Free SEO Audit Checklist for Pet Businesses, Pet Stores, and Service Providers

SEO may sound intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. I put together this free SEO audit checklist for business owners like you: smart, loving, and passionate towards pet and their owners, but maybe unsure where to start when it comes to showing up on Google.

I still remember the first time I ran an SEO audit on a pet website. It was a small grooming business that relied mostly on referrals and Instagram. 

Their site barely showed up in search results, even when you typed their business name.

But after fixing just a few things from this exact checklist—titles, mobile layout, image sizes—they started getting calls from new customers who found them on Google for the first time.

That’s when it clicked: SEO doesn’t have to be overwhelming. You don’t need to be an expert. You just need a starting point—and this free SEO audit checklist is exactly that.

Let’s get to it.

Affiliate Disclaimer: Pet Content Solutions is a proud partner of the Amazon Services LLC Associates and other pet businesses. Therefore, this blog post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission for qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Funds go to chimken, veggies, and toys for my dogs Kuya and Bunso. Please read the disclaimer for more info.

1. Technical SEO Audit

This section covers the behind-the-scenes stuff—how your website is built, how fast it loads, and if Google can access your website properly. You don’t need to know how to code. Just use this technical SEO audit checklist and the tools listed below to guide you.

Make sure your site is connected to Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that shows how your site is performing in search results. If you’re not connected, Google can’t give you feedback—and you’ll miss out on valuable data.

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to connect your website and verify ownership to Google Search Console. 

Check if your website is being indexed by Google

If your web pages aren’t indexed, they won’t show up in Google search results—no matter how good your content is. 

Indexing is how Google stores your pages so they can appear when a user searches about the products or services you offer.

There are two ways to check this:

1. Manual check: Go to Google and type site:yourwebsite.com. If your pages appear, they’re indexed. If nothing shows up, your site might be invisible to search engines.
   
2. Google Search Console:
   
   • Open Google Search Console
     
   • Go to the Pages
     
   • You’ll see which pages are indexed and which ones aren’t
     
   • Scroll down to see “Why pages aren’t indexed.” Here, Google will give you a list of the specific reasons why this problem occurs.
     

This step is one of the most important in any checklist for SEO audit—if you skip it, everything else you do won’t matter because Google can’t see your site.

Submit a sitemap

A sitemap is a map of your website that helps Google find and understand all your pages. It tells search engines what content is important and how everything is organized. 

Therefore, submitting a sitemap makes it easier for Google to crawl your site—especially if you’re adding new pages or updating content regularly.

How to do it:

First, check if you have a sitemap. Type yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml in the Google search bar. 

Then, open Google Search Console

On the left menu, click “Sitemaps”

Enter the sitemap URL (just the last part like sitemap.xml) and hit Submit. 

Once submitted, Google will regularly check your sitemap to stay updated on new content. Including this step in your technical SEO audit checklist helps keep your site organized and visible in search.

But if you’re using WordPress, plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math automatically create one for you.

Test if your website is mobile-friendly

Most of your potential customers are browsing on their phones. If your site looks messy, loads slowly, or is hard to tap through on a mobile screen, they’ll leave—and Google will take note. Mobile usability is a key part of any technical SEO audit checklist.

How to check:

1. Use Google’s free Mobile-Friendly Test tool. Just paste in your website URL and click “Test URL.” It will tell you if your site works well on mobile.
   
2. Or test it yourself:
   
   • Open your site using your phone
   • Can you read the text without zooming in?
   • Are buttons big enough to tap easily?
   • Does everything fit properly on the screen without needing to scroll sideways?
   • Are the images too big or too small for the screen?
     

If any of those things don’t work well, it’s a good idea to talk to your web developer or designer. Fixing mobile issues can instantly improve your user experience and help with rankings in search.

Improve your website loading speed

If your website takes too long to load, people will leave before they even see what you offer. Page speed is also one of the things Google considers when ranking websites. 

