Website SEO Diagnosis Guide: Fix Issues & Boost Rankings
What is SEO Diagnosis and Why It Matters?
SEO diagnosis is an investigative approach designed to evaluate a website’s search engine performance. It involves assessing a multitude of ranking factors, including technical efficiency, content quality, backlink profile, and user experience. A well-optimized site seamlessly aligns with search engine algorithms, ensuring enhanced organic reach. Conversely, unresolved SEO issues may lead to diminished search visibility, high bounce rates, and decreased domain authority.
How to perform an SEO diagnosis
Step-by-Step Guide to Performing an SEO Diagnosis
1. Establishing an SEO audit framework
2. Categorizing SEO elements: technical, on-page, off-page, and UX
3. Creating an action plan based on findings
An SEO diagnosis is best conducted through a structured audit framework that categorizes essential SEO elements. The four primary areas include:
Technical SEO – Evaluating website infrastructure and accessibility
On-Page SEO – Analyzing content optimization and metadata relevance
Off-Page SEO – Reviewing backlinks and external ranking signals
User Experience (UX) – Measuring site usability and engagement metrics
Each category requires a systematic approach to pinpoint deficiencies and implement corrective measures.
Technical SEO Diagnosis
A website’s technical foundation significantly impacts search engine indexing and ranking potential. Key areas to examine include:
Crawling and Indexing: Ensuring that search engines can efficiently crawl and index web pages. Utilize Google Search Console to detect errors.
Site Speed and Performance: Websites with slow loading times experience higher abandonment rates. Tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights highlight bottlenecks.
Mobile Optimization: With Google’s mobile-first indexing, responsive design is a non-negotiable factor for search visibility.
On-Page SEO Analysis
On-page SEO elements directly influence content discoverability. Areas requiring scrutiny include:
Keyword Optimization: Ensure primary and secondary keywords are strategically placed without overstuffing.
Metadata: Title tags, meta descriptions, and header structures should be compelling and keyword-rich.
Content Quality: Search engines prioritize valuable, authoritative, and well-structured content.
Off-Page SEO Diagnosis
A website’s authority is significantly impacted by external signals. Essential off-page elements to diagnose include:
Backlink Profile: High-quality, relevant backlinks enhance credibility. Evaluate using Ahrefs or SEMrush.
Domain Authority: Established websites with strong domain authority rank higher in SERPs.
Social Signals: While not a direct ranking factor, social engagement contributes to online visibility.
Use SEO Diagnosis Tools
Even beginners can detect SEO issues using the right tools.
Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT)
Ahrefs helps website owners analyze their SEO performance. Free features include:
Site Audit: Detects broken links, error pages, and duplicate content.
Backlink Analysis: Shows link sources and quality to evaluate ranking impact.
Since Ahrefs is costly, combining it with other free tools can provide similar insights at a lower cost.
Google Search Console (GSC)
A free tool from Google that helps monitor and improve website search performance. Features include:
Submitting sitemaps for indexing.
Tracking keyword rankings and clicks.
Identifying crawl errors and mobile issues.
Using Ahrefs and GSC together covers most SEO diagnosis needs.
Stepts:
1. Connect Your Site to Google Search Console
Log in to Google Search Console and click "Start Now."
Enter your domain and choose "Domain" or "URL Prefix."
Domain: Provides full website data.
URL Prefix: Shows data for a specific section.Choose a verification method, such as adding an HTML file or DNS record.
2. Check Keyword Ranking Drops
If rankings drop, website traffic and conversions may decline.
Steps to analyze ranking drops:
Open GSC and go to the Performance section.
Click Compare to see ranking changes over time.
Identify keywords that lost traffic using the Click Difference metric.
Investigate possible causes:
Seasonal changes: Check if traffic dips are natural trends.
Keyword lost popularity: If a keyword stops trending, research new ones.
Ranking decline: Examine page quality and user intent.
Solutions:
Competing with high-ranking pages? Focus on long-tail keywords first.
Low content quality? Follow Google’s EEAT principles and add useful insights.
Wrong search intent? Align content with what users are looking for.
3. Fix 404 Errors (Broken Pages)
Broken pages frustrate users and reduce search engine trust.
How to find and fix them:
Use GSC’s Indexing section to spot 404 errors.
Create a helpful 404 page with links back to important pages.
Use 301 redirects to send visitors to the right content.
Correct misspelled URLs and prevent Google from indexing bad links via robots.txt.
Restore important deleted pages from backups.
4. Connect Ahrefs Webmaster Tools
Log into Ahrefs and connect it to your GSC account.
Import GSC data for a deeper analysis of backlinks and site health.
Ahrefs provides additional insights, solving up to 70% of SEO problems when used with GSC.
5. Domain & Hosting Factors
1) Domain History and Authority
Older domains often rank higher. If buying a domain, choose one with a clean history.
2) Hosting Stability & Speed
A good web host ensures fast load times and minimal downtime. Top hosts include:
Hostinger ($2.99/mo) – Global data centers.
InterServer ($2.50/mo) – Unlimited bandwidth.
Bluehost ($2.95/mo) – WordPress-friendly.
SiteGround ($1.99/mo) – Secure & reliable.
GreenGeeks ($2.95/mo) – Eco-friendly hosting.
6. Improve Technical SEO
1) Speed Optimization
Use Pingdom or GTmetrix to test speed.
Compress CSS & JavaScript files.
Enable browser caching and use CDNs.
Convert images to WebP format for faster loading.
2) Secure Your Site with HTTPS
Install an SSL certificate to protect user data and boost rankings.
Regularly scan for security threats using Sucuri or Cloudflare.
7. Analyze Backlinks
1) Build High-Quality Links
Get backlinks from relevant, high-authority sites.
Use Ahrefs or SEMrush to check link quality.
2) Remove Bad Backlinks
Identify spammy links using GSC.
Submit a Disavow Request to Google to ignore harmful links.
Conclusion
Regular SEO diagnosis helps you fix website issues, boost rankings, and stay ahead of competitors. Consistently optimize your site to drive long-term traffic and business growth.