How to Make a Technical SEO Audit that Bridges The Gap with Developers

By Gabrio Linari, Last Updated on 18 August 2023

In the realm of search engine optimization, the term “technical SEO audit” often comes surrounded by apprehension. Many, especially those who aren’t as versed in SEO, may wonder, “What is that??” and “Why should you ask for such an audit?” At its core, a technical audit delves deep into the behind-the-scenes of your website, ensuring that web developers have constructed the site in a way that search engines can easily understand and rank.

But not all tech SEO audit services are created equal. While some might think that working with web developers is all about having a checklist and ticking off boxes, the reality is far different and more nuanced. It’s not just about knowing how to conduct a technical SEO site audit; it’s about understanding the why behind every recommendation.

There’s a growing misconception in the industry. Many (even SEO agencies that will remain nameless) believe that a simple Screaming Frog output, or a SEO checklist, transposed onto an Excel spreadsheet, constitutes a complete deliverable and will change the world. This is far from the truth. How to do it then? It’s about diving deep, understanding the intricacies, and ensuring every aspect aligns with best practices for optimal search engine performance and user experience.

In my role as a Director of SEO and Global SEO Consultant, I’ve come across countless instances where SEOs, when tasked with a SEO technical audit, merely scratch the surface. However, I firmly believe that to truly provide an effective technical SEO audit service, one must move beyond the surface. It’s about understanding not only what the issue is but also comprehending why it’s happening, the impact it has on SEO and business, and, crucially, how to fix it.

Today we’ll journey together on how to answer these questions: “What is the issue?”, “Why is it happening”, “Impact for SEO/Business” and “How to fix it”.

1. Moving Beyond Superficial Insights in a Technical SEO Audit: What is the Issue?

In the early stages of a technical SEO audit, it’s crucial to establish a clear picture of the current state of a website. This isn’t just about recognizing problems; it’s about understanding their breadth, depth, and the context in which they exist. Properly answering the question, “What is the issue?” involves meticulous data gathering and analysis.

a. Gathering Comprehensive Data:

• Crawling Tools: These tools are foundational for an SEO technical audit. While tools like Screaming Frog are essential for getting a snapshot of the website’s structure, it’s vital not to rely solely on automated outputs. The real value comes from the analysis of this data, understanding anomalies, and spotting patterns.
• Google Toolset: Tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics provide invaluable insights from the perspective of the world’s leading search engine. They can highlight errors or warnings that might be impacting search visibility and user experience.
• Technical SEO Checklists: An encompassing checklist ensures that no stone is left unturned. From meta data to schema markup, from canonical tags to redirects, every aspect needs a review.
• External Tools: Engaging with various third-party tools can offer unique insights that might be overlooked by more conventional methods. These tools can provide data about backlinks, website speed, mobile-friendliness, and more.

b. Analyzing the Data:

Once the data is gathered, the next step is understanding its implications:

• Recurrence: How frequently does an issue appear? Is it a one-off anomaly, or is it a persistent problem that could signify a larger underlying issue?
• Accessibility: Can search engine bots easily access all parts of your website? If not, what’s preventing them?
• Affected Pages: It’s not just about knowing there’s a problem but understanding its extent. Which pages are affected? Is it a site-wide issue or limited to specific sections?
• SEO Impact: How severely does this issue impact organic rankings and visibility? Is it a critical error that could lead to a penalty, or is it a minor oversight?
• Financial Ramifications (€ Impact): In the world of business, everything boils down to the bottom line. What potential revenue loss might result from these technical issues? Understanding this can help prioritize fixes.

2. Unraveling the Root Causes with a Technical SEO Audit: Why Is It Happening?

Every technical glitch, anomaly, or issue arises from a specific cause. In the context of an SEO technical audit, simply identifying issues without understanding their root causes is a recipe for superficial fixes that don’t address the heart of the problem. Addressing the ‘why’ is crucial for long-term website health and ensuring seamless collaborations with website developers.

a. CMS Setting Oversights:

Modern Content Management Systems (CMS) offer ease of use, but they’re not foolproof. Incorrect configurations or outdated modules can lead to unexpected SEO issues. For instance:

• Misconfigured SEO plugins can generate duplicate content.
• Overlooked privacy settings might inadvertently block search engine crawlers.

Understanding and rectifying these in the CMS can swiftly resolve a multitude of issues.

b. Server Functionality:

The server is the backbone of any website. Issues here can have widespread repercussions:

• Slow server response times can hamper site speed, a crucial SEO factor.
• Improper server configurations can lead to frequent site downtimes, affecting both user experience and SEO.

c. Gaps in Communication:

Working with web developers is pivotal for SEO success. However, communication gaps can lead to misalignments:

• Perhaps SEO recommendations weren’t clearly communicated or understood.
• Maybe website developers prioritized other functionalities over SEO best practices, inadvertently introducing issues.

