At CONCERNSPOT, we provide personalized, results-driven SEO services to help businesses grow their online visibility. As the founder of ConcernSpot, I’ve built a team of experienced SEO professionals dedicated to delivering tailored strategies based on data, transparency, and continuous improvement.
A key part of our SEO workflow is the Semrush website audit. This powerful tool allows us to uncover technical and content-related issues, analyze backlink profiles, and identify growth opportunities — all from one platform.
In this post, we’ll walk you through how we use Semrush to audit websites, create comprehensive reports, and track SEO performance on a monthly basis. Our goal is to give you a clear, accurate picture of your website’s current SEO status and the exact steps we take to move it forward.
What an SEO Audit Is and Why We Always Start With One
An SEO audit is a complete assessment of your website’s structure, content, performance, and visibility. It reveals:
- What’s working well
- What’s broken or underperforming
- What needs immediate improvement
- Where your best opportunities for growth lie
Without this audit, SEO work lacks direction. With it, we build a focused, data-driven roadmap for measurable results.
Step-by-Step: How We Audit Your Website Using Semrush
We follow a structured three-step process when auditing client websites:
Step 1: Set Up the Site Audit
We enter your domain into the Semrush Site Audit tool to scan your entire site. Semrush returns a health score out of 100 and identifies any technical SEO issues. This gives us a full picture of where your site stands.
Step 2: Review Key Issues
We prioritize the most critical findings, such as:
- Crawl errors and broken internal links
- Slow page load times and mobile usability issues
- Missing or duplicate meta tags
- Site security (HTTPS), indexing, and sitemap configuration
- URL structure and internal linking gaps
Step 3: Analyze Backlinks and Keyword Positioning
We audit your backlink profile and keyword visibility to identify:
- Harmful or toxic links
- Missed keyword opportunities
- Competitor rankings and gaps
- High-value backlinks your competitors have (but you don’t)
The 3 Must-Have Reports We Deliver After Every Website Audit
After completing the audit, we create three essential reports for every client. These reports are critical to understanding your SEO status and guiding monthly strategy.
1. Current Keyword Rankings & Performance Report
This includes:
- All keywords your website ranks for
- Their current search engine positions
- Monthly search volumes and estimated traffic
- The pages ranking for each keyword
This report helps identify what’s performing well and where optimizations are needed.
2. Keyword Gap & Competitor Analysis Report
We compare your keyword profile against top competitors to find:
- Keywords they rank for that you don’t
- Search terms with high potential but low competition
- Strategic gaps where targeted content can close the gap
This report supports smarter content planning and SEO targeting.
3. Backlink Profile & Competitor Comparison Report
We evaluate:
- Total backlinks and referring domains
- Link quality and toxicity risks
- Competitor backlink sources
- Outreach targets to earn similar or stronger links
This report guides your link-building strategy and helps boost domain authority.
Download Our Editable SEO Audit Report Template
To help others in the SEO community, we’ve created a free editable SEO audit report template. It includes:
- Keyword ranking tracker
- Keyword gap and competitor analysis sheet
- Backlink comparison table
👉 [Download the Editable SEO Report Template (Google Sheets / Excel)]
Use it to create client-facing reports or track your own SEO performance.
What Happens After the Audit: How We Improve Your SEO
With the audit complete, we move into implementation — starting with four key focus areas:
1. On-Page SEO Fixes
We optimize individual pages for search intent, structure, and user experience.
Meta Titles and Descriptions
- Unique, keyword-rich titles under 60 characters
- Compelling descriptions that boost click-throughs
- Natural keyword placement
Internal Linking
- Connecting high-authority pages to weaker ones
- Adding contextual anchor links
- Ensuring crawlable and user-friendly navigation
Keyword Placement
- Including target keywords in headings and the first paragraph
- Using related keywords naturally throughout the content
Image Optimization
- Compressing images for faster load times
- Adding alt text and descriptive filenames
- Serving modern formats like WebP
Additional Enhancements
- Clean URLs with target keywords
- Proper heading hierarchy (H1-H3)
- Eliminating duplicate or thin content
2. Technical SEO Enhancements
We address technical issues that may prevent your site from being crawled or ranked effectively.
Fixing Crawl Errors & Improving Site Speed
- Redirect issues
- Server errors
- Caching and compression
- CDN integration
Mobile Optimization
- Responsive design
- Tap-friendly buttons
- Simplified menus
Structured Data (Schema Markup)
- Article, product, FAQ, and local business schemas
- Enhanced appearance in SERPs through rich results
Indexing Control
- Removing noindex from important pages
- Fixing robots.txt and sitemap errors
- Implementing canonical tags
HTTPS and Security
- Installing SSL certificates
- Ensuring full-site encryption
Redirect & Broken Link Management
- 301 redirects for moved/deleted pages
- Replacing or fixing broken internal/external links
3. Content Strategy Based on Gaps
We focus on creating and improving content that aligns with your audience’s intent and fills competitive gaps.
Content Updates
- Improving underperforming content
- Adding new data, visuals, and examples
- Updating keyword targeting
New Content Creation
- SEO-optimized blog posts and landing pages
- Content clusters to build topical authority
- Commercial pages aligned with sales funnel stages
Long-Tail Keyword Targeting
- Focusing on lower-competition phrases
- Capturing intent-driven and local search traffic
Content Calendar & Execution
- Monthly editorial plans
- Writing and publishing schedules
- Distribution via social and email
4. Backlink Growth Strategy
We build a stronger, safer backlink profile to boost your site’s trust and authority.
Toxic Link Cleanup
- Disavowing harmful backlinks
- Proactive link monitoring
White-Hat Link-Building
- Guest posting
- Digital PR
- Industry collaboration
Competitor Backlink Targeting
- Analyzing competitor link sources
- Pitching better, more relevant content to the same domains
Other Backlink Tactics
- Reclaiming unlinked brand mentions
- Submitting to trusted directories
- Leveraging partnerships for testimonials
What We Include in Your Monthly SEO Report
Each month, you’ll receive a custom report that includes:
- Updated SEO health score
- Keyword ranking trends
- Organic traffic insights
- Backlink progress and new acquisitions
- Tasks completed
- Action plan for the next month
This ensures you stay informed, see consistent progress, and understand exactly what we’re doing — and why.
Final Thoughts
At ConcernSpot, we don’t offer generic SEO packages. We deliver tailored strategies based on thorough audits, competitive analysis, and proven SEO best practices — all supported by Semrush.
Our process gives clients the transparency, clarity, and confidence they need to make informed decisions and achieve meaningful, measurable SEO growth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why do I need an SEO audit before starting work?
An audit helps uncover the real issues holding your website back. It gives us a factual starting point to build a results-oriented strategy instead of relying on guesswork.
2. How often should SEO audits be done?
We recommend a full SEO audit at the start of a project and smaller audits monthly to catch new issues and monitor progress.
3. What is Semrush, and why do you use it?
Semrush is an all-in-one SEO tool used by professionals to analyze websites, track keyword rankings, audit backlinks, and monitor competition. It allows us to deliver in-depth, accurate insights.
4. How long does it take to see SEO results?
While technical fixes can show improvement within weeks, meaningful keyword ranking and traffic gains typically take 3–6 months, depending on competition and content volume.
5. Can I use your audit report template for my clients?
Yes! Our editable SEO audit report template is designed for freelancers and agencies. It’s easy to customize and present to clients professionally.
6. Do you handle content creation too?
Yes — our team handles everything from content strategy and planning to writing, optimization, and publishing based on SEO data and keyword targeting.
