What A Real SEO Audit Includes
The Uncomfortable Truth
Many SEO “audits” are automated exports (from SEO subscription software) wrapped in light commentary. You’ll most often find this with low-cost SEO providers.
They look official.
They feel thorough.
They rarely explain why your site is losing revenue — or what would actually fix it.
A real SEO audit is not a checklist. It is a diagnostic system designed to reveal how search engines and AI systems interpret, trust, and route users to your brand. It is an investigation of your website for troubleshooting purposes.
At Greenlane, our audits always provide the what (is the problem), why (it’s a problem), and how (to fix the problem).
If your audit doesn’t do that, it isn’t an audit. It’s a report.
What a Real SEO Audit Is Designed to Do
A real audit answers five business-critical questions:
- Can search engines understand what your brand actually is?
- Can they trust you as a source?
- Can they route users to you for commercial queries?
- Are AI systems citing you?
- What specifically is blocking revenue growth?
Everything below exists to answer those five questions.
The Pillars of a Real SEO Audit
SEO is vast, and some audits focus on specific areas. I always compare an SEO audit to a doctor visit. You have an ailment in a particular part of your body, and your doctor runs specific tests (or audits) to figure out what’s wrong with your specific issue.
This is a general list of things you may see in an SEO audit, depending on your needs.
1. Crawl & Index Audit
This shows what Google is actually allowed to process and index — not what you think it can.
Includes (but not limited to):
- Crawl path analysis
- Index coverage reality vs sitemap theory
- Index bloat detection
- Orphan and near-duplicate page detection
- Canonical conflict analysis
- Render vs source discrepancies
2. Intent Alignment & Query Mapping
This is where revenue is won or lost.
Includes (but not limited to):
- Query-to-page intent mapping
- Cannibalization detection
- Keyword decay analysis
- SERP feature displacement (AIO, PAA, videos, forums)
- Lost-click diagnosis
3. Entity & Trust Graph Audit
This is what AI systems rely on. It’s essentially a modern AI audit and a traditional SEO audit.
Includes (but not limited to):
- Brand entity clarity
- Author & organization entity structure
- E-E-A-T signal presence
- External trust & citation consistency
- Knowledge Graph alignment
4. Revenue Path & Conversion Friction
This connects traffic to business outcomes.
Includes (but not limited to):
- Entry path analysis
- Page-to-lead flow diagnosis
- Drop-off cause mapping
- Conversion intent friction detection
- Offer mismatch analysis
(Remember: Traffic that doesn’t convert is not a success.)
5. Recovery & Growth Blueprint
This is what separates an audit from a sales brochure.
Includes (but not limited to):
- Priority remediation roadmap
- Impact scoring by revenue
- Phased recovery model
- AI-era growth architecture
- Clear next-step actions
A real audit ends with a plan that can be executed — not just reviewed.
Red Flags That Your Audit Isn’t Up To Snuff
If your audit…
- Is auto-generated
- Focuses only on rankings
- Ends with vague recommendations
- Is delivered without a roadmap
What You Should Expect After a Real Audit
- You understand why growth stalled
- You know what is suppressing visibility
- You have a clear recovery path
- You have a prioritized execution plan
- You know whether your current agency can fix it
Final Truth
A real audit doesn’t report. It diagnoses. Next time you need an SEO audit, think of Greenlane. We have specialized in actionable audits for a very long time. Contact us.
