SEO Audit Process
How we conduct an SEO audit at Quorix
The SEO audit is the core of our consulting work. Before we recommend any strategy or on-page changes, we need to understand exactly what is happening on your website. This page documents the step-by-step process we use, what we check, and what you receive at the end.
Step One
Setting up the crawl
We begin by running a full crawl of your website using a desktop crawler. This simulates how a search engine spider moves through your site — following links, reading markup, and recording what it finds at each URL. We configure the crawler to respect your robots.txt rules and to follow internal links the same way Googlebot does, so the crawl data mirrors what a search engine actually sees.
If your site is very large, we may run a targeted crawl on a specific subfolder or section instead of crawling every URL. This keeps the dataset manageable and lets us focus on the pages that matter most to your search visibility. We also request read access to your Google Search Console account so we can compare our crawl data with the data Google has about your site — impressions, clicks, and indexing status that a crawler alone cannot see.
What we need from you
- Read access to Google Search Console for the property being audited
- A list of any subfolders or sections you want prioritized
- Confirmation of your robots.txt rules so the crawl mirrors live bot behavior
The crawler follows internal links the same way a search engine spider would, building a map of every reachable URL on your site.
Step Two
Technical SEO analysis
Once the crawl is complete, we analyze the technical health of your site. We look for 404 error pages, 500-level server errors, and redirect chains that waste crawl budget. We check the implementation of canonical tags to ensure there are no conflicting signals, and we review XML sitemaps to make sure they only contain canonical, indexable URLs. If your site uses JavaScript for rendering content, we check whether that content is accessible to search engines without executing scripts. This phase identifies the technical barriers preventing proper indexing.
Server Errors
We identify 404 pages and 500-level server errors that block users and search engines from reaching content. Redirect chains are flagged because they burn crawl budget on hops that should be a single 301.
Canonical Tags
Conflicting canonical signals tell Google the wrong version of a page to index. We verify each canonical tag points to the correct URL and that no page sends mixed signals about its own canonical version.
JavaScript Rendering
If your site renders content through JavaScript, we test whether that content is visible to search engines without script execution. Content hidden behind a JS bundle that fails to render is content Google may never see.
Step Three
On-page and content review
After the technical review, we look at the content on your key pages. We check title tags to see if they contain target keywords and if they are under the 60-character limit so Google does not truncate them in search results. We review the H1 tags to ensure they match the title tags and accurately describe what the page is about.
We also look at the body content to see if it satisfies the search intent of the target query. If a page is targeting an informational keyword but only has a short product description, we flag it as a content mismatch — the page will not rank because it does not give searchers what they are looking for.
What we check on each key page
Title tags
Keyword presence, length under 60 characters, unique per page
H1 headings
Matches title tag intent, accurately describes the page topic
Body content
Depth matches search intent — informational queries need guides, not product blurbs
Content mismatches
Pages where the content type does not match what the target keyword's searchers expect
Step Four
Internal linking structure
Internal linking is a critical part of on-page SEO. We map the internal links pointing to your most important pages. If a high-priority landing page only has one internal link from a footer, it is not receiving enough link equity to compete for competitive keywords. We look for orphan pages — pages with no internal links pointing to them at all — which are effectively invisible to both users and search engines.
Link equity mapping
We trace how authority flows from your strongest pages to your target pages and identify where that flow is weak or missing.
Orphan page detection
Pages with zero internal links are flagged so you can connect them or remove them if they serve no purpose.
The deliverable for this step is a list of internal linking changes — such as adding contextual links from high-authority pages to target pages — that you or your development team can implement directly.
Step Five
Reviewing the backlink profile
We pull a list of referring domains to your website using third-party link index tools. We are not looking for link building opportunities in this phase — we are looking for toxic links that could be harming your rankings. We check for links from spammy directories, unrelated foreign websites, and obvious link networks. If we find a significant number of toxic links, we will recommend preparing a disavow file for submission to Google.
Spammy Directories
Low-quality directory sites that accept any submission and exist only to generate backlinks. These add no value and can drag down your profile.
