/iblai-marketing-seo-audit
Identify SEO issues and ship actionable recommendations to improve
organic search performance.
Step 0: Context Check
Read .agents/product-marketing-context.md (or .claude/product-marketing-context.md
on older setups) first. Only ask for what isn't there.
Pin down before auditing:
Site context
- Type (SaaS, e-commerce, blog, etc.)
- Primary business goal for SEO
- Priority keywords/topics
Current state
- Known issues or concerns
- Current organic traffic level
- Recent changes or migrations
Scope
- Full site audit or specific pages
- Technical + on-page, or one focus area
- Search Console / analytics access
Audit Framework
Schema Markup Detection Limitation
web_fetch and curl cannot reliably detect structured data / schema markup.
Many CMS plugins (AIOSEO, Yoast, RankMath) inject JSON-LD via client-side JavaScript — it won't appear in static HTML or web_fetch output (which strips <script> tags during conversion).
To accurately check for schema markup, use one of these:
- Browser tool — render the page and run:
document.querySelectorAll('script[type="application/ld+json"]')
- Google Rich Results Test — https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
- Screaming Frog export — if the client provides one, use it (SF renders JavaScript)
Reporting "no schema found" based solely on web_fetch or curl produces false audit findings — these tools can't see JS-injected schema.
Priority Order
- Crawlability & indexation — can Google find and index it?
- Technical foundations — is the site fast and functional?
- On-page optimization — is content optimized?
- Content quality — does it deserve to rank?
- Authority & links — does it have credibility?
Technical SEO Audit
Crawlability
Robots.txt
- Check for unintentional blocks
- Verify important pages are allowed
- Check sitemap reference
XML Sitemap
- Exists and accessible
- Submitted to Search Console
- Contains only canonical, indexable URLs
- Updated regularly
- Proper formatting
Site Architecture
- Important pages within 3 clicks of homepage
- Logical hierarchy
- Internal linking structure
- No orphan pages
Crawl Budget Issues (for large sites)
- Parameterized URLs under control
- Faceted navigation handled properly
- Infinite scroll with pagination fallback
- Session IDs not in URLs
Indexation
Index Status
site:domain.com check- Search Console coverage report
- Compare indexed vs. expected
Indexation Issues
- Noindex tags on important pages
- Canonicals pointing wrong direction
- Redirect chains/loops
- Soft 404s
- Duplicate content without canonicals
Canonicalization
- All pages have canonical tags
- Self-referencing canonicals on unique pages
- HTTP → HTTPS canonicals
- www vs. non-www consistency
- Trailing slash consistency
Site Speed & Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): < 2.5s
- INP (Interaction to Next Paint): < 200ms
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): < 0.1
Speed Factors
- Server response time (TTFB)
- Image optimization
- JavaScript execution
- CSS delivery
- Caching headers
- CDN usage
- Font loading
Tools
- PageSpeed Insights
- WebPageTest
- Chrome DevTools
- Search Console Core Web Vitals report
Mobile-Friendliness
- Responsive design (no separate m. site)
- Tap target sizes
- Viewport configured
- No horizontal scroll
- Same content as desktop
- Mobile-first indexing readiness
Security & HTTPS
- HTTPS across the entire site
- Valid SSL certificate
- No mixed content
- HTTP → HTTPS redirects
- HSTS header (bonus)
URL Structure
- Readable, descriptive URLs
- Keywords in URLs where natural
- Consistent structure
- No unnecessary parameters
- Lowercase and hyphen-separated
International SEO & Localization
Check when the site serves multiple languages or regions. Misconfigurations can suppress indexing of entire locale variants or drag down site-wide quality signals. See International SEO reference for evidence and source URLs.
Hreflang
Three equivalent placement methods: HTML <link> in <head>, HTTP Link headers, XML sitemap <xhtml:link>. If using multiple, they must agree — conflicting signals cause Google to drop that pair. For 10+ locales, prefer sitemap-based (no page weight, no per-request cost).
