SEO Audit Template Guide — Prioritization Matrix

Make a copy of this free Google Sheets SEO audit template and finish a prioritised, executive-ready audit in hours—not weeks. If you’re overwhelmed or under time pressure, start with the checklist, then use the impact × effort × risk scoring to build your 90‑day roadmap.

Make a copy: [Google Sheets SEO Audit Template — Free, editable]

Who This Template Is For (and When to Use It)

If you need a dependable way to run an SEO audit fast, this template gives you a proven process you can use immediately. Open the sheet, pick your scenario tab, and follow the checklist to avoid analysis paralysis.

Use this if you’re an agency, in‑house SEO, or SMB owner who needs a reliable SEO audit process without building a template from scratch. It fits new builds, migration QA, quarterly health checks, or triage after traffic drops.

It scales from small sites (<1k URLs) to complex architectures. For very large sites, pair it with a sampled crawl plus templates in the “Templates by Scenario” section. If you’re choosing between options, this doubles as a website audit template, technical SEO audit template, and SEO audit checklist all in one.

What’s Included in the SEO Audit Template

Know exactly what you’re getting and how to use it without guesswork. Make a copy, scan the tabs, and start logging findings as you go.

You get a guided audit checklist, findings log, impact × effort × risk scoring, a 90‑day roadmap view, and an executive summary deck outline. The sheet references modern metrics (GA4, Core Web Vitals) and includes example rows so you can see how to score and write concise, stakeholder‑ready actions.

Each section below mirrors a tab and checklist in the template. As you work, record evidence, affected URLs, owners, ETA, and score. The roadmap then auto-sorts by priority.

Technical: Crawlability, Indexing, Core Web Vitals, Mobile & JavaScript

Technical issues block discovery and performance; fix these first. Prioritise crawling/indexing, then page experience and JavaScript rendering.

Crawlability/indexing: robots.txt, noindex/nofollow, canonical tags, hreflang, sitemaps, 404/410, redirects.
Rendering/JS: server-side rendering or hydration status, rendered HTML parity, blocked resources, dynamic routing.
CWV: LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1; check CrUX field data for top templates.
Mobile: responsive design, tap targets, font legibility, viewport, parity with desktop.
Accessibility quick checks: alt text on critical templates, heading order, focus states.

Takeaway: Confirm Googlebot can crawl, render, and index key pages, then improve speed and UX where it moves revenue.

On‑Page & Content: Titles, Metas, Intent Match, Content Decay

On‑page relevance drives rankings; quality and freshness sustain them.

Metadata: unique, concise titles and meta descriptions with primary intent coverage.
Intent match: content satisfies query types (informational, transactional, local).
Structure: H1‑H3 hierarchy, schema markup (FAQ, Product, Article, HowTo when appropriate).
Cannibalisation: identify overlapping URLs competing for the same terms; consolidate.
Decay: target pages with declining clicks or conversions for refresh or redirect.

Takeaway: Tie updates to search intent and measurable goals, not just keywords.

Information Architecture & Internal Links

IA helps users and crawlers find what matters and pass PageRank efficiently.

Depth: important pages within 3 clicks from the homepage or hubs.
Clusters: hub pages linking to related content; contextual links between siblings.
Orphan pages: discover and either integrate or prune.
Facets/pagination: crawl-safe patterns; canonicalisation and noindex where required.
Breadcrumbs/HTML sitemaps: reinforce hierarchy and anchor text.

Takeaway: Build topic clusters and flatten access to money pages.

Off‑Page & E‑E‑A‑T Signals

Authority and trust amplify everything else.

Backlinks: quality over quantity; diverse domains; avoid toxic patterns.
Brand mentions: unlinked citations on authoritative sources.
E‑E‑A‑T: clear author bios, credentials, transparent policies, reviews/reputation.
Local trust (if relevant): NAP consistency, GBP completeness, recent reviews.
Third‑party signals: awards, certifications, press—show them on-site.

Takeaway: Strengthen reputation where your audience and Google look for proof.

