seo-audit

Use this skill when performing a comprehensive SEO audit - technical audit, on-page audit, content audit, off-page audit, and AEO/GEO readiness assessment. Provides a structured scorecard with 30-40 checks rated PASS/FAIL/WARN across all SEO categories, prioritized recommendations, and links to specialized skills for deep fixes. This is the master audit skill that orchestrates all other SEO skills.

What is seo-audit?

Overview Files

seo-audit

seo-audit is a production-ready AI agent skill for claude-code, gemini-cli, openai-codex, and 1 more. Performing a comprehensive SEO audit - technical audit, on-page audit, content audit, off-page audit, and AEO/GEO readiness assessment. Provides a structured scorecard with 30-40 checks rated PASS/FAIL/WARN across all SEO categories, prioritized recommendations, and links to specialized skills for deep fixes. This is the master audit skill that orchestrates all other SEO skills.

Quick Facts

Field	Value
Category	marketing
Version	0.1.0
Platforms	claude-code, gemini-cli, openai-codex, mcp
License	MIT

How to Install

Make sure you have Node.js installed on your machine.
Run the following command in your terminal:

npx skills add AbsolutelySkilled/AbsolutelySkilled --skill seo-audit

The seo-audit skill is now available in your AI coding agent (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex, etc.).

Overview

The SEO audit skill provides a systematic methodology for evaluating a website's search optimization across all dimensions: technical infrastructure, on-page elements, content quality, off-page signals, and AI search readiness. It produces a structured scorecard with PASS/FAIL/WARN ratings and prioritized recommendations so every finding is actionable, not just observed. This is the orchestration layer that connects all 13 specialized SEO skills - use it to diagnose, then hand off to the right skill for each fix.

Platforms

claude-code
gemini-cli
openai-codex
mcp

Related Skills

Pair seo-audit with these complementary skills:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is seo-audit?

How do I install seo-audit?

Run npx skills add AbsolutelySkilled/AbsolutelySkilled --skill seo-audit in your terminal. The skill will be immediately available in your AI coding agent.

What AI agents support seo-audit?

This skill works with claude-code, gemini-cli, openai-codex, mcp. Install it once and use it across any supported AI coding agent.

Maintainers

@maddhruv

Generated from AbsolutelySkilled

SKILL.md

SEO Audit

When to use this skill

Trigger this skill when the task involves:

Running a full SEO audit across a website or specific section
Performing a technical-only audit (crawlability, indexing, performance)
Running a content audit (thin pages, cannibalization, freshness, intent)
Pre-launch SEO check before a new site or major redesign goes live
Periodic SEO health check (monthly, quarterly)
Comparing your site's SEO posture against a competitor
Producing a structured SEO report for a client or stakeholder

Do NOT trigger this skill for:

Implementing specific fixes - once audit findings are known, load the specialized skill (e.g., core-web-vitals, schema-markup, link-building) for the actual fix work
Keyword research phase before content planning - use keyword-research skill instead

Key principles

Audit systematically - never skip a category because you assume it is fine. The most damaging SEO issues are often in the areas least recently checked.
Prioritize by impact x effort - not all issues are equal. A missing sitemap outranks a missing alt text. Score severity honestly.
PASS/FAIL/WARN scoring removes subjectivity - every check has a defined threshold. WARN means partially compliant or approaching a threshold, not "kind of okay".
An audit without actionable recommendations is useless - every FAIL and every WARN must link to a specific next action, tool, or specialized skill.
Re-audit quarterly to catch regressions - deployments, CMS updates, and content changes silently break SEO. Set a recurring audit cadence.

Core concepts

The 5 audit categories

Category	Checks	Covers
Technical SEO	10	Crawlability, indexing, performance, rendering
On-Page SEO	8	Titles, metas, headings, images, internal links, OG
Content SEO	7	Thin pages, cannibalization, clusters, E-E-A-T, freshness
Off-Page SEO	5	Backlinks, toxic links, anchor text, local, citations
AEO & GEO Readiness	5	Featured snippets, schema, AI extraction, entities, LLMs.txt

Scoring methodology

Status	Meaning
PASS	Meets best practice - no action required
WARN	Partially compliant, approaching a threshold, or inconsistently applied
FAIL	Missing, broken, or clearly below best practice - fix required
N/A	Check does not apply to this site type (mark explicitly, never skip silently)

Priority matrix

Priority	Definition	Timeframe
Critical	Directly blocks indexing or causes major ranking loss	Fix immediately (this week)
High	Measurable ranking/traffic impact, moderate effort	Fix this sprint
Medium	Best practice gap, gradual compounding effect	Fix this quarter
Low	Nice to have, marginal gain	Backlog

The audit-fix-verify cycle

Audit - run all 35 checks, record status and evidence
Prioritize - assign Critical/High/Medium/Low to each FAIL and WARN
Assign - link each finding to a specialized skill or tool for the fix
Verify - re-run the specific check after the fix is deployed (not a full re-audit)
Re-audit - full audit quarterly to catch new issues

Common tasks

Run a full SEO audit

Present the complete scorecard to the user. Fill in Status and Details as you analyze the site. Every row must have a status - never leave a row blank.

Section 1: Technical SEO

#	Check	Status	Details
T1	Robots.txt configured correctly
T2	XML sitemap valid and submitted
T3	Canonical URLs set on all pages
T4	No redirect chains (max 1 hop)
T5	HTTPS everywhere, no mixed content
T6	Mobile-friendly (responsive or adaptive)
T7	Core Web Vitals pass (LCP, CLS, INP)
T8	No orphan pages
T9	Clean URL structure (no parameters, lowercase)
T10	Rendering strategy appropriate (SSR/SSG/CSR)

Section 2: On-Page SEO

#	Check	Status	Details
O1	Unique title tags (50-60 chars)
O2	Meta descriptions present (120-160 chars)
O3	Single H1 per page with target keyword
O4	Heading hierarchy correct (H1 > H2 > H3)
O5	Image alt text present on all images
O6	Internal linking structure is logical
O7	Open Graph tags complete (og:title, og:description, og:image)
O8	Semantic HTML used (article, nav, main, aside)

Section 3: Content SEO

#	Check	Status	Details
C1	No thin content pages (< 300 words on indexable pages)
C2	No keyword cannibalization (one URL per keyword cluster)
C3	Topic clusters defined with pillar + supporting pages
C4	E-E-A-T signals present (author, credentials, date, sources)
C5	Content freshness maintained (no stale pages > 18 months)
C6	No duplicate content (internal or cross-domain)
C7	Search intent alignment (informational/commercial/transactional match)

Section 4: Off-Page SEO

#	Check	Status	Details
L1	Backlink profile is healthy (quality > quantity)
L2	No toxic or spammy links pointing to the site
L3	Anchor text diversity (branded, generic, partial-match mix)
L4	Local SEO configured (if applicable: GMB, NAP consistency)
L5	Brand mentions and citations exist on authoritative sources

Section 5: AEO & GEO Readiness

#	Check	Status	Details
A1	Content optimized for featured snippets (definitions, lists, tables)
A2	FAQ and HowTo schema implemented where applicable
A3	Content structured for AI extraction (clear Q&A, headers, summaries)
A4	Entity authority signals present (linked data, Wikidata, consistent mentions)
A5	LLMs.txt present (if applicable to the site's AI discoverability goals)

Scorecard summary:

Category	PASS	WARN	FAIL	N/A	Score
Technical SEO (10)					/10
On-Page SEO (8)					/8
Content SEO (7)					/7
Off-Page SEO (5)					/5
AEO & GEO (5)					/5
Total (35)					/35

