SEO Audit Checklist That Actually Finds Ranking Problems

Most SEO audits produce noise. This page focuses on the checks that actually unlock rankings: indexing clarity, intent match, structure, internal authority, and execution.

Get the $29 Action Plan Hire Webmaster Eric Book SEO Time ($125/hr)

Human-built • Static-first • No SaaS fluff • Built for rankings + conversions

Why most SEO audits fail

Tools surface hundreds of “issues” but rarely tell you what to fix first. Rankings are lost due to prioritization mistakes and unclear intent — not missing checkboxes.

Fix priority ladder

High impact: Indexing, intent mismatch, page structure, conversion path
Medium impact: Internal linking, topical support pages, trust signals
Low impact: Cosmetic tweaks

The checklist

Intent: Does the page match what the searcher expects?
Structure: Can a human understand the page in 10 seconds?
Indexing clarity: Clean canonicals, stable URLs, no accidental blocking
Internal authority: Do related pages support this topic?
Trust: Is it obvious who wrote it and why it’s credible?
Conversion: Is there a clear next step that makes sense?

Next step

If you want the fastest path, start with the $29 Action Plan and I’ll tell you exactly what to fix first. If you want it handled end-to-end, book SEO time and I’ll implement the fixes.

Written by Webmaster Eric

Hands-on SEO practitioner. No outsourcing and no theory-only audits. SEOInspectorAI exists to expose what actually blocks rankings and conversions.