A fast site gives visitors a better experience and can help you show up higher in search results. That’s why it’s always part of a strong technical SEO audit checklist.

How to check:

• Go to PageSpeed Insights and enter your website URL.
  
• Google will give you a score and show suggestions to make your site faster.
  
• You’ll get separate results for mobile and desktop speed.

Tips to improve speed:

• Compress images using tools like TinyPNG or ShortPixel.
  
• Use fewer pop-ups or heavy animations that slow things down.
  
• If you’re on WordPress, install a caching plugin like WP Fastest Cache or LiteSpeed Cache.
  
• Choose a reliable web hosting provider (cheap hosting = slow site).

Want to see how I improved my own website speed?

Check out my blog post: How I Fixed My Web Page Speed Without Hiring a Developer

Secure your site with HTTPS

Have you ever noticed a little lock icon next to a website’s URL? That means the site is secure—it’s using HTTPS instead of just HTTP. 

HTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure. In simple terms, it means any information a visitor enters on your site (like contact forms or payment info) is safely encrypted. 

This helps protect your customers and builds trust. Google also favors secure websites, so it can give you an SEO boost.

Google also prefers secure websites, so this step isn’t just about safety—it’s good for SEO too. That’s why it’s always included in any technical SEO audit checklist.

How to check:

• Look at your website’s URL in the browser. It should start with https:// and have a padlock icon.
  
• If it starts with http:// (no “S”) or shows a “Not Secure” warning, your site needs an SSL certificate.
  

How to fix it:

• Most website platforms (like WordPress, Wix, or Shopify) let you add an SSL certificate with just a few clicks.
  
• If you use a hosting provider like GoDaddy, SiteGround, or Hostinger, log in to your account and activate Free SSL or Let’s Encrypt.
  
• If you’re not sure how, contact your web developer or hosting support—they usually install it for free.

Scan your site for broken links

Broken links are links that lead to pages that no longer exist or return an error (like a “404 Page Not Found”). They frustrate visitors and make your website look messy or outdated. 

Worse, they can hurt your credibility with Google.

How to check:

You don’t have to go through every page manually—there are free seo audit checklist tools to do the job for you:

• Try Broken Link Checker — enter your website and it’ll scan for dead links.
  
• Or install the Check My Links Chrome extension — it highlights broken links on any page you visit.

What to fix:

• Remove links that no longer work
  
• Update links that point to outdated pages
  
• If the page still exists but was renamed or moved, update the link URL

Cleaning up broken links improves user experience and sends positive signals to search engines. 

Connect your website to Google Analytics

Google Analytics helps you track who visits your website, what pages they view, how long they stay, and where they came from. Without it, you would know what’s working and what’s not.

This is an essential part of any checklist for SEO audit—because it shows you what’s actually happening behind the scenes.

How it’s different from Google Search Console:

• Google Analytics tracks all website traffic. That includes visits from social media, email newsletters, paid ads, and referrals from other websites.
  
• Google Search Console focuses only on organic search traffic—how your site performs in Google search, what keywords bring visitors, and any indexing or technical issues.

How to set it up:

• Go to analytics.google.com and create an account
  
• Set up a new property for your website
  
• Follow the instructions to install the tracking code on your site
  
  • If you use WordPress, a plugin like Site Kit by Google can help
  • You can also follow the instructions in this tutorial
    
• Once it’s working, visit the “Reports” section to view your traffic

2. On-Page SEO Audit

This part of your on-page SEO audit checklist covers everything visible on your website—like your headlines, page titles, images, and the way your content is organized.

Even if your site looks great, search engines still need clear signals to understand what your pages are about.

If you’re new to SEO, don’t worry. This is a great starting point, especially if you’re looking for a simple seo audit checklist for beginners.

Use the right keywords on every page

Keywords are the words your ideal customers type into Google when they’re looking for something. 