Check for:
- Self-referencing entry on every page (the page must include itself in the hreflang set)
- Reciprocal links (if A points to B, B must point back to A — or both are ignored)
- Valid codes: ISO 639-1 language + optional ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 region (e.g.,
en, en-GB — never en-UK)
x-default present, pointing to a fallback page (language selector or default locale)- All target URLs return 200, are indexable, and match their canonical URL
- No duplicate language-region codes pointing to different URLs
Common errors: missing self-referencing entry (all hreflang ignored). No return tag / one-directional (pair dropped). Invalid codes like en-UK (use en-GB). Hreflang target is non-canonical, 404, or blocked (cluster discarded). HTML and sitemap annotations disagree (conflicting pair dropped).
At scale: <xhtml:link> children don't count toward the 50K URL sitemap limit, but the 50MB file size limit becomes the bottleneck (plan 2K-5K URLs per file with full hreflang). Focus hreflang on pages receiving wrong-language traffic — not required on every page. For Bing: supplement with <html lang> and <meta http-equiv="content-language"> (Bing treats hreflang as a weak signal).
Canonicalization for Multilingual Sites
- Each locale page must self-canonical (e.g.,
/ar/page canonicals to /ar/page)
- Never cross-locale canonical (French → English) — suppresses the non-canonical locale entirely
- Canonical URL must appear in the hreflang set — if not, all hreflang is ignored
- Canonical overrides hreflang when they conflict
- Protocol/domain must be consistent across canonical, hreflang, and sitemap (
https + same domain variant)
- Paginated locale pages: self-referencing canonical per page (never canonical page 2+ to page 1)
Common mistakes: all locales canonical to English (kills indexing), canonical URL not in hreflang set (silently ignored), protocol mismatch between canonical and hreflang, CMS setting deep page canonical to homepage.
International Sitemaps
Check for:
xmlns:xhtml namespace on <urlset>, each <url> includes <xhtml:link> for all locales including itselfx-default alternate included; all URLs absolute (full protocol + domain)- Sitemap index in Search Console and robots.txt; split by content type, not by locale
Next.js caveat: alternates.languages does NOT auto-include a self-referencing <xhtml:link> for the <loc> URL — add the current locale explicitly.
Locale URL Structure
Recommended: subdirectories (/en/, /ar/). Acceptable: subdomains or ccTLDs. Not recommended: URL parameters (?lang=en).
Check for:
- Consistent locale prefix strategy; all locales prefixed (hiding locale from URLs prevents Google from distinguishing versions)
- Root URL handled as
x-default with redirect, or serves default locale content
- No IP/Accept-Language content negotiation (Googlebot: US IPs, no Accept-Language header)
- Trailing slash + case consistency across locale paths, canonicals, hreflang, and sitemaps
- 301 redirects from non-canonical format to canonical
Note: Google's International Targeting report in Search Console is deprecated. Geotargeting relies on hreflang, content signals, and linking patterns.
Content Quality Across Locales
Translation quality:
- AI-translated content is not inherently spam (Google's 2025 stance), but scaled low-value translations can trigger the scaled content abuse policy
- Google uses visible content to determine language — translate ALL page content (title, description, headings, body), not just boilerplate
- Translating only template/nav while main content stays in original language creates duplicates
Thin locale pages:
- The helpful content system is site-wide — many thin locale pages can suppress rankings for strong pages too
- Don't noindex thin locales (wastes crawl budget) or cross-locale canonical (conflicts with hreflang)
- Best approach: don't create locale pages you can't make genuinely helpful
Check for:
- All locale pages have fully translated main content (not just UI chrome)
- No near-identical content across locales ("Duplicate, Google chose different canonical" in GSC)
- Hreflang only for locales with genuine content and search demand
- Localized signals: currency, phone format, addresses where applicable
- Broken hreflang links (404s, redirects) waste crawl budget AND invalidate hreflang clusters
On-Page SEO Audit
Title Tags
Check for:
- Unique titles per page
- Primary keyword near the beginning
- 50-60 characters (visible in SERP)
- Compelling and click-worthy
- Brand name placement (end, usually)
Common issues:
- Duplicate titles
- Too long (truncated)
- Too short (wasted opportunity)
- Keyword stuffing
- Missing entirely
Meta Descriptions
Check for:
- Unique descriptions per page
- 150-160 characters
- Includes primary keyword
- Clear value proposition
- Call to action
Common issues:
- Duplicate descriptions
