What a modern website audit must cover
In 2026 a useful audit is evidence-based: live HTTP status, crawl access, indexability, Core Web Vitals from real users, on-page SEO basics, and a short list of fixes ordered by impact.
Skip tools that only dump hundreds of warnings. Start with whether Google can crawl and index the page, whether visitors experience a fast and stable load, and whether the page matches search intent.
30-minute triage checklist
1. HTTPS and redirect hygiene — one preferred host, no long redirect chains.
2. robots.txt allows important paths; Sitemap: points to a valid XML sitemap.
3. Canonical tags are self-referencing on key templates.
4. Title and meta description are unique and intent-aligned.
5. Mobile viewport is present; primary CTA is usable on a phone.
6. Core Web Vitals: check Search Console field data, then PageSpeed Insights for diagnosis.
7. Screenshot or visual history — catch layout regressions between releases.
Prioritize like a product team
Label findings P0–P3. P0 blocks indexing or conversions (noindex by mistake, checkout broken, LCP catastrophic). P1 hurts rankings or trust (CWV poor on money pages, missing HTTPS). P2–P3 are polish.
AuditHQ is built around this loop: scheduled measurements, competitor deltas, and ranked recommendations so you fix what moves the needle first.
How often should you re-audit?
After every major release, and on a standing cadence (weekly or monthly) so regressions show up in history instead of in a panicked fire drill.
Keep screenshots and scores over time — a single lab run without history cannot tell you whether last week’s deploy helped or hurt.