From Audit to Action: Maximising Results from Technical SEO Salford SEO

Sick of creating audits that go nowhere? 2

Sick of creating audits that go nowhere? This talk will help ensure your audits get actioned, and you can see tangible results on the back of them. 3

OUR GOAL: Turning technical SEO audits into actionable strategies for tangible results 4

THE CHALLENGE WITH TECH AUDITS 5

Anyone can perform a tech audit Tools can even do it automatically 6

Anyone can perform a tech audit Tools can even do it automatically 7

Anyone can perform a tech audit Tools can even do it automatically The difference is in being human 8

The difference is about going beyond a standard checklist ➔ Consider commercial business prioritisation ➔ In-depth analysis ➔ Being human ◆ Understanding issues 9

As SEOs, we need to: ➔ Set a roadmap ➔ Understand that plans and priorities change ➔ Be adaptable ➔ Speak the language of developers and stakeholders Audits That Capture Attention 10

KEY COMPONENTS OF A TECHNICAL SEO AUDIT 11

12 Website authority refers to the overall “strength” of a domain. Look at things like: ➔ URL structure ➔ Silo content ➔ Pagination ➔ Backlinks Authority

Content that helps your web pages to rank in search results. Look at things like: ➔ Duplication ➔ UX ➔ Metadata ➔ Keywords ➔ On-page Optimisation ➔ E-E-A-T Content 13

Crawling is how search engine bots discover content. Look at things like: ➔ Sitemap ➔ Redirects ➔ Internal links ➔ Robots.txt and robots meta tags ➔ Crawl budget ➔ Technical infrastructure Crawling 14

15 Indexing is how search engines organise the information they find. Look at things like: ➔ Status Codes ➔ Canonicalisation ➔ Structured data ➔ Accessibility ➔ Internationalisation Indexing

Local SEO helps your business be more visible in local search results on Google. Look at things like: ➔ Google Business Profile ➔ Local citations ➔ Localised content Local 16

17 Refers to how quickly a browser loads pages from a site. Look at things like: ➔ Load time ➔ Page weight ➔ Core Web Vitals ➔ Image Optimisation Site Speed 17

COMMON ROADBLOCKS IN IMPLEMENTING CHANGES 18

Roadblocks come in all shapes and sizes. Understanding them helps us overcome the challenges and propel your technical SEO audit toward success 19

The issue we have: ➔ Developers are already busy. ➔ Bring the outcome you want – not the path there. Lack of Developer Buy-In 20

The issue we have: ➔ Developers are already busy. ➔ Bring the outcome you want – not the path there. We can overcome this by: ➔ Tie changes back to commercial returns and ROI ➔ Find common ground and listen to devs ➔ Frame recommendations within the tech stack ➔ Provide enough detail - no more, no less ➔ Establish regular lines of communication Lack of Developer Buy-In 21

22 The issue we have: It can be common for businesses to have limited budget and resources for implementing technical SEO requests. Resource Constraints

23 The issue we have: It can be common for businesses to have limited budget and resources for implementing technical SEO requests. We can overcome this by: Taking a goal-first approach, using quantifiable metrics to rank fixes and features based on strategic value. Resource Constraints

The issue we have: In large organisations, departments can be guilty of operating in silos, making communication between them difficult. The challenge is in breaking these down so we can foster better cross-department teamwork. Organisational Silos 24

We can overcome this by: ➔ Creating shared accountabilities and purposes. ➔ Speak to team-leaders and managers ➔ Utilise communication tools or regular stand-ups. ➔ Align incentives and goals. Organisational Silos 25

26 The issue we have: Not all tech issues are created equal, and naturally, some are easier to implement than others. Complexity of Implementation

27 We can overcome this by: 1. Define the goal and the criteria 2. Identify the subtasks and dependencies 3. Estimate the effort and duration with dev involvement 4. Assign the roles and responsibilities Complexity of Implementation

28 The issue we have: If things have always been done a certain way, there may be some resistance to changing or adapting to new SEO practices. Resistance to Change 28

29 The issue we have: If things have always been done a certain way, there may be some resistance to changing or adapting to new SEO practices. Resistance to Change 29 We can overcome this by: 1. Understand the source of resistance 2. Address concerns 3. Communicate consistently and proactively 4. Offer support and resources

30 The issue we have: If teams or individuals don’t understand what is being asked of them, they are unlikely to do it or fix the issue being presented. Lack of Understanding 30

31 The issue we have: If teams or individuals don’t understand what is being asked of them, they are unlikely to do it or fix the issue being presented. Lack of Understanding 31 We can overcome this by: 1. Explain the fix without jargon 2. Talk about the website and business benefits 3. Offer support and resources

