What does the SEO audit check?
Every AuditWidget audit runs 12 checks on a URL: title tag, meta description, HTTPS, mobile friendliness, page speed, heading structure, robots.txt, sitemap, canonical URL, structured data, Open Graph tags, and image alt text. Visitors see which checks pass or fail, then unlock the full report with their email.
The 12 checks, in detail
Every AuditWidget audit fetches the target URL once and runs these checks against the response:
1. Title tag
Presence, length (between 30–60 characters is the pragmatic sweet spot), and whether it's a duplicate of the H1.
2. Meta description
Presence and length (120–160 chars). Missing meta descriptions are common on template-heavy sites.
3. HTTPS
The page loads over HTTPS and the certificate is valid.
4. Mobile friendliness
A viewport meta tag is present and the layout doesn't rely on fixed widths that break on phones.
5. Page speed
First-byte time and total response size. The widget flags pages that take more than about 3 seconds to start responding.
6. Heading structure
Exactly one H1, logical H2/H3 nesting, no skipped levels.
7. robots.txt
The file exists and isn't accidentally disallowing the entire site.
8. XML sitemap
A reachable sitemap.xml exists — or is referenced from robots.txt.
9. Canonical URL
A <link rel="canonical"> is set and points to a consistent URL form.
10. Structured data
At least one JSON-LD block (Article, Product, Organization, FAQPage, LocalBusiness, etc.).
11. Open Graph tags
og:title, og:description, and og:image present so the page previews cleanly when shared.
12. Image alt text
Every <img> has an alt attribute, even empty string for decorative images.
What the audit does not check
By design, AuditWidget focuses on on-page signals a prospect's own site owner can see and fix. That means it doesn't check:
- Backlink profile — we're not a Moz/Ahrefs replacement.
- Keyword rankings — use Search Console or a dedicated rank tracker.
- Competitor gap analysis — this is a lead-gen widget, not a strategy platform.
- Content quality or topical authority — those need human judgment.
How results are shown
Visitors see each check pass or fail with a short plain-language explanation (no jargon). A count of failed checks is visible, but the full per-check details gate behind an email capture — that's the lead-gen part. They enter their email, unlock the report, and the email drops into your dashboard.
Try the exact check list on a real URL on the free SEO audit page, or see how it looks as an embed on the demo.
Related FAQs
These answers also appear as a quick FAQ on the AuditWidget landing page. For the full list, see the FAQ hub.