Performing a Comprehensive SEO Audit with Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Setting Up Screaming Frog SEO Spider
3. Crawling Your Site
4. Configuring Screaming Frog
   • Storage Mode
   • Memory Allocation
   • Additional Settings
5. Analyzing the Crawl Results
   • Internal HTML
   • Images and External Links
   • Security Checks
   • Response Codes
   • URL Structure and Parameters
   • Page Titles and Meta Descriptions
   • Spelling and Grammar
   • Header Tags (H1, H2, H3)
   • Canonical Tags and Orphan URLs
   • Pagination and XML Sitemaps
   • Structured Data and Validation Errors
   • Page Speed and Analytics
6. Rendering and Visualizations
7. Conclusion

Introduction

Welcome to the SEO Audit Video Guide! In this guide, we will be focusing on how to audit your site using the Screaming Frog SEO Spider tool. This tool allows you to crawl your website and analyze various aspects such as internal HTML, page titles, meta descriptions, header tags, canonical tags, and more. By performing a comprehensive audit, you can identify any issues and optimize your site for better search engine visibility.

Setting Up Screaming Frog SEO Spider

To begin the audit process, you'll need to set up the Screaming Frog SEO Spider tool. Follow these steps:

1. Download and install the Screaming Frog SEO Spider tool.
2. Launch the tool and enter the domain name of your site.
3. Configure the crawling mode to "Spider" to crawl the entire site like a spider.

Crawling Your Site

Once you have set up the tool, it's time to start crawling your site. Follow these steps:

1. Choose the appropriate storage mode depending on your computer's disk space.
2. Allocate memory based on your computer's RAM capacity.
3. Configure the spider to extract additional information like hreflang tags, AMP versions, sitemaps, and more.
4. Choose the user agent for crawling, such as Googlebot or Screaming Frog SEO Spider agent.
5. Exclude or include any specific URLs or parameters if necessary.
6. Start the crawling process and wait for it to complete.

Configuring Screaming Frog

To get the most out of the crawling process, it's essential to configure Screaming Frog properly. Here are some important settings to consider:

Storage Mode

If your computer has limited disk space, choose the database-based storage mode. Otherwise, stick with the default file-based storage.

Memory Allocation

Allocate memory based on your computer's RAM capacity. Be cautious not to allocate excessive memory, as it may cause performance issues.

Additional Settings

Consider checking options like hreflang, structured data, and rendering to gather more information about your site during the crawl. Ensure the configuration aligns with your specific needs.

Analyzing the Crawl Results

Once the crawling process is complete, it's time to analyze the results. Here are the key areas to focus on:

Internal HTML

Review the number of HTML pages and check for any duplicated or problematic pages. Pay attention to images and external links as well.

Security Checks

Check for mixed content and ensure there are no issues with HTTP to HTTPS redirection. Address any HTTP URLs and validate proper encryption.

Response Codes

Identify pages returning status codes like 4XX or 5XX. Evaluate each case and determine if the redirections are necessary or need to be fixed.

URL Structure and Parameters

Review the URLs for clean structures, canonical tags, and the presence of session IDs or unnecessary parameters. Adjust canonical tags and remove undesired URLs.

Page Titles and Meta Descriptions

Check for duplicate page titles and meta descriptions, ensuring each page has unique and relevant content. Pay attention to title and description length as well.

Header Tags (H1, H2, H3)

Evaluate the usage of header tags throughout your site. Check for missing or duplicate H1 tags and ensure the content within those tags is relevant and properly structured.

Canonical Tags and Orphan URLs

Examine the presence of canonical tags and ensure they are correctly implemented. Address issues with self-referencing canonical tags and identify orphan URLs that need to be linked from other pages.

Pagination and XML Sitemaps

Consider the usage of pagination and the inclusion of URLs in XML sitemaps. Remove unnecessary paginated pages and ensure all relevant pages are included in the sitemap.

Structured Data and Validation Errors

Check for structured data implementation and validate against any errors or warnings. Correct any issues and ensure proper markup for enhanced search engine visibility.

Page Speed and Analytics

Evaluate the page speed performance using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights. Analyze any analytics data or integrate with Google Analytics for additional insights.

Rendering and Visualizations

Utilize the rendering functionality of Screaming Frog to view how pages render and compare against the original HTML source. Take advantage of visualizations like crawl tree graphs to understand the structure and level of your site's pages.

Conclusion

By following these steps and utilizing the Screaming Frog SEO Spider tool effectively, you can perform a thorough SEO audit of your website. Identify areas for improvement, optimize your site's on-page elements, and enhance its overall visibility in search engine results. Implement the necessary changes based on your audit findings, and continue to monitor and optimize your site to stay ahead in the digital landscape.

🔎 Resources:

• Screaming Frog SEO Spider: [URL]
• Google Analytics: [URL]
• Google PageSpeed Insights: [URL]