SEO Audit Skill

A comprehensive SEO audit methodology that evaluates content for both traditional search engine optimization and modern AI/LLM visibility (GEO). Informed by Google's multi-stage ranking pipeline.

When to Use

• Auditing existing content for SEO performance

• Reviewing new content before publication

• Identifying optimization opportunities

• Assessing AI citation readiness

• Evaluating E-E-A-T signals

• Checking technical SEO elements

• Diagnosing why content isn't ranking

• Auditing new domains (sandbox considerations)

Google's Ranking Pipeline

Content passes through sequential evaluation gates. Understanding this pipeline informs what to audit and why.

Mustang → Topicality (T*) → NavBoost → Twiddlers ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ Initial Query-match User clicks Final scoring relevance (13 months) adjustments

Key Implications:

• Content must pass Mustang's quality gate before relevance even matters

• User behavior (NavBoost) accumulates over 13 months—patience required

• Two foundational pillars: Q* (site quality) and P* (popularity via Chrome data)

• Page potential is capped by domain's siteAuthority score

See assets/google-ranking-signals.yaml for complete signal reference.

Audit Framework

Phase 0: Domain & History Context

Before auditing content, assess domain-level factors that cap page potential:

Domain Authority Check:

• Established domain (>6 months) or new domain sandbox?

• Site-wide quality signals (clutterScore, ad density)

• Homepage authority inheritance for new pages

• Brand entity recognition (queriesForWhichOfficial )

URL History Assessment:

• Is this an established URL with history?

• URL changes reset accumulated trust (Google tracks last 20 versions)

• Evergreen URL structure (no dates unless news content)

• URL permanence strategy in place

Sandbox Awareness (New Domains/Pages):

Factor Status Impact

hostAge New (<6mo) / Established Domain-level sandbox

documentHistory New URL / Has history Page-level demotion

Graduation signals Social, backlinks, engagement Exit sandbox

If new domain: Set realistic expectations. Dual sandbox (host + document) requires consistent quality publishing, backlinks, and positive engagement over months.

Phase 1: Technical SEO Check

Evaluate foundational technical elements:

Page-Level Technical:

• URL structure (clean, descriptive, <60 chars, evergreen)

• Title tag (50-60 chars, keyword in first 30) → affects titlematchScore

• Meta description (150-160 chars, compelling CTA)

• H1 tag (single, matches topic)

• Header hierarchy (logical H1→H2→H3) → larger text weighted higher

• Image alt text (descriptive, keyword-relevant)

• Internal links (contextual, relevant)

• External links (authoritative sources)

Site-Level Technical:

• HTTPS enabled

• Mobile-friendly

• Page speed (<1.8s mobile)

• Schema markup present

• XML sitemap inclusion

• robots.txt accessibility

Entity & Trust Signals:

• Verifiable ownership/authorship (disconnected entity problem)

• Contact information accessible

• Organization schema linking to Knowledge Graph

Phase 2: Content Quality Assessment

Evaluate content depth and value. Google's contentEffort signal measures ML-assessed effort invested.

Content Completeness:

Factor Check Score Signal

Topic coverage Comprehensive vs. shallow /10 contentEffort

Unique value Original insights vs. rehash /10 OriginalContentScore

Accuracy Factual, verifiable /10 Trust signals

Freshness Current data/sources /10 semanticDate

Depth Expert-level detail /10 contentEffort

Token Truncation Awareness: Google uses token limits—long documents may be truncated. Optimize for this:

• Critical information in first 20% of content (inverted pyramid)

• Key facts lead each section

• Paragraphs <120 words

• Front-load value, don't bury it

Readability:

• Reading level (target: Grade 8-10)

• Paragraph length (2-3 sentences ideal)

• Sentence variety

• Scannable formatting (bullets, headers)

• Visual aids (images, tables, diagrams)

Freshness Audit: Google evaluates freshness through three distinct methods:

• Explicit byline date (visible, accurate)

• URL date signals (avoid dates in evergreen URLs)

• Semantic freshness (are facts/sources current, not just timestamp?)

⚠️ Freshness spam detection: Changing timestamps without updating substance is detected via semanticDate comparison.

Phase 3: Keyword & Semantic Analysis

Assess keyword optimization. Affects Topicality (T*) stage scoring.

Primary Keyword:

• Present in title tag (first 30 chars ideal)

• In H1 and early H2s

• Natural density (0.5-1.5%)

• In meta description

• In first 100 words

Semantic Coverage:

• LSI keywords present

• Related entities covered (webrefEntities signal)

• Topic cluster alignment

• Question variations addressed

• Search intent match

Entity Optimization:

• Content associates with Knowledge Graph entities

• Clear entity relationships established

• Supports topical authority building

Phase 4: E-E-A-T Evaluation

Assess Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust signals. These map directly to technical signals.