- Auto-generated garbage
- Too long / short
- No compelling reason to click
Heading Structure
Check for:
- One H1 per page
- H1 contains primary keyword
- Logical hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)
- Headings describe content
- Not just for styling
Common issues:
- Multiple H1s
- Skip levels (H1 → H3)
- Headings used for styling only
- No H1 on page
Content Optimization
Primary Page Content
- Keyword in first 100 words
- Related keywords used naturally
- Sufficient depth/length for topic
- Answers search intent
- Better than competitors
Thin Content Issues
- Pages with little unique content
- Tag/category pages with no value
- Doorway pages
- Duplicate or near-duplicate content
Image Optimization
Check for:
- Descriptive file names
- Alt text on all images
- Alt text describes the image
- Compressed file sizes
- Modern formats (WebP)
- Lazy loading implemented
- Responsive images
Internal Linking
Check for:
- Important pages well-linked
- Descriptive anchor text
- Logical link relationships
- No broken internal links
- Reasonable link count per page
Common issues:
- Orphan pages (no internal links)
- Over-optimized anchor text
- Important pages buried
- Excessive footer/sidebar links
Keyword Targeting
Per Page
- Clear primary keyword target
- Title, H1, URL aligned
- Content satisfies search intent
- Not competing with other pages (cannibalization)
Site-Wide
- Keyword mapping document
- No major gaps in coverage
- No keyword cannibalization
- Logical topical clusters
Content Quality Assessment
E-E-A-T Signals
Experience
- First-hand experience demonstrated
- Original insights/data
- Real examples and case studies
Expertise
- Author credentials visible
- Accurate, detailed information
- Properly sourced claims
Authoritativeness
- Recognized in the space
- Cited by others
- Industry credentials
Trustworthiness
- Accurate information
- Transparent about business
- Contact information available
- Privacy policy, terms
- Secure site (HTTPS)
Content Depth
- Comprehensive coverage of topic
- Answers follow-up questions
- Better than top-ranking competitors
- Updated and current
User Engagement Signals
- Time on page
- Bounce rate in context
- Pages per session
- Return visits
Common Issues by Site Type
SaaS / Product Sites
- Product pages lack content depth
- Blog not integrated with product pages
- Missing comparison/alternative pages
- Feature pages thin on content
- No glossary/educational content
E-commerce
- Thin category pages
- Duplicate product descriptions
- Missing product schema
- Faceted navigation creating duplicates
- Out-of-stock pages mishandled
Content / Blog Sites
- Outdated content not refreshed
- Keyword cannibalization
- No topical clustering
- Poor internal linking
- Missing author pages
Multilingual / Multi-Regional Sites
- Hreflang errors (missing return tags, invalid codes, no self-reference)
- Canonical conflicting with hreflang (cross-locale canonical suppresses indexing)
- Thin locale pages dragging down the site-wide quality signal
- Only boilerplate translated, main content identical across locales
- No x-default fallback declared
- Sitemap missing hreflang alternates or missing reciprocal entries
- IP-based redirects hiding content from Googlebot
- Framework locale mode hiding locale from URLs
Local Business
- Inconsistent NAP
- Missing local schema
- No Google Business Profile optimization
- Missing location pages
- No local content
Output Format
Audit Report Structure
Executive Summary
- Overall health assessment
- Top 3-5 priority issues
- Quick wins identified
Technical SEO Findings
Per issue:
- Issue: what's wrong
- Impact: SEO impact (High/Medium/Low)
- Evidence: how you found it
- Fix: specific recommendation
- Priority: 1-5 or High/Medium/Low
On-Page SEO Findings
Same format.
Content Findings
Same format.
Prioritized Action Plan
- Critical fixes (blocking indexation/ranking)
- High-impact improvements
- Quick wins (easy, immediate benefit)
- Long-term recommendations
References
- AI Writing Detection: Common AI writing patterns to avoid (em dashes, overused phrases, filler words)
- International SEO: Evidence and sources for hreflang, canonical + i18n, sitemaps, URL structure, content quality across locales
- For AI search optimization (AEO, GEO, LLMO, AI Overviews), see
/iblai-marketing-ai-seo
Tools Referenced
Free Tools
- Google Search Console (essential)
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- Bing Webmaster Tools
- Rich Results Test (use this for schema validation — it renders JavaScript)
- Mobile-Friendly Test
- Schema Validator
Note on schema detection: web_fetch strips <script> tags (including JSON-LD) and cannot detect JS-injected schema. Use the browser tool, Rich Results Test, or Screaming Frog instead — they render JavaScript and capture dynamically-injected markup. See the Schema Markup Detection Limitation section above.
