Technical Site Audits

Technical SEO Audits
Kristine Schachinger | Twitter @schachin
Kristine@SitesWithoutWalls.com
Image Courtesy
Duane Forester’s Keynote
@schachin

Technical SEO is the Foundation for
the House that is your Website.
@schachin

And users..
Always users…
@schachin

What is Technical SEO?
@schachin

Technical SEO is About Best Practices…
• Servers
• Scripting/Code
• Speed..Speed… and well Speed
• Site Architecture
• Indexabilty
• Crawability
• Mobile
That are related to Google’s Algorithms
To name a few…
• Hummingbird
• Panda
• Penguin
• Pigeon
• Pirate
• Page Layout
@schachin

Technical SEO is about
Measuring the Site Foundation
Against Google’s Guidelines
& Their Algorithms
@schachin

So where do we start?
@schachin

Ask the client for a client history..
@schachin

Know the client
is almost always wrong
about that history…
or what is is wrong…
The client history
is for guidance,
not accuracy.
Remember
you are the detective.
@schachin

And they don’t always tell you the
FULL STORY...
@schachin

Remember
YOU
are the
detective!
@schachin

What processes are affecting the site?
• Internally
• Externally
• Third Party
Process of deductive reasoning!
@schachin

CHECKPOINT
Is there a Manual Action (penalty)?
@schachin

Manual Actions
If yes, is it…
• Partial?
• Or Full Site?
@schachin

What Manual Actions Are There?
@schachin

Manual Actions
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2604824?hl=en
@schachin

Algorithmic Devaluations
Technically, algorithm changes such as Panda or
Penguin are NOT penalties.
Unlike a manual action, you can gain OR lose with
Google algorithms.
@schachin

So how do we know,
if the site has an algorithm issue?
@schachin

Panguin Tool
@schachin

Just because it walks like
a duck & talks like a
duck…..
@schachin

This looks like a penalty
@schachin

Still looks like a penalty…
@schachin

When we check year over year
@schachin

It is not. That client has a
seasonal business.
Do not assume!
EVER.
It may walk like a duck
& talk like a duck…
and not be a duck.
@schachin

EVERY site audit starts with a crawl …
@schachin

Let’s check it out 
@schachin

So much you can do…
So Use this SERP for more 
https://www.google.com/search?q=screaming+frog+things&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
@schachin

So what are we looking at?
@schachin

The basics….
• Http vs Https
• Robots
• SiteMaps
• Canonicals
• Redirects & 404s
• Architecture
• Navigation
• Code
• Meta Tags
• Schema Tagging
• Google Analytics Tracking
@schachin

• Http vs Https
• DO they have mixed status?
• If they moved to https, did they change it everywhere?
• Did they redirect pages?
• Robots
• SiteMaps
• Canonicals
• Architecture
• Navigation
• Code
• Meta Tags
• Schema Tagging
Technical SEO Audits – The Basics
@schachin

• Http vs Https
• Robots.txt
• Do they have one?
• Is it written correctly? (test it)
• Are they using it when they should be using no-index?
• Robots.txt blocks the page crawl, but not the URL indexing
• Are they blocking CSS &/or JS?
• (can check this also in Search Console)
• SiteMaps
• Canonicals
• Architecture
• Navigation
• Code
• Meta Tags
• Schema Tagging
@schachin

• Http vs Https
• Robots.txt
• SiteMaps
• Do they have one?
• Is it written correctly? (test it)
• Check their sitemaps for
• Limits
• Types (video, image, page)
• Index Sitemaps (use them!)
• TIP Google does not use priority or date modifiers
• Canonicals
• Architecture
• Navigation
• Code
• Meta Tags
• Schema Tagging
@schachin

• Http vs Https
• Robots.txt
• SiteMaps
• Canonicals
• Do they have them?
• Are they written correctly?
• Do they follow the rules for writing canonicals?
• https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/139066?hl=en
• http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2013/04/5-common-mistakes-with
• Architecture
• Navigation
• Code
• Meta Tags
• Schema Tagging
@schachin

• Http vs Https
• Robots.txt
• SiteMaps
• Canonicals
• Are they using 302 or 301?
• Very important in new site launches
• TIP Google will convert (in their crawls) 302s to 301s after
about 6 months.
• TIP Google Search Console will only remove links for 3-6
months
• How many 404s? Are you bleeding links? Should they be 410?
• Architecture
• Navigation
• Code
• Meta Tags
• Schema Tagging
@schachin

• Http vs Https
• Robots.txt
• SiteMaps
• Canonicals
• Architecture
• Is the structure vertical or horizontal?
• TIP Google prefers wide and flat over deep and tall
• Are you giving Google a proper content outline?
• Think 10th
grade English Class
• Are you specific, certain and clear?
• Navigation
• Code
• Meta Tags
• Schema Tagging
@schachin

• Http vs Https
• Robots.txt
• SiteMaps
• Canonicals
• Architecture
• Navigation
• Are you using proper navigation?
• Are you constructing a contextual view of your site?
• Are you throwing in the kitchen sink?
• TIP Users can only process 5-8 piece of information at a time
• Code
• Meta Tags
• Schema Tagging
@schachin

• Http vs Https
• Robots.txt
• SiteMaps
• Canonicals
• Architecture
• Navigation
• Code
• Valid HTML is not a ranking factor, but the things that make up
valid HTML are ranking factors.
• TIPS Make sure your title tag is the first (after head), use
absolute not relative URLS, alt text in a link is the same as text,
use ul/li for navigation and keep your code light/clean.
• Meta Tags
• Schema Tagging
@schachin

• Http vs Https
• Robots.txt
• SiteMaps
• Canonicals
• Architecture
• Navigation
• Code
• Schema Tagging
• Just do it! Really. Microdata is Google preferred.
• TIP Any data point can be used in the KG without copyright
violation.
• Check Google Search Console for mark-up validity.
@schachin

• Http vs Https
• Robots.txt
• SiteMaps
• Canonicals
• Architecture
• Navigation
• Code
• Schema Tagging
• Make sure it is implemented correctly, especially UTM
parameters
@schachin

Speed….
You know fast….
Like really fast…
@schachin

Two Tests
WebpageTest.org
and of course
Google Pagespeed Insights
@schachin

@schachin http://www.webpagetest.org/

https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/?url=whitehouse.gov
You want an 85 min – 90+ is best
@schachin

They even give you everything to upload to your site
@schachin

@schachin
Resources
•Panguin
http://barracuda.digital/panguin-tool/
•WebPageTest.org
•Page Speed Insights (Google)
https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/
•Screaming Frog
http://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/user-guide/configuration/
•Deep Crawl
https://www.deepcrawl.com/
•Google Webmaster Guidelines
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35769?hl=en
•Google Search Console Help
https://support.google.com/webmasters/?hl=en#topic=3309469

Kristine Schachinger | Twitter @schachin
Kristine@SitesWithoutWalls.com
Image Courtesy
Duane Forester’s Keynote

Technical Site Audits

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