Experience Signals:

• First-hand experience indicated

• Case studies/examples included

• Original data/research

• Process documentation

Expertise Signals: (→ contentEffort , OriginalContentScore )

• Author credentials visible

• Technical accuracy

• Comprehensive coverage

• Expert quotes/interviews

Authority Signals: (→ siteAuthority , author attribute)

• Authoritative external citations

• Industry recognition

• Brand mentions

• Published research

Trust Signals:

• Contact information (disconnected entity fix)

• Privacy policy

• Editorial guidelines

• Reviews/testimonials

• Security indicators

Disconnected Entity Check: Sites without verifiable ownership, author info, and contact transparency trigger algorithmic distrust—even with high content quality.

Phase 5: AI/GEO Readiness

Assess content for LLM visibility:

Extractability:

• TL;DR or summary present (first 100 words)

• Paragraphs <120 words (token limit friendly)

• Clear topic sentences (lead with facts)

• Bullet lists for features

• Tables for comparisons

• FAQ section present

Fact-Density:

• Statistics with sources

• Specific numbers/dates

• Verifiable data points

• Expert quotes with attribution

Structure for AI:

• Question-based headers

• Direct answers near top (inverted pyramid)

• Logical information hierarchy

• Schema markup (FAQPage, HowTo)

Phase 6: User Behavior Signals

Google's NavBoost uses 13 months of aggregated click behavior. Audit for "good clicks" potential.

Click Quality Indicators:

• Title/meta accurately represent content (no clickbait)

• Content matches search intent (dwell time)

• Clear value proposition visible above fold

• Low bounce risk (content delivers on promise)

Engagement Factors:

Signal Status Improvement

Expected dwell time Low/Med/High Match intent better

Bounce risk Low/Med/High Clearer value prop

Return visit potential Low/Med/High Brand building

Output Format

SEO Audit Report

SEO Audit Report

Page: [URL or filename] Date: [Audit date] Overall Score: X/100 Domain Status: [Established/New (sandbox considerations)]

Executive Summary

[2-3 sentence overview including pipeline stage bottlenecks]

Scores by Category

Pipeline Bottleneck Analysis

[Which pipeline stage is the primary blocker? Mustang quality? Topicality match? NavBoost signals?]

Priority Issues (Fix First)

1. [Issue] - [Impact] - [Fix] - [Signal affected]
2. [Issue] - [Impact] - [Fix] - [Signal affected]
3. [Issue] - [Impact] - [Fix] - [Signal affected]

Domain Context

[Sandbox status, authority inheritance, URL history]

Technical SEO Findings

[Detailed findings with specific recommendations]

Content Quality Findings

[contentEffort indicators, token optimization, freshness]

Keyword Analysis

[Primary keyword performance, semantic gaps, entity coverage]

E-E-A-T Assessment

[Specific signals present/missing, disconnected entity risk]

AI Visibility Assessment

[GEO readiness score and improvements]

User Behavior Optimization

[Click quality, dwell time, engagement improvements]

Action Plan

Immediate (This Week):

• Action 1
• Action 2

Short-term (This Month):

• Action 1
• Action 2

Ongoing (Sandbox Graduation):

• Consistent quality publishing
• Social signal building
• Backlink acquisition
• User engagement optimization

Scoring Guide

90-100: Excellent - Minor optimizations only 70-89: Good - Some improvements needed 50-69: Needs Work - Significant gaps to address Below 50: Critical - Major overhaul required

New Domain Adjustment: Subtract 10-15 points for sandbox limitations. Focus on graduation signals.

Quick Audit Option

For faster audits, focus on:

• Domain Context - Established or sandbox? URL history?

• Title & Meta - Optimized for titlematchScore ?

• Content Quality - contentEffort indicators present?

• E-E-A-T - Disconnected entity risk?

• AI Ready - Inverted pyramid, extractable format?

Deliver top 5 issues with affected signals and fixes.

Signal Reference

For detailed signal documentation, see: assets/google-ranking-signals.yaml

Key signals to remember:

• titlematchScore

• Title relevance to query

• contentEffort

• ML-assessed content investment

• OriginalContentScore

• Uniqueness (0-512 scale)

• semanticDate

• Actual freshness of facts/sources

• siteAuthority

• Domain-level authority cap

• chromeInTotal

• Popularity via Chrome data