Paid Tools (if available)
- Screaming Frog
- Ahrefs / Semrush
- Sitebulb
- ContentKing
Task-Specific Questions
- Which pages/keywords matter most?
- Search Console access?
- Recent changes or migrations?
- Top organic competitors?
- Current organic traffic baseline?
Related Skills
- iblai-marketing-ai-seo: Optimizing content for AI search engines (AEO, GEO, LLMO)
- iblai-marketing-programmatic-seo: Building SEO pages at scale
- iblai-marketing-site-architecture: Page hierarchy, navigation design, URL structure
- iblai-marketing-schema-markup: Implementing structured data
- iblai-marketing-page-cro: Optimizing pages for conversion (not just ranking)
- iblai-marketing-analytics-tracking: Measuring SEO performance
1---2name: iblai-marketing-seo-audit3description: When the user wants to audit, review, or diagnose SEO issues on their site. Also use when the user mentions "SEO audit," "technical SEO," "why am I not ranking," "SEO issues," "on-page SEO," "meta tags review," "SEO health check," "my traffic dropped," "lost rankings," "not showing up in Google," "site isn't ranking," "Google update hit me," "page speed," "core web vitals," "crawl errors," or "indexing issues." Use this even if the user just says something vague like "my SEO is bad" or "help with SEO" — start with an audit. For building pages at scale to target keywords, see iblai-marketing-programmatic-seo. For adding structured data, see iblai-marketing-schema-markup. For AI search optimization, see iblai-marketing-ai-seo.4---56# /iblai-marketing-seo-audit78Identify SEO issues and ship actionable recommendations to improve9organic search performance.1011## Step 0: Context Check1213Read `.agents/product-marketing-context.md` (or `.claude/product-marketing-context.md`14on older setups) first. Only ask for what isn't there.1516Pin down before auditing:17181. **Site context**19 - Type (SaaS, e-commerce, blog, etc.)20 - Primary business goal for SEO21 - Priority keywords/topics22232. **Current state**24 - Known issues or concerns25 - Current organic traffic level26 - Recent changes or migrations27283. **Scope**29 - Full site audit or specific pages30 - Technical + on-page, or one focus area31 - Search Console / analytics access3233---3435## Audit Framework3637### Schema Markup Detection Limitation3839**`web_fetch` and `curl` cannot reliably detect structured data / schema markup.**4041Many CMS plugins (AIOSEO, Yoast, RankMath) inject JSON-LD via client-side JavaScript — it won't appear in static HTML or `web_fetch` output (which strips `<script>` tags during conversion).4243**To accurately check for schema markup, use one of these:**441. **Browser tool** — render the page and run: `document.querySelectorAll('script[type="application/ld+json"]')`452. **Google Rich Results Test** — https://search.google.com/test/rich-results463. **Screaming Frog export** — if the client provides one, use it (SF renders JavaScript)4748Reporting "no schema found" based solely on `web_fetch` or `curl` produces false audit findings — these tools can't see JS-injected schema.4950### Priority Order511. **Crawlability & indexation** — can Google find and index it?522. **Technical foundations** — is the site fast and functional?533. **On-page optimization** — is content optimized?544. **Content quality** — does it deserve to rank?555. **Authority & links** — does it have credibility?5657---5859## Technical SEO Audit6061### Crawlability6263**Robots.txt**64- Check for unintentional blocks65- Verify important pages are allowed66- Check sitemap reference6768**XML Sitemap**69- Exists and accessible70- Submitted to Search Console71- Contains only canonical, indexable URLs72- Updated regularly73- Proper formatting7475**Site Architecture**76- Important pages within 3 clicks of homepage77- Logical hierarchy78- Internal linking structure79- No orphan pages8081**Crawl Budget Issues** (for large sites)82- Parameterized URLs under control83- Faceted navigation handled properly84- Infinite scroll with pagination fallback85- Session IDs not in URLs8687### Indexation8889**Index Status**90- `site:domain.com` check91- Search Console coverage report92- Compare indexed vs. expected9394**Indexation Issues**95- Noindex tags on important pages96- Canonicals pointing wrong direction97- Redirect chains/loops98- Soft 404s99- Duplicate content without canonicals100101**Canonicalization**102- All pages have canonical tags103- Self-referencing canonicals on unique pages104- HTTP → HTTPS canonicals105- www