Go Beyond a Quick SEO Check: Build a Holistic SEO Audit Strategy
Running a free SEO check is the first step. It’s a fast way to spot obvious issues.
But if you want consistent traffic, higher rankings, and stronger visibility — both in traditional search engines like Google and in emerging AI-driven platforms like Google AI Mode and ChatGPT — you need a complete SEO audit strategy.
A full website audit looks at every angle: technical SEO, content quality, site structure, backlinks, and now AI Search Optimization (how large language models understand and surface your brand).
Here’s what to focus on:
1. Nail the Basics of Traditional SEO
Search engines still rely on core ranking factors:
- Crawlability & indexability – Make sure Google can find and index your most important pages.
- On-page SEO – Optimized titles, meta descriptions, and headings that clearly communicate your topic.
- Content depth & relevance – Pages that fully answer the searcher’s intent.
- Backlink profile – Links from relevant, authoritative sources that signal trust.
Quick win: Run a full site crawl to flag missing metadata, broken links, or slow page speed, then fix them right away.
2. Improve the User Experience on Your Website
Great rankings mean nothing if visitors leave without engaging.
- Mobile-first design – With most traffic now on mobile, test your site across devices.
- Navigation & site structure – Keep menus simple and logical.
- Page speed – A fast site keeps users (and Google) happy.
- Calls to action – Make it easy for visitors to take the next step.
Quick win: Make sure your internal links have descriptive anchor text.
3. Optimize for New AI Search Platforms
Search has evolved beyond the traditional “10 blue links.” Platforms like Google AI Mode, Bing Copilot, and ChatGPT are surfacing answers directly inside AI-generated responses.
That means your content strategy should also:
- Target entity-based optimization – Make sure your brand, products, and expertise are clearly defined across the web.
- Earn trusted citations – Build authoritative content that AI models will reference.
- Cover related questions and context – AI often pulls from multiple pages to answer complex prompts.
- Leverage structured data – Use schema markup to make your information machine-readable.
Quick win: Review your most important pages to ensure they include complete, factually accurate information about your brand that could be cited in AI-generated results.
4. Build a Continuous Improvement Loop
SEO isn’t one-and-done. Both Google’s algorithm and AI models update regularly.
Set a schedule to:
- Run technical audits monthly
- Refresh high-traffic content quarterly
- Monitor your brands visibility in AI platforms
- Track rankings, traffic, and engagement trends
Quick win: Track your brands visibility in Semrush’s AI SEO Toolkit to get a list of AI-generated strategy priorities.