Download the Free SEO Audit Template (Google Sheets)

Get set up in minutes so you can start capturing findings right away. Open the sheet, then go to File > Make a copy to save it to your Drive.

Make a copy: [Google Sheets SEO Audit Template — Free, editable]
Excel export: File > Download > Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) for offline use.
Prefer Notion or Airtable? Use the same fields (Issue, Evidence, Owner, ETA, Impact, Effort, Risk, Status) for a kanban-style workflow.

Why Google Sheets? It’s collaborative, API-friendly, and easy to automate with Apps Script and connectors.

How to Use the Template: A Step‑by‑Step Walkthrough

Follow these steps to move from audit to roadmap quickly. Keep your notes concise and score as you go so your 90‑day plan builds itself.

Step 1: Make a Copy, Define Scope, and Seed Your Baseline Metrics (GA4/GSC)

Start by copying the sheet and naming the project and date range. Define scope: whole site vs. a section (e.g., blog, PDPs). Add context about why you’re auditing now (migration, traffic drop, quarterly check) to align stakeholders.

Seed baseline metrics:

GA4: sessions, conversions, and revenue by landing page.
GSC: clicks, impressions, CTR, and position for top 100–500 URLs.

Add key KPIs to the Executive Summary tab (e.g., non‑brand organic revenue last 90 days). This makes progress measurable from day one.

Takeaway: Baselines let you prove impact and prioritise pages that drive value.

Step 2: Run a Crawl and Collect Diagnostics (Screaming Frog/PSI/CrUX)

Run a site crawl (list mode for large sites) and export issues. Include:

Status codes, canonicals, noindex, titles, metas, hreflang, pagination, rendered HTML.
A rendered crawl if JavaScript is significant to catch parity gaps.

Pull performance data:

PageSpeed Insights for top templates.
CrUX for field CWV.

Note:

Render-blocking scripts, large images, layout shifts, long main-thread tasks.
Any patterns tied to specific templates.

Takeaway: Add each notable issue to the sheet with evidence URLs and screenshots.

Step 3: Evaluate On‑Page & Content Quality (Intent, Cannibalization, Decay)

Check whether pages answer the query better than SERP winners. Compare top keywords to headings, media, and CTAs.

Identify cannibalisation clusters by querying GSC for queries with multiple landing pages. Decide merge/redirect rules and update internal links.

Find content decay by filtering declining clicks over 6–12 months. Plan refreshes with updated examples, data, and UX.

Takeaway: Log each fix with a clear action like “Merge A into B; 301 and update internal links.”

Step 4: Map Internal Links & IA (Clusters, Depth, Orphan Pages)

Audit click depth and cluster coverage to ensure critical URLs are reachable within three clicks. Build or refine hubs that list and contextually link to children.

Add breadcrumbs if missing to reinforce hierarchy. Fix orphans by linking them from relevant hubs or decide to deindex/prune.

For pagination and facets, ensure canonical and robots rules prevent crawl traps.

Takeaway: Small internal link tweaks often deliver quick wins with low effort.

Step 5: Assess Off‑Page & E‑E‑A‑T (Backlinks, Mentions, Trust Signals)

Review backlink quality to high‑value pages and note gaps you can address with digital PR, link reclamation, or partnerships.

Add missing trust elements: author credentials, review snippets, editorial policies, About/Contact clarity, and visible third‑party proof like awards.

If local matters, check GBP completeness and NAP consistency across citations.

Takeaway: Strengthening trust can lift CTR and rankings, especially on YMYL topics.

Step 6: Score, Prioritize, and Build Your 90‑Day Roadmap

Use the built‑in prioritization matrix to score every item as you go. For each issue, score Impact (1–5), Effort (1–5), and Risk/Severity (1–5). The template calculates Priority to rank your roadmap.

Group actions into sprints by owner (Content, Dev, SEO). Aim for a balanced mix of quick wins and strategic fixes. Add ETAs and status to drive accountability.