vs. non-www consistency106- Trailing slash consistency107108### Site Speed & Core Web Vitals109110**Core Web Vitals**111- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): < 2.5s112- INP (Interaction to Next Paint): < 200ms113- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): < 0.1114115**Speed Factors**116- Server response time (TTFB)117- Image optimization118- JavaScript execution119- CSS delivery120- Caching headers121- CDN usage122- Font loading123124**Tools**125- PageSpeed Insights126- WebPageTest127- Chrome DevTools128- Search Console Core Web Vitals report129130### Mobile-Friendliness131132- Responsive design (no separate m. site)133- Tap target sizes134- Viewport configured135- No horizontal scroll136- Same content as desktop137- Mobile-first indexing readiness138139### Security & HTTPS140141- HTTPS across the entire site142- Valid SSL certificate143- No mixed content144- HTTP → HTTPS redirects145- HSTS header (bonus)146147### URL Structure148149- Readable, descriptive URLs150- Keywords in URLs where natural151- Consistent structure152- No unnecessary parameters153- Lowercase and hyphen-separated154155---156157## International SEO & Localization158159Check when the site serves multiple languages or regions. Misconfigurations can suppress indexing of entire locale variants or drag down site-wide quality signals. See [International SEO reference](references/international-seo.md) for evidence and source URLs.160161### Hreflang162163Three equivalent placement methods: HTML `<link>` in `<head>`, HTTP `Link` headers, XML sitemap `<xhtml:link>`. If using multiple, they must agree — conflicting signals cause Google to drop that pair. For 10+ locales, prefer sitemap-based (no page weight, no per-request cost).164165**Check for:**166- Self-referencing entry on every page (the page must include itself in the hreflang set)167- Reciprocal links (if A points to B, B must point back to A — or both are ignored)168- Valid codes: ISO 639-1 language + optional ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 region (e.g., `en`, `en-GB` — never `en-UK`)169- `x-default` present, pointing to a fallback page (language selector or default locale)170- All target URLs return 200, are indexable, and match their canonical URL171- No duplicate language-region codes pointing to different URLs172173**Common errors:** missing self-referencing entry (all hreflang ignored). No return tag / one-directional (pair dropped). Invalid codes like `en-UK` (use `en-GB`). Hreflang target is non-canonical, 404, or blocked (cluster discarded). HTML and sitemap annotations disagree (conflicting pair dropped).174175**At scale:** `<xhtml:link>` children don't count toward the 50K URL sitemap limit, but the 50MB file size limit becomes the bottleneck (plan 2K-5K URLs per file with full hreflang). Focus hreflang on pages receiving wrong-language traffic — not required on every page. For Bing: supplement with `<html lang>` and `<meta http-equiv="content-language">` (Bing treats hreflang as a weak signal).176177### Canonicalization for Multilingual Sites178179- Each locale page must self-canonical (e.g., `/ar/page` canonicals to `/ar/page`)180- Never cross-locale canonical (French → English) — suppresses the non-canonical locale entirely181- Canonical URL must appear in the hreflang set — if not, all hreflang is ignored182- Canonical overrides hreflang when they conflict183- Protocol/domain must be consistent across canonical, hreflang, and sitemap (`https` + same domain variant)184- Paginated locale pages: self-referencing canonical per page (never canonical page 2+ to page 1)185186**Common mistakes:** all locales canonical to English (kills indexing), canonical URL not in hreflang set (silently ignored), protocol mismatch between canonical and hreflang, CMS setting deep page canonical to homepage.187188### International Sitemaps189190**Check for:**191- `xmlns:xhtml` namespace on `<urlset>`, each `<url>` includes `<xhtml:link>` for all locales including itself192- `x-default` alternate included; all URLs absolute (full protocol + domain)193- Sitemap index in Search Console and robots.txt; split by content type, not by locale194195**Next.js caveat:** `alternates.languages` does NOT auto-include a self-referencing `<xhtml:link>` for the `<loc>` URL — add the current locale explicitly.196197### Locale URL Structure198199**Recommended:** subdirectories (`/en/`, `/ar/`). **Acceptable:** subdomains or ccTLDs. **Not recommended:** URL