How to Do Your Own Free SEO and Website Audit
When it comes to SEO audits, many marketing companies will charge you hundreds of dollars just to tell you how your website is performing. But what if I told you that you could do a comprehensive SEO audit yourself—completely free? While I offer SEO audits and consultations myself, using many of these tools, I also believe in transparency. My time and expertise come with a price, but the tools I use? They’re available for free, and you can start using them today to get a clear overview of your website’s performance and SEO rankings.
Here’s a breakdown of the free tools you can use to conduct your own SEO audit and how to get the most out of them.
1. Google PageSpeed Insights
One of the first things you need to check is how fast your website loads. Site speed is critical for both user experience and SEO rankings. Google PageSpeed Insights is a free tool that analyzes your website's speed on both desktop and mobile devices, giving you a score out of 100. The higher the score, the better.
How to Use It:
Simply enter your URL into the tool, and it will provide detailed information on how your site is performing.
You’ll get recommendations for improving load times, like image optimization, reducing server response time, or minifying CSS/JavaScript.
Why It Matters:Google takes page speed into account when ranking websites. A slow site can lead to higher bounce rates, which will negatively impact your SEO.
2. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
This is a desktop application that crawls your entire website just like a search engine would, giving you insights into your site’s structure, meta tags, links, and more. It’s a fantastic tool to use for a technical SEO audit.
How to Use It:
Download the free version of Screaming Frog SEO Spider (available for both Windows and Mac).
Enter your website URL, and the tool will crawl your site, flagging any errors or areas of improvement.
You can see broken links, missing meta descriptions, duplicate content, and even page titles that are too long or short.
Why It Matters: This tool helps you identify key technical issues that could be holding back your SEO. Fixing these can improve your crawlability and indexation by search engines like Google.
3. Moz Keyword Explorer & Link Explorer
Moz offers two fantastic free tools: Keyword Explorer and Link Explorer. Keyword Explorer helps you find relevant keywords for your website, while Link Explorer helps you evaluate your backlink profile.
How to Use It:
For Keyword Explorer, enter a keyword or URL, and it will show you search volume, difficulty, and click-through rates. This helps you prioritize the keywords that will give you the most SEO value.
For Link Explorer, enter your domain to see your backlink profile. It helps you understand who is linking to your website and the quality of those links.
Why It Matters: Backlinks and keywords are two of the most important ranking factors in SEO. Moz gives you insight into both, helping you fine-tune your content strategy and outreach efforts.
4. HubSpot Website Grader
HubSpot’s Website Grader is a free tool that gives you a quick snapshot of how well your website is performing. It evaluates four key areas: performance, mobile readiness, SEO, and security.
How to Use It:
Enter your URL, and HubSpot will grade your website from 0 to 100, providing recommendations for improvement in each category.
This tool is great for a high-level overview of your site’s performance and can help you prioritize your next steps.
Why It Matters:This tool is perfect for getting an overall health check on your website. It’s quick, easy to use, and helps you see if there are any glaring issues you need to fix.
5. Google Keyword Planner
While mainly designed for paid ads, Google Keyword Planner is still an excellent free tool for SEO keyword research. You can find relevant keywords, see search volumes, and get an idea of how competitive each keyword is.
How to Use It:
Sign in to Google Ads (it’s free), and navigate to Keyword Planner.
Enter a keyword or phrase related to your business, and you’ll get a list of suggested keywords along with their search volumes and competition levels.
Why It Matters: Keyword research is the backbone of SEO. By understanding what people are searching for, you can optimize your content to match the queries of potential customers.
6. Grid My Business
If you’re a local business, this tool is essential. Grid My Business allows you to see how well your Google My Business listing ranks across different locations within your service area. It’s incredibly helpful for local SEO, where proximity to the searcher matters a lot.
How to Use It:
Simply enter your Google My Business listing, and the tool will show you how visible your business is from different grid points.
This helps you understand where you need to improve your local SEO efforts, like getting more reviews or optimizing your GMB profile.
Why It Matters: Local SEO is huge for businesses serving a specific geographic area. Knowing where you stand in the local search results can help you fine-tune your strategy.
Conclusion: Start Your Free SEO Audit Today
While other marketing agencies might charge you hundreds of dollars for an SEO audit, you can use these free tools to get an in-depth look at your website’s performance. From site speed to backlinks to keyword research, these tools give you everything you need to start optimizing your site and improving your rankings.
I offer professional SEO audits and consultations that go beyond just using these tools—my expertise in interpreting the data and providing actionable insights is what makes the difference. But if you’re looking to get started on your own, these free resources are a great place to begin. Don’t let anyone convince you that an SEO audit has to break the bank. By using the same tools professionals rely on, you can take control of your website’s SEO without spending all the cash.
