SEO website audit in 2026: checklist, prioritization and “what to do next”

Short answer

An SEO audit is not a “list of errors,” but a growth plan: what exactly is slowing down indexing, visibility, and submissions, what changes will have the greatest effect, and in what sequence to make them. In 2026, it is important to look not only at technical metrics, but also at content for intent, trust (EEAT), page structure, and conversions (because traffic without submissions is not a result).

If you need a turnkey audit with an implementation roadmap, this is the place for you: https://www.up-np.com/seo-promotion-and-audit 1) When an SEO audit is a must

Here are the situations where an audit yields the fastest ROI:

1. Traffic dropped (abruptly or gradually)

2. New site / redesign / migration (indexing often breaks)

3. There is traffic, but few applications (the problem is in the pages/UX/offer)

4. There is a blog, but the articles are not ranking (intent + structure + relinking)

5. Are you planning to scale (new services/geo/languages → architecture required)

2) What do we consider the audit result (KPI)

Before you “look for mistakes,” record what victory means to you:

• increase in impressions and clicks (Search Console)

• growth in positions in key clusters

• increase conversions from organic (GA4: applications/calls/forms)

• growth in the share of brand demand (content impact + SMM + Ads)

Practice: if you need applications “right away”, you should simultaneously launch a fast channel — https://www.up-np.com/kontekstna-reklama — and simultaneously build long-term SEO growth.

3) Audit tools (minimum set)

• Google Search Console — indexing, queries, page issues

• GA4 — conversions, behavior, traffic quality

• Crawler (Screaming Frog / analogues) — technical errors, duplicates, goal

• PageSpeed / CWV — speed and stability

• Competitor analysis — structure, content clusters, intent

4) Step-by-step SEO audit: what to check in 2026

Step 1. Indexing and site “health”

Goal: Make sure Google can find and index important pages.

We check:

• Are there any mass pages with noindex?

• Is robots.txt blocking something?

• are the canonicals correct (so that Google doesn't choose the "wrong" version)

• Is there a sitemap and is it up to date?

• Are there any “junk” pages (parameters, duplicates, sorting) in the index?

Step result: a list of pages that:

• need to be indexed (money pages, categories, key articles),

• must be closed (thin/doubled).

Step 2. The technical part (what really matters)

Goal: remove anything that objectively hinders rankings and conversions.

We check:

• loading speed (especially mobile)

• Core Web Vitals (INP/CLS/LCP)

• 404/5xx errors

• redirects (chains, loops)

• duplicate titles/descriptions

• correct structure of H1–H3 headings

• adaptability and readability

If you need to technically refine the site (especially on Wix/Wix Studio), you can do this in your development department: https://www.up-np.com/zamoviti-stvorennya-sajtiv-na-wix. Also, technical edits often come as a package in https://www.up-np.com/seo-promotion-and-audit/seo-optimizaciya

Step 3. Site architecture and internal linking

Goal: for Google (and the user) to logically follow the path : article → cluster → service → contact.

We check:

• are there page clusters (not “all in one”)

• are they orphan pages without internal links?

• are the anchors correct (not “here”, but “SEO optimization”, “target”, “Google Ads”)

• Are there “hubs” (overview pages) for top topics?

An example of correct logic for your site:

• article about audit → audit service: https://www.up-np.com/seo-promotion-and-audit

• technical stuff → SEO optimization: https://www.up-np.com/seo-promotion-and-audit/seo-optimizaciya

• quick applications → Google Ads: https://www.up-np.com/kontekstna-reklama

• warm-up/demand → SMM and targeting: https://www.up-np.com/smm and https://www.up-np.com/smm/targeting

Step 4. Content and intent (what “lifts” both SEO and AI search)

The goal: for pages to match user intent , not just contain keywords.

We check:

• Does the page match the request (information/commerce/transaction)?

• is there a “short answer” at the beginning (TL;DR)

• Is there a structure: steps, lists, examples?

• is there a unique value (template, checklist, example)

• Are there any “thin” pages that are useless?

Tip: for content for AI-generated content, the format works best: definition → steps → checklist → FAQ → CTA .

Step 5. EEAT: Trust and Evidence Base

The goal: to make the page look like material from a real team with experience.

We check:

• Is there an author/expert (who is responsible for the content)?

• is there an update date

• Are there any cases/portfolios as evidence?

You already have a trust booster: https://www.up-np.com/portfolio

Step 6. Commercial factors and conversion (most often “gold”)

Goal: convert traffic into applications.

We check:

• Is there a clear CTA on the page (form/button/messenger)

• Is it clear what you are doing in 5 seconds?

• Are there any cases for the service?

• Is the path to contact not too complicated?

Contact page (as the “final point” in each article): https://www.up-np.com/contacts

5) SEO audit checklist (brief)

Here is a short list that you can use as a checklist:

Indexing

• sitemap is up to date

• no blocks of important pages

• canonical correct

• Spam pages are not indexed

Technics

• CWV/speed ok on mobile

• no critical 404/5xx

• redirects without chains

• H1 one, headings are logical

Structure and links

• pages are not “orphans”

• logical hubs/clusters

• descriptive anchors

Content

• intent closed

• is TL;DR

• there are steps, examples, lists

• there is a reason to click/trust

Trust

• author/expert

• cases/portfolio

• renewal

Conversion

• CTA is clear

• form/contact available

• the page “sells” without aggression