If your website isn’t showing up on Google, loading slowly, or just not bringing in the leads you expected, a website audit is where you start.
It’s a full health check that shows what’s working, what’s broken, and what needs fixing.
SEO, content, speed, structure, errors, it’s all covered.
At its core, a website audit helps answer one simple question:
“Why isn’t my website performing as well as it should?”
Let’s break down exactly what’s involved, and whether you actually need one.
So… What Is A Website Audit?
A website audit is a detailed analysis of your website’s performance.
It checks how well your site is built, how it appears to search engines, and how users experience it.
Think of it like an MOT for your site.
It doesn’t just spot problems, it helps you improve speed, visibility, and conversions.
At Surge, we use tools like Semrush to run in-depth audits and break everything down into three key areas:
1. SEO Audit
(How visible is your site to Google?)
This part of the audit checks all the on-page SEO elements that help your site rank:
Metadata (page titles and descriptions)
Headings (H1s, H2s, etc.)
Alt text (for images)
Page speed and Core Web Vitals
Broken internal links
Indexing and crawlability issues
Basically, it checks whether Google can read your site properly, and whether anything’s holding it back from ranking.
2. Technical Audit
(How well is your site built behind the scenes?)
This bit looks at how your site functions technically:
Broken links and 404 errors
Redirect chains
HTTPS setup (site security)
Canonical tags (to avoid duplicate content)
robots.txt and XML sitemap setup
Mobile-friendliness
Structured data
If the foundations are shaky, Google won’t trust the site, and users might not either.
3. Content Audit
(Is your content helping or hurting your SEO?)
Google now prioritises helpful, original content. This part of the audit checks:
Duplicate content (which can hurt rankings)
Thin content (pages with little useful info)
Outdated content (which can mislead users)
Topical authority (how relevant your content is to your niche)
If your content is weak, repetitive, or no longer relevant, your rankings will reflect it.
What Does the Audit Actually Give You?
Once the audit runs, you’ll usually get a report that:
Flags all issues as Errors (high), Warnings (medium), or Notices (low)
Assigns a health score out of 100 (we aim for 92+)
Highlights opportunities to improve
Gives you a prioritised to-do list of what to fix
It’s not about fixing what’s broken, it’s about seeing where you can grow.
Do I Really Need One?
If your website isn’t:
Showing up on Google
Getting much traffic
Converting visitors into leads or customers
Or just feels outdated…
Then yes, an audit is probably worth doing. It shows you what’s wrong and what to do about it.
If your site is brand new and working well, maybe not yet, but regular audits are still worth doing once or twice a year, especially as search engine algorithms and user expectations evolve.
Can I Do It Myself or Should I Hire Someone?
DIY Pros:
Cheaper (or free)
Good for learning the basics
Fine for small sites or fixes
DIY Cons:
Easy to miss deeper issues
No access to premium SEO tools
Might cause more harm than good if you’re not sure what you're changing
Pro Audit Pros:
In-depth analysis using advanced tools
Comes with recommendations and strategy
Follows current best practices (no guesswork)
Saves time and stress
Pro Audit Cons:
Not free
Quality can vary, some agencies still use outdated “black hat” techniques (we don’t)
Final Word
A website audit isn’t about ticking a box.
It’s about finding out why your site isn’t doing what you hoped, and then doing something about it.
It gives you clarity, direction, and a roadmap for improvement.
At Surge, we do audits every week.
If you’re curious what yours would reveal, or want to know if it’s even worth doing, just drop us a message.
We’ll tell you straight.