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SEO Audit Checklist – CrawlRaven 200-Point Audit (Free Google Sheets Template)

The most comprehensive SEO audit checklist available — covering technical SEO, on-page, link audits, local SEO, and ecommerce. Grab the free Google Sheets template or sign up to automate it.

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SEO Audit Checklist Overview

197+ checks · 6 categories · Click to preview

197+

Crawlability & Indexation

47 checks

+

Top checks

robots.txt configuration
XML sitemap validation
Canonical tag review
Core Web Vitals (LCP, CLS, INP)
HTTPS and security headers

On-Page SEO

38 checks

+

Top checks

Unique title tags (50–60 chars)
Unique meta descriptions (120–160 chars)
H1 with primary keyword
Image alt text coverage
Duplicate content detection

Link Audit

28 checks

+

Top checks

No broken internal links (4xx)
No orphan pages
Crawl depth under 3 clicks
Redirect chain cleanup
Anchor text diversity

Structured Data

25 checks

+

Top checks

JSON-LD syntax validation
BreadcrumbList on all pages
Article schema on blog posts
FAQPage schema on FAQ sections
Schema-content match verification

Local SEO

24 checks

+

Top checks

Google Business Profile complete
NAP consistency across citations
LocalBusiness schema
Location pages per service area
Review generation strategy

Ecommerce SEO

35 checks

+

Top checks

Unique product descriptions
Product schema (price, availability)
Faceted navigation handling
Out-of-stock page strategy
Category page content (150+ words)

Download the free Google Sheets template or let CrawlRaven automate every check.

The complete SEO audit checklist

197+ individual checks across 6 categories.

Crawlability & Indexation Checklist

47 checks
robots.txt is properly configured and not blocking important pages
XML sitemap is valid, submitted to GSC, and includes only indexable pages
All important pages are indexable (no accidental noindex tags)
No redirect chains longer than 2 hops
No redirect loops exist
HTTPS is implemented site-wide with no mixed content
Canonical tags point to the correct primary version on every page
HTTP URLs 301 redirect to HTTPS equivalents
Core Web Vitals pass on all key landing pages (LCP < 2.5s, CLS < 0.1, INP < 200ms)
Mobile-friendliness passes Google test on all templates
Security headers are implemented (HSTS, X-Content-Type-Options)
SSL certificate is valid and covers all subdomains
+ 35 more checks in the full template

On-Page SEO Checklist

38 checks
Every page has a unique title tag (50–60 characters)
Every page has a unique meta description (120–160 characters)
H1 tag exists on every page and contains primary keyword
Heading hierarchy is logical (H1 → H2 → H3, no skips)
Images have descriptive alt text with relevant keywords
Images are compressed (WebP/AVIF) and properly sized
Content matches the search intent for the target keyword
No duplicate content issues (85%+ similarity between pages)
Internal links use descriptive anchor text (not "click here")
Target keyword appears in first 100 words of content
No keyword cannibalization (one primary keyword per page)
Thin content pages identified (under 300 words of unique text)
+ 26 more checks in the full template

Structured Data Checklist

25 checks
JSON-LD structured data is valid on all pages (no syntax errors)
BreadcrumbList schema implemented on all pages
Organization schema on the homepage
Article/BlogPosting schema on blog posts
FAQPage schema on pages with FAQ sections
HowTo schema on step-by-step guides
Product schema with price and availability on product pages
No schema-content mismatches (data matches visible content)
+ 17 more checks in the full template

Local SEO Checklist

24 checks
Google Business Profile is fully completed and verified
NAP (name, address, phone) is consistent across all citations
LocalBusiness schema is implemented with correct data
Location pages exist for each service area
Reviews are being actively collected and responded to
Local keywords included in title tags and H1s
Google Maps embed on contact/location pages
+ 17 more checks in the full template

Ecommerce SEO Checklist

35 checks
Product pages have unique descriptions (300+ words)
Product schema includes price, availability, brand, and reviews
Faceted navigation uses noindex or canonicals to prevent crawl bloat
Breadcrumb schema is implemented on all product and category pages
Out-of-stock product pages are handled correctly (not 404'd)
Category pages include unique descriptive content (150+ words)
Pagination is implemented correctly (self-referencing canonicals)
Product variant URLs use canonical tags to the primary variant
+ 27 more checks in the full template

Get the SEO audit checklist

Grab the free Google Sheets template with all 197+ checks, or let CrawlRaven run the entire audit automatically and generate a prioritized report for you.

