SEO basics: a practical first website audit

Published 6 October 2026 · CANSEO editorial

Start with the pages people need, check that search engines can reach them, and measure what happens after a visit.

Start with a real visitor task

Choose one audience and write down three things they need to accomplish. For a school website, these might be checking the curriculum, understanding age criteria, and arranging a visit. For a local service business, they might be checking service coverage, comparing an offer, and making an enquiry. Each task should have an obvious destination in the navigation.

Open the homepage on a phone. Ask someone unfamiliar with the site to find those destinations without guidance. Record where they hesitate. A confusing menu is a practical problem even when every technical setting is correct.

Check one page from beginning to end

Give the page a descriptive title, one clear primary heading, and an opening paragraph that answers the visitor’s main question. Avoid repeating the same city or service phrase in every sentence. Link to related pages using words that explain their destination.

Inspect images too. Use descriptive alternative text when an image carries information. Decorative images can have empty alternative text. Compress large photographs and reserve their dimensions so the page does not jump while loading.

Make discovery straightforward

Pages should be connected by ordinary links. A sitemap helps identify URLs, but it does not replace navigation. Keep important content available in HTML and avoid requiring a login for public guidance. Check that the page returns a successful response and that no accidental noindex directive blocks it.

Choose a consistent URL for each page. If an old URL changes, redirect it to the closest relevant replacement instead of sending every deleted page to the homepage.

Keep an evidence log

Record the date, URL, issue, change, and expected outcome in a simple sheet. Measure meaningful actions alongside search visibility. More visits are useful only when the right people can complete the task. Compare periods carefully when school admissions, holidays, or seasonal demand affect traffic.

Work on a small set of important pages first. A clear admissions guide or service page often deserves attention before another broad introductory blog post.