Unveiling SEO Analysis: A Comprehensive Guide

The importance of post-campaign analysis in SEO cannot be overstated. Once the initial strategies are implemented, it’s easy to assume the work is done. However, without a thorough SEO site analysis, you risk missing out on valuable insights that could enhance your campaign’s success.  

Believe it or not, Google runs around 99,000 search queries per second. This adds up to 8.5 billion searches per day in every part of the world. If your website isn’t optimized for organic Google search, you’re missing out and need to design an SEO strategy as soon as possible. 

This guide will walk you through the essentials of SEO website analysis, demonstrating how it can help you achieve better results, outpace competitors, and showcase your agency’s expertise. 

What is an SEO Analysis? 

SEO analysis is a thorough review of your client’s search engine optimization efforts to ensure they are 0effective and identify areas for improvement. It focuses on several key aspects: 

• On-page SEO: This involves evaluating internal website factors that can be optimized directly to boost search engine rankings. Key elements include meta tags, page structure, internal linking, and content quality. 
• Off-page SEO: This looks at activities outside the website that affect search rankings, such as building backlinks and guest blogging. 
• Technical SEO: This assesses the website’s backend, code, and overall structure to identify technical issues that could impact search engine performance. 

Mastering SEO analysis helps improve search rankings and drive more traffic by targeting top spots on search engine results pages, where click-through rates are highest. 

Importance of SEO Analysis 

SEO analysis is essential for maintaining and improving a website’s search engine performance. It provides valuable insights into various aspects of SEO, helping to refine strategies and drive better results.  

1. Monitors Website Performance 

Regular SEO analysis helps track how well a website is performing in search engine rankings. It monitors key metrics such as: 

• Traffic volume 
• Bounce rates 
• Conversion rates 

This ongoing evaluation allows for timely interventions to enhance overall performance and ensure that SEO efforts are aligned with business goals. 

2. Measures Content Traction 

SEO analysis assesses which pieces of content attract the most visitors, engage users, and drive conversions. Understanding content traction helps in refining your content strategy, making sure that future posts are more targeted and effective in capturing audience interest and boosting search rankings. 

3. Evaluates Your Client’s Backlink Profile 

Backlinks play a significant role in SEO by enhancing a site’s authority and credibility. SEO analysis involves evaluating the quality and quantity of backlinks pointing to your client’s website.  

By identifying strong and weak backlinks, you can develop strategies to build high-quality links, improve the site’s authority, and enhance search engine visibility. 

4. Identifies Technical SEO Issues 

Technical issues can hinder a website’s ability to rank well on search engines. SEO analysis helps in identifying and addressing technical problems such as slow page load times, broken links, and crawl errors.  

By resolving these issues, you improve the website’s performance and ensure that search engines can effectively index and rank the site. 

4 Essential Types of SEO Analysis and How to Conduct Each One Effectively 

To achieve optimal search engine rankings and drive significant organic traffic, you must understand and implement various types of SEO analysis. Each type focuses on different aspects of your website’s performance and effectiveness. 

5. SEO Content Analysis 

SEO content analysis is crucial for evaluating how well your content performs in search engine results. This process helps ensure that your content not only attracts visitors but also meets their needs and supports your overall SEO strategy. Here’s what to focus on during an SEO content analysis: 

How SEO-Friendly Is Your Writing? 

Optimizing your content for SEO can be challenging but focusing on a few key areas can help improve your rankings. Consider the following: 

• Search Intent: Make sure your content matches what users are looking for. 
• Keywords: Use the right primary and secondary keywords in your headings and meta tags. 
• Answering Questions: Address the questions your audience is asking. 
• Relevance: Cover all relevant topics thoroughly. 
• Readability: Ensure your content is easy to read and understand. 
• Length: Write content that is appropriately detailed without being too long or too short. 

If you already have a lot of content on your site, start by reviewing and updating existing articles. Often, you can find quick improvements by optimizing and refreshing old pages. 

How Well Does Your Content Convert Traffic? 

