Why Ahrefs Site Audit is Essential for On-Page SEO

Think of Ahrefs Site Audit as a health check for your website. It crawls your entire site, analyzing hundreds of potential SEO issues related to:

• Indexability: Can search engines properly crawl and index your pages?
• Content Quality: Is your content engaging, unique, and optimized for relevant keywords?
• HTML Tags: Are your title tags, meta descriptions, and heading tags properly implemented?
• Internal Linking: Is your internal link structure logical and beneficial for users and search engines?
• External Links: Are you linking to reputable sources, and are your own links working correctly?
• Performance: How quickly do your pages load, and is your website mobile-friendly?

By addressing these issues, you’ll not only improve your search engine rankings but also enhance the user experience, leading to increased engagement and conversions.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using Ahrefs Site Audit

1. Setting Up Your First Audit

First, log in to your Ahrefs account. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to subscribe. Once logged in, navigate to the “Site Audit” section in the top menu. Click on “New Project” and enter your website URL. You can customize the crawl settings, such as crawl scope and speed, but for a standard audit, the default settings are usually sufficient. Click “Start Audit” to begin.

2. Understanding the Dashboard

After the audit completes, you’ll be presented with a dashboard summarizing the key findings. Pay close attention to the following:

• Health Score: A percentage representing the overall health of your website. Aim for a score of 90% or higher.
• Issues: A breakdown of the different types of SEO issues found, categorized by severity (Errors, Warnings, Notices).
• Crawled Pages: The number of pages crawled during the audit.

3. Diving into the Issues Report

The “Issues” report is where you’ll spend most of your time. It lists all the identified problems, along with explanations and recommendations for fixing them. Let’s examine some common on-page SEO issues and how to address them using Ahrefs:

a. Broken Links

Broken links (404 errors) provide a poor user experience and can negatively impact your crawl budget. Ahrefs Site Audit identifies both internal and external broken links.

Fix: Replace the broken links with working links to relevant content. If the destination page no longer exists, consider removing the link or redirecting it to a suitable alternative.

b. Missing or Duplicate Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions don’t directly impact rankings, but they influence click-through rates (CTR) from search results. Compelling meta descriptions encourage users to click on your website.

Fix: Write unique and engaging meta descriptions for each page, summarizing the content and including relevant keywords. Keep them under 160 characters.

c. Missing or Duplicate Title Tags

Title tags are a crucial ranking factor. They tell search engines what your page is about and are displayed as the headline in search results.

Fix: Ensure each page has a unique title tag that accurately reflects the content. Include your primary keyword and keep it under 60 characters.

d. Slow Page Speed

Page speed is a critical ranking factor and user experience metric. Slow-loading pages can lead to higher bounce rates and lower conversions.

Fix: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify specific speed issues. Common solutions include optimizing images, enabling browser caching, and minimizing HTTP requests.

e. Mobile Usability Problems

With the majority of web traffic now coming from mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly website is essential. Ahrefs Site Audit highlights mobile usability issues like tap targets too small or content wider than the screen.

Fix: Use a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes. Ensure tap targets are easily clickable on mobile devices and that content is easily readable on smaller screens.

f. Thin Content or Duplicate Content

Content that’s too short or duplicated across multiple pages offers little value to users and can hurt your rankings.

Fix: Strengthen thin content by adding more detail, examples, and supporting information. For duplicate content, either consolidate similar pages into one comprehensive resource (using 301 redirects from the duplicates), or use canonical tags to signal which version of the content is the preferred one for search engines.

4. Re-crawling and Monitoring

After implementing the necessary fixes, re-crawl your website using Ahrefs Site Audit to verify that the issues have been resolved. Schedule regular audits to monitor your website’s health and identify any new issues that may arise.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Ahrefs Site Audit Techniques

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, you can explore more advanced features of Ahrefs Site Audit, such as:

• Custom Crawl Settings: Fine-tune the crawl scope and speed to focus on specific sections of your website.
• Segmentation: Analyze specific groups of pages based on URL patterns or other criteria.
• Integration with Google Analytics: Connect Ahrefs Site Audit to your Google Analytics account for deeper insights into user behavior.

Conclusion

Ahrefs Site Audit is an indispensable tool for any website owner or SEO professional looking to improve their on-page SEO. By regularly auditing your website and addressing the identified issues, you can create a more user-friendly, search engine-friendly website that ranks higher in search results, attracts more traffic, and ultimately achieves your business goals. Remember to prioritize fixing errors first, followed by warnings, and then notices. Continuous monitoring and optimization are key to maintaining a healthy and high-performing website in the long run.