What should a website audit actually check?
Check whether the site explains itself.
Before looking at tools, the first question is simple: can a new visitor understand what the business does, who it helps and what to do next?
If the answer is no, metadata and speed scores will only get you so far. Clear content and page structure are usually the foundation of a better website.
Review technical SEO basics.
Every important page should have a sensible title tag, meta description, canonical URL, indexable content, one clear H1 and internal links to related pages.
The audit should also check sitemap coverage, robots settings, broken links, redirects, duplicate pages and whether important content is available in the initial HTML.
Look at performance in context.
Page speed matters, but the audit should focus on real bottlenecks: oversized images, heavy scripts, layout shifts, slow fonts and anything that blocks the main content.
A fast site is not just about scores. It should feel quick on mobile, especially for visitors who are trying to call, enquire or compare services.
Find the weak points in the journey.
Good audits look at the route from landing on a page to taking action. That means checking calls to action, contact routes, form friction, phone links and trust signals.
The output should be a priority list, not a pile of screenshots. Fix the issues that affect visibility and enquiries first.