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 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

Link Audit Checklist

28 checks

• No broken internal links (4xx errors)
• No broken external links on key pages
• No nofollow on important internal links
• Important pages are within 3 clicks of the homepage
• No orphan pages (pages with zero inbound internal links)
• Anchor text diversity in backlink profile
• No toxic or spammy backlinks pointing to the site
• Important pages have sufficient internal links (3+ inbound)
• Outbound links are relevant, authoritative, and open in new tab

+ 19 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

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.