SEO is an increasingly important tool when it comes to digital marketing; many companies are now turning away from expensive PPC advertising models and turning to durable, long-term SEO strategies instead.
But before you can implement an SEO strategy, you’ll need to have an SEO company perform what is known as an SEO audit on your website. An SEO audit is essentially just an inspection of your website when it comes to its ranking on Google; how well it ranks, where it can improve, and what strategies should be implemented to increase your search engine visibility.
So, how much does an SEO audit cost, and what does it entail? Let’s take a look.
How much does an seo audit cost?
On average, you can expect to pay anywhere between £400 and £10,000 for a full SEO audit on your website. Obviously, these costs will vary depending on a number of variable factors, and will depend on how long the audit takes.
What factors influence the cost of an SEO audit?
As an award-winning SEO consultancy in London, we’ve performed countless audits on websites large and small. Typically, the following factors will play a role in the overall cost of an SEO audit:
Website size
The size of your website is going to play a determinative role in the overall cost of your SEO audit. If you have a large, sprawling website, it’s going to take longer for your hired SEO experts to work their way through the content. The complexity of your website will also play a role; for example, it’s much easier to perform an SEO audit (and implement key SEO strategies) on a website that uses a typical hosting service such as WordPress.
Website age
If you’re running a website that has only recently gone live, it’s much quicker to perform an SEO audit. If you’re just starting your business, it’s also easier to develop a winning SEO strategy both on-page and off-site. However, for older websites, an SEO audit can take slightly longer; all off-site content and on-site content will need to be evaluated, and this can take longer for the SEO team to complete.
Type of audit
Another factor that will influence your SEO audit price will be the type of audit your website needs. There are five different types of SEO audits: a technical audit, a content audit, a social audit, a link audit (or off-site audit) and a competitive audit. The type of audit you need – and the type of website you run – will naturally influence the final audit costs. For example, if you run a blog with hundreds of pages of long-form content, your content audit is going to cost more than a simple technical audit. You can also opt for a combination of all three types of audit; again, this will obviously play a role in the final audit price.
What does an SEO audit include?
The overall purpose of an SEO audit is to find ways to optimise your website within your given niche. There’s really no “one size fits all” answer when it comes to SEO; every website and niche has different needs.
That being said, most SEO audits will include a basic inspection of key site elements, such as readability, technical performance, on-site and off-site content review, crawlability, indexation analysis, broken links, and images and text.
There are also different types of SEO audits, as mentioned above. In general, a complete SEO audit package will include the following elements:
Technical audit
A technical SEO audit is an inspection of your site from a logistical and user-friendly point of view. Your SEO experts will analyse factors such as page loading times, whether or not your site is mobile-friendly, and other technical factors that influence your site’s readability and usability, such as 404 error pages and duplicate content.
Content audit
A content audit is an inspection of the written content on your website, in particular your service pages, landing pages, and your website’s blog. When it comes to SEO, content really is key: your SEO team will be able to identify target keywords that can help your website rank within your specific niche. SEO companies will usually first try to find “low-hanging fruit” keywords – these are search terms within your niche that combine high search volume with low competition.
Competitive audit
A competitive audit will analyse your website’s performance and compare it to your main competitors. Your SEO team will report back on your site’s weak points, as well as your competitors’ strong points; this allows you to optimise your site for SEO, improve your content, while also making your site more competitive with your key rivals.
Social audit
A social audit inspects your site’s presence on social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media websites. A social audit will also inspect your site’s shareability factor: aka, how easy it is for users to share and disperse your content online (URL shorteners, readable content etc.)
Link audit
Also known as an off-site audit, a link audit will inspect all the backlinks to your website. Backlinks (known as link-building to SEO experts) are incredibly important when it comes to SEO; a link audit will inspect the quality of your backlinks and give suggestions on where to improve your off-site visibility.
How long does an SEO audit take?
Depending on the size of your website – and depending on the type of SEO audit your website needs – a typical audit can take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks. If your website is very text-heavy, with lots of backlinks and off-site content, it may take even longer. You shouldn’t be discouraged by the length of time your SEO audit might take. SEO itself is a long process; we prefer to think of it as a marathon, not a sprint.
Why opt for an SEO audit?
Even if you’re not planning on implementing a new SEO strategy, an SEO audit can be incredibly helpful when it comes to improving the user experience on your website. Here are just a few reasons why businesses should conduct regular SEO audits on their websites:
Durable, long-term results
If you’re looking to move away from pricey PPC campaigns, SEO is the easiest (and most durable) form of digital marketing. And unlike a PPC campaign, you don’t have to keep paying for an SEO audit every month. While you might pay for SEO services (this will typically include blog writing, keyword research and link-building) these services will help your website grow organically for years to come.
Enhanced user experience
Not only does an SEO audit help improve your Google ranking and conversions, it’s also great for enhancing the user experience on your website. There’s nothing more annoying than trying to navigate your way through a website with long page loading times, broken links, and poorly written content. An SEO audit will help clean up any missed website errors, and create a user-first experience that will encourage readers to stay on your site for longer.
Reach your target audience more easily
At its core, the principle of business is solving people’s problems for profit. And where do people typically search for solutions to their problems? Google! With 3.8 million searches per minute globally, you can reach your target customers easily with well-written, SEO-optimised content. Not only are you providing a service (aka your business), but with well-written, SEO-optimised content (such as a free blog post or informative article) you’re actually producing something of value to your customers.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the cost of your SEO audit will largely depend on the size of your website, the type of audit you’re looking for, and the complexity of your SEO needs. As already mentioned above, there’s no winning blueprint for SEO; every website will require a different type of audit, strategy, and overview.