Even if your content is well-written, well-researched, and engaging, it’s not enough if it doesn’t drive conversions and generate revenue. Conversions refer to actions you want users to take after visiting your site, such as: 

• Signing up for a free trial 
• Making an e-commerce purchase 
• Downloading a lead magnet 
• Registering for an event 
• Filling out a contact form 

To measure how well your content converts, set up Goals in Google Analytics. This will help you track these key actions and see which pages are performing well and which aren’t. Look at pages with high traffic but low conversions to identify areas for improvement. 

Check if Any of Your Older Content Is Losing Traffic 

As you add more content, older posts might start losing traffic. This is known as content decay. To prevent this from hurting your website’s performance, you need to keep an eye on your older content. You can do this manually by reviewing your Google Analytics or Search Console data.  

Alternatively, use a tool that connects with Search Console to automatically find posts with declining traffic over the past month, three months, six months, or a year. The tool will show you how much traffic has dropped, helping you decide which content to update first. 

Which Keywords Does Your Site Not Yet Rank for in Google? 

SEO content analysis isn’t just about what content you have, but also about what you’re missing. Keyword research helps identify new search terms that your target audience is using but that your site isn’t yet ranking for. This is a key part of improving your SEO and content strategy. 

While detailed keyword research is beyond the scope of this article, tools like Ahrefs or KWFinder can help. You can also explore your Search Console impressions and PPC data to find these valuable keywords. 

6. Technical SEO Analysis 

Technical SEO focuses on ensuring that your website meets the technical requirements set by search engines, which is crucial for achieving high rankings and good visibility.  

The goal of a technical SEO analysis is to make sure that nothing hinders search engine crawlers from crawling, indexing, and navigating your site. 

Ensure That Your Website Can Be Crawled 

The first step is to make sure search engines can crawl your website. If search engines can’t access your pages, they won’t be able to index your great content. Check your site’s robots.txt file, which controls how search engines can access your site. 

Make Sure Your Pages Are Indexed 

Next, check if your pages are being indexed by search engines. Just because your pages are crawled doesn’t mean they’re automatically indexed. Use the Search Console’s Coverage report to see which pages are not indexed.  

Click on the ‘Excluded’ tab to find pages that Google knows about but hasn’t indexed. Some exclusions are intentional, like pages with a noindex tag, but others might not be. 

Common reasons for not indexing include: 

• Duplicate content 
• Security issues 
• Google considering the page ‘low quality’ 

Identifying and fixing these issues helps ensure all your important pages are indexed and visible in search results. 

Core Web Vitals 

Core Web Vitals are important metrics for Google that show how well your web pages provide a good user experience. They include: 

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): How quickly the main content loads. 
• First Input Delay (FID): How fast the site responds to user interactions. 
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): How stable the page layout is as it loads. 

You can check these metrics and see your scores in the Search Console. 

Look for Duplicate Content 

Check for duplicate content on your site using tools like Ahrefs Site Audit. While duplicate content usually doesn’t lead to penalties, it can cause indexing problems. Search engines prefer unique content, so having multiple pages with the same information can confuse them. 

Manage Redirects and Status Codes 

When you visit a web page, your browser gets a response from the server, known as a status code. Common codes include 301 (redirect), 404 (not found), and 200 (success). These codes are important for both technical SEO and user experience. 

As your website grows, managing these status codes becomes crucial. Regular SEO checks can help you find and address any broken pages. Make sure to review these pages and decide how to handle them to keep your site running smoothly. 

7. Backlink Profile Analysis 

Backlink analysis involves checking all the links pointing to your website. The goal is to: 

• Identify any harmful or low-quality links 
• Understand why and when people link to your content 
• Discover new opportunities for building more backlinks 

You’ll need a backlink monitoring tool for this, which many all-in-one SEO tools include. Tools like Ahrefs Site Explorer can help you find and analyze your backlinks. Just enter your URL and click on ‘Backlinks’ in the sidebar to get started. 

