Rankings dropped and you don't know why
Common after migrations, redesigns, or Google updates. An SEO audit identifies the exact cause and provides a prioritised fix list.
SEO audit servicefrom a senior auditorwho actually fixes things.
A real SEO audit service covering technical SEO, schema, Core Web Vitals, content, and local SEO. Delivered as a prioritised action list, not a 60-page PDF nobody reads. Fixed-scope $1,500. Audit fee credited toward implementation if you come back. Better than any free SEO audit tool.
From $1,500 fixed-scope 5-day delivery Take-it-anywhere fix list
Tell us who you are
Just your name and email. 30 seconds.
Executive Summary
What is an SEO audit?
An SEO audit is a comprehensive review of a website's ability to rank in search engines. Quality SEO audit services cover five dimensions: technical SEO (schema, canonicals, sitemaps, robots.txt), on-page SEO (titles, meta, headings, internal linking), Core Web Vitals (Lighthouse, page speed, asset optimization), content (gap analysis vs competitors), and local SEO (GBP, citations, NAP, Local Pack composition). The output is a prioritised action list ranked by impact and effort, delivered as a written report you keep regardless of who implements.
What we audit
Twelve checks across five dimensions.
Technical, on-page, performance, content, and local. Each delivered with code-ready fix recommendations, not just warnings. Audit clients who want us to implement the findings can proceed directly to ongoing WordPress SEO services (the $1,500 audit fee credits toward implementation). Maryland businesses with Local Pack goals can combine the audit with our local SEO Maryland service.
01 Site crawl with full URL inventory and indexation status
02 Technical SEO audit: schema, canonicals, robots.txt, sitemap, hreflang
03 Core Web Vitals audit on top 10 pages (Lighthouse + field data)
04 Schema validation against Google Structured Data Testing tool
05 Title tag and meta description audit across the site
06 Heading hierarchy and on-page content structure
07 Internal linking strategy and topical authority gaps
08 Image optimization, alt text, and page weight analysis
09 Local SEO audit: GBP, citations, NAP consistency, Local Pack
10 Content gap analysis vs top SERP competitors
11 Backlink profile review and toxic link check
12 Search Console performance data and ranking baseline
Three tiers
Three SEO audit packages.
Each tier is fixed-scope, documented in a PDF, and held at the stated price for 30 days after the discovery call.
Most chosen Standard $1,500 5-7 business days
Comprehensive SEO audit covering technical, on-page, schema, performance, and content. Delivered as a prioritised action list.
Fits
Book Standard Technical $2,500 7-10 business days - Sites under 200 pages
- First SEO audit
- Pre-redesign baseline
Deep technical SEO audit with site crawl analysis, schema deep-dive, Core Web Vitals on every key page, log file review.
Fits
Book Technical Enterprise From $4,500 2-3 weeks - Sites 200-2,000 pages
- Migration prep
- Lost-rankings diagnosis
Enterprise audit for large sites: multi-language, multi-region, complex catalogs, log files, and JS rendering deep-dives.
Fits
Book Enterprise - Sites 2,000+ pages
- International / multi-language
- Complex JS frameworks
When you need one
Six signals your site needs an SEO audit.
Site looks great, ranks for nothing
Beautiful design, empty Search Console. Almost always means missing schema, weak Core Web Vitals, or no internal linking strategy.
Pre-redesign / pre-migration baseline
Before redesigning or migrating, audit the existing site so you can validate post-launch that you didn't lose anything.
Inheriting a site from another developer
If the previous developer skipped schema, broke redirects, or shipped 40+ active plugins, an audit surfaces what needs fixing first.
Local Pack rankings disappeared
Local SEO audit checks GBP, citations, NAP consistency, schema, and local landing pages to identify why you fell out.
You want a take-it-anywhere fix list
Sometimes you don't want a full implementation engagement. The audit alone gives you a prioritised list any developer can execute.