Takeaway: Share the 90‑day roadmap and Executive Summary with stakeholders to align resources.

Prioritization Matrix: Impact × Effort × Risk (With Examples)

A transparent scoring model gets buy‑in and prevents “pet projects” from hijacking the roadmap. Use business‑linked impact and realistic effort estimates to stack rank the work.

How to Score Impact (Traffic, Conversions, Revenue Proximity)

Impact estimates how much the change could drive traffic, conversions, or revenue.

5 = Direct revenue pages or templates affecting many pages (e.g., PDP template CWV fix).
4 = High‑traffic pages or fixes unlocking indexation for a section.
3 = Medium‑traffic topics or supporting pages in a critical cluster.
2 = Low‑traffic/edge cases or partial wins.
1 = Minimal upside or speculative.

Example:

“Fix LCP on top 20 PDPs (LCP 3.6s → <2.5s)” = Impact 5.
“Rewrite 3 outdated FAQs” = Impact 2.

Estimating Effort (Content vs. Dev vs. Links) and Typical Time Ranges

Effort is the cost to implement across roles.

Content effort examples: refresh an article (2–4 hours), merge cannibalised posts (3–6 hours).
Dev effort examples: lazy‑load images (4–8 hours), script deferral (8–16 hours), SSR for SPA routes (2–5 days).
Links/PR effort examples: digital PR pitch (1–2 weeks), reclaim unlinked mentions (4–8 hours).

Score 1–5 based on expected hours/sprints and dependencies. Lower scores indicate easier wins.

Risk/Severity and Quick Wins vs. Strategic Fixes

Risk/Severity captures urgency and downside if unfixed.

5 = Indexing blocked, widespread 5xx/404s, payment PDP errors.
4 = Duplicate/canonicalization causing URL bloat, major CLS/INP regressions.
3 = Measurable but contained issues (e.g., thin content in a subfolder).
1–2 = Low risk or cosmetic.

Example filled rows (no table):

Fix robots.txt disallow on /products: Impact 5, Effort 1, Risk 5 → Top priority.
Consolidate 4 “pricing” blog posts: Impact 3, Effort 2, Risk 2 → Quick win.
Implement SSR for SPA product routes: Impact 5, Effort 5, Risk 4 → Strategic project; break into milestones.

Priority formula used in the sheet: Priority = ROUND(((Impact × 2) + Risk) ÷ Effort, 1). Adjust weights to match your org.

Templates by Scenario

Different sites need different checks. Use these targeted checklists in the scenario tabs to avoid blind spots and save time.

Ecommerce: Faceted Navigation, Pagination, PDP Schema, Internal Search

Facets: restrict crawl with URL parameter rules; use canonical/noindex where appropriate.
Pagination: rel="next/prev" deprecated; use strong internal linking and canonical to page 1 only when justified.
PDP: unique titles, availability/price schema, high‑quality images, reviews, Q&A content.
PLPs: limit infinite scroll; provide crawlable pagination; ensure filters don’t create crawl traps.
Internal search: block results pages from indexing; track zero‑result queries to inform content.

Local: GBP, NAP Consistency, Citations, Local SERP Features

Google Business Profile: categories, services, hours, photos, Q&A, posts up to date.
NAP: consistent across major citations; fix duplicates and address variations.
Location pages: unique content, embedded map, local schema, internal links to services.
Reviews: recent volume and responses; highlight on-site for trust.
Local SERP: add FAQs, events, and service details that align with local features.

SaaS/B2B: Gated Content, Lead Gen, Attribution, Docs/Academy

Gated assets: teaser pages indexable; avoid blocking core learn content.
BOFU pages: solutions, integrations, pricing—clear intent, schema, and CTAs.
Docs/academy: structured navigation, canonicalisation, internal linking to product pages.
Attribution: GA4 events for demo/trial; align SEO goals with pipeline metrics.
Thought leadership/E‑E‑A‑T: expert bylines, case studies, research pages.

