Your Complete SEO Audit Checklist for WordPress Sites

You need a proven seo audit checklist. Your WordPress site is packed with value, but without a thorough audit, you’re leaking traffic, leads, and revenue.

In this guide, you’ll get a step-by-step checklist tailored for WordPress. It covers crawlability, site architecture, technical seo, on-page elements, and performance metrics.

You’ll also learn how to optimize meta descriptions for click-through rates — a small tweak that can deliver big traffic gains.

Ready to get started?

Check crawlability

Search engines can’t rank what they can’t see. Here’s why crawlability matters.

Inspect robots.txt

• Visit yourdomain.com/robots.txt. Confirm essential pages aren’t blocked.
• Fix any disallow rules that hide product or service pages.

Verify XML sitemap

• Use a WordPress SEO plugin to generate an XML sitemap.
• Submit it in Google Search Console.
• Run site:yourdomain.com to see which pages are indexed.

Evaluate site architecture

Your site structure guides both users and search bots.

Audit URL structure

• Switch permalinks to /%postname%/ for clean, descriptive URLs.
• Remove unnecessary parameters and dates.

Analyze navigation depth

• Ensure key pages are reachable within three clicks from the homepage.
• Aim for a 3–4 click depth for all content (Halo Lab).

Audit technical SEO

Your technical foundation keeps your site visible and secure.

Ensure HTTPS security

• Install an SSL certificate sitewide.
• Fix mixed-content warnings. Sites without HTTPS show a “Not Secure” alert in Chrome (seoClarity).

Fix broken links

You need the right seo tools to spot dead ends.

Tool	Pricing	Best for
SEOptimer	From $29/month	SMB auditing
Morningscore	From $49/month	Gamified beginner audits
Screaming Frog	Free up to 500 URLs	Deep crawl analysis

Source: Zapier

Optimize page speed

• Run Google PageSpeed Insights. Aim for a mid-80s score or higher (Semrush).
• Leverage caching plugins and a CDN.
• Compress images and minify CSS/JS.

Optimize on-page elements

This is core on-page seo. Small tweaks yield big wins.

Optimize meta titles

• Keep titles under 60 characters.
• Front-load primary keywords.
• Include your brand at the end.

Optimize meta descriptions

Meta descriptions power click-throughs. Let’s break it down:

Write compelling calls to action

• Use action verbs: Discover, Learn, Boost.
• Address user needs: “Get your free guide now.”

Keep length in check

• Stick to 120–160 characters to avoid truncation (Halo Lab).

Include focus keywords

• Mirror search intent.
• Tie back to your keyword research.

Check header tags

• Use one H1 per page.
• Structure H2 and H3 tags logically.
• Include variations of your target keyword.

Optimize images

• Add descriptive alt text.
• Compress images to under 100 KB.
• Use responsive srcset attributes.

Review content quality

Content drives rankings and conversions.

Identify thin content

• Flag pages under 300 words.
• Merge or expand shallow articles.

Align with user intent

• Match your content to search queries.
• Audit topics against your seo content strategy.

Improve readability

• Break long paragraphs into 2–3 sentences.
• Use bullet lists and subheads for clarity.

Audit internal links

A solid link structure spreads authority and boosts relevancy.

Find orphan pages

• Run a crawl to spot pages with zero internal links.
• Add contextual links from related posts.

Optimize anchor text

• Use descriptive, natural phrases.
• Avoid generic text like “click here.”

Test mobile experience

Why does mobile matter? Over 55% of global traffic is mobile and Google indexes mobile first (Backlinko).

Check mobile usability

• Run Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
• Fix viewport, font-size, and touch-target errors.

Verify AMP compliance

• Ensure AMP pages follow official guidelines.
• Validate with the AMP Test tool.

Analyze backlinks profile

Authority comes from quality links.

Remember, the top result on Google has 3.8 times more backlinks than pages in positions 2–10 (Backlinko).

Check link authority

• Use Ahrefs or Moz to review domain metrics.
• Prioritize links from sites with high domain authority.

Disavow toxic links

• Identify spammy or irrelevant backlinks.
• Submit a disavow file in Google Search Console.

Track performance metrics

Audits are just the start. You need ongoing insights via seo performance tracking.

Set up Google Analytics

• Install the tracking code with your SEO plugin.
• Enable demographic and interest reports.

Configure Search Console

• Verify all site versions (http, https, www).
• Submit your XML sitemap.

Monitor key metrics

• Organic sessions and bounce rate.
• Click-through rate and average position.
• Load times and core web vitals.

Your next steps

• Run your first full audit.
• Tackle high-impact issues first.
• Schedule quarterly maintenance audits.
• Track improvements and refine your strategy.

Your WordPress site just got a survival guide. Now make sure every change drives traffic, conversions, and growth.