The right approach to conducting SEO audits: basic principles

Basic principles of conducting an SEO audit

Before you spend time conducting an SEO audit using a standard checklist and creating a long list of recommendations that are unlikely to be implemented, it is important to understand what may become an obstacle to the successful implementation of the entire plan:

Business and its technical context: type and size of site, subject matter, platform limitations, organization experience in SEO.
The impact of potential problems on site revenue and business goals.
Focusing on problems without understanding their causes.
Anticipated resources for implementing recommendations or alternatives.
Incorrect prioritization of recommendations, relying only on their expected impact without taking into account the complexity of implementation.
Developing a list of recommendations that is too long and complex to understand.
Lack of mechanisms to prevent repetition of past mistakes.

SP2 audit principles

The acronym SP2 includes four main principles (two "S" and two "P"):

Strategic — first you need to consider the type of site, context and business goals. This will help you set the right priorities and select the recommendations that best suit your business and conversion. It is also important to convey the value of the proposed SEO actions to the client.
Prioritized — recommendations received during the SEO audit will influence the entire work plan. It must be organized taking into account the budget, available resources, deadlines and goals. Recommendations should help simplify the process of setting tasks and their iterative implementation (step by step).
Solutions focused — It is necessary to develop clear steps for implementing each recommendation so that the team can easily determine what resources and how much time will be required to complete the task.
Proactive — it is important to develop preventive measures to prevent the recurrence of identified problems in the future.