What is an SEO audit?
An SEO audit is a structured review of a website to find the technical, content, link and local issues that stop it ranking in Google, ranked by how much each one is costing in traffic and enquiries. A good audit explains what is wrong, shows the evidence, and says exactly how to fix it.
What does an SEO audit cover?
An SEO audit covers eight areas: crawling and indexing, page experience, search intent and content, quality and trust, on-page SEO, backlinks, local SEO and analytics.
| Area | What we check |
|---|---|
| Crawling and indexing | Index coverage in Google Search Console, excluded and duplicate pages, canonical tags, redirect chains, robots.txt, XML sitemaps, orphan pages |
| Page experience | Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS) from real Chrome user data, mobile rendering, HTTPS and mixed content, intrusive pop-ups |
| Search intent and content | Whether each page matches the intent behind its target searches, keyword cannibalisation, thin and duplicate pages, gaps your competitors cover |
| Quality and trust (E-E-A-T) | Evidence of experience and expertise, author and business information, reviews, case studies, scaled or AI-generated filler content |
| On-page SEO | Title tags, meta descriptions, heading structure, internal linking, image alt text, structured data (schema.org) |
| Backlinks | Referring domain quality, unnatural or paid link patterns, lost links, anchor text distribution |
| Local SEO | Google Business Profile, NAP citations, reviews, location pages |
| Analytics | GA4 and Search Console setup, conversion tracking for calls and forms |
Can an SEO audit find out why my rankings dropped?
Yes. A ranking drop audit identifies whether a loss of traffic was caused by a technical error, a Google algorithm update, a manual action or competitors. We line up your Search Console performance data against confirmed Google core and spam update dates to work out whether the drop was:
- Technical: a site migration, a broken robots.txt, a noindex left on after a redesign, a plugin update
- Algorithmic: a core update, a spam update, or the helpful content signals now folded into the core ranking systems
- A manual action: shown in Search Console under Security & Manual Actions
- Competitive: rivals improved, rather than your site getting worse
The fix is completely different in each case, so getting the diagnosis right matters more than anything else. Read our guide to why Manchester businesses drop in Google rankings.
What do you receive after an SEO audit?
You receive a written report with every issue, its evidence, its fix and its priority.
- A written report: each issue, the evidence, the fix and who should do it
- An impact and effort score for every issue, so you know what to tackle first
- Developer-ready tickets for technical fixes
- A 30-minute walkthrough call if you want one
Hand the report to your own developer or ask us to do the work. There is no obligation either way.
How much does an SEO audit cost in Manchester?
An SEO audit in Manchester costs between £300 and £2,500 depending on site size. Our summary audit is free, a full audit starts at £500, and a ranking drop recovery audit starts at £750.
| Free summary audit | Full SEO audit | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | From £500 |
| Turnaround | 2 working days | 5 to 7 working days |
| Scope | Top issues, key pages | Page by page, up to 200 pages |
| Competitor and link analysis | No | Yes |
| Walkthrough call | Optional | Included |
We audit sites for businesses across Manchester, Cheshire and the wider North West, and remotely anywhere in the UK. Request a free audit.
Questions
Asked and answered
How long does an SEO audit take?+
The free summary takes two working days. A full audit of a site with up to 200 pages takes five to seven working days.
Do you need access to my website?+
Read access to Google Search Console and Google Analytics makes the audit far more accurate. We do not need your website login.
How often should a website have an SEO audit?+
A full audit once a year, plus a focused check after any redesign, migration, platform change or sudden drop in traffic.
Do you audit websites in Cheshire?+
Yes. We regularly audit sites for businesses in Altrincham, Wilmslow, Knutsford, Macclesfield, Warrington and Chester.