For many, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a big, scary undertaking that often leaves more questions than answers. It’s hard to know how to improve if you’re not exactly sure where to start. Below are three tips for a quick SEO audit that lets you know just how strong your SEO game is.

Before we start, do you have Google Analytics installed? That will come in handy right about now!

1. Site speed matters.

Search engines look at the load time of your site to evaluate where you are placed in its rankings. If you have a slower site, this creates a negative experience for users; therefore, Google is less likely to rank your site above competitors who have a faster site speed. Luckily, Google offers a free site speed inspection! I also recommend comparing these results with Pingdom, another free site speed analysis tool, which offers more in-depth recommendations.

We are all at the mercy of Google. If Google wants you to fix something, my recommendation is always to fix it.

2. What do your meta descriptions look like?

A meta description is the short snippet of text in search results that summarizes the website content. If you haven’t told Google and Bing what to use as this short description for your site, they will pull what they think users want to see based on their search. This is a HUGE opportunity to create a custom description for each page of your website and to include your core keywords. A meta description should be enticing, descriptive, and include a keyword if possible.

To see your website’s meta description, search your brand name in Google and see the description below your listing.

3. Check your organic traffic.

Ready to dive into Google Analytics? I promise it’s not so scary! Login to your account and head over to the left navigation bar. Click “Acquisition”, then “All Traffic”, and lastly, click “Channels”. Set your date range for the last 3 months.

Look at the row titled “Organic”. Organic traffic is derived from search engines like Google, Bing, etc. What percentage of your traffic is categorized as organic? Typically, your organic traffic is going to be higher quality, more engaged, and more likely to take action on your site. For that reason, the more organic traffic you can drive to your site, the better. As you implement an SEO strategy, the goal is to have this number increase month over month. For the purpose of this audit, check the quantity and quality (engagement metrics) of your organic traffic, and evaluate the pages that have an opportunity for more search engine visibility.

If you feel like you have fallen short in one or more of these categories, we have all been there and I’m here to help! Your SEO strategy is never going to be “done” and we all have to start somewhere. There is always more content to be optimized and the speed to be streamlined.

If you would like help in any of these areas or would like a more comprehensive SEO audit, please reach out. Happy auditing!