What is SEO and How to Audit Your Website Like a Pro For Free
Marketing & SEO

What is SEO and How to Audit Your Website Like a Pro For Free

Are you tired of being told you need to spend $100+ per month on fancy SEO tools just to know if your site is ranking? Well, here’s a reality check: you don’t. In this honest, no-fluff guide, I’ll show you how to inspect your website’s SEO standing like a seasoned pro, using free or trial-based tools. No affiliate nonsense, no unnecessary fluff—just actionable insights to help you understand your site’s SEO health and where to improve. Let’s dive in!

5 min read

Introduction

First things first, let’s debunk the myth that SEO audits require deep pockets or monthly subscriptions. You don’t need SEMrush or Ahrefs on speed dial to understand why your website ranks (or doesn’t). In fact, most of the time, a one-off SEO audit is all you need to identify issues and craft a strategy.

This guide will walk you through the entire process:

  • Checking your domain-level SEO (off-page stuff).
  • Inspecting on-page SEO for technical and content-related issues.
  • Analyzing page speed using tools Google loves.
  • Performing free keyword research like a pro.

No fluff, no upsells—just practical advice. Let’s start by understanding why your domain authority matters and how to measure it.

Domain-Level SEO: The Power of Off-Page Optimization

Off-page SEO might sound like some mysterious wizardry, but let’s simplify: it’s all about what happens outside your site that impacts your rankings. Think backlinks. They’re like votes of confidence from other websites. The more reputable sites link to yours, the more Google starts to trust you.

But let me stop you before you start scheming for backlinks from every shady blog out there. Not all backlinks are created equal. A backlink from a credible, authoritative site carries weight. Meanwhile, a backlink from “BestCasinoSpam123.com”? That’s not helping you. In fact, it could hurt your rankings.

So, how do you know where your domain stands? Let’s dive into some tools.

Let me say this loud and clear: Ahrefs is the king of backlink analysis. While their paid plans are expensive, their Free Backlink Checker is a lifesaver for quick audits.

ahrefs backlink checker ui

How to Use It:

  1. Head over to the tool.
  2. Enter your domain (no subdomains).
  3. Hit “Check Backlinks.”

Here’s what you’ll see: your Domain Rating (DR), which ranges from 0 to 100. Most websites sit between 0–20. Scores of 80+? Reserved for the giants—think Wikipedia or Google. DR doesn’t grow linearly either. It’s much harder to jump from DR 52 to 54 than from 0 to 20.

Pro Tip: Want to improve your DR?

  • Get dofollow backlinks (those that pass authority).
  • Prioritize backlinks from high-DR sites in your niche.

Now, here’s the kicker: even if you have a decent DR, your site might still struggle to rank if you’ve got toxic backlinks weighing you down. What’s a toxic backlink, you ask? It’s a link from a sketchy site that Google doesn’t trust. Too many of these, and you’ll find yourself sinking in the SERPs.

Enter Website SEO Checker, a tool powered by Moz API.

toxic backlinks checker

How to Use It:

  1. Visit the tool and enter your domain.
  2. Check your spam score. A score above 35%? That’s trouble.

How to Fix Toxic Backlinks:

  • Option A: Contact site owners and politely ask them to remove the link.
  • Option B: Use Google’s Disavow Tool. This tells Google to ignore these links when calculating your ranking. This is last resort and should be done carefully.

On-Page SEO: Inspecting the Technical Details

You Don’t Need SEMrush at $100 a Month

Can we all agree that spending $100+ monthly for SEO tools just to scan your website is, well, overkill? Technical SEO audits are a one-time job in most cases. Once you’ve identified and fixed issues, you don’t need weekly audits telling you the same thing.

Enter SE Ranking, an advanced tool that offers a two-week free trial (no credit card required). That’s more than enough time to analyze your site’s SEO health.

SE Ranking trial registration

What to Look For:

  • Meta tags (title length, meta descriptions).
  • Missing alt text for images.
  • Keyword placement in headings (H1s and H2s matter!).
  • Broken links.

Pro Tip: Don’t sweat the small stuff. SEO tools love to flag minor issues like “H2 above H1.” Focus on high-impact fixes like optimizing titles and meta descriptions for keywords.

Page Speed: Because Fast Sites Win

Google PageSpeed Insights: Free and Essential

Did you know Google prioritizes fast-loading, mobile-friendly sites? If your website takes forever to load, you’re losing rankings, visitors, and sales. Luckily, PageSpeed Insights can help you diagnose speed issues for free.

Google PageSpeed Insights

Key Metrics:

  1. Performance: How quickly your site loads. Aim for 90+ here.
  2. Accessibility: Ensures your site is usable for everyone, including users with disabilities.
  3. Best Practices: Technical recommendations, like using HTTPS.
  4. SEO: Checks for mobile usability and proper metadata.

Common Issues & Fixes:

Pingdom: Yes! Let’s Check Your Website Speed from Multiple Locations (If You Need It)

Ever wondered how fast your website loads for visitors in other countries? Sure, it might feel blazing fast when you load it from your local connection, but have you thought about how it performs in the USA or UK? That’s where Pingdom steps in to save the day.

Pingdom speed checker

How to Use It:

  1. Enter your domain into Pingdom’s tool.
  2. Select a testing location farthest from your target audience.
  3. Run the test and analyze the load times.

If your site loads slowly in those regions, your SEO and user experience might be taking a hit. Visitors in those areas may bounce before your page even loads, signaling to Google that your site isn’t worth ranking for searches in that location.

The Fix? Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN):
CDNs like Cloudflare host your website’s static files (e.g., CSS, images, JavaScript) on servers across 300+ global locations. When users visit your site, the CDN serves content from the closest server, drastically improving load times.

Cool, right? It’s a bit of a setup process, but don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. Check out our upcoming guide: “What is Cloudflare and How to Get Maximum Out of It?” for all the tips and tricks to get it running smoothly.

Bonus: Free Keyword Research Like a Pro

Ahrefs’ Keyword Generator

Here’s a reality check: keyword research doesn’t require expensive subscriptions. Enter Ahrefs’ Keyword Generator.

Ahrefs keyword generator

How to Use It:

  1. Enter a seed keyword (e.g., “WordPress”).
  2. Review the list of suggested keywords and questions.

Ahrefs’ keyword generator provides search volumes and ranking difficulty for free. The first 10–15 results are often enough to guide your content strategy.

Why Honesty Wins in SEO

Let’s wrap this up with some real talk. SEO can feel overwhelming, especially with so many tools screaming for your money. But here’s the truth: you don’t need all those tools, and you certainly don’t need to break the bank. With free and trial-based resources, you can get a clear picture of your website’s health and create a strategy that works.

So, stop overcomplicating things. Audit your website, fix the issues, and start ranking. Got questions? Drop them in the comments, and let’s chat!

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