WEBSITE AUDIT & SEO REVIEW | DESIGN SEO WEBSITES

WEBSITE AUDIT & SEO REVIEW

AUDIT FIRST. UNDERSTAND THE WEBSITE. THEN DECIDE WHAT TO CHANGE

Before I recommend changing or rebuilding an existing website, I believe it is important to understand what is already there.

A website that has been online for years may already have valuable pages, search visibility, links and other SEO signals that shouldn’t simply be removed.

That’s why I carry out a detailed website audit before deciding what needs to change.

I DON’T JUST LOOK AT WHAT’S WRONG — I LOOK AT WHAT’S ALREADY WORKING.

WHY AUDIT A WEBSITE BEFORE REBUILDING IT?

Rebuilding a website can involve much more than changing its appearance.

Changing page URLs, deleting pages, altering navigation or replacing existing content can affect how search engines understand and index a website.

An audit helps identify what should be:

• Kept
• Improved
• Rewritten
• Reorganised
• Redirected
• Removed
• Rebuilt

The aim is to make informed decisions before making major changes.

WHAT I CHECK DURING A WEBSITE AUDIT

Every website is different, so the exact audit depends on the size, age and purpose of the website.

I can review areas including:

• Website structure
• Page hierarchy
• Page titles
• H1, H2 and H3 headings
• Meta titles
• Meta descriptions
• Internal links
• External links
• Broken links
• Redirects
• Existing URLs
• Indexing
• Search visibility
• Website content
• Duplicate content
• Thin or weak pages
• Images
• Image optimisation
• Mobile usability
• Page performance
• Technical SEO
• Local SEO
• GEO
• AEO
• Calls to action
• Navigation
• User experience

The purpose isn’t simply to produce a long list of problems.

It’s to understand how everything fits together.

CHECKING YOUR EXISTING URLS

One of the most important parts of an existing website audit is understanding its current URLs.

A website may have pages that have been online for years and may already have:

• Search visibility
• External links
• Internal links
• Traffic
• Search engine history
• Local relevance
• Valuable content

Deleting or changing these URLs without understanding their history can create unnecessary problems.

Where appropriate, I can identify which URLs should remain, which could be improved and which may need properly planned redirects.

CHECKING LINKS

Links are another important part of the audit.

I can check internal links and external links to identify issues such as:

• Broken links
• Incorrect links
• Missing internal links
• Poor navigation paths
• Links pointing to old URLs
• Redirect chains
• Pages that aren’t properly connected

Internal linking is particularly important because it helps people and search engines move around your website.

CHECKING YOUR SEO

An existing website may already have some good SEO work in place — even if the website itself looks old.

The audit can look at how your pages are currently targeting:

• Services
• Products
• Locations
• Search terms
• Questions
• Topics
• Business information

I’ll look at whether your important pages clearly communicate what your business does and who you serve.

CHECKING LOCAL SEO

If your business serves a particular geographical area, the audit can also consider your local search presence.

This can include looking at how clearly your website communicates:

• Where you are based
• Where you operate
• What services you provide
• Which locations you serve
• Which services are available in those locations

This is particularly important for businesses that rely on customers finding them locally.

CHECKING GEO & AEO

Search is no longer just about traditional search results.

People are increasingly using AI-powered search and answer systems to find information.

A website therefore needs to make its information clear and understandable.

During an audit, I can look at whether your website clearly explains:

WHO YOU ARE

WHAT YOU DO

WHERE YOU OPERATE

WHO YOU HELP

WHAT SERVICES YOU PROVIDE

WHY PEOPLE SHOULD CONSIDER YOUR BUSINESS

This can help create a stronger foundation for SEO, GEO and AEO.

CHECKING YOUR WEBSITE CONTENT

A website can have lots of content and still fail to clearly communicate what a business does.

I’ll look at whether your content:

• Clearly explains your services
• Answers customer questions
• Targets useful search topics
• Demonstrates experience
• Supports your important pages
• Is easy to understand
• Provides useful information
• Gives visitors a reason to contact you

Sometimes the answer isn’t to create more content.

Sometimes the existing content simply needs to be improved.

CHECKING YOUR WEBSITE STRUCTURE

A good website should make sense to both people and search engines.

I’ll look at the relationship between:

HOME

↓

MAIN SERVICES

↓

INDIVIDUAL SERVICES

↓

SUPPORTING CONTENT

↓

LOCATION / TOPICAL CONTENT

The exact structure will depend on the business.

The important thing is that visitors can find what they need and search engines can understand how the pages relate to each other.

CHECKING WHAT SHOULD STAY

This is one of the most important parts of my approach.

When I look at an existing website, I don’t automatically assume everything needs replacing.

There may be pages that are already performing well.

There may be URLs that have built up value over time.

There may be content that is worth keeping.

There may be links that shouldn’t be lost.

There may even be parts of the existing website that are better than the client realises.

IF IT’S WORKING, WE DON’T CHANGE IT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF CHANGING IT.

CHECKING WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE

Once the existing website has been understood, I can identify areas that could be improved.

This might include:

• Poor page structure
• Outdated content
• Missing service pages
• Weak navigation
• Poor internal linking
• Duplicate pages
• Broken links
• Old URLs
• Weak SEO
• Poor local targeting
• Missing metadata
• Poor calls to action
• Technical problems
• Outdated design
• Content that no longer represents the business

The result is a much clearer picture of what actually needs to be done.