Anchor Texts 

Anchor text, the clickable part of a link, is key here. For example, if you’re aiming to rank for the keyword “plumber in Chicago,” using that exact phrase for every backlink can seem suspicious and might lead to penalties. Instead, use a variety of anchor texts to make your links appear more natural. 

Relevance 

The relevance of a backlink is more important than its quantity. According to Google’s John Mueller, a single relevant link can be more valuable than many irrelevant ones. To assess relevance, look at the keywords the linking site ranks for.  

For example, if you’re getting links to a page about SEO tools, a link from a site that ranks for related keywords like ‘backlink monitoring’ or ‘on-page SEO’ is highly valuable. 

Authority and Traffic 

Ahrefs’ Backlinks report shows the Domain Rating (DR) and organic traffic for each referring page, helping you quickly gauge the quality of your links. Your website’s own Domain Rating indicates the overall strength of your backlink profile, with 0 being the weakest and 100 being the strongest. 

Low authority and traffic don’t necessarily mean a link is bad. Use this step to identify the most authoritative sites linking to you and understand their focus. Are they linking to your resource pages, free tools, or how-to articles? This insight can guide your link-building strategy. 

Consider Using a Disavow File 

A disavow file is a .txt file you can submit to Google to ignore certain links pointing to your site. It’s useful if your site has received a penalty for bad or paid links. In my experience, disavow files aren’t needed often. Google generally does a good job of filtering out spammy links on its own. 

Look for Lost Backlinks 

Ahrefs has a Lost Backlinks report that notifies you when other sites remove links to your site. This information is useful because you might be able to recover those lost links. 

For instance, if someone cited your data in their article but later switched to a different source, you can use this info to either try to get the link back or update your content to prevent more losses. 

8. Competitor SEO Analysis 

Competitor SEO analysis involves examining how your top competitors attract organic traffic. This helps you understand: 

• What type of content they’re publishing 
• Which pages and keywords bring them the most traffic 
• How they build backlinks and where they get them 
• The strength of their backlink profile and how difficult it might be to compete 

Looking at your competitors’ SEO strategies can provide valuable insights and new ideas. If you haven’t already identified your competitors, start there first. Then, focus on these key areas to learn from their successes and improve your own SEO approach. 

Top Pages 

To find your competitor’s top-performing pages, enter their URL into Ahrefs Site Explorer and check the ‘Top Pages’ report. This will show you their pages with the most estimated organic traffic. Look for common content themes that drive traffic, such as: 

• Free tools 
• Data-driven studies 
• “How-to” guides 
• Template galleries 
• E-commerce product pages 
• Competitor comparisons 
• Listicles 

By reviewing several competitors, you’ll quickly see what types of content are working best for them. 

Top Organic Keywords 

Once you know which pages drive the most traffic for your competitors, you can find out which keywords are bringing visitors to those pages. You can analyze this for individual pages or for entire domains or subfolders. Just enter the URL into Ahrefs and check the ‘Organic Keywords’ report. 

This will also help you assess the value of the traffic. Sometimes, high-traffic pages don’t generate much commercial value, often because they attract visitors looking for low-intent content like “top 10 leadership quotes.” 

Content Gaps 

A content gap analysis helps find search queries where your competitors rank but you don’t. This reveals opportunities to create content that can improve your rankings.  

In Ahrefs Site Explorer, click on ‘Content Gap’ in the sidebar, enter your site and a few competitor domains, and you’ll get a list of keywords your competitors rank for, but you don’t.  

Broken Pages 

Broken pages on your competitors’ sites can be a valuable link-building opportunity. In tools like Site Explorer, enter a competitor’s URL and check the ‘best by links’ report. Apply a filter for status code = 404 to find pages with broken links.  

These are pages on your competitor’s site that have backlinks but are no longer available. If you have similar content, you can contact these sites and suggest replacing their broken link with a link to your resource instead. 

Backlinks 

Finally, examine which sites are linking to your competitors. In Ahrefs, go to Site Explorer and click on the ‘Backlinks’ report to see this information. When analyzing competitor backlinks, consider: 

• Guest Post Links: Check if competitors have guest posts on certain sites. You might be able to pitch to those same sites for your own link. 
• Citations: Look for business directories where competitors are listed but you are not. Consider adding your site to these directories. 
• Earned Links: Identify links that seem to come from valuable content, like studies or tools. You could create similar content to earn similar links. 