Score interpretation:

32-35 PASS: Excellent - monitor and maintain
26-31 PASS: Good - address WARNs before they become FAILs
18-25 PASS: Needs work - prioritize Critical and High items
Under 18 PASS: Significant SEO debt - consider a full remediation project

Prioritize audit findings

After completing the scorecard, categorize every FAIL and WARN into the priority matrix:

Critical - fix immediately:

Checks that block indexing: robots.txt disallowing key pages, no sitemap, canonical loops
Checks that cause major visibility loss: HTTPS failures, redirect chains on key pages
Rendering issues causing entire page sections to be invisible to Googlebot

High - fix this sprint:

Missing or duplicate title tags across more than 10% of pages
Core Web Vitals failing on high-traffic templates
Keyword cannibalization on money pages
Toxic backlinks that could trigger a manual penalty

Medium - fix this quarter:

Missing alt text, inconsistent heading hierarchy
Thin content on secondary pages
Missing OG tags, incomplete schema markup
Stale content on secondary pages

Low - backlog:

LLMs.txt optimization
Minor anchor text imbalances
Brand mention acquisition on marginal sources

Present findings as a prioritized table:

Priority	Check ID	Finding	Recommended action	Skill
Critical	T1	Robots.txt disallowing /products/	Update robots.txt to allow crawl	`technical-seo`
High	T7	LCP > 4s on mobile (template-wide)	Optimize hero images, reduce TTFB	`core-web-vitals`
...

Generate audit report

Use the full report template in references/audit-report-template.md. The report has four sections:

Executive summary - overall score, top 3 findings, business impact statement
Scorecard - the full 35-check table with status and evidence
Detailed findings - one entry per FAIL/WARN with: what was found, why it matters, how to fix it, and which specialized skill to use
Action plan - week 1, month 1, and quarter 1 timeline with assigned owners

Load references/audit-report-template.md to get the full report template with placeholder text and formatting.

Run a quick SEO health check

For a rapid 10-check assessment (15-20 minutes, not a full audit):

#	Check	Status
Q1	Site accessible and indexable (not blocked by robots.txt)
Q2	HTTPS and no mixed content
Q3	Sitemap present and submitted to GSC
Q4	No redirect chains on homepage and top 5 pages
Q5	Title tags unique and under 60 chars on top pages
Q6	Mobile-friendly (Google Mobile-Friendly Test pass)
Q7	Core Web Vitals: at least PASS on mobile for key templates
Q8	No obvious cannibalization on primary keywords
Q9	Backlink profile: no manual actions in GSC
Q10	Structured data: at least one schema type implemented

A quick health check surfaces showstopper issues only. Any FAIL here is Critical priority. For a complete picture, run the full 35-check audit.

Gotchas

GSC data lags by 2-3 days - Google Search Console performance data has a processing delay. If you run an audit on Monday, the most recent data in GSC is from Thursday or Friday. Do not interpret the most recent 2-3 days as a traffic drop - it is always incomplete.
Robots.txt check T1 can return false PASS if crawled from the wrong user-agent - A robots.txt that disallows Googlebot but allows all other agents will pass generic crawl tests. Always test with User-agent: Googlebot specifically, or use the robots.txt tester in Google Search Console directly.
Canonical to a redirecting URL creates a canonical-redirect chain - If the canonical tag points to a URL that itself 301s to another URL, Google may choose to follow the redirect rather than the canonical, or may not honor either. Canonicals must point to the final destination URL, not an intermediate redirect.
Core Web Vitals field data vs lab data diverge - PageSpeed Insights lab data (Lighthouse) and the CrUX field data (real user measurements) frequently disagree. A page can show LCP < 2.5s in lab but fail in field data due to geography, network conditions, or device mix. Always treat field data as the ground truth for audit scoring.
Hreflang errors silently break international rankings - Invalid hreflang attributes (missing return links, wrong locale codes, self-referencing inconsistencies) are not reported as errors in GSC - they are silently ignored. International SEO issues must be audited with a dedicated hreflang validator tool.

Anti-patterns / common mistakes

Anti-pattern	Problem	Fix
Cherry-picking only easy wins	Leaves Critical issues unresolved while the site hemorrhages traffic	Always start with the priority matrix - easy is not the same as important
Auditing without GSC and Analytics access	You are guessing at traffic impact and missing crawl error data	Get read access before starting; a blind audit is decoration
Treating all FAIL items as equal priority	Team burns time on alt text while a canonical loop causes deindexing	Use the priority matrix on every engagement, no exceptions
Auditing once and never re-checking	Deployments break SEO silently; regressions are invisible without cadence	Schedule quarterly audits; automate continuous checks where possible
Reporting findings without recommended fixes	Stakeholders don't know what to do; audit report sits unread	Every finding must link to a specific action and a responsible party
Running only a technical audit and calling it done	Content and off-page issues often cause more ranking loss than technical issues	Always cover all 5 categories even at a surface level
Confusing WARN with acceptable	WARNs compound - five WARNs in the same category indicate a systemic issue	Treat three or more WARNs in a category the same as a FAIL

References

For detailed audit checklists with per-check verification methods and fix guidance, load:

references/audit-checklist-technical.md - Detailed technical SEO checks with how-to-verify steps, tool recommendations, and PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria
references/audit-checklist-content.md - On-page and content audit methodology with verification methods for all 15 checks
references/audit-checklist-offpage.md - Off-page and AEO/GEO audit methodology for all 10 checks
references/audit-report-template.md - Full audit report template with executive summary, scorecard, findings, and action plan sections

Only load a reference file when actively working on that audit category - they are detailed and will consume context if loaded all at once.

For deep fixes on specific categories, load the specialized skill:

keyword-research - Search intent analysis and keyword opportunity mapping
schema-markup - Structured data implementation (JSON-LD, FAQ, HowTo, Product)
core-web-vitals - LCP, CLS, INP optimization and performance budgets
technical-seo - Crawlability, indexing, rendering, redirect management
content-seo - Topic clusters, E-E-A-T, cannibalization resolution
link-building - Backlink acquisition strategy and toxic link removal
local-seo - Google Business Profile, NAP consistency, local citations
international-seo - Hreflang, multi-language/region SEO architecture
ecommerce-seo - Product pages, faceted navigation, category SEO
programmatic-seo - Page generation at scale, template optimization
aeo-optimization - Featured snippets, voice search, AI answer optimization
geo-optimization - Generative engine optimization for ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini
on-site-seo - Framework-specific on-page fixes (Next.js, Nuxt, WordPress, etc.)

References

audit-checklist-content.md

On-Page and Content SEO Audit Checklist

Detailed verification steps, PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria, and fix guidance for all 15 on-page and content SEO checks (O1-O8 and C1-C7). For each check: what to look for, how to verify, what status to assign, and how to fix it.

On-Page SEO Checks (O1-O8)

O1 - Unique Title Tags (50-60 Characters)

What to check:

Every page has a <title> tag
All title tags are unique across the site (no duplicates)
Length is between 50-60 characters (shorter may underuse keyword opportunity; longer gets truncated in SERPs)
Target keyword is present, ideally near the start
Brand name is appended at the end: Target Keyword - Page Description | Brand

How to verify:

Screaming Frog: Page Titles tab > filter by Duplicate, Missing, or Over/Under length
GSC > Search Appearance > check for "Missing title tags" messages

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: All pages have unique titles in the 50-60 char range with primary keyword
WARN: Some pages over 60 chars (truncation risk), a few missing titles, or keyword near end
FAIL: More than 10% of pages missing title tags, widespread duplicates, or titles under 30 chars

Common fixes:

Set unique title templates per page type: {Product Name} - {Category} | Brand
For programmatic pages: use dynamic title generation based on content fields
Load on-site-seo skill for framework-specific <head> management patterns

O2 - Meta Descriptions Present (120-160 Characters)

What to check:

Every indexable page has a unique meta description
Length is 120-160 characters (shorter misses persuasion opportunity; longer gets truncated)
Contains a call to action or value proposition - not just a keyword list
Does not duplicate the title tag content

How to verify:

Screaming Frog: Meta Description tab > filter Duplicate, Missing, Over/Under length
Note: Google may rewrite meta descriptions. Source-level audit is required; GSC does not show your set descriptions.