Paid vs free SEO audits
What a paid SEO audit covers that free SEO audit tools skip.
| Audit dimension | Free SEO audit tool | Paid audit |
|---|---|---|
| Depth | Plugin scan: 10-20 surface-level checks | Senior auditor: 100+ checks across 5 dimensions |
| Schema | Generic warnings, no fix recommendations | Validated against vertical-specific requirements with code-ready fixes |
| Performance | Single Lighthouse score reproduced | Lighthouse + field data + image and asset audit on top 10 pages |
| Content + content gap | Skipped entirely | Top SERP competitor analysis + gap inventory |
| Action list | PDF list ranked by automation, not impact | Prioritised by impact x effort with implementation notes |
| Local SEO | Skipped or generic | GBP, citations, NAP, Local Pack composition fully audited |
SEO audit FAQ
Seven questions before you book.
01 What is an SEO audit?
An SEO audit is a comprehensive review of a website's ability to rank in search engines. A quality SEO audit covers five dimensions: technical SEO (schema, canonicals, sitemaps, robots.txt), on-page SEO (titles, meta, headings, internal linking), Core Web Vitals (Lighthouse, page speed, image optimization), content (gap analysis vs competitors), and local SEO (GBP, citations, NAP consistency). The output is a prioritised action list ranked by impact and effort.
02 How much does an SEO audit cost?
Quality SEO audit services run $1,500 to $5,000+ depending on site size and complexity. Standard audits for sites under 200 pages run $1,500-$2,500. Technical audits with deep crawl analysis on sites 200-2,000 pages run $2,500-$4,500. Enterprise audits for sites with 2,000+ pages, multiple languages, or complex JS frameworks start at $4,500. Hourly SEO consultant rates run $80-$300/hr; the better firms have moved to fixed-scope.
03 Are free SEO audits worth anything?
Free SEO audits are usually plugin scans (Ubersuggest, Neil Patel, SEMrush free tier, HubSpot Website Grader) that surface 10-20 surface-level checks. They identify obvious issues like missing meta descriptions or broken canonicals but skip the things that actually move rankings: schema architecture, Core Web Vitals deep-dive, content gaps, internal linking strategy, and Local Pack composition. Useful as a free starting point. Not a substitute for a real audit.
04 What's the difference between a technical SEO audit and a regular SEO audit?
A regular SEO audit covers all five dimensions (technical, on-page, performance, content, local) at sufficient depth. A technical SEO audit focuses just on the technical layer: deep crawl analysis, server log review, schema deep-dive, JavaScript rendering analysis, hreflang validation, redirect chain analysis. Technical audits are typically commissioned when a site has dropped rankings and the owner suspects technical issues, not content issues.
05 How long does an SEO audit take?
Standard audits take 5-7 business days from kickoff to delivery. Technical audits take 7-10 business days. Enterprise audits take 2-3 weeks. The variable is site size: a 50-page site can be fully audited in 3 days; a 5,000-page enterprise site with multi-language requires significantly more crawl time and analysis. We commit to a delivery date in the SOW; if we miss it, we credit 10% of the audit fee.
06 Do I have to implement the audit findings with you?
No. The audit is a standalone deliverable: a written report with prioritised action items you can take to any developer. We sell the audit at $1,500 specifically as a take-it-anywhere starting point. If you do want us to implement, the $1,500 audit fee is credited toward the implementation engagement (Standard SEO services start at $3,500). About 60% of audit clients return for implementation; 40% take the report to their existing team.
07 Can you audit a WordPress site specifically?
Yes. WordPress SEO audits are a significant portion of our audit work. We dive deeper on WordPress-specific issues: plugin bloat, theme schema gaps, RankMath / Yoast configuration, custom post type SEO, page builder code soup, and WooCommerce schema if applicable. WordPress SEO audits are scoped at the same $1,500 standard rate; if your site has more than 200 pages or complex WooCommerce, we'll quote the Technical or Enterprise tier.