parameters (`?lang=en`).200201**Check for:**202- Consistent locale prefix strategy; all locales prefixed (hiding locale from URLs prevents Google from distinguishing versions)203- Root URL handled as `x-default` with redirect, or serves default locale content204- No IP/Accept-Language content negotiation (Googlebot: US IPs, no Accept-Language header)205- Trailing slash + case consistency across locale paths, canonicals, hreflang, and sitemaps206- 301 redirects from non-canonical format to canonical207208**Note:** Google's International Targeting report in Search Console is deprecated. Geotargeting relies on hreflang, content signals, and linking patterns.209210### Content Quality Across Locales211212**Translation quality:**213- AI-translated content is not inherently spam (Google's 2025 stance), but scaled low-value translations can trigger the scaled content abuse policy214- Google uses visible content to determine language — translate ALL page content (title, description, headings, body), not just boilerplate215- Translating only template/nav while main content stays in original language creates duplicates216217**Thin locale pages:**218- The helpful content system is site-wide — many thin locale pages can suppress rankings for strong pages too219- Don't noindex thin locales (wastes crawl budget) or cross-locale canonical (conflicts with hreflang)220- Best approach: don't create locale pages you can't make genuinely helpful221222**Check for:**223- All locale pages have fully translated main content (not just UI chrome)224- No near-identical content across locales ("Duplicate, Google chose different canonical" in GSC)225- Hreflang only for locales with genuine content and search demand226- Localized signals: currency, phone format, addresses where applicable227- Broken hreflang links (404s, redirects) waste crawl budget AND invalidate hreflang clusters228229---230231## On-Page SEO Audit232233### Title Tags234235**Check for:**236- Unique titles per page237- Primary keyword near the beginning238- 50-60 characters (visible in SERP)239- Compelling and click-worthy240- Brand name placement (end, usually)241242**Common issues:**243- Duplicate titles244- Too long (truncated)245- Too short (wasted opportunity)246- Keyword stuffing247- Missing entirely248249### Meta Descriptions250251**Check for:**252- Unique descriptions per page253- 150-160 characters254- Includes primary keyword255- Clear value proposition256- Call to action257258**Common issues:**259- Duplicate descriptions260- Auto-generated garbage261- Too long / short262- No compelling reason to click263264### Heading Structure265266**Check for:**267- One H1 per page268- H1 contains primary keyword269- Logical hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)270- Headings describe content271- Not just for styling272273**Common issues:**274- Multiple H1s275- Skip levels (H1 → H3)276- Headings used for styling only277- No H1 on page278279### Content Optimization280281**Primary Page Content**282- Keyword in first 100 words283- Related keywords used naturally284- Sufficient depth/length for topic285- Answers search intent286- Better than competitors287288**Thin Content Issues**289- Pages with little unique content290- Tag/category pages with no value291- Doorway pages292- Duplicate or near-duplicate content293294### Image Optimization295296**Check for:**297- Descriptive file names298- Alt text on all images299- Alt text describes the image300- Compressed file sizes301- Modern formats (WebP)302- Lazy loading implemented303- Responsive images304305### Internal Linking306307**Check for:**308- Important pages well-linked309- Descriptive anchor text310- Logical link relationships311- No broken internal links312- Reasonable link count per page313314**Common issues:**315- Orphan pages (no internal links)316- Over-optimized anchor text317- Important pages buried318- Excessive footer/sidebar links319320### Keyword Targeting321322**Per Page**323- Clear primary keyword target324- Title, H1, URL aligned325- Content satisfies search intent326- Not competing with other pages (cannibalization)327328**Site-Wide**329- Keyword mapping document330- No major gaps in coverage331- No keyword cannibalization332- Logical topical clusters333334---335336## Content Quality Assessment337338### E-E-A-T Signals339340**Experience**341- First-hand experience demonstrated342- Original insights/data343- Real examples and case studies344345**Expertise**346- Author credentials