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: All pages have unique descriptions in the 120-160 char range with a value proposition
WARN: Some pages are missing descriptions, or descriptions are under 100 chars
FAIL: More than 25% of pages missing meta descriptions, or site-wide duplicates

Common fixes:

Write templates by page type: for product pages use {product benefit} - {feature} - Shop now.
For blog posts: use the first 150 chars of the article intro as a fallback
Avoid auto-generating descriptions that are identical across a template type

O3 - Single H1 Per Page With Target Keyword

What to check:

Every indexable page has exactly one H1 tag
H1 contains the primary target keyword (naturally, not stuffed)
H1 is different from the <title> tag (though similar is acceptable - not identical)
H1 is the first visible heading on the page

How to verify:

Screaming Frog: H1 tab > filter for Missing H1, Multiple H1, or Duplicate H1

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Single unique H1 on every page, contains keyword, is first heading
WARN: Some pages have H1 identical to title tag, or a few pages with multiple H1s
FAIL: Pages missing H1, or H1 used purely for styling (e.g., a logo in an H1 tag), or H1 has no keyword relevance

Common fixes:

Separate the visual heading (CSS font-size) from the semantic heading (<h1>)
For CMSs: ensure the page title field maps to H1 in the template
Do not use H1 for site name/logo in the header - use an <a> tag with appropriate aria-label

O4 - Heading Hierarchy Correct (H1 > H2 > H3)

What to check:

Headings follow a logical nested structure: H1 > H2 > H3, no levels are skipped
H2s represent major sections; H3s represent subsections of H2s
No H3 appears before any H2 on the page
No heading tags used purely for visual styling (bold text formatted as H2)

How to verify:

Screaming Frog: Headings tab to view all heading structures per page
Browser extension HeadingsMap (Chrome/Firefox) shows heading tree visually

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Logical heading hierarchy throughout; no skipped levels; H2s and H3s present
WARN: Occasional skipped level (H1 > H3 without H2) on secondary pages
FAIL: No H2s on key long-form pages, or heading tags used purely for visual decoration

Common fixes:

Restructure content so major sections are H2 and subsections are H3
Use CSS classes to control heading visual styles independently of semantic level

O5 - Image Alt Text Present on All Images

What to check:

All <img> elements have an alt attribute
Alt text is descriptive and relevant to the image content (not stuffed with keywords)
Decorative images use alt="" (empty string) - not missing the attribute entirely
Product images include the product name and key attribute in alt text

How to verify:

Screaming Frog: Images tab > filter for Missing Alt Text or Empty Alt Text

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: All content images have meaningful alt text; decorative images use alt=""
WARN: Some content images missing alt text, especially on secondary pages
FAIL: More than 20% of content images missing alt text, especially hero images and product images on key pages

Common fixes:

For CMS content: enforce alt text as a required field in the media uploader
For programmatic image generation: use product name + key attributes as alt template
Run a content editor audit to add missing alt text to existing images in bulk

O6 - Internal Linking Structure Is Logical

What to check:

Key pages receive internal links from multiple relevant pages (link equity distribution)
Anchor text is descriptive and keyword-relevant (not "click here" or "read more")
Pillar pages link to cluster pages; cluster pages link back to pillar pages
No broken internal links (linking to 404 or redirected URLs)
Deep pages are accessible within 3-4 clicks from the homepage

How to verify:

Screaming Frog: Inlinks tab on key pages; filter for pages with 0-2 inlinks
Ahrefs Site Audit or Semrush: internal link distribution reports

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Key pages have 5+ internal links from relevant pages with descriptive anchors; no broken links; pillar-cluster linking structure implemented
WARN: Some important pages with fewer than 3 internal links; occasional generic anchor text
FAIL: Key pages with zero or one internal link; widespread broken internal links; no topic cluster linking strategy

Common fixes:

Add contextual internal links in blog post body copy to relevant pillar and product pages
Update anchor text from generic ("learn more") to descriptive ("see our guide to SEO audits")
Load content-seo skill for topic cluster and internal linking architecture patterns

O7 - Open Graph Tags Complete

What to check:

og:title present and accurate (can differ from <title> for social context)
og:description present (120-200 chars for social)
og:image present with dimensions at least 1200x630px
og:url matches the canonical URL
og:type set appropriately (website for homepage, article for blog posts)
Twitter Card tags present (twitter:card, twitter:title, twitter:image)

How to verify:

Facebook Sharing Debugger: developers.facebook.com/tools/debug/
Screaming Frog: Directives tab > check for OG tags via custom extraction

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: All five core OG tags present on all indexable pages; image meets size requirements
WARN: OG tags missing on some page types (e.g., tag or author pages), or image too small
FAIL: No OG tags site-wide, or og:image missing on blog/product pages that are frequently shared

Common fixes:

Next.js: use metadata.openGraph in generateMetadata or layout.tsx
WordPress: Yoast or RankMath auto-generate OG tags from post data
Ensure the OG image is uploaded at 1200x630px minimum; use a dynamic OG image generator (Vercel OG, Cloudinary) for programmatic content

O8 - Semantic HTML Used

What to check:

<article> wraps blog posts and standalone content pieces
<nav> wraps navigation menus
<main> wraps primary page content (only one per page)
<aside> wraps related or sidebar content
<header> and <footer> used for site-level structure
Not using <div> for everything when semantic elements exist

How to verify:

View source and inspect the document structure for landmark element usage
Accessibility testing: axe DevTools or WAVE will flag landmark region issues

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: All major landmark elements used correctly; article/main/nav/aside applied appropriately
WARN: <main> or <article> missing on content pages; <div> used where semantic element fits
FAIL: Entire layout built with non-semantic divs; no structural HTML elements present

Common fixes:

Replace <div class="main-content"> with <main>
Replace <div class="blog-post"> with <article>
Wrap site navigation in <nav aria-label="Main navigation">

Content SEO Checks (C1-C7)

C1 - No Thin Content Pages

What to check:

No indexable pages with fewer than 300 words of meaningful body text
Pages with low word count that serve a real purpose (contact page, privacy policy) should be noindexed if they offer no search value
Thin pages that dilute crawl budget and domain authority

How to verify:

Screaming Frog: custom extraction for word count, or use the Word Count column
Ahrefs Site Audit: Content Quality report for thin pages
GSC: check pages with impressions but very low CTR - often thin pages ranking poorly

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: All indexable content pages above 500 words; thin utility pages are noindexed
WARN: Some landing pages in the 300-500 word range; a few utility pages unnecessarily indexed
FAIL: Blog posts or product pages under 300 words indexed at scale; empty category pages indexed

Common fixes:

Expand thin content with relevant supporting information, examples, or FAQs
Add <meta name="robots" content="noindex, follow"> to utility pages with no search value
Consolidate multiple thin pages on the same topic into one comprehensive page

C2 - No Keyword Cannibalization

What to check:

