This article outlines the steps for running a site audit using SEMrush to identify and address website health issues.
Step 1: Log in to SEMrush
1. Go to SEMrush and log in to your account.
2. Navigate to the Projects section at the top of the dashboard.
Step 2: Create or Select a Project
1. If a project already exists:
• Select the existing project from the list.
2. If no project exists:
• Click Create Project.
• Enter your domain name.
• Optionally, provide a project name.
• Click Create Project.
Step 3: Access Site Audit Settings
1. In the Projects Dashboard, locate the Site Health section or click Site Audit in the left-hand menu.
2. Click Set Up to configure your site audit.
Step 4: Configure Site Audit Settings
1. Domain Options:
• Enter your domain name.
• Choose whether to include subdomains (optional).
• Select the number of pages to crawl (set a higher limit to capture all pages).
2. Crawl Source:
• Default: Website.
• Alternatively, provide a sitemap URL.
3. Notifications:
• Enable or disable email notifications for audit completion.
4. Advanced Settings:
• Choose the user agent (default: Mobile Site Audit).
• Configure additional options like delays between crawls, respecting robots.txt, JavaScript rendering, etc.
• Add URL exclusions, remove parameters, or bypass robots.txt if necessary.
5. Scheduling:
• Choose the frequency of audits (e.g., weekly or one-time).
Step 5: Start the Site Audit
1. Click Start Site Audit.
2. Wait for the audit to complete. Completion time depends on the size of your website (can take minutes or up to an hour).
Step 6: Review Audit Results
1. Once complete, navigate to the Site Audit Dashboard.
2. Key metrics to review:
• Site Health Score: Overall website health as a percentage.
• Errors: Critical issues requiring immediate attention.
• Warnings: Important but less critical issues.
• Notices: Recommendations for improvement.
Step 7: Analyze and Address Issues
1. Click on Issues to see a detailed breakdown by:
• Errors.
• Warnings.
• Notices.
2. Address Errors first, then Warnings, and finally, Notices based on your bandwidth and priorities.
3. For each issue:
• Click on the issue for an explanation and recommended fix.
• Example: For duplicate meta descriptions or title tags:
• Identify duplicate pages.
• Update the title tags and meta descriptions for affected pages.
Step 8: Document Findings and Progress
1. Export the audit results to a Google Sheet or Excel document.
2. Use the sheet to track:
• Issues identified.
• Actions taken.
• Completion dates.
Step 9: Re-run the Audit
1. After implementing fixes, re-run the site audit to verify that issues are resolved.
2. Repeat the process until all critical errors and warnings are addressed.
Step 10: Set a Maintenance Schedule
1. Run site audits periodically based on your site’s needs:
• Monthly for larger, frequently updated sites.
• Quarterly for smaller, static sites.
2. Continue addressing new issues as they arise to maintain a healthy website.
Tips and Best Practices:
• Prioritize Errors: Focus on resolving critical errors first.
• Leverage SEMrush Guidance: Use SEMrush’s recommendations to understand issues and solutions.
• Document Changes: Maintain a log of all updates for reference and accountability.
• Monitor Site Health: Aim for continuous improvement in the Site Health Score.
By following this SOP, you can effectively identify and address website issues, leading to better performance and SEO outcomes.