Ensuring clear, two-way communication is pivotal to bridge these gaps.

d. Deviation from Web Development Best Practices:

Every industry has its set of best practices, and web development is no different. Common missteps include:

• Incorrectly implemented JavaScript that hinders crawlers.
• Over-reliance on heavy media files, slowing down page load times.

Identifying deviations from these practices can spotlight areas of improvement.

e. Additional Considerations:

• Recurrence: Is there a pattern to the issue? If it’s recurring, it might signal a systemic problem that needs a holistic solution.
• Page Type: Different pages have different purposes and structures. Is the issue prevalent on a specific page type like product pages, blogs, or landing pages? This can guide targeted fixes.
• File Dependencies: Sometimes, issues arise due to interlinked files. Perhaps a CSS file affecting layout isn’t loading correctly, or a script essential for functionality is broken. Understanding these dependencies can lead to more efficient solutions.

3. The Ripple Effect: Impact on SEO and Business Performance

In the world of digital business, even minor technical glitches can ripple outward, impacting user experience, search rankings, and ultimately, the bottom line. A comprehensive technical SEO audit doesn’t just spotlight these issues; it gauges their potential impact on both SEO and broader business performance.

a. Key Metrics of SEO:

SEO is multifaceted, and different issues can impact various key performance indicators (KPIs):

• Organic traffic fluctuations can be tied to indexation problems.
• Declines in keyword rankings can be attributed to poor on-page optimization or technical setbacks.
• Increase in bounce rate might indicate site usability or speed issues.

Understanding the relation between issues and these KPIs helps quantify their SEO impact.

b. Crawlability and Indexability:

The foundation of SEO lies in ensuring that search engines can crawl and index content effectively:

• Issues like robots.txt misconfigurations or incorrect noindex tags can block vital content from search engines.
• Server errors can prevent search engine bots from accessing and crawling the site.

c. Search Visibility:

Your online presence’s strength is directly tied to how visible your pages are in search results:

• Technical issues like canonical misconfigurations or improper hreflang tags can dilute page authority and impact international visibility.
• Mobile-unfriendliness can lead to decreased visibility in mobile search results.

d. Usability and Conversion:

Beyond visibility, it’s about engagement:

• Slow-loading pages can deter potential customers, impacting conversion rates.
• Broken links or improper redirects can hamper user navigation, leading to lost sales opportunities.

e. Speed, Traffic, and Revenue:

• Page speed is both an SEO and user experience factor. Slow pages can lead to lower rankings and frustrated users.
• Declines in organic traffic due to technical issues can directly translate to lost revenue, especially for e-commerce platforms or sites that monetize via ads.

f. T-shirt Size Recommendations:

A holistic SEO audit should help prioritize fixes. Using a T-shirt size model (XS, S, M, L, XL) can be an effective way to communicate the scale and urgency of issues:

• XS: Minor issues, little to no immediate SEO/business impact but should be fixed for best practices.
• S: Moderate concerns, some SEO impact.
• M: Important issues with notable SEO or user experience implications.
• L: Significant problems that can have direct revenue consequences if not addressed.
• XL: Critical issues that demand immediate attention; they can lead to substantial organic visibility losses and major user experience setbacks.

4. Bridging the Gap with a Technical SEO Audit: How To Fix It?

In the vast and intricate world of technical SEO, recognizing problems is only the beginning. Implementing solutions stands as the primary objective. Effective resolution demands sharp communication, developer-centric strategies, and direct, actionable steps.

a. Make It Happen, Today:

Every moment counts in the digital sphere. Delays can lead to dwindling revenues, a tarnished brand reputation, and a slide in search visibility. Therefore, every solution must be both immediate and effective.

b. Tuned for Developers:

When it comes to technical SEO fixes, website developers are at the frontline. Proper communication is key, and this means crafting detailed and clear recommendations, especially when using platforms like Jira.