JavaScript‑Heavy Sites: Rendering, Hydration, Routing, Edge Cases

Rendering: confirm server‑rendered or prerendered critical routes; compare raw vs. rendered HTML.
Hydration: avoid blocking main thread; defer non‑critical scripts; split bundles.
Routing: unique, crawlable URLs for views; handle hashbang/fragment pitfalls.
Content parity: ensure rendered content matches what users see; avoid client‑only critical content.
Edge cases: lazy‑loaded content discoverability, infinite scroll, auth walls.

Automation & Reporting

Automate data pulls to save hours and standardise the audit process. Then package findings into a clear executive summary and roadmap.

Optional Automations: Pull GSC, PSI, and CrUX into Sheets; Looker Studio Dashboard

Google Search Console API: pull top queries/pages and coverage reports into a “Data” tab.
PageSpeed Insights API: fetch CWV lab data for target URLs and track regressions.
CrUX API: get field CWV for origins/URL patterns to guide prioritisation.
Looker Studio: build a dashboard with GA4 landing‑page metrics, GSC trends, and CWV scores for stakeholders.

Lightweight approach: use Google Sheets’ Apps Script or community connectors. Schedule a weekly refresh.

Example Audit Report & Executive Summary (Download)

Use the included executive summary outline to communicate the “so what” in 1 page:

Context: goals, timeframe, baselines (GA4, GSC).
Top 5 findings: plain language, business impact.
90‑day roadmap: 3–5 initiatives with owners/ETAs.
Expected outcomes: traffic, conversions, or revenue ranges.

Download: [SEO Audit Report Template — Executive Summary Slide]

Audit Cadence, Time & Cost Ranges by Site Size

Set expectations up front so stakeholders understand scope and resourcing.

Small (≤1k URLs): 8–20 hours; 1–2 weeks elapsed; quarterly.
Medium (1k–50k URLs): 20–60 hours; 2–4 weeks elapsed; quarterly to biannual.
Large (50k–500k URLs): 60–120+ hours; 4–8 weeks elapsed; quarterly rolling.
Enterprise (500k+ URLs): ongoing program with sampling; monthly technical checks, quarterly strategy reviews.

Costs vary by market and team mix. Align to complexity and expected value.

FAQs

What is included in an SEO audit template?

A structured SEO audit checklist, findings log with evidence/owners, impact × effort × risk scoring, and a prioritised roadmap. This template also includes GA4/GSC baseline fields, Core Web Vitals checks, E‑E‑A‑T items, and an executive summary outline.

How often should you run an SEO audit?

Run a lightweight audit quarterly and a deeper review biannually. After migrations, redesigns, or major traffic changes, run an immediate health check. Large or fast‑moving sites benefit from monthly technical sweeps.

What’s the difference between an audit checklist, template, and report?

Checklist: the list of things to review (inputs).
Template: the working file to capture findings, score, and prioritise (process).
Report: a stakeholder‑ready summary with recommendations and a roadmap (output).

Is the template free and editable?

Yes—make a copy of the free Google Sheets SEO audit template and customise fields, scoring weights, and views. You can also export to Excel or rebuild the fields in Notion/Airtable.

Can this template handle large sites (100k+ URLs)?

Yes, with a sampled or segmented approach. Use list mode crawls (top templates, top 10k URLs by traffic), section‑by‑section audits, and scheduled automations for coverage and CWV. For full coverage, run periodic large crawls on staging or off‑peak hours.

Related Resources & Next Steps

Make a copy: [Google Sheets SEO Audit Template — Free, editable]
See scenario checklists: Ecommerce, Local, SaaS/B2B, JavaScript‑heavy (above)
Get the companion SEO audit report template (executive summary)
Set up automations: GSC + PSI + CrUX into Sheets and a Looker Studio dashboard
Continue with deep dives: technical SEO audit template, content audit template, on‑page SEO template, local SEO audit template

If you’re ready now, copy the sheet, define scope, and seed your GA4/GSC baselines—the prioritised roadmap will build itself as you score your findings.