Introduction: Why This SEO Audit Was Assigned
I was shortlisted for the SEO Expert role at Devsinc, a global software development company, and as part of the evaluation process, I was assigned a comprehensive SEO audit of their website.
The goal was not just to highlight issues but to diagnose the root causes behind declining organic visibility and present a clear, actionable SEO roadmap aligned with business growth. This audit reflects how I deliver professional SEO audit services for enterprise and high-growth companies.
My SEO Audit Methodology (How I Approach SEO Audits)
As an SEO audit expert, I follow a structured, priority-based audit framework rather than relying on generic checklists.
My SEO audit process includes:
- Indexation & Crawlability Review – Can search engines access and index the site properly?
- Technical SEO Analysis – Identifying errors that block performance
- Performance & Core Web Vitals Audit – Speed, UX, and engagement signals
- On-Page SEO & Content Evaluation – Relevance, intent, and optimization
- Backlink & Authority Audit – Risk assessment and growth potential
- CRO & UX Audit – Turning traffic into conversions
- Analytics & Tracking Validation – Ensuring data accuracy
This approach ensures that SEO audit services lead to real improvements, not just reports.
Organic Performance & Visibility Decline Analysis
During the initial domain overview, the website showed a 42% drop in organic traffic, beginning around February 2023.
Key warning signs included:
- Loss of previously ranking keywords
- Significant drop in indexed pages
- Declining impressions and clicks in organic search
Such a sudden decline typically points to technical-level SEO issues, which required immediate investigation.
Technical SEO Audit: Indexation & Crawlability
Critical Discovery: Noindex, Nofollow Tag
The most severe issue identified during the audit was the presence of a global noindex, nofollow meta tag.
This configuration:
- Prevented search engines from indexing the website
- Blocked crawlers from following internal links
- Rendered all SEO efforts ineffective
This single issue fully explained the traffic collapse and keyword disappearance.
SEO Audit Expert Recommendation:
Immediately remove the noindex directive and allow search engines to crawl and index the site.
Crawl Budget & Index Coverage Analysis
Further crawl analysis revealed:
- Pages excluded from indexing
- Inefficient internal linking
- Important pages receiving low crawl priority
For enterprise websites, crawl budget mismanagement can limit ranking scalability.
Recommendation:
Improve crawl efficiency by optimizing internal linking, fixing redirects, and prioritizing high-value pages.
Site Speed & Core Web Vitals Audit
Page speed testing across mobile and desktop showed performance bottlenecks affecting both SEO and user experience.
Issues identified:
- Large, uncompressed images
- Render-blocking resources
- Delayed Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
Why this matters:
- Page speed is a confirmed Google ranking factor
- Slow sites experience higher bounce rates
- Poor UX directly impacts conversions
SEO Audit Services Recommendation:
Optimize images, defer unused scripts, and improve server response times to meet Core Web Vitals thresholds.
URL Structure & Technical Consistency
The audit identified URL-level inconsistencies, including:
- Use of underscores instead of hyphens
- Non-descriptive URL strings
- Lack of keyword clarity
Such structures reduce crawl efficiency and user trust.
Recommendation:
Standardize URLs using SEO-friendly formats that improve readability and keyword relevance.
Image Optimization & Accessibility Audit
Images across the site lacked proper optimization.
Key issues:
- Missing alt text
- Oversized image files
- SVG assets without descriptive attributes
This impacted:
- Accessibility compliance
- Image search visibility
- Page speed performance
Recommendation:
Add descriptive alt attributes and compress images to balance performance and quality.
Mobile Usability & UX Evaluation
While the site passed Google’s mobile-friendly test, deeper analysis revealed UX friction points:
- Small tap targets
- Font size inconsistencies
- Layout spacing issues
Mobile-first indexing makes UX optimization essential.
Recommendation:
Improve mobile usability to reduce bounce rates and increase engagement.
Security, Trust & Compliance Audit
Although SSL was implemented, the audit found trust gaps:
- Missing HSTS security headers
- No Privacy Policy or Terms & Conditions pages
From an SEO and CRO perspective, trust signals directly influence user behavior and conversions.
Recommendation:
Implement security headers and legal pages to strengthen trust and compliance.
On-Page SEO & Content Audit
Meta Data & Heading Structure
Issues included:
- Missing or unoptimized meta titles and descriptions
- Headings not aligned with keyword intent
- Weak H2 and H3 hierarchy
This reduced page relevance and click-through potential.
Content Quality & Keyword Intent
The homepage targeted keywords with low search volume, while higher-intent keywords were ignored.
Content gaps identified:
- Lack of keyword-to-page mapping
- Thin informational content
- No topical authority structure
SEO Audit Expert Recommendation:
Rebuild content strategy around high-intent keywords supported by clear page ownership.
Backlink Profile & Authority Audit
The backlink analysis revealed:
- Loss of over 100 backlinks
- Heavy reliance on low-authority domains
- Poor anchor text distribution
- Limited follow links
These factors weakened domain authority and ranking stability.
Recommendation:
Clean toxic links and build high-quality backlinks from relevant, authoritative sources.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Audit
SEO traffic without conversions limits ROI.
CRO gaps identified:
- Weak or unclear CTAs
- Lack of social proof
- No live chat or engagement triggers
- High bounce-rate landing pages
CRO-Focused SEO Recommendation:
Improve page speed, CTA placement, trust elements, and engagement tools to maximize conversions.
Analytics & Tracking Validation
Due to crawl restrictions, analytics tools were not tracking data accurately.
Issues included:
- Incomplete organic traffic data
- Missing conversion insights
- Poor performance measurement
Recommendation:
Restore crawl access first, then validate GA and GSC tracking to measure SEO impact properly.
SEO Audit Recommendations Summary
This SEO audit focused on:
- Restoring indexation and crawlability
- Improving technical SEO health
- Aligning content with real search demand
- Strengthening authority and backlinks
- Enhancing UX and conversions
This reflects how I deliver SEO audit services that drive business outcomes, not just reports.
Why This SEO Audit Case Study Matters
If your website is:
- Losing rankings unexpectedly
- Struggling to get indexed
- Not converting organic traffic
- Experiencing unexplained traffic drops
You may be facing hidden technical or structural issues similar to those uncovered in this audit.
Need SEO Audit Services from an Expert?
If you’re looking for:
- A deep, actionable SEO audit
- Clear prioritization instead of generic checklists
- Insights from an experienced SEO audit expert
Let’s audit your website and uncover what’s holding it back.
Get professional SEO audit services tailored to your business.
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