• Crafting Effective Jira Tickets: An efficient way to communicate issues and recommendations to developers is by creating well-detailed Jira tickets. When writing a ticket, adopt a user-centric perspective:
  • Title: Clearly describe the issue. For example: “Site’s product gallery images not optimized.”
  • Description: Begin with a user story to give context. “As a user of the site, I expect images to load quickly to smoothly navigate the product gallery. However, current images are large and unoptimized, leading to slow load times.”
  • Steps to Reproduce: List down the exact steps a developer needs to follow to encounter the issue.
  • Expected vs. Actual Result: Describe what the expected outcome should be versus what’s currently happening.
  • Recommendations: Provide a step-by-step solution or a clear directive. Instead of saying, “Improve site speed,” specify, “Optimize images in the product gallery using XYZ method or tool.”
  • Attachments: If possible, attach screenshots, annotated images, or even videos showcasing the issue for better clarity.
• Contextual Explanation: Alongside the technical details, it’s vital to explain the ‘why’ behind the recommendation. Help developers understand the SEO and user-experience implications of the issue. For instance: “Optimizing these images can improve page load times, enhancing user experience and positively impacting our SEO rankings.”
• Priority and Severity: Within the Jira ticket, clearly indicate the urgency of the issue, whether it’s a critical bug or a minor enhancement. This helps developers prioritize their tasks.

c. Actionable Recommendations:

Serve up clear, feasible steps:

• Break even intricate solutions into bite-sized, easily digestible tasks.
• Foresee potential hurdles and pre-emptively provide solutions or alternatives.

d. Reference Sources:

Corroborate your solutions with trusted sources:

• Link to authoritative SEO studies, guides, or showcase fitting code snippets, offering developers a head start or reference point.

e. Tailored to the CMS:

Every CMS presents unique challenges and advantages:

• For WordPress-driven sites, advocate specific plugins or theme modifications.
• On platforms like Shopify or Magento, guide on tweaking built-in SEO functionalities or appending extensions.

f. Visuals/Videos for Extra Clarity:

Visual aids amplify comprehension:

• Lean on infographics, annotated screenshots, or flowcharts to provide a clearer image of the problem and solution.
• Video walkthroughs or tutorials are immensely beneficial for complex fixes, granting developers a step-by-step visual guide.

5. Seamless Slacks with Web Developers: Navigating Implementation Together

So, you’ve polished up an absolute gem of a technical SEO audit (and you covered Why/What/Where/How), and now it’s showtime – time to roll up those sleeves and work hand-in-hand with the web developers to make those fantastic improvements a reality. But hey, this isn’t just about diving into code; it’s about weaving a bridge between the creative SEO world and the magical realm of development.

Bridging the Personality Tapestry:

Alright, we get it, web devs might not always be the loudest ones in the room. They’re more like the wizards behind the curtain, weaving spells of code. While I might be chattering away about metadata, algorithms, and rankings, developers are busy crafting digital spells with their keyboard wands.

Unveiling the Communication Enchantment:

1. Speaking in Code: Not the binary type, but the language developers understand best. Translate SEO speak into their dialect. Trust me, it’s like unlocking a secret door to their realm.
2. Showcasing the “Why”: Remember those juicy insights we unearthed during the audit? Share the backstory. When developers see the bigger picture, they become the co-authors of your SEO story (and perhaps your best friends too).
3. Collaboration Potion: Mix their technical brilliance with your SEO expertise. Brew a potion of collaboration, where everyone’s voice counts, and solutions take shape through collective wisdom.
4. Feedback Spells: Think of feedback as a magical spell that needs the right incantation. Keep it clear and structured, just like you’d cast a spell with precise movements.
5. Chat Chronicles: Don’t be a stranger. Regular check-ins, whether they’re casual chats over a digital cup of coffee or scheduled huddles, keep everyone in the loop.
6. Cheer for Victories: When something clicks into place – when your SEO wisdom combines with their coding craft – raise a virtual toast. Celebrate these wins; they’re the building blocks of camaraderie.

Beyond Pixels and Pixels:

In the midst of all these discussions and code collaborations, something remarkable happens. Relationships blossom. Sure, the developer might be a keyboard sorcerer, and you’re the SEO bard with words, but together, we’re more than the sum of our professional parts.

Ultimately, the journey from SEO insights to real-world implementation thrives on genuine conversations and partnerships with the enchanting web developers. So, let’s weave a bit of magic into our discussions and co-create something truly extraordinary.

In Conclusion….

Technical SEO Audits are more than just an inventory of errors; they’re the first step toward enhancing a website’s visibility in the digital realm. Guiding these insights into actionable changes involves a synergy of communication and collaboration with website developers, where SEO expertise meets the realm of coding.

Engage in the Dialogue: If your company faces constraints on time or seeks a swift route to empowering your web developers with SEO know-how, I extend my mouse ehm my hand to guide you. Ensure your website gains the competitive edge it deserves. Reach out now and re-ignite your SEO journey.