.
Can I use the template in Google Sheets?
It is built for Excel. The checklist, drop-downs and summary counts generally work when the file is opened in Google Sheets, though some of the automatic coloring may look different.