WEBSITE AUDIT BEFORE A WEBSITE REDESIGN

If you’re considering replacing an existing website, an audit can be particularly valuable.

Before rebuilding, I can help establish:

WHAT YOU HAVE

WHAT IS WORKING

WHAT ISN’T WORKING

WHAT SHOULD BE KEPT

WHAT SHOULD BE IMPROVED

WHAT SHOULD BE REBUILT

WHAT SHOULD BE REDIRECTED

This provides a much stronger starting point for the new website.

WEBSITE AUDIT BEFORE A NEW SEO STRATEGY

You don’t necessarily need a completely new website to improve your online visibility.

Sometimes the existing website has a good foundation but needs better SEO, content, structure or local targeting.

An audit can help determine whether your website needs:

• SEO improvements
• Content improvements
• Structural changes
• Technical improvements
• New pages
• Better internal linking
• Local SEO
• GEO & AEO
• A complete redesign

The audit comes first.

The recommendations come afterwards.

WEBSITE AUDIT REPORTS

The exact information provided will depend on the website and the level of audit required.

The purpose is to give you a clear understanding of the website rather than overwhelm you with technical terminology.

I’ll explain the important findings in straightforward language and identify the areas that could make the biggest difference.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE AUDIT?

Once the website has been reviewed, we can decide what happens next.

That could mean:

KEEP THE EXISTING WEBSITE

If the foundations are good, there may be no need for a complete rebuild.

IMPROVE THE EXISTING WEBSITE

Some websites simply need better structure, content, SEO or technical improvements.

PARTIALLY REBUILD THE WEBSITE

Some pages or sections may need replacing while valuable existing content and URLs are retained.

BUILD A COMPLETELY NEW WEBSITE

If the existing website is holding the business back, a new website may be the right solution.

The important thing is that the decision is based on what the audit finds.

SEO, GEO & AEO FROM THE START

If a new website is required, the audit provides the information needed to build it properly.

Rather than designing a website first and trying to add SEO afterwards, I build the new structure around:

WEBSITE DESIGN

SEO

LOCAL SEO

GEO

AEO

CONTENT

USER EXPERIENCE

These elements can then work together from the beginning.

A WEBSITE AUDIT BUILT AROUND YOUR BUSINESS

There isn’t one checklist that works perfectly for every business.

A local tradesperson, an online shop, a professional service company and a national business can all have completely different requirements.

That’s why I look at the website in the context of the actual business.

I want to understand:

• What the business does
• Who it wants to reach
• Where it operates
• Which services matter most
• How customers currently find it
• What the existing website is achieving
• Where opportunities exist

Only then can I make meaningful recommendations.

READY TO FIND OUT WHAT YOUR WEBSITE REALLY NEEDS?

If you’re thinking about changing your existing website, don’t automatically start again from scratch.

Let me look at what you already have first.

A proper website audit can help identify what is working, what isn’t, what should be protected and where there are opportunities to improve.

AUDIT FIRST. UNDERSTAND THE WEBSITE. THEN DECIDE WHAT TO CHANGE.

Get in touch to discuss your existing website and what you’re hoping to achieve.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. WHAT IS A WEBSITE AUDIT?

A website audit is a detailed review of a website to identify its strengths, weaknesses, technical issues, SEO opportunities, content issues, links, structure and other areas that may affect its performance.

2. WHY SHOULD I AUDIT MY WEBSITE BEFORE REBUILDING IT?

An audit helps identify valuable existing pages, URLs, links and content before anything is removed or changed. This can help avoid losing useful SEO value during a rebuild.

3. DO YOU CHECK BROKEN LINKS?

Yes. Checking links is an important part of reviewing an existing website. This can include internal links, external links and links pointing towards old or unavailable pages.

4. DO YOU CHECK MY EXISTING URLS?

Yes. Existing URLs can be reviewed to determine which should potentially be retained, improved, redirected or removed as part of a future website strategy.

5. CAN YOU CHECK MY WEBSITE’S SEO?

Yes. I can review areas such as page structure, headings, metadata, content, internal linking, search targeting and other SEO factors.

6. DO YOU CHECK LOCAL SEO?

Yes. If your business serves specific locations, I can review how clearly your website communicates your service areas and how your local SEO fits into the wider website strategy.

7. DO YOU CHECK GEO AND AEO?

Yes. I can review how clearly your website communicates information that can help search engines and AI-powered search systems understand your business, services, locations and expertise.

8. DO I ALWAYS NEED A NEW WEBSITE?

No. An audit may show that your existing website has a good foundation and could be improved rather than completely replaced.

9. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT SHOULD BE KEPT?

Yes. One of the purposes of an audit is to identify existing content, URLs, links and pages that may still have value.

10. CAN YOU CHECK MY WEBSITE BEFORE AN SEO CAMPAIGN?

Yes. Auditing the existing website can provide a useful starting point before deciding which SEO improvements should be prioritised.

11. WILL YOU EXPLAIN THE PROBLEMS IN PLAIN ENGLISH?

Yes. I believe you should understand what is being recommended and why. Technical information can be explained without unnecessary jargon.

12. HOW DO I GET MY WEBSITE AUDITED?

Get in touch and tell me about your website and what you’re hoping to achieve. I can then discuss what needs to be reviewed and whether an audit is the right starting point.

DESIGN SEO WEBSITES

SEO • GEO • AEO • WEBSITE AUDIT