Only one URL targets each primary keyword cluster
Two or more pages are not competing for the same keyword (splitting ranking signals)
Homepage and a blog post are not both targeting the same branded keyword
Product page and a category page are not both optimized for the same product keyword

How to verify:

Google: site:domain.com "target keyword" to find competing pages
Ahrefs: Keywords Explorer > site filter to see which pages rank for the same keyword
Semrush: Keyword Cannibalization report

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: One clearly designated URL per primary keyword; other pages supporting without competing
WARN: Two pages occasionally ranking for similar (not identical) terms; minor overlap
FAIL: Two or more pages directly targeting the same keyword with similar title, H1, and content

Common fixes:

Designate one canonical URL for the keyword; redirect or consolidate competing pages
Differentiate the cannibalized page to target a different keyword cluster
Add internal links from the weaker page to the canonical page to consolidate signals
Load content-seo skill for cannibalization resolution strategy

C3 - Topic Clusters Defined

What to check:

Pillar pages exist for core topics (long-form, comprehensive, 2000+ words)
Cluster pages (supporting articles) cover subtopics and link to the pillar
Pillar pages link to all relevant cluster pages
Cluster pages link back to the pillar page with relevant anchor text
No isolated content exists outside any cluster structure

How to verify:

Map existing content to topics; pillar pages should show high inlink counts from cluster pages
Ahrefs or Semrush: check which pages rank for topic variations - clusters should reinforce one another

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Clear pillar-cluster structure for each core topic; bidirectional internal linking in place
WARN: Pillar pages exist but cluster pages don't consistently link back; some topics lack clusters
FAIL: No pillar pages; all content exists as isolated articles with no topic cluster structure

Common fixes:

Identify top 3-5 core topics; create or designate a pillar page for each
Audit existing cluster pages for missing links back to pillar; add contextual links in body copy
Load content-seo skill for full topic cluster architecture methodology

C4 - E-E-A-T Signals Present

What to check:

Experience: first-hand experience evident in the content (personal examples, case studies)
Expertise: author bio with credentials, professional background, or relevant experience
Authoritativeness: links to and from authoritative sources in the niche
Trustworthiness: clear publication and last-updated dates; citing sources; no misleading claims

How to verify:

Manually review a sample of key content pages for author attribution, bio, and dates
Check for About page, team page, and individual author pages
Look for outbound links to authoritative sources (studies, official sources)

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Author bios with credentials on all content pages; dates visible; sources cited; About page present
WARN: Author attribution present but minimal bio; dates not shown or approximate
FAIL: No author attribution on YMYL (Your Money Your Life) content; no About page; no sourcing; or content presents unverified claims without citation

Common fixes:

Add author bio blocks with name, credentials, and LinkedIn or portfolio link to all articles
Display visible publication and "last updated" dates on all content
Create an About page and team page if absent
Load content-seo skill for full E-E-A-T implementation strategy

C5 - Content Freshness Maintained

What to check:

No key pages with a "last updated" date more than 18 months ago (unless evergreen accuracy confirmed)
High-traffic pages (top 20 by impressions) have been reviewed and updated in the past year
Outdated statistics, product names, or pricing have been corrected
Seasonal or time-sensitive content has date-appropriate messaging

How to verify:

Export top 50 pages by impressions from GSC; check content update dates
CMS admin: sort all published posts by last modified date; flag everything over 18 months

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: All top-traffic pages reviewed in the past 12 months; no visibly outdated statistics or dates
WARN: Some secondary pages showing stale dates (12-24 months); minor outdated content
FAIL: High-traffic pages with 2+ year old dates; outdated year references (e.g., "best tools of 2021"); product pages referencing discontinued features

Common fixes:

Set a quarterly content review calendar; prioritize top 20 pages by impressions
Update dateModified in Article schema when content is substantively refreshed
Remove or redirect content that is too outdated to refresh cost-effectively

C6 - No Duplicate Content

What to check:

No internal duplicate pages (same content on multiple URLs - with/without trailing slash, with/without www, HTTP vs HTTPS)
No near-duplicate pages (product variants, color/size pages with near-identical copy)
No content scraped or syndicated from other sites without canonical attribution
Paginated pages don't duplicate the content of page 1

How to verify:

Siteliner: siteliner.com scans for internal duplicate and near-duplicate content
Screaming Frog: Content tab > filter Near Duplicates

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: No significant internal duplication; all URL variants canonicalize correctly
WARN: Some near-duplicate product variant pages; minor pagination duplication
FAIL: Multiple URLs serving identical content without canonicals; large-scale internal duplication

Common fixes:

Add canonical tags: all URL variants (?sort=price, /page/1, /index.html) point to the clean canonical URL
For product variants: create unique differentiating copy for each variant page, or canonicalize all variants to the main product page
Configure 301 redirects: www > non-www, HTTP > HTTPS, trailing slash consistency

C7 - Search Intent Alignment

What to check:

Informational keywords target blog posts, guides, or FAQ pages (not product/category pages)
Commercial investigation keywords target comparison pages, review articles, or category pages
Transactional keywords target product pages, pricing pages, or signup/checkout flows
Navigational keywords target brand or specific product pages
Content format matches intent: step-by-step guides for "how to" queries, lists for "best X" queries

How to verify:

Search the target keyword in Google and review the SERP: what format and type are the top 10 results?
If top results are all listicles and your page is a product page - intent mismatch
Ahrefs: SERP overview for a keyword shows the content type Google is rewarding

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Content type and format match what Google is already ranking for the target keyword
WARN: Content is directionally correct (informational) but format is wrong (guide vs. listicle)
FAIL: Product page targeting an informational query; blog post targeting a transactional query; content format entirely misaligned with what Google is rewarding

Common fixes:

Remap misaligned URLs: convert a product page that targets an informational keyword into a guide, or create a new informational page and let the product page target transactional variants
Reformat content: convert a long-form article into a numbered list if top results are all listicles
Load keyword-research skill for intent classification methodology

audit-checklist-offpage.md

Off-Page and AEO/GEO Audit Checklist

Detailed verification steps, PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria, and fix guidance for all 10 off-page and AEO/GEO readiness checks (L1-L5 and A1-A5). For each check: what to look for, how to verify, what status to assign, and how to fix it.

Off-Page SEO Checks (L1-L5)

L1 - Backlink Profile Is Healthy

What to check:

Total referring domains (quality matters more than count)
Domain Rating (DR) or Domain Authority (DA) trend - growing, stable, or declining
Diversity: backlinks come from multiple unique domains and industries, not just one source
Topical relevance: linking sites are in or adjacent to your niche
Editorial vs. paid vs. directory: editorial backlinks (someone linked because the content is good) are the most valuable

How to verify:

Ahrefs: Site Explorer > Backlink Profile > Referring Domains (trending over time)
Semrush: Backlink Analytics > Referring Domains with Authority Score distribution
Moz Link Explorer: Domain Authority and Link profile overview
GSC: Links report shows Google's confirmed view of your top linked pages and linking sites

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Growing or stable referring domain count, majority from relevant and authoritative sites, diverse link sources, no manual penalty in GSC
WARN: Flat or slightly declining referring domain count, many links from low-DR directories, concentrated from a single vertical or link type
FAIL: Declining referring domain count with no recovery, majority of links from low-quality or irrelevant sites, manual action reported in GSC

Common fixes:

Invest in editorial link acquisition through original research, data studies, or expert content
Build relationships with niche-relevant sites for guest posts or co-marketing
Load link-building skill for full backlink acquisition strategy

L2 - No Toxic or Spammy Links

What to check:

