Published by Omer on J f, 2026

How to Perform an SEO Audit Step by Step

You want to know if your SEO is working or if you’re just guessing. Many UK businesses feel the same. They invest time and money but rarely check what actually works. An SEO audit helps you see the real picture. It is not about fancy reports. It is about clarity.

At Cleartwo we see this often. Great products good services but weak visibility. Most of the time the issue is simple. Technical faults and weak content hold the site back. The good news is that once you find the issues you can fix them fast.

Start With Your Website Health

Before thinking about keywords ask this. Can Google reach and read your site. This is the base of SEO. Think of it like a health check for your website.

Use Google Search Console. It shows crawl errors indexing issues and any warnings. If a page is not indexed it will not rank. Fix broken links redirect loops and server errors. These issues are common when sites get updated without a clear plan. See our design support for guidance.

This image shows an SEO dashboard with clear markers for crawl issues and page health.

If errors keep coming back it may be your hosting or security setup. Good hosting and strong site security are key for SEO. It is not just an IT thing. It supports your long term growth. Check our website security to stay safe.

Check Your On Page SEO

Many people think they got this right but small mistakes can hurt your rankings. Review your page titles and meta descriptions. Ask yourself if they make sense for people not just search engines. Make sure they use clear British English for your UK audience.

Your headings must be simple. One main heading per page. Then short useful sub headings. This helps users and search engines read the page easily. Learn about strong site structure with Cleartwo.

Keyword Checks That Actually Matter

Keyword work is not about chasing the biggest words. It is about intent. Write down the keyword goal for each page. Then check if two pages target the same phrase. If they do this is keyword cannibalisation. It quietly harms rankings.

Use tools like Google Keyword Planner. But also think about language differences. A term that works in the US may not work in the UK. Make sure your keywords match local speech. See Cleartwo digital marketing for help with keyword choices.

Match search intent
Use local British terms
Check page relevance
Remove keyword overlap
Focus on commercial phrases
Use long tail keywords
Fix content gaps

Review Backlinks And Off Page SEO

Links still matter. But not all links are good. Look at where your links come from. Ask if they are relevant and from trusted sites. Spam links can hurt your site.

Quality links matter more than quantity. Look for links from UK groups journals and partnerships. Google gives advice in its SEO Starter Guide.

Check Your Technical SEO

Many people stop here but this part is important. Technical SEO supports everything else. Check your site speed. Make sure your site loads fast on mobile. People leave slow sites.

Use HTTPS for safety. Check your structured data and schema. This helps search engines understand your pages. Good site code helps good content rise. See Cleartwo development to strengthen your site.

Look At Your Content Quality

Most people think their content is good but often it is not deep enough. Find thin pages with no real value. Remove blogs that do not help your user or service.

Google checks for Experience Expertise Authority Trust. Good content has a clear author real facts and helpful detail. High quality content also helps with AI and voice search.

Use Analytics For Real Insight

You need data to guide choices. Use GA4 and Search Console. Look at impressions clicks and click through rate. Rankings alone do not bring money.

Track conversions. If you do not track your conversions your SEO will only measure traffic not results. Cleartwo analytics tools help with this.

Check Your Competitors Calmly

Competitor checks help but do not follow them blindly. Note the keywords they rank for but you do not. Study their backlinks and content.

This helps you find gaps and chances for growth. It is not about copying. It is about doing better.

Build A Simple SEO Audit Report

A report is only useful if it leads to action. Start with the quick wins. Then medium fixes. Then long term improvements.

We use a simple colour system. Red for urgent. Amber for important. Green for nice to have. This helps you turn an SEO audit into a real plan.

Cleartwo delivers full SEO audits plus system support. From IT support to CRM to AI tools we make sure your business grows as one system. Everything connects.