visible347- Accurate, detailed information348- Properly sourced claims349350**Authoritativeness**351- Recognized in the space352- Cited by others353- Industry credentials354355**Trustworthiness**356- Accurate information357- Transparent about business358- Contact information available359- Privacy policy, terms360- Secure site (HTTPS)361362### Content Depth363364- Comprehensive coverage of topic365- Answers follow-up questions366- Better than top-ranking competitors367- Updated and current368369### User Engagement Signals370371- Time on page372- Bounce rate in context373- Pages per session374- Return visits375376---377378## Common Issues by Site Type379380### SaaS / Product Sites381- Product pages lack content depth382- Blog not integrated with product pages383- Missing comparison/alternative pages384- Feature pages thin on content385- No glossary/educational content386387### E-commerce388- Thin category pages389- Duplicate product descriptions390- Missing product schema391- Faceted navigation creating duplicates392- Out-of-stock pages mishandled393394### Content / Blog Sites395- Outdated content not refreshed396- Keyword cannibalization397- No topical clustering398- Poor internal linking399- Missing author pages400401### Multilingual / Multi-Regional Sites402- Hreflang errors (missing return tags, invalid codes, no self-reference)403- Canonical conflicting with hreflang (cross-locale canonical suppresses indexing)404- Thin locale pages dragging down the site-wide quality signal405- Only boilerplate translated, main content identical across locales406- No x-default fallback declared407- Sitemap missing hreflang alternates or missing reciprocal entries408- IP-based redirects hiding content from Googlebot409- Framework locale mode hiding locale from URLs410411### Local Business412- Inconsistent NAP413- Missing local schema414- No Google Business Profile optimization415- Missing location pages416- No local content417418---419420## Output Format421422### Audit Report Structure423424**Executive Summary**425- Overall health assessment426- Top 3-5 priority issues427- Quick wins identified428429**Technical SEO Findings**430Per issue:431- **Issue**: what's wrong432- **Impact**: SEO impact (High/Medium/Low)433- **Evidence**: how you found it434- **Fix**: specific recommendation435- **Priority**: 1-5 or High/Medium/Low436437**On-Page SEO Findings**438Same format.439440**Content Findings**441Same format.442443**Prioritized Action Plan**4441. Critical fixes (blocking indexation/ranking)4452. High-impact improvements4463. Quick wins (easy, immediate benefit)4474. Long-term recommendations448449---450451## References452453- [AI Writing Detection](references/ai-writing-detection.md): Common AI writing patterns to avoid (em dashes, overused phrases, filler words)454- [International SEO](references/international-seo.md): Evidence and sources for hreflang, canonical + i18n, sitemaps, URL structure, content quality across locales455- For AI search optimization (AEO, GEO, LLMO, AI Overviews), see `/iblai-marketing-ai-seo`456457---458459## Tools Referenced460461**Free Tools**462- Google Search Console (essential)463- Google PageSpeed Insights464- Bing Webmaster Tools465- Rich Results Test (**use this for schema validation — it renders JavaScript**)466- Mobile-Friendly Test467- Schema Validator468469> **Note on schema detection:** `web_fetch` strips `<script>` tags (including JSON-LD) and cannot detect JS-injected schema. Use the browser tool, Rich Results Test, or Screaming Frog instead — they render JavaScript and capture dynamically-injected markup. See the Schema Markup Detection Limitation section above.470471**Paid Tools** (if available)472- Screaming Frog473- Ahrefs / Semrush474- Sitebulb475- ContentKing476477---478479## Task-Specific Questions4804811. Which pages/keywords matter most?4822. Search Console access?4833. Recent changes or migrations?4844. Top organic competitors?4855. Current organic traffic baseline?486487---488489## Related Skills490491- **iblai-marketing-ai-seo**: Optimizing content for AI search engines (AEO, GEO, LLMO)492- **iblai-marketing-programmatic-seo**: Building SEO pages at scale493- **iblai-marketing-site-architecture**: Page hierarchy, navigation design, URL structure494- **iblai-marketing-schema-markup**: Implementing structured data495- **iblai-marketing-page-cro**: Optimizing pages for conversion (not just ranking)496- **iblai-marketing-analytics-tracking**: Measuring SEO performance
iblai