No links from known link farms, PBNs (Private Blog Networks), or paid link schemes
No sudden spike of unnatural links (link bomb or negative SEO attack)
No manual action notification in Google Search Console for unnatural links
Disavow file is current and accurate if previously filed

How to verify:

Ahrefs: Referring Domains > filter by low DR (under 5) with high link volume
Semrush: Backlink Audit Tool > Toxic Score identifies risky links
GSC: Manual Actions > check for any unnatural links manual action
Review disavow file if one exists in GSC: Search Console > Links > Disavow

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: No manual actions, no significant toxic link clusters, disavow file up to date if applicable
WARN: Small percentage of low-quality links but no manual action; disavow file not reviewed recently
FAIL: Manual action received; large volume of toxic links identified; evidence of negative SEO attack with no disavow response

Common fixes:

Attempt link removal requests to the linking domain first (contact webmaster)
Submit or update the disavow file in GSC for links that cannot be removed
Monitor with automated alerts for sudden link spikes (Ahrefs Alerts > New Backlinks)
Load link-building skill for toxic link removal and disavow strategy

L3 - Anchor Text Diversity

What to check:

Anchor text distribution is natural: mix of branded (most common), naked URLs, generic ("click here"), and partial/exact-match keyword anchors
Exact-match keyword anchors should not exceed 10-15% of total anchor text
No single anchor text phrase dominates the profile (sign of manipulative link building)
Branded anchors (company name, domain name) should represent 30-50% of anchors

How to verify:

Ahrefs: Site Explorer > Anchors (shows all anchor text with frequency)
Semrush: Backlink Analytics > Anchors tab
Export anchor distribution; calculate percentage of each type

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Branded anchors are most common; exact-match keyword anchors under 15%; healthy mix of generic, naked URL, and partial-match anchors
WARN: Exact-match keyword anchors at 15-25%; limited branded anchor presence
FAIL: Exact-match keyword anchors dominate (over 30%); clearly unnatural anchor pattern that suggests link scheme participation

Common fixes:

When actively building links: vary anchor text intentionally; use brand name or target URL more often than exact-match keyword
If over-optimized anchors exist historically: dilute by acquiring new links with brand/generic anchors
Load link-building skill for anchor text strategy guidelines

L4 - Local SEO Configured (If Applicable)

What to check:

Only check this if the business has a physical location(s) or serves customers in specific geographic areas. Mark N/A for fully remote or global digital businesses.
Google Business Profile (GBP) is claimed, verified, and fully completed
NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is consistent across GBP, website, and all directory listings
Reviews: business has recent reviews and owner is responding to them
Local schema markup (LocalBusiness, PostalAddress) present on the site
Embedded Google Map on the contact page

How to verify:

Search business name + city in Google - GBP panel should appear on the right
Moz Local or BrightLocal: NAP consistency audit across major directories
Schema validator: validator.schema.org to check LocalBusiness schema

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: GBP claimed and fully filled (categories, hours, photos, description); NAP consistent; local schema present; recent reviews with responses
WARN: GBP exists but incomplete (missing hours, no photos); occasional NAP discrepancies in minor directories
FAIL: GBP not claimed; significant NAP inconsistencies; no local schema; no reviews in 6+ months

Common fixes:

Claim and fully complete GBP profile: add all categories, photos, products/services, hours
Run a NAP audit with Moz Local or BrightLocal; fix inconsistencies in top directories
Load local-seo skill for full local SEO optimization methodology

L5 - Brand Mentions and Citations

What to check:

Brand name is mentioned on authoritative external websites, even without a link
Brand is mentioned on industry publications, news sites, or relevant directories
Brand appears in lists and roundups in the niche (e.g., "Top 10 tools for X")
Unlinked brand mentions exist that could be converted to backlinks
NAP citations in general business directories (Yelp, Crunchbase, LinkedIn company page)

How to verify:

Google Alerts: set up for brand name to track new mentions
Ahrefs: Content Explorer > search brand name with highlight_unlinked to find unlinked mentions
Semrush: Brand Monitoring tool for mention tracking
Manual search: "brand name" -site:yourdomain.com in Google

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Regular new brand mentions on authoritative sites; unlinked mentions tracked and being converted; presence in major industry directories and listings
WARN: Few brand mentions outside of owned content; not present in key industry lists
FAIL: No external brand mentions; brand essentially unknown to the external web

Common fixes:

Reach out to sites with unlinked mentions and ask them to add a link
Submit to industry-relevant directories and lists: Crunchbase, G2, Product Hunt, etc.
Issue press releases or original research to earn media coverage and citations
Load link-building skill for digital PR and brand mention acquisition tactics

AEO & GEO Readiness Checks (A1-A5)

A1 - Content Optimized for Featured Snippets

What to check:

Definition questions answered with a concise 40-60 word paragraph directly after the question
"How to" content uses numbered steps formatted as an <ol> list
Comparison or "best" content uses HTML tables
"What is" and definitional queries have a bold or clearly structured first-answer paragraph
Target question appears in the H2 or H3 directly above the answer

How to verify:

Search your target keyword in Google and check if you hold the featured snippet (position 0)
If a competitor holds it, analyze their format: paragraph, list, or table
Ahrefs: SERP Features report shows which of your keywords trigger featured snippets

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Key question-based keywords have a formatted direct-answer section; site holds featured snippets on some target keywords
WARN: Question content exists but is buried in body paragraphs without direct-answer formatting; no featured snippet wins yet
FAIL: No structured Q&A formatting on informational content; all answers buried in paragraphs

Common fixes:

Reformat answers: add a question as H2/H3, then answer in 40-60 word paragraph immediately below
Convert "how to" body paragraphs into <ol> numbered lists
Load aeo-optimization skill for featured snippet capture methodology

A2 - FAQ and HowTo Schema Implemented

What to check:

FAQ schema (FAQPage + Question + acceptedAnswer) present on pages with Q&A content
HowTo schema (HowTo + HowToStep) present on tutorial and step-by-step guide pages
Schema is valid JSON-LD (not Microdata), placed in <script type="application/ld+json">
Schema accurately reflects the visible content (Google rejects schema that doesn't match content)
No over-implementation: FAQ schema only on pages that actually have FAQ sections

How to verify:

Google Rich Results Test: search.google.com/test/rich-results for page-level validation
Schema.org Validator: validator.schema.org for JSON-LD syntax checking
GSC: Enhancements > FAQ / HowTo > check for errors and valid items

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: FAQ schema on FAQ pages, HowTo schema on tutorial pages, all valid in Rich Results Test, no GSC enhancement errors
WARN: Schema present but some errors in GSC; or schema missing on some eligible page types
FAIL: No FAQ or HowTo schema implemented despite site having significant Q&A and tutorial content; or schema present but invalid (causing GSC errors)

Common fixes:

Add FAQ JSON-LD block to blog posts with FAQ sections - use a standard template
For HowTo: ensure each HowToStep has a name and text property
Load schema-markup skill for full structured data implementation patterns

A3 - Content Structured for AI Extraction

What to check:

Key information is presented in clearly labeled, extractable formats (not buried in prose)
Definitions and explanations are in the first 100 words of a section, not at the end
Content uses clear question-as-heading + answer-below structure throughout
Tables and lists are used for comparative or enumerated information
No critical information is locked inside images or PDFs without text equivalents
Summary sections or TL;DR blocks at the top of long content

How to verify:

Manually read the page as if you are an AI trying to answer "what is X" - can you find a clear, citable answer in the first few sentences?
Check if the content appears in ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews responses for target queries (manual spot-check)

