How to Conduct a Website Audit: Technical SEO, Speed, UX, and Conversion Checklist (Step-by-Step)

Introduction

A website audit tells you what’s blocking traffic, slowing pages, and stopping visitors from converting. In a single pass you can find indexing problems, performance bottlenecks, UX friction, and quick conversion wins—then prioritize fixes that move the needle.

This guide gives a practical, repeatable audit process for small business owners, founders, and marketers who want more leads from their site.

Quick audit process (repeatable)

Use this 9-step flow to run an audit without getting overwhelmed: 1. Define the goals (traffic, leads, revenue). 2. Gather data (Search Console, analytics, server logs). 3. Crawl the site for errors and duplicates. 4. Check indexability (robots, sitemap, canonicals). 5. Review on-page SEO (titles, H1s, content gaps). 6. Test performance (Core Web Vitals). 7. Evaluate UX and mobile usability. 8. Audit conversion points (CTAs, forms). 9. Prioritize fixes and create a 30/60/90 plan.

Start every audit by asking which KPI matters most—organic sessions, leads, or load time—and focus on pages that drive that KPI.

Tools to connect first

Before you dig in, make sure you have access to: - Google Search Console and GA4 - Server or hosting dashboard - A crawler (Screaming Frog or Sitebulb) - Lighthouse / PageSpeed Insights and WebPageTest - Accessibility tools (WAVE, axe)

These tools let you combine lab data with real user metrics so your recommendations are practical and measurable.

Technical SEO: what to check

Goal: make sure search engines can find and index the pages you want.

Key checks: - Run a full crawl to find 4xx/5xx, redirects, and duplicate pages. - Verify robots.txt and that XML sitemaps are declared and submitted. - Confirm canonical tags are correct and not causing chains. - Inspect Search Console for coverage and crawling errors. - Audit parameter and faceted navigation to protect crawl budget.

Fixing robots.txt or sitemap problems is often the fastest way to recover lost traffic.

On-page SEO & content

Goal: ensure each page matches user intent and can rank.

Look for: - Unique title tags and meta descriptions with target keywords. - One H1 per page and logical heading structure. - Content gaps—compare top competitors and add missing topic pages. - Internal linking to push authority to priority pages. - Structured data where it improves visibility (products, FAQs).

Even small changes—clean titles, better headings—can lift CTR and rankings quickly.

Performance & Core Web Vitals

Goal: improve loading, interactivity, and visual stability.

Focus on: - Measuring LCP, INP (formerly FID) and CLS with field and lab tools. - Optimizing images (WebP/AVIF, responsive srcset, lazy-load). - Deferring non-critical JavaScript and auditing third-party scripts. - Enabling caching, compression (Brotli/GZIP), and using a CDN.

Third-party tags are a common cause of slow pages—audit and remove what you don’t need.

UX & conversion checklist

Goal: reduce friction so visitors become customers.

Quick CRO checklist: - Clear primary CTA above the fold on landing pages. - Headlines, copy, and CTA aligned with visitor intent. - Simplify forms—fewer fields, smart defaults, progress indicators. - Add trust signals: HTTPS, reviews, visible contact info. - Use session recordings or heatmaps to spot friction (Hotjar, FullStory).

Plan simple A/B tests for your highest-traffic pages and measure real improvements.

Prioritization & 30/60/90 roadmap

Use a severity matrix to focus work: - P1 (critical): indexing blockers, site outages, major security issues. - P2 (high): poor Core Web Vitals on top pages, primary UX blockers. - P3 (medium): duplicate metadata, non-critical 4xxs. - P4 (low): minor content or schema tweaks.

30 days: fix P1 items (robots, sitemaps, critical errors) and stabilize top pages.
60 days: implement image optimization, caching/CDN, and on-page SEO for top 50 pages.
90 days: run A/B tests, roll out schema and monitor improvements.

Simple checklist to run now

• [ ] Crawl site and fix 4xx/5xx and redirect chains
• [ ] Verify robots.txt and submit sitemaps
• [ ] Measure Core Web Vitals and optimize images/JS
• [ ] Ensure clear CTA and simplified forms on landing pages
• [ ] Add or fix schema where it helps CTR

Want help?

If you prefer an expert audit and a prioritized 90-day plan, see our services and blog for examples and packages at https://prateeksha.com?utm_source=blogger and https://prateeksha.com/blog?utm_source=blogger. Read a detailed guide on running a site audit at https://prateeksha.com/blog/how-to-conduct-a-site-audit?utm_source=blogger.

Conclusion — next steps

Pick one high-traffic landing page, run a quick crawl, measure Core Web Vitals, and fix the top P1 issue you discover. Small targeted fixes on priority pages often deliver the biggest gains in traffic and leads.