The Importance of Auditing for SEO (Lisbon SEO Meetup)

Auditing your website and online assets is an effective way for brands to be more strategic, as well as preparing them for any issues that may come up during the year or a recession.

Understanding how our assets perform and how users interact with them can help us strategise and grow.

This is the deck I used to present at the Lisbon SEO Meetup in 2023. All the details still stand and are applicable today.

Transcript

1. AUDITING FOR SEO LisbonSEO Meetup. March 2023
2. We don´t know what we don´t know
3. A U D I T I N G ! Intro Benefits Timing The cost of neglecting it What’s not in our hands Tips
4. I N T R O
5. It´s the process of reviewing a website to identify areas of improvement and growth, so that it runs smoothly and efficiently
6. Marketing Product Audiences Business objectives A U D I T I N G O N L I N E P R E S E N C E – C O N N E C T I N G T H E D O T S
7. A L I G N W I T H B U S I N E S S O B J E C T I V E S
8. S U R P R I S I N G ! How often do you audit your website?
10. C R O W D E D O N L I N E L A N D S C A P E
11. About 2 billion websites Around 24 million ecommerce websites Customers shop cross-border Some stats: https://www.statsfind.com/how-many-websites-are-there-in-the-world-a-daily-calculator/ https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/ecommerce-statistics/ https://www.statista.com/forecasts/1297130/revenue-share-cross-border-e-commerce-global
12. It´s all about your users
13. “We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.” Jeff Bezos
14. Accessibility https://billiegeena.co.uk/emojis-and- content/
15. S O M E P O S S I B L E R E A S O N S
16. Problem-solving mindset
17. P R E V E N T I N G V S S O L V I N G I S S U E S https://medium.com/@shreyashere/why-our-leaders-fail-us-and-then-save-us- the-preventable-problem-paradox-872614ec3293
18. C R O S S T H E B R I D G E
19. Lack of resources
20. Continuous monitoring
21. D A U N T I N G
22. A U D I T I N G W E B S I T E S Technical Performance Content
23. A U D I T I N G W E B S I T E S Indexability Mobile friendliness Usability Accessibility
24. B E N E F I T S
25. Y O U C A N B E M O R E S T R A T E G I C Building on what you’ve achieved, not so much fixing; identify what to focus on next, processes
26. R E M A I N C O M P E T I T I V E
27. A C H I E V E O B J E C T I V E S
28. C U R R E N T B R A N D V I S I B I L I T Y & P E R C E P T I O N Changes in users’ behaviour
30. W I L L H E L P Y O U I N T E R N A L L Y Identify the low-hanging fruit, data for international expansion or market research, etc
31. B E P R O A C T I V E Tackle any issues, ideation
32. P R E P A R E F O R A N Y R E C E S S I O N
33. P R E P A R E F O R A N Y A L G O U P D A T E S Or any other aspect that might have an adverse effect
34. G O I N G I N T E R N A T I O N A L Still a trend in ecommerce
35. D O N ’ T L E A V E M O N E Y O N T H E T A B L E
36. L E T ’ S D O I T
37. T H E C O S T O F N E G L E C T I N G I T
38.  Cyber attacks  Lost opportunities  Reputational damage  Competitors can take advantage T H E C O S T O F N E G L E C T I N G I T
39. Marine Le Pen’s website marine2017.fr T H E C O S T O F N E G L E C T I N G I T https://www.aeripret.com/case-study-rank-fast-using-politician- website/
40. W H E N S H O U L D I D O I T ?
41. Every quarter Twice a year Introduce audits within your processes
42. S I T U A T I O N S Preparing for a launch or rebranding Planning for the year/ quarter ahead Competitor analysis Some issues have been reported Preparing for a site migration Preparing for an international launch You´ve received a penalisation It´s loading too slowly
43. I T D O E S N ’ T R E P L A C E C O N T I N U O U S M O N I T O R I N G !
45. W H AT ´ S N O T I N O U R H A N D S ?
46. Organisational changes Political loops Any work previously done Any work done while auditing Not following our advice Lack of internal resources Algo updates that might affect Emergencies
47. As a consultant, you might win more work When in-house, you might win more trust
48. T I P S - S O L V I N G D A U N T I N G
49. F O C U S O N W H AT Y O U C A N D O
50. Take a strategic approach Align actions & business objectives Identify and fix issues Identify growth areas
51. T O A V O I D H A V I N G A N Y T H O R N Y I S S U E S O N Y O U R H A N D S
52. C R E A T E A P R O J E C T P L A N Objetives Timing What you’re auditing Possible outcomes Who does what Resources Implementation plan ideas
53. Stick to the process Data gathering Data analysis Prioritise actions Monitor implementation
54. D O C U M E N T !
55. T A K E A S T R A T E G I C A P P R O A C H Take into account your audience The purpose of your site What you can do right now
56. U S E T E M P L A T E S Present recommendations Communicate with developers Present findings
57. We don´t know what we don´t know
58.  UK & UE Search Awards judge  Associate University Professor  Upcoming book on digital marketing  Contributor to the book SEO in 2023 Hi! My name is Montserrat Cano
59. A N Y Q U E S T I O N S ?
60. OBRIGADO! Montserrat Cano montserrat-cano.com @MontseCano