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Key answers are in the opening sentences of sections; information is in extractable text formats; content appears in AI answer boxes for target queries
WARN: Information exists but requires reading full paragraphs to extract; some critical content is image-based
FAIL: All key information buried in long prose paragraphs; heavy use of images for informational content; no Q&A structure

Common fixes:

Add a "Quick Answer" or "TL;DR" block at the top of long articles
Restructure paragraphs so the answer comes first, then the elaboration (inverted pyramid)
Load geo-optimization skill for full AI search optimization methodology

A4 - Entity Authority Signals Present

What to check:

Brand entity is consistent across the web: same name, description, and category everywhere
Wikipedia or Wikidata entry exists (for established brands)
Knowledge Panel appears in Google for branded searches
Content consistently references and is referenced by authoritative entities in the niche
Structured data uses sameAs property to link to authoritative entity sources (LinkedIn, Crunchbase, Wikipedia, official social profiles)

How to verify:

Search brand name in Google - does a Knowledge Panel appear on the right?
Check Wikidata: wikidata.org/wiki/Special:Search for the brand name
Inspect Organization or Person schema for sameAs properties

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Knowledge Panel present for brand; sameAs in Organization schema pointing to LinkedIn, Crunchbase, and social profiles; consistent entity description across the web
WARN: No Knowledge Panel; Organization schema missing sameAs links; inconsistent brand descriptions across platforms
FAIL: No Organization schema; no entity presence on any authoritative third-party platform; brand name completely absent from the knowledge graph

Common fixes:

Add Organization schema with sameAs array linking to all authoritative profiles
Ensure GBP, LinkedIn company page, Crunchbase, and social profiles all use consistent brand name and description
Load schema-markup skill for Organization and entity schema implementation

A5 - LLMs.txt Present (If Applicable)

What to check:

https://domain.com/llms.txt exists and is accessible (returns 200)
llms.txt accurately describes what the site is, who it serves, and its key sections
File follows the llms.txt specification: title, summary, and section links
llms-full.txt optionally present for extended context
Relevant pages are included in llms.txt for AI crawlers to prioritize

How to verify:

Fetch https://domain.com/llms.txt directly in the browser
Check that the file format matches the specification at llmstxt.org
Verify the linked pages in the file are accessible and content-rich

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: llms.txt exists, well-formatted, includes key pages and accurate site description
WARN: llms.txt exists but outdated or incomplete (missing key sections)
FAIL: llms.txt missing entirely (FAIL only applies to sites where AI discoverability is a stated goal; mark N/A for sites that have no AI-search strategy)
N/A: Site has no AI search optimization goals or is purely local/private

Common fixes:

Create llms.txt at the domain root following the llmstxt.org specification
Include: site title, summary paragraph, and links to the most important content sections
Update quarterly when site structure or major content sections change
Load geo-optimization skill for full llms.txt and GEO optimization methodology

audit-checklist-technical.md

Technical SEO Audit Checklist

Detailed verification steps, PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria, and fix guidance for all 10 technical SEO checks. For each check: what to look for, how to verify, what status to assign, and which tool or action fixes it.

T1 - Robots.txt Configured Correctly

What to check:

File exists at https://domain.com/robots.txt
No critical paths are disallowed (product pages, category pages, key content)
Sitemap location is declared in the file
No syntax errors (incorrect User-agent, typos in paths)

How to verify:

Fetch the robots.txt directly in the browser
Use Google Search Console > Settings > robots.txt Tester to check specific URLs
Use Screaming Frog: Configuration > Robots.txt to simulate Googlebot crawl

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: File exists, sitemap declared, no critical pages disallowed, valid syntax
WARN: File exists but sitemap not declared, or some low-traffic paths inadvertently blocked
FAIL: File missing entirely, / is disallowed, critical templates are blocked, or robots.txt returns a non-200 status code

Common fixes:

Add Sitemap: https://domain.com/sitemap.xml as the last line
Replace Disallow: / with specific path-level disallows for admin/staging routes
For WordPress: Settings > Reading > uncheck "Discourage search engines"

T2 - XML Sitemap Valid and Submitted

What to check:

Sitemap exists at https://domain.com/sitemap.xml (or sitemap index)
All important URLs are included; no noindex URLs are listed
No URLs returning 404 or 301 are in the sitemap
Sitemap is submitted to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
lastmod values are present and accurate (not all the same date)

How to verify:

Fetch the sitemap URL directly; validate XML with W3C XML Validator or Screaming Frog
GSC > Sitemaps > check submitted sitemaps and last read date
Screaming Frog > Sitemaps > Sitemap XML Export: compare to crawl data

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Sitemap valid, submitted to GSC, no 404/redirect URLs inside, lastmod present
WARN: Sitemap exists but not submitted to GSC, or contains a few redirect URLs
FAIL: No sitemap, sitemap returns 404, XML is malformed, or more than 10% of URLs in sitemap return errors

Common fixes:

Generate sitemap with Yoast SEO (WordPress), next-sitemap (Next.js), or Astro sitemap plugin
Submit via GSC: Index > Sitemaps > Add new sitemap URL
Remove noindex pages and 404s from sitemap; update programmatically via CMS hooks

T3 - Canonical URLs Set on All Pages

What to check:

Every indexable page has a <link rel="canonical" href="..."> in <head>
Canonical URLs are self-referencing on canonical pages (not pointing elsewhere)
Paginated pages either canonicalize to page 1 or have unique canonicals (not all to page 1)
URL parameter variants (filters, sort, tracking) canonicalize to the clean URL
No canonical chains (canonical pointing to a page that itself has a different canonical)

How to verify:

Screaming Frog: crawl site, Internal > filter by "Canonical" column
Check <head> source on a sample of pages (View Source > Ctrl+F "canonical")
Search Console: URL Inspection tool shows canonical Google selected vs declared

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: All indexable pages have a self-referencing canonical; parameter variants canonicalize correctly
WARN: Canonical is missing on some page types, or inconsistent on pagination
FAIL: No canonicals site-wide, canonical chains present, or canonical points to wrong URL (e.g., staging URL, HTTP instead of HTTPS)

Common fixes:

Next.js: use metadata.alternates.canonical in layout.tsx or generateMetadata
WordPress + Yoast: canonicals are auto-generated; check for plugin conflicts
For URL parameter variants: use rel="canonical" in <head> pointing to the parameter-free URL

T4 - No Redirect Chains (Max 1 Hop)

What to check:

No URL redirects through more than 1 intermediate URL before reaching the final destination
Internal links point to final destination URLs, not to URLs that redirect
Old campaign/vanity URLs redirected directly to final pages
HTTP > HTTPS redirect is a single 301 (not 301 > 301)

How to verify:

Screaming Frog: Bulk Export > Response Codes > Redirects; look for chains flagged in the tool
HTTPStatus.io or Redirect Path Chrome extension for spot-checking specific URLs
Screaming Frog: Configuration > Spider > Follow Internal Redirects ON to find chain sources

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: All redirects are single-hop 301s; no chains detected
WARN: A few redirect chains exist on low-traffic or old URLs; core pages are clean
FAIL: Redirect chains on high-traffic pages, the homepage, or key landing pages; any 302 where a 301 should be used permanently

Common fixes:

Update all internal links to point to the final destination URL
Consolidate redirect chains by pointing the original URL directly to the final destination in the server config or .htaccess
HTTP > HTTPS: configure server to do a single 301 redirect at the server level (not via CMS)

T5 - HTTPS Everywhere, No Mixed Content

What to check:

Site loads exclusively on HTTPS; HTTP redirects to HTTPS (301)
No mixed content warnings in browser console (HTTP resources loaded on HTTPS page)
SSL certificate is valid and not expiring within 30 days
HSTS header present (Strict-Transport-Security)
www and non-www resolve consistently (not both serving content)