Mistakes To Avoid During SEO Analysis 

When conducting SEO analysis, avoiding common pitfalls can significantly improve the effectiveness of your efforts. Here are three key mistakes to watch out for: 

• Not Dealing Enough with the Target Group: Failing to consider the needs and preferences of your target audience can lead to misaligned SEO strategies.  
• Only Relying on Automatic Evaluations of SEO Tools: While SEO tools provide valuable insights, relying solely on their automated reports can be limiting. 
• Missing Regularity of the SEO Analysis: Conducting SEO analysis sporadically can result in missed opportunities and unresolved issues.  

Establish a regular schedule for analysis to continuously monitor performance, adapt to changes, and keep your SEO strategy effective over time. 

Interpreting SEO Analysis and Fixing Common Issues 

Once you’ve completed your SEO analysis, it’s time to address any issues. Here’s a simple guide on how to fix common SEO problems: 

1. Low Search Visibility and Keyword Rankings: Research new keywords that match user intent and are less competitive. Use these keywords strategically to improve visibility. 
2. Missing or Poorly Optimized Metadata: Write unique, keyword-rich metadata for each page, keeping within character limits. Avoid duplicate metadata to enhance search engine indexing. 
3. Low On-Page Content Performance: Create high-quality, well-structured content and update it regularly. Refresh content with current statistics and information to maintain relevance. 
4. A Weak Backlink Profile: Produce valuable content that naturally attracts backlinks. Remove low-quality links and build relationships with reputable sites for better link-building. 
5. Compromised User Experience (UX): Improve page load times by optimizing images, ensuring mobile responsiveness, and using a user-friendly layout. 
6. Broken or Missing Internal Links: Fix broken links and update or add new ones with accurate URLs to ensure a smooth navigation experience for users. 

Addressing these issues will help improve your SEO performance and overall website effectiveness. 

10 Best SEO Analysis Tools for Agencies 

Looking for the right SEO tool? Here are ten top options, including both free and subscription-based tools, each with its unique strengths: 

1. Ahrefs: Great for backlink analysis and competitor research, helping you improve website visibility and understand your competition. 
2. Majestic: Focuses on backlink quality with Trust Flow and Citation Flow scores, offering insights into your site’s link profile. 
3. Moz: Provides comprehensive SEO features like backlink analysis, keyword research, and Domain Authority (DA) scores. Plus, it has a supportive user community. 
4. Semrush: A powerful tool for competitive keyword research, link-building opportunities, and keyword tracking. It also includes social media management features. 
5. Google Search Console: A free tool that shows search visibility, click data, impressions, and indexing issues, making it easier to analyze and improve site performance. 
6. Google Lighthouse: Free and useful for identifying technical SEO issues, checking site speed, and ensuring best practices. 
7. Google PageSpeed: Helps improve page loading times, enhancing user experience and boosting engagement. 
8. Google Analytics: Offers detailed insights into organic traffic, keyword performance, conversions, and audience behavior. 
9. Screaming Frog SEO Spider: Crawls multiple URLs to find and fix broken links, saving time and reducing manual effort. 
10. Google Keyword Planner: Used for finding PPC keywords, but also helps with SEO by identifying high-converting keywords and guiding content creation. 

These tools can help streamline your SEO efforts and improve your clients’ website performance. 

Empower Yourself with the Knowledge to Conduct Effective SEO Analysis 

To effectively conduct an SEO diagnosis for your website, start by categorizing your analysis into content, technical, backlink, and competitor segments. This approach ensures a comprehensive review and highlights areas needing improvement. 

Some issues will be quicker and easier to fix, while others may have a greater impact. Gather all your findings and prioritize tasks based on their potential to boost your organic search performance. 

Need help with SEO? Our team provides complete SEO management services that boost online presence and produce real results. Contact us today for a free SEO consultation