Technical SEO audits
Four layers. Five themes. One synthesis you can act on.
A standalone audit that doesn’t hide behind a data dump. The product is the prioritisation: problem, opportunity, action, effort, written in language a non-SEO can follow.
The process
Four layers, then the synthesis.
01
Technical health
Full-site crawl. Canonical version, robots and sitemap, broken links and redirect chains, HTTPS, Core Web Vitals, mobile usability. Structured data presence and whether it validates. Every finding tagged by severity.
02
Content and on-page
Every meaningful page assessed for intent, targeting, substance relative to what ranks, and duplication. The pages that already get traffic are the assets to protect; the pages that get none are the candidates to improve, consolidate, or remove.
03
Authority and off-site
Backlink profile reviewed for volume, quality, and anything toxic. Brand presence: search volume, unlinked mentions, comparison to verified competitors.
04
Competitive and opportunity
The verified competitor set (who actually ranks, not who the client named). Where competitors rank that you don’t. Where you’re close to ranking and a push would pay off. Where the audit stops describing problems and starts describing opportunity.
Definition of done
What you actually receive.
- Executive summary you can read in five minutes.
- Three to five prioritised themes, ranked by impact against effort.
- Every technical finding tagged by severity and specific enough to act on.
- Content findings: the traffic-earning pages, the dead pages, the commercial coverage gaps.
- Backlink profile review with anything toxic flagged for disavow.
- The verified competitor set: not the one you named, the one that actually ranks.
- Written in language a non-SEO can follow. No jargon dump.
- Nothing in the audit promises specific rankings or traffic numbers.
Frequently asked.
What do I actually get?
A written audit document, structured as: executive summary, then three to five prioritised themes (each with problem, opportunity, action, and effort), then the detailed layer-by-layer findings as an appendix. The synthesis is the product. The layer findings are reference.
How long does it take?
Typically two to three weeks from kickoff to delivery, depending on site size and access. Larger sites or restricted access push it longer; we tell you the timeline before you commit.
Is this different from the free audit?
Yes. The free audit is automated: it pulls Core Web Vitals, structured data, key on-page signals, and AEO/GEO readiness checks. The paid audit is a human-run engagement that includes everything the free audit covers plus competitive analysis, content gap mapping, and the prioritised synthesis. Different tool for a different decision.
Can the audit lead to a retainer?
Often. Many of our retainer relationships start as a paid audit. It’s the cleanest way for both sides to see whether the engagement makes sense. The audit stands on its own as a deliverable either way; we don’t pressure the conversion.
What if my site is small?
Smaller sites still get the same four-layer treatment, often more quickly. The audit cost scales with site complexity, not with site importance.
Ready to know where you actually stand?
Start with the free audit for the technical scorecard, or talk to us about a full paid audit if you want the synthesis.