The issue we have: Companies may not be technically capable of fixing some issues if they have older servers or unsupported technology. Legacy Systems and Technical Debt 32

The issue we have: Companies may not be technically capable of fixing some issues if they have older servers or unsupported technology. 33 We can overcome this by: Not all website platforms have the capability to do things in the same way, we need to understand and adapt and overcome where possible. Legacy Systems and Technical Debt

34 The issue we have: Without the right methods and avenues for communication it can be very difficult to get things implemented or they can be done incorrectly due to misunderstandings. Inadequate Communication

35 The issue we have: Without the right methods and avenues for communication it can be very difficult to get things implemented or they can be done incorrectly due to misunderstandings. Inadequate Communication We can overcome this by: Where possible, encourage the use of communication channels and be open and transparent in what you are asking for.

MAKING YOUR AUDIT ACTIONABLE 36

37 Craft a concise executive summary highlighting key findings and recommendations for quick decision-making. If stakeholders were to only read one thing, they should be able to get what they need from the executive summary. Clear Executive Summary 37

38

39 Highlight the High Impact Changes ➔ Make sure they recognise your recommendations that offer the most significant impact on SEO performance with minimal effort. ➔ How will these changes impact their conversions and bottom line?

40

41 ➔ Look at the cost vs the benefits for each recommendation. ➔ Emphasise the changes that are likely to yield the highest return on investment. Cost vs Benefits 41

Develop a phased roadmap for implementation 42

43 ➔ Outline a step-by-step plan for addressing recommendations over time. ➔ Address the high impact items alongside quick wins. ➔ Create with maximum impact in mind. Set a Roadmap

Customise the Recommendations 44 ➔ Each audit should be bespoke. ➔ Tailor recommendations to the specific needs and goals of the business. ➔ Ensure your points are relevant and align closely with their overall objectives.

45 Customise the Recommendations There are a lot of ways an audit can look. ➔ Adapt it for your audience ➔ Who will you be presenting the audit to? ➔ What information do they need to know? ➔ What information do they care about? ➔ What will help them to achieve that outcome?

➔ Using PIE can help win hearts and minds of stakeholders. ➔ Gives them something understandable that they can share with the wider team. Showcase Value and Importance 46

➔ Using PIE can help win hearts and minds of stakeholders. ➔ Gives them something understandable that they can share with the wider team. Showcase Value and Importance 47 Issue 1 Issue 2 Issue 3 9 3 6 Score 11 4 2 2 16 5 4 9 17 Potential Importance Ease PIE Prioritisation

➔ Using PIE can help win hearts and minds of stakeholders. ➔ Gives them something understandable that they can share with the wider team. Showcase Value and Importance 48 Issue 1 Issue 2 Issue 3 9 3 6 Score 11 4 2 2 16 5 4 9 17 Potential Importance Ease PIE Prioritisation Helps to determine a priority order

49 Building a Business Case for SEO Pull it all together and present it in a way that clients and stakeholders understand. How we do this ➔ Audits & Opportunity Analysis Designed to produce real commercial results; opportunity analysis, audits and recommendations. ➔ PIE Prioritisation PIE is applied to prioritise activity that will impact bottom line. ➔ Build a Business Case Forecasted traffic uplift & type is calculated to forecast the revenue uplift & build the business case for SEO to feed into development. £ £1.2m £20k £980k P I E 9 9 9 Score 27 4 2 2 6 5 4 9 18 Issue 1 Issue 2 Issue 3 PIE Prioritisation First Party Data Build Business Case Audits & Opp Analysis Development & Delivery

MONITORING AND MEASURING RESULTS 50

If you’re not collaborating with other teams, nothing will get done. 51

52 Stop, Collaborate and Listen! ➔ Everything you do should be documented in your project management tools. ➔ Adds a crucial layer of transparency and promotes accountability among team members. ➔ Schedule regular huddles or stand-up meetings involving representatives from SEO, development, and stakeholders.

Measure results after tech SEO changes 3 simple steps 53

54 Establish Clear KPIs

55 Establish Clear KPIs Set up Reporting Dashboards

56 Establish Clear KPIs Set up Reporting Dashboards Review and Adjust as Needed

57 Establish Clear KPIs Set up Reporting Dashboards Review and Adjust as Needed Maximise results from your Technical SEO Audits

Nikki Halliwell Technical SEO Lead Director - XPLR Digital Ltd Nikki Halliwell SEO: nikkihalliwell.com/ Tech SEO Audits: techseoaudits.com/ Tech SEO Tips Newsletter: techseotips.co.uk/ Journey Further Organic Search: journeyfurther.com/services/orga nic-search Journey Further Technical SEO: journeyfurther.com/services/tech nical-seo 58

THANK YOU 59