Unrelated Foreign Sites
Links from websites in unrelated languages or regions with no topical relevance to your business. These look manipulative to search engines.
Link Networks
Groups of sites that exist solely to trade links and inflate referring domain counts. Google's algorithms target these patterns, and links from them carry penalty risk.
Step Six
Search Console data analysis
Google Search Console provides data directly from Google about how your site appears in search results. We analyze the queries your site is currently ranking for, the click-through rate of your top pages, and the average position of your target keywords. This data tells us what Google already thinks your site is about.
If you are ranking on page two for a high-value keyword, that page is a prime candidate for on-page optimization. A small improvement in content depth, title tag wording, or internal linking can move a page from position 12 to the first page — where the majority of clicks happen. Search Console data also reveals queries you are ranking for that you did not intentionally target, which can inform your content strategy.
Read SEO guidesData points we analyze
Query performance
Which search terms are driving impressions and clicks to your site
Click-through rate
How often searchers click your result when it appears — low CTR may signal weak titles
Average position
Where your pages rank for target keywords — page two results are optimization candidates
Indexing status
Which URLs Google has indexed and which are excluded — and why
Step Seven
Compiling the audit report
The final step is compiling all of this information into a single audit document. The report is organized by category — technical SEO, on-page elements, content, and internal links. Each issue is assigned a priority level so you know what to fix first. The report includes specific instructions on how to fix each issue, not just a list of problems.
High Priority
Issues that directly prevent indexing or harm rankings. These should be fixed first.
- 404 errors on important pages
- Missing canonical tags
- JavaScript-rendered content invisible to bots
Medium Priority
Issues that weaken rankings or create inefficiencies but do not block indexing outright.
- Redirect chains wasting crawl budget
- Orphan pages with no internal links
- Content mismatching search intent
Low Priority
Minor issues worth fixing for polish but unlikely to move rankings on their own.
- Title tags slightly too long
- Missing meta descriptions on secondary pages
- Inconsistent H1 wording across similar pages
Audit Questions
Frequently asked questions about the audit
How long does an SEO audit take?
The timeline depends on the size of your site. A crawl of a few hundred URLs can be completed and analyzed within a few days. Larger sites with thousands of pages take longer because the crawl itself needs more time, and the backlink and Search Console datasets are bigger. We will give you an estimated timeline after reviewing your site's size and structure.
Do I need to give you access to my website?
We need read access to your Google Search Console account so we can compare crawl data with Google's own data about your site. We do not need admin or edit access to your website itself. The crawl is run from our own crawler and does not require backend access. If your site sits behind a login or paywall, we will discuss options for crawling those sections.
What format is the audit report delivered in?
You receive the report as a PDF document organized by category — technical SEO, on-page elements, content, and internal links. Each issue includes a priority level and specific instructions for fixing it. The report is yours to keep regardless of whether you hire Quorix for implementation work afterward.
Can you fix the issues you find, or do you only audit?
Both options are available. If you have an in-house development team, they can use the report to fix the technical issues directly. If you want Quorix to handle the implementation, we can discuss a follow-up project based on the scope of the work identified in the audit. The audit itself is a standalone deliverable — there is no obligation to continue with implementation.
Does the audit include keyword research or content strategy?
The audit focuses on analyzing what already exists on your site — technical health, on-page elements, content quality, internal links, and backlink profile. Keyword research and content strategy are separate engagements. However, the Search Console data analysis step does reveal which queries you are already ranking for, which often informs where a content strategy should focus first.
Deliverables and Next Steps
Your audit report is yours to keep — whether or not you hire us for implementation.
When the audit is complete, you receive the report as a PDF document. If you have an in-house development team, they can use the report to fix the technical issues on their own schedule. If you want Quorix to handle the implementation, we can discuss a follow-up project based on the scope of the work. The audit report is yours to keep regardless of whether you hire us for further work.
Prefer to talk through the process first? Reach us at [email protected] or +1 (212) 555-0184, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET.