Are you a business owner in Singapore who is puzzled about why your website isn’t appearing on Google? You’ve put a lot of effort into creating a great site and writing quality content, but the traffic simply isn’t coming. This is a common issue, and often the solution lies in a detailed SEO audit.
Think of your website like a physical store. An SEO audit serves as a thorough check-up of that store, inspecting the windows for smudges, the shelves for dust, and the inventory for what’s selling well and what’s not. This process is not just technical; it’s a strategic look into the health and performance of your online presence. The best part is, you can handle a big part of this on your own.
This guide offers a practical step-by-step DIY SEO audit checklist tailored for businesses in Singapore. We’ll go deeper than just the basics, examining the key areas you need to inspect in order to identify and resolve the issues affecting your search rankings. This is your personal SEO checklist to get your website back on track.
The Foundation: A Technical SEO Health Check
Before discussing keywords and content, we must make sure your site’s foundation is strong. Without a solid technical structure, all your other SEO efforts will struggle. This is the foundation of any website audit.
What to Inspect:
- Crawlability and Indexability: Can search engines like Google find and read your pages? Use Google Search Console to check your “Index Coverage Report.” Look for errors, warnings, and a low number of indexed pages. Aim for all important pages on your site to be indexed.
- Site Speed: In a fast-paced market like Singapore, users expect a quick experience. Google penalizes slow websites. Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to check your performance. Pay attention to both mobile and desktop scores.
- Mobile-Friendliness: Most web traffic in Singapore comes from mobile devices. Is your site responsive? Does it look and operate well on a smartphone? Google Search Console’s “Mobile Usability” report is a helpful resource here.
- Site Security (HTTPS): Is your website secure? The URL should start with https://. If it doesn’t, you need to make that change. This is essential for ranking.
- URL Structure: Are your URLs clean and descriptive? A URL like yourwebsite.sg/services/seo-services/ is better for both users and search engines than yourwebsite.sg/p?id=123.
Actionable Advice:
- Prioritize Fixes: Don’t feel overwhelmed. Start with the biggest issues first. Fixing a slow site or a non-mobile-friendly design should be your top priority.
- Use Free Tools: Google Search Console and PageSpeed Insights are invaluable resources. Check these tools monthly to stay updated on any new issues.
- Talk to Your Developer: If you’re not tech-savvy, bring in your developer. Give them a list of issues and ask them to fix them. A strong technical foundation is vital for any effective SEO audit.
The Content and Keyword Performance Review
Now that your site is technically sound, let’s focus on the content. This is crucial for attracting your ideal customer. An SEO audit for a Singapore business should emphasize local relevance.
What to Inspect:
- Keyword Performance: Are you ranking for the keywords you believe you are? Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or even Google Search Console to see which keywords are bringing traffic to your site. Are these the right keywords?
- Content Relevance and Quality: Is your content genuinely helpful and thorough? A 300-word blog post that barely scratches the surface cannot compete with a 1,500-word guide from a competitor. Review each of your top pages. Is the content current? Does it address your audience’s questions?
- On-Page Optimization: For each key page, are you naturally using your target keywords in the title tag, meta description, and headings (H1, H2, etc.)? Are your images optimized with descriptive alt-text?
Actionable Advice:
- Create a Keyword Map: For your most important pages, create a simple spreadsheet. Include the URL, the target keyword, and a few secondary keywords. This will help you spot gaps and opportunities.
- Go Deeper, Not Wider: Instead of producing several mediocre articles, focus on creating one or two exceptional, comprehensive pieces of content. This is important for any SEO guide.
- Refresh Old Content: Don’t let your outdated blog posts fall by the wayside. Update them with new information, add sections, and re-optimize them. This approach is low-effort but high-impact.
The Backlink Profile Analysis
Backlinks serve as votes of confidence from other websites. The more high-quality, relevant sites that link to you, the more authority and trust Google places in your site. However, bad backlinks can hurt you, making this an essential component of an SEO audit.
What to Inspect:
- Number of Backlinks: How many websites link to you? More isn’t always better; quality matters.
- Quality of Backlinks: Do the links come from reputable, relevant sites? A link from a major news source in Singapore is more valuable than a link from a low-quality, spammy directory.
- Toxic Backlinks: Do you have links from spammy, irrelevant, or potentially harmful websites? These are called “toxic” or “unnatural” backlinks and can severely damage your rankings. Use tools like SEMrush’s Backlink Audit or Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to find and disavow them.
Actionable Advice:
- Clean Up Your Profile: If you find toxic backlinks, use Google’s Disavow Tool to ask Google to ignore them. This is crucial for maintaining your site’s health.
- Identify Competitor Links: Look at where your competitors are getting their links. This can reveal new opportunities for building links.
- Focus on Quality, Not Quantity: Moving forward, prioritize earning high-quality backlinks through genuine relationships and valuable content.
The Competitor Analysis
You’re not operating in isolation. Understanding your rivals is essential for gaining a competitive edge. An SEO competitor analysis is a powerful tool to uncover opportunities and learn from their mistakes.
What to Inspect:
- Top Ranking Keywords: What keywords are your leading competitors ranking for? Are there any that they rank for that you don’t? This can spark new content ideas.
- Website Structure: How is their website set up? Do they have a blog or a resource section? How is their navigation organized?
- Backlink Sources: As mentioned earlier, where do they get their links? This is valuable for your link-building strategy.
- Content Strategy: What kind of content are they creating? Are they producing long guides, hosting webinars, or making videos?
Actionable Advice:
- Build a Competitor Spreadsheet: Choose 3-5 of your top competitors and create a simple spreadsheet to track their performance. This will help you see trends and opportunities easily.
- Don’t Just Copy, Improve: Avoid simply imitating what they do. Use their strategies for inspiration and aim to create something even better. If they have a blog post on “Best Local SEO Tips,” create a definitive guide that’s longer and more detailed.
- Identify Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP): After analyzing your competition, determine what makes you different. Ensure your website and SEO strategy emphasize this difference, especially for small businesses in Singapore where you need to stand out.
Your Next Steps
Completing this DIY SEO audit is a major accomplishment. You’ve gone from uncertainty to having a clear, actionable plan. You’ve identified the technical issues holding you back, found content opportunities, cleaned your backlink profile, and gained insights from your competitors.
Remember, SEO isn’t a one-time task; it’s a continual effort. Use this checklist as your guide for regular checks. By systematically addressing these four key areas, you’re not only boosting your search rankings but also building a healthier online presence that will drive lasting growth for your Singapore-based business.
So, what are you waiting for? Start your audit today. Your business will appreciate it.
