Start with the pages that bring in customers. An audit should explain why a page matters, show the evidence behind a finding and give someone a specific next action.
1. Make a list of important pages
List your homepage, core services, key products or categories, contact page and any guides that genuinely help a customer choose. Write down the customer question each page answers. If two pages answer the same question in almost the same way, decide whether both are needed.
2. Check whether search engines can find them
Open the pages without signing in. Check that internal links lead to them and the URLs appear in your XML sitemap. In Google Search Console, inspect a sample of important URLs for crawl and index status. Search Console is more reliable than guessing from a site: search, which is only a rough spot check.
Look for accidental noindex directives, blocked resources, broken pages and canonical tags pointing to another URL. A sitemap is a discovery hint; inclusion does not guarantee indexing.
3. Match each page to a useful search
Does the title clearly describe the service or product? Is the first heading specific? Does the page explain the audience, process, common questions, constraints and next step? Search terms should follow the customer’s language. Avoid repeating a phrase just to reach a target density.
Compare your own pages with the result types for relevant searches. A search for pricing may need scope and inclusions; a search for a machine model may need specifications and availability. Write for the decision the visitor is making.
4. Follow the internal links
Trace the route from the homepage to each important service page, then to related guidance, examples and the contact page. Use descriptive link text so someone scanning can understand where the link leads. Fix broken destinations and orphaned pages before producing more content.
5. Check the mobile enquiry path
Use a phone to test the menu, page layout, tap targets and form. Check whether the main image loads promptly, content stays steady and buttons respond. Core Web Vitals reports can help identify real user issues where enough data exists, but a lab score alone does not describe the whole customer experience.
6. Prioritise what changes first
Separate urgent technical errors from improvements that need evidence. Fix inaccessible high value pages and failed enquiries first. Then improve the clearest commercial pages, internal linking and content gaps. Record the baseline in Search Console, track changes by date and review qualified enquiries alongside clicks and impressions.
When to ask for help
A migration, large catalogue, repeated indexing problem or complex platform usually needs a scoped review. We can turn this checklist into a prioritised audit; the scope and price are confirmed in a quotation.