Google Sheets Template

197+ checks · 5 categories · Free

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Frequently asked questions

What is an SEO audit checklist?

An SEO audit checklist is a structured list of technical, on-page, and off-page factors to review when evaluating a website's SEO health. A comprehensive checklist covers 8 categories: crawlability and indexation, site architecture, on-page elements, Core Web Vitals, mobile usability, structured data, security, and content quality. The CrawlRaven 200-Point Audit covers 200+ individual checks across five categories.

How do you use an SEO audit checklist?

Work through each category in order: start with technical SEO (crawlability, indexation, HTTPS), then on-page (title tags, meta descriptions, headings, content), then links (internal and external), then local SEO (if applicable), then ecommerce (if applicable). For each item, check the current status, flag issues, and assign a priority and owner. The CrawlRaven tool automates this entire process.

What should an SEO audit checklist include?

A thorough SEO audit checklist should include: technical SEO checks (robots.txt, XML sitemap, HTTPS, canonical tags, redirect chains, Core Web Vitals, structured data), on-page checks (title tags, meta descriptions, H1 tags, content quality, duplicate content), link checks (broken internal links, external link quality, backlink profile), and platform-specific checks for local or ecommerce sites.

How often should you run an SEO audit?

Run a full SEO audit at least quarterly, or after any major site change — redesigns, CMS migrations, new feature launches, or significant content additions. High-traffic ecommerce sites should run audits monthly. Automated tools like CrawlRaven can run continuous monitoring so issues are flagged as soon as they appear, not weeks later.

What are the most critical SEO audit checks?

The most critical checks are crawl-blocking issues: broken robots.txt rules, accidental noindex tags on revenue pages, and server errors (5xx). Next are redirect chains and loops that waste crawl budget, followed by Core Web Vitals failures (LCP > 4s, CLS > 0.25, INP > 500ms) on key landing pages. These issues directly prevent pages from ranking.

Can I download this SEO audit checklist as a PDF or Excel file?

Yes. The free Google Sheets template can be downloaded as an Excel file (.xlsx) or PDF directly from Google Sheets using File → Download. The template includes all 200+ checks organized by category with columns for status, priority, and notes.

What is the difference between a technical SEO checklist and a full SEO checklist?

A technical SEO checklist focuses on infrastructure: crawlability, indexation, page speed, structured data, and security. A full SEO checklist adds on-page content quality, internal and external link auditing, local SEO factors, and ecommerce-specific checks. This checklist covers all five categories for a complete audit.

What tools do I need to complete this checklist?

At minimum, you need a site crawler (CrawlRaven, Screaming Frog, or Sitebulb), Google Search Console for indexation data, and PageSpeed Insights for Core Web Vitals. CrawlRaven automates the entire checklist — running all 200+ checks automatically and generating a prioritized fix list in under 10 minutes.

How long does it take to complete a full SEO audit checklist?

Manually working through all 200+ checks takes 4–10 hours depending on site size and your SEO experience. Automated tools like CrawlRaven complete the technical checks in under 10 minutes for a 1,000-page site, though reviewing findings and creating an action plan adds 1–3 hours.

Is this checklist suitable for WordPress, Shopify, or other CMS platforms?

Yes. The core technical and on-page checks apply to all platforms. The ecommerce section is particularly relevant for Shopify and WooCommerce sites. For platform-specific guidance, see our WordPress SEO audit guide and Shopify SEO audit guide, which cover CMS-specific issues like plugin conflicts, theme SEO, and platform URL limitations.

Related guides

How to Perform a Technical SEO Audit

The complete 8-step process for running every check on this list.

SEO Audit Report Template

How to present your checklist findings to clients and stakeholders.

How Much Does an SEO Audit Cost?

Pricing breakdown for DIY tools, freelancers, and agencies.

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