When you use the right keywords in the right places, search engines can better understand what your page is about—and show it to the right people.

What counts as a keyword?

Your keywords could be:

• Your brand name
  
• The type of products or services you offer (like “dog grooming” or “raw dog food”)
  
• Your business location, if you have a physical store (like “pet supplies store in New York”)

How to do it:

• Choose 1–2 main keywords for each website page
  
• Add them naturally in your page title, first paragraph, headings, and a few times in the body text
  
• Don’t overuse them—write like a human, not a robot

Tool tip: I recommend Keysearch—it’s beginner-friendly, affordable, and one of the best tools out there for finding the exact keywords your customers are searching for.

Write clear meta titles and descriptions

Meta titles and descriptions are the short text previews that show up in Google search results. A strong, clear title and description not only help search engines understand your page—they also encourage people to click.

How to do it:

• Write a unique title for every page (keep it under 60 characters)
  
• Add a meta description that explains what the page is about (aim for under 160 characters)
  
• Include your main keyword in both the title and description
  
• Make it sound helpful and relevant, not stuffed with keywords

If you’re using WordPress, plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math make this easy to set up.

Example:

For a homepage of a raw dog food brand like Mersey Raw, your meta description could be:

“Shop Mersey Raw—premium raw dog food and natural treats delivered across the UK. Real ingredients, no fillers, just raw feeding made simple.”

This small step makes a big difference. It’s a must-have in every on page SEO audit checklist and one of the easiest wins in your seo audit checklist for beginners.

Use proper heading tags to organize your content

Headings help break up your content and make it easier to scan—for both people and search engines.

If everything is the same size or style, Google might struggle to understand what your page is really about. Clear headings also make your website easier to read on mobile.

How to do it:

• Use one H1 tag for your main page title (there should only be one H1 per page)
  
• Use H2 tags for major sections, like “Our Products” or “Why Raw Feeding Works”
  
• Use H3 tags for details or supporting points under each section
  
• Avoid skipping levels (e.g., don’t jump from H1 to H4)

Example for a homepage:

• H1: Mersey Raw – Raw Dog Food & Natural Treats
  
• H2: Why Choose Mersey Raw?
  
• H2: Our Product Range
  
• H3: Raw Feeding Starter Packs
  
• H3: Single-Protein Treats
  
• H2: How to Order
  

This type of content structure is easy to follow and tells search engines what’s important on your page—exactly what a good on page SEO audit checklist is meant to check. It’s also one of the most manageable steps in any seo audit checklist for beginners.

Link between related pages

Your homepage is the heart of your website—and every important page should connect to it. This helps visitors find what they need quickly, and it also helps Google understand how your site is structured.

The easier it is to navigate, the more search engines trust your content.

How to do it:

• Make sure your main menu links to all your key pages—like your shop, services, about, contact, and blog
  
• Add internal links within the content of your homepage (e.g., “View our product range” or “Read our beginner’s guide to raw feeding”)
  
• Whenever you publish a new blog post, link it back to relevant product or service pages—and vice versa
  
• Use clear and helpful text in your links so visitors know where they’re going
  

Example:

If you run a raw dog food brand, link your homepage to:

• “Why Raw Feeding?” → Educational blog post
  
• “Shop Starter Packs” → Product collection page
  
• “Meet the Team” → About page
  
• “How to Order” → FAQ or delivery info page
  

Internal linking like this helps your site feel more connected and easier to explore—for both your visitors and Google. It also prevents pages from becoming “orphan pages”—those are pages that aren’t linked to from anywhere on your site. 

If a page is floating on its own with no links pointing to it, search engines may not find it, and visitors definitely won’t.

Optimize your images with filenames and alt text

Google can’t “see” your images—it relies on filenames and alt text to understand what they show. Optimized images help your pages rank better, appear in Google Image search, and load faster—especially on mobile.

