A technical audit is essential for understanding the SEO health of a website. Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a highly popular tool used for this purpose. It crawls websites and provides valuable insights into various technical SEO aspects.
Download and Install Screaming Frog: Ensure you have the latest version of Screaming Frog SEO Spider. It's available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux.
Basic Configuration: Before starting the crawl, configure the tool according to your requirements. You can set up crawl limits, exclude certain URLs, configure user agents, and set custom headers if necessary.
Enter the Website URL: Launch Screaming Frog and enter the URL of the website you want to audit.
Start the Crawl: Click ‘Start’ to initiate the crawl. The tool will begin to explore all accessible pages on the website.
Monitor Crawl Progress: Keep an eye on the crawl progress. Check for crawl stats like the number of pages crawled, crawl speed, and any encountered errors.
Response Codes: Check for 4xx and 5xx status codes that indicate broken links or server errors.
Page Titles and Meta Descriptions: Review page titles and meta descriptions for length, duplicates, and relevance.
URL Structure: Analyze the URL structure for consistency and format. Look for overly long URLs or ones that are not SEO-friendly.
Duplicate Content: Identify duplicate pages or content issues.
H1 and H2 Tags: Ensure that each page has a unique H1 tag and appropriate H2 tags.
Images and Alt Text: Check for missing alt text and oversized images that could slow down page loading times.
Directives and Canonical Tags: Review robots.txt, meta robots, and canonical tags to ensure proper page indexing.
Internal and External Links: Analyze internal linking structure and identify any broken external links.
Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure that the website is mobile-friendly, as this is crucial for modern SEO.
Page Speed: Analyze page load times, as speed is a critical factor in user experience and SEO.
Structured Data: Check for the correct implementation of structured data (like Schema.org).
Export the Data: Screaming Frog allows you to export crawl data into Excel for deeper analysis.
Create an Audit Report: Organize the findings into a report, highlighting key issues and providing recommendations.
Plan for Fixes: Prioritize the issues based on their impact and plan for the necessary fixes.
Running a technical audit with Screaming Frog is a comprehensive way to uncover and rectify SEO issues on a website. Regular audits are recommended to maintain optimal website health and performance.
Since tools and best practices in SEO are constantly evolving, it's advisable to stay updated with Screaming Frog's latest updates and educational resources. Additionally, participating in SEO forums and following industry blogs can provide valuable insights and tips.