How to verify:

Open browser DevTools > Console and Network tabs; look for mixed content warnings
SSL Labs: ssllabs.com/ssltest/ for full certificate and HSTS assessment
Check response headers: curl -I https://domain.com to verify HSTS header

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: All resources HTTPS, valid cert, HSTS set, consistent www/non-www resolution
WARN: Mixed content on a few pages, cert expiring within 60 days, or no HSTS header
FAIL: Site serving on HTTP with no redirect, mixed content warnings on key pages, expired or invalid SSL certificate

Common fixes:

Update all hardcoded http:// asset URLs in content and code to https://
Renew SSL certificate; use Let's Encrypt with auto-renewal for cost-free certificates
Set HSTS header: Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
Configure 301 redirect from www to non-www (or vice versa) at DNS/server level

T6 - Mobile-Friendly (Responsive or Adaptive)

What to check:

Site passes Google's Mobile-Friendly Test
Viewport meta tag present: <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
No horizontal scrolling on mobile
Touch targets (buttons, links) are at least 48x48px with adequate spacing
Text readable without zooming (16px minimum body font size)
No intrusive interstitials that block content on mobile

How to verify:

Google Search Console: Mobile Usability report for site-wide issues
Google Mobile-Friendly Test: search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly
DevTools: Toggle Device Toolbar (Ctrl+Shift+M) and test at 375px and 768px

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Passes Google's Mobile-Friendly Test, no GSC mobile usability errors, good touch targets
WARN: Passes the test but some minor layout issues (small tap targets, slightly clipped content)
FAIL: Fails Mobile-Friendly Test, viewport meta missing, site not usable on mobile screens

Common fixes:

Add <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> if missing
Use CSS min-height: 48px; min-width: 48px for all interactive elements
Replace fixed pixel widths with relative units (%, vw, rem) in CSS

T7 - Core Web Vitals Pass (LCP, CLS, INP)

What to check:

LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): under 2.5s is PASS, 2.5-4s is WARN, over 4s is FAIL
CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): under 0.1 is PASS, 0.1-0.25 is WARN, over 0.25 is FAIL
INP (Interaction to Next Paint): under 200ms is PASS, 200-500ms is WARN, over 500ms is FAIL
Audit both mobile and desktop; Google uses mobile for ranking signals
Check field data (real user data) not just lab data - they can differ significantly

How to verify:

Google Search Console: Core Web Vitals report (field data from CrUX)
PageSpeed Insights: pagespeed.web.dev for both lab and field data per URL
Chrome DevTools: Performance panel and Lighthouse tab for lab measurements
web-vitals JS library for RUM (Real User Monitoring) measurement

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: All three metrics pass on both mobile and desktop in field data (CrUX)
WARN: One or two metrics in the "Needs Improvement" range; or passing in lab but failing in field
FAIL: Any metric failing on mobile in field data; or template-wide failures affecting many URLs

Common fixes:

LCP: preload hero image, use fetchpriority="high" on LCP image, optimize image format (WebP/AVIF), reduce TTFB with CDN and server-side caching
CLS: always specify width and height attributes on images; use aspect-ratio CSS; avoid injecting content above the fold after load
INP: reduce main thread blocking, split long tasks, use web workers for heavy computation

T8 - No Orphan Pages

What to check:

Every indexable page is reachable via internal links from at least one other page
No pages exist only in the sitemap or accessed only via direct URL
Orphans often appear after CMS migrations, content pruning, or faceted navigation removal
Paginated pages are linked to from the page before them

How to verify:

Screaming Frog: crawl site from homepage, then cross-reference crawl output against sitemap URLs
- Pages in sitemap but not found in crawl = orphan candidates
Sitebulb or Ahrefs Site Audit: dedicated orphan pages report

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: All sitemap URLs are also found in crawl; no pages with zero internal links
WARN: A small number of low-traffic or archive pages are orphaned
FAIL: Key pages (product pages, landing pages, blog posts) have zero internal links

Common fixes:

Add links to orphaned pages from relevant hub pages, category listings, or navigation
For paginated series: ensure page N links to page N+1 and N-1
Add a dynamic "related posts" or "related products" module to ensure new content gets linked

T9 - Clean URL Structure

What to check:

URLs use lowercase letters and hyphens (not underscores or spaces)
No tracking parameters (?utm_source) in canonical or crawlable URLs
URL depth: no more than 3-4 levels deep for key content (/blog/category/post-slug/)
No session IDs, user-specific tokens, or auto-generated numeric identifiers in indexed URLs
URL slug contains the target keyword (where practical)

How to verify:

Screaming Frog: URL column; filter for uppercase, underscores, or very long URLs
Export all indexed URLs from GSC and check for parameter pollution

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: All URLs lowercase, hyphens only, no parameters on indexed pages, max 4 levels deep
WARN: Some legacy URLs with underscores, a few deep hierarchy paths, minor parameter exposure
FAIL: URLs with session IDs indexed, large-scale parameter pollution in index, URLs using non-ASCII characters without encoding

Common fixes:

301 redirect old underscore URLs to hyphen equivalents
Add URL parameter handling in GSC: Settings > URL Parameters (legacy but still functional)
Implement canonical tags on all parameterized URL variants

T10 - Rendering Strategy Appropriate

What to check:

For client-side rendered (CSR) apps: key content is not hidden behind JavaScript that Googlebot can't execute reliably
For server-side rendered (SSR) or static (SSG) apps: confirm full HTML is in the initial response, not populated by client-side JS
Dynamic rendering (serving static HTML to bots, JS to browsers) is documented and working if implemented
<noscript> tags provide meaningful fallback content where applicable

How to verify:

View source (Ctrl+U) vs. Inspect Element: source should show content, not empty <div id="app">
Google Search Console > URL Inspection > View Crawled Page > HTML and Screenshot tabs confirm what Googlebot actually sees
Fetch as Google via URL Inspection: compare rendered and non-rendered HTML

PASS/FAIL/WARN criteria:

PASS: Content fully present in initial HTML response OR Google's URL Inspection confirms full rendering with no content gaps
WARN: Some secondary content or pagination loaded via JS but primary content is in HTML
FAIL: Primary content (headings, body text, links) only visible after JavaScript execution; Google's crawl snapshot shows blank or skeleton page

Common fixes:

Next.js: use generateStaticParams (SSG) or export default async function Page() with server components to ensure HTML is served
Vue/React SPAs: migrate key pages to SSR or pre-rendering; use Next.js, Nuxt, or Astro
Load on-site-seo skill for framework-specific rendering fix patterns

audit-report-template.md

SEO Audit Report Template

A complete, fill-in-the-blank audit report template. Replace all [BRACKETED] placeholders with actual findings. Do not delete sections - fill every section or explicitly mark as N/A.

SEO Audit Report: [SITE NAME]

Prepared by: [Auditor Name / Team] Date: [YYYY-MM-DD] Site URL: [https://domain.com] Audit type: [Full audit / Technical only / Content only / Pre-launch] Period covered: [Date range of data used, e.g., GSC data Jan - Mar 2025]

1. Executive Summary

Overall Score

Metric	Value
Total checks	35
PASS	[N]
WARN	[N]
FAIL	[N]
N/A	[N]
Overall score	[PASS count]/[35 - N/A count]

Score interpretation

[Copy the appropriate line from the scoring guide:]

32-35 PASS: Excellent - monitor and maintain
26-31 PASS: Good - address WARNs before they become FAILs
18-25 PASS: Needs work - prioritize Critical and High items
Under 18 PASS: Significant SEO debt - consider a full remediation project

Top 3 findings

These are the most impactful issues discovered in this audit:

[FINDING 1 - highest priority] - [One sentence describing the issue and its impact.] Fix: [Brief description of the fix and which specialized skill to use.]
[FINDING 2] - [One sentence describing the issue and its impact.] Fix: [Brief description of the fix and which specialized skill to use.]
[FINDING 3] - [One sentence describing the issue and its impact.] Fix: [Brief description of the fix and which specialized skill to use.]

Business impact statement

[2-4 sentences summarizing the expected organic traffic and revenue impact of the current SEO issues. Be specific where data is available: "Based on GSC data, the 3 Critical issues are estimated to be causing X% crawl inefficiency and affecting Y pages."]

2. Full Scorecard

Section 1: Technical SEO

#	Check	Status	Evidence / Details
T1	Robots.txt configured correctly	[PASS/FAIL/WARN/N/A]	[What was found]
T2	XML sitemap valid and submitted
T3	Canonical URLs set on all pages
T4	No redirect chains (max 1 hop)
T5	HTTPS everywhere, no mixed content
T6	Mobile-friendly
T7	Core Web Vitals pass
T8	No orphan pages
T9	Clean URL structure
T10	Rendering strategy appropriate
Section score			[N] PASS / [N] WARN / [N] FAIL

Section 2: On-Page SEO

#	Check	Evidence / Details
O1	Unique title tags (50-60 chars)
O2	Meta descriptions present (120-160 chars)
O3	Single H1 per page with target keyword
O4	Heading hierarchy correct
O5	Image alt text present
O6	Internal linking structure logical
O7	Open Graph tags complete
O8	Semantic HTML used
Section score		[N] PASS / [N] WARN / [N] FAIL

Section 3: Content SEO

#	Check	Evidence / Details
C1	No thin content pages
C2	No keyword cannibalization
C3	Topic clusters defined
C4	E-E-A-T signals present
C5	Content freshness maintained
C6	No duplicate content
C7	Search intent alignment
Section score		[N] PASS / [N] WARN / [N] FAIL

Section 4: Off-Page SEO

#	Check	Evidence / Details
L1	Backlink profile healthy
L2	No toxic links
L3	Anchor text diversity
L4	Local SEO configured
L5	Brand mentions and citations
Section score		[N] PASS / [N] WARN / [N] FAIL

Section 5: AEO & GEO Readiness

#	Check	Evidence / Details
A1	Featured snippet optimization
A2	FAQ / HowTo schema implemented
A3	Content structured for AI extraction
A4	Entity authority signals present
A5	LLMs.txt present
Section score		[N] PASS / [N] WARN / [N] FAIL

3. Detailed Findings

For each FAIL and WARN, provide a detailed entry. Group by priority level.

Critical Priority (Fix Immediately)

[Check ID] - [Check Name]

Status: FAIL

What was found: [Specific description of the issue. Include URLs, numbers, or screenshots where relevant. E.g., "Robots.txt at https://domain.com/robots.txt contains Disallow: /products/ which blocks Googlebot from crawling the entire product catalog (approximately 1,200 URLs)."]

Why it matters: [Business impact in plain language. E.g., "Google cannot crawl or index any product pages, meaning they receive zero organic traffic from product keyword searches."]

How to fix it: [Specific, actionable steps. E.g., "Remove the Disallow: /products/ rule from robots.txt. Replace with more targeted blocks for admin routes: Disallow: /admin/ and Disallow: /wp-login. After updating, use GSC URL Inspection to request re-crawl of key product pages."]

Specialized skill: technical-seo Estimated effort: [Low / Medium / High] Estimated impact: [Low / Medium / High / Critical]

[Repeat for each Critical finding]

High Priority (Fix This Sprint)

[Check ID] - [Check Name]

Status: [FAIL / WARN]

What was found: [...]

Why it matters: [...]

How to fix it: [...]

Specialized skill: [skill-name] Estimated effort: [Low / Medium / High] Estimated impact: [Low / Medium / High / Critical]

[Repeat for each High priority finding]

Medium Priority (Fix This Quarter)

[Use the same entry format as above, but abbreviated descriptions are acceptable]

Low Priority (Backlog)

[Use a table format for efficiency:]

Check ID	Check Name	Status	Brief description	Skill
[O5]	Image alt text	WARN	[~50 images missing alt text on blog pages]	`on-site-seo`
...

4. Action Plan

Week 1 - Critical Issues

Task	Owner	Check ID	Skill
[Fix robots.txt to allow /products/]	[Developer]	T1	`technical-seo`
[Submit sitemap to GSC]	[SEO/Dev]	T2	`technical-seo`
[Resolve canonical loop on /blog/ pagination]	[Developer]	T3	`technical-seo`

Month 1 - High Priority Issues

Task	Owner	Check ID	Skill	Target date
[Fix Core Web Vitals on product template]	[Performance]	T7	`core-web-vitals`	[Date]
[Fix duplicate title tags on category pages]	[SEO]	O1	`on-site-seo`	[Date]
[Resolve cannibalization on [keyword]]	[Content]	C2	`content-seo`	[Date]

Quarter 1 - Medium Priority Issues

Task	Owner	Check ID	Skill	Target date
[Add author bios to all blog posts]	[Content]	C4	`content-seo`	[Date]
[Implement FAQ schema on /faq/ page]	[Developer]	A2	`schema-markup`	[Date]
[Build topic cluster for [primary topic]]	[Content]	C3	`content-seo`	[Date]

Backlog - Low Priority

[List remaining low-priority tasks or link to the issue tracker where they are filed]

5. Appendix

Tools Used in This Audit

Tool	Purpose	Notes
Google Search Console	Crawl errors, index status, Core Web Vitals (field data), links	Free; requires site ownership verification
Screaming Frog SEO Spider	Full site crawl, title/meta/heading analysis, redirect detection	Free up to 500 URLs; paid license for larger sites
PageSpeed Insights	Core Web Vitals lab + field data per URL	Free; powered by Lighthouse + CrUX
Ahrefs Site Explorer	Backlink profile, referring domains, anchor text, toxic links	Paid subscription required
Semrush Site Audit	Comprehensive technical and content audit	Paid subscription; has a limited free tier
Google Rich Results Test	Schema markup validation	Free
SSL Labs	HTTPS certificate and configuration audit	Free
Siteliner	Internal duplicate content detection	Free up to 250 pages
BrightLocal	NAP consistency and local citation audit	Paid; free trial available
Google Mobile-Friendly Test	Mobile usability validation	Free

Re-Audit Schedule

Audit type	Frequency	Next due date
Full 35-check audit	Quarterly	[Date + 90 days]
Quick 10-check health check	Monthly	[Date + 30 days]
Core Web Vitals spot check	Monthly	[Date + 30 days]
Backlink profile review	Monthly	[Date + 30 days]

GSC Access Required

Before the next audit, ensure the following GSC access is available:

Performance report (last 3 months, all pages)
Coverage report (indexed vs. not indexed breakdown)
Core Web Vitals report (field data)
Manual Actions report
Sitemaps report (submitted sitemaps and last read dates)
Links report (top linked pages and top linking sites)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is seo-audit?

How do I install seo-audit?

Run npx skills add AbsolutelySkilled/AbsolutelySkilled --skill seo-audit in your terminal. The skill will be immediately available in your AI coding agent.

What AI agents support seo-audit?

seo-audit works with claude-code, gemini-cli, openai-codex, mcp. Install it once and use it across any supported AI coding agent.