How to do it:

Rename your image files before uploading them

✅ Good: mersey-raw-beef-dog-meal.jpg

❌ Bad: IMG_8745.jpg

Write alt text that briefly describes what’s in the image

✅ Example: “Frozen beef raw dog food portion by Mersey Raw”

Include keywords naturally when it makes sense—especially product names or service types

Compress your images before uploading

Use TinyPNG or Canva to reduce file size without hurting quality

Stick to lightweight file sizes

Aim for 100 KB or less per image

Avoid uploading high-res photos that are 1MB–5MB in size unless absolutely necessary (they’ll slow your site down)

Pro tip: Use optimized images for featured blog graphics and product pages—they load faster and look better across all devices.

3. SEO Content Audit

Your blog is one of the most powerful tools for showing up on Google. This section of your checklist for SEO audit focuses on your blogging strategy—how it’s organized, how consistent your posts are, and if you’re covering the topics your audience actually cares about.

Group your blog posts into clear categories

A well-organized blog makes it easier for visitors to explore and easier for Google to understand your site structure. It also helps you build authority around specific topics.

What to check:

• Are your posts organized into categories like “Dog Nutrition,” “Grooming Tips,” or “Pet Care Advice”?
• Are these categories visible in your blog layout, main menu or sidebar?
• Is the content evenly distributed, or are some categories empty?

Bonus tip: Create silo pages—these are hub pages that group related blog posts under one theme (like “Raw Feeding 101”). Silo content helps strengthen your SEO by connecting related posts and building topical depth.

Be consistent with your publishing schedule

Posting regularly shows that your website is active and reliable—two things Google pays attention to. It also helps build trust with returning readers.

What to check:

• How often are you publishing? (Daily? Weekly? Monthly?)
• Are there long gaps between posts?
• Do you follow a schedule or just post when you remember?

Cover topics thoroughly

Google favors in-depth content that answers real questions—not short, vague blog posts. The more helpful and specific your posts are, the more likely they are to rank and get shared.

What to check:

• Do your posts go deep into the topic?
• Are you answering common follow-up questions within the post?
• Could you expand shorter posts into complete guides?

Covering a topic from all angles helps build topical authority—and gives your audience real value.

Look for content gaps and indexing issues

Writing a blog post is only half the battle. If Google isn’t indexing it, no one will see it in search results. You also need to make sure you’re writing about what your audience is searching for.

How to check:

Go to Google Search Console and look at the “Pages” tab.

If a blog post shows as “Crawled – currently not indexed,” that means Google has seen your page—but chose not to include it in search results (often due to thin or duplicate content)

If your posts aren’t indexed, they won’t appear on Google at all—no matter how good they are

How to fix it:

• Add more helpful content to thin blog posts
• Make sure each blog has a clear focus and isn’t too similar to other posts
• Request indexing in Google Search Console after updating

Need help finding keywords or planning your next post?
Use these tools:

• Google Search Console shows what search terms people use to find your site—and which blog posts they click on
• Keysearch helps you find blog topics, see what keywords you already rank for, and discover new keywords worth targeting

Together, these tools help you plan your content more strategically.

Update old blog posts

SEO isn’t set-and-forget. Posts that were relevant a year ago might be outdated today. Regular updates show Google that your content is still fresh and useful.

What to do:

• Add updated information (new stats, product links, service changes)
• Improve the structure, readability, or keyword placement
• Replace or remove broken links
• Change the publish date if you’re republishing a post that’s been improved

Refreshing older content can give you a rankings boost without writing something from scratch.

Final Thoughts

SEO can feel like a mystery—but it doesn’t have to be.

This free SEO audit checklist is here to give you a clear starting point, so you’re not just guessing what’s wrong with your site or what to fix next. Even small changes can lead to big results (I’ve seen it happen!).

And you don’t have to figure it out alone.

📞 Book a free clarity call

💬 Or message me on LinkedIn if you just want to chat first

Let’s make your website easier to find—so the right people (and their pets) can find you.