How do you run a technical SEO audit?
Start with crawling and indexing, because nothing else matters if pages are not in Google. Then check duplicates and canonicals, speed and Core Web Vitals, site structure and internal links, and structured data. Record every issue with its impact and effort, then turn the list into a prioritized plan instead of handing the client a long spreadsheet.
Crawling and indexing
- Robots.txt does not block important sections.
- XML sitemap exists, is submitted and lists only indexable URLs. See Google's sitemap overview.
- Key pages are indexed in Search Console.
- No accidental noindex tags on money pages.
- Server errors (5xx) and soft 404s are under control.
- Important pages are reachable within a few clicks from the home page.
Duplicates and canonicals
- One version of the site: https, with or without www, not both.
- Self-referencing canonicals on indexable pages, per Google's canonical guide.
- Parameter and filter URLs handled on e-commerce sites.
- No near-duplicate location or product pages competing with each other.
- Pagination handled without orphaning products or posts.
What speed thresholds should you check?
Check Google's Core Web Vitals on real-user data where available. The targets are a Largest Contentful Paint within 2.5 seconds, an Interaction to Next Paint under 200 milliseconds and a Cumulative Layout Shift under 0.1. Start with the templates that carry most traffic, such as service pages, product pages and the home page.
- LCP, INP and CLS within Google's thresholds.
- Images compressed, sized and lazy-loaded below the fold.
- Render-blocking scripts reduced; third-party tags reviewed.
- Mobile layout usable without horizontal scrolling.
Structure and internal links
- No broken internal links.
- No redirect chains or loops.
- No orphan pages without internal links.
- Descriptive anchor text pointing to priority pages.
- Breadcrumbs on deep sites.
- Old URLs redirected with 301s after any migration, as Google advises in its site move guide.
Structured data and on-page basics
- Organization or LocalBusiness schema on the home or contact page.
- Product, FAQ, Article or Service schema where it matches the content.
- No schema errors in validation tools.
- Unique titles and meta descriptions on key pages.
- One clear H1 per page and a logical heading order.
- Nothing that conflicts with Google's Search Essentials, such as hidden text or doorway pages.
How should you prioritize the findings?
Score each issue by its impact on traffic or leads and the effort to fix it. Fix indexing blockers and broken money pages first, then quick wins such as titles and internal links, then larger projects like speed or template changes. Present the top ten actions to the client, with the full list kept as an appendix for developers.
If your team does not have the time, a white label SEO audit delivers this in your brand, or send it as overflow work. Planning a redesign? Pair this with the website redesign SEO checklist. More on the partnership at the white label SEO services page.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a technical audit be done?
A full audit once or twice a year, with monthly monitoring in between.
Which tools do I need?
Search Console, a crawler, PageSpeed data and a schema validator cover most checks.
How long does a technical audit take?
From a few hours for a small site to several days for large e-commerce sites.
What is the most common issue you find?
Important pages not indexed or not linked internally.
Should the client see the full checklist?
Show the top priorities; keep the full list for the development team.
About the author
Juan José Giraldo is a senior SEO specialist with 5+ years of experience. He works on technical and local SEO for 600+ US car dealerships and supervises the SEO of 18 US e-commerce stores. He runs White Label SEO LATAM from Medellín, Colombia, and delivers white label SEO for agencies in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Read more · LinkedIn.