SEO isn’t a gamble where you throw keywords into the Google sphere and hope for better rankings. It requires a well-thought-out strategy — and like any strategy, there’s monitoring involved.
Enter website auditing tools.
The 411 on Website Auditing Tools
Google currently considers over 200 different SEO ranking factors and updates its algorithm hundreds of times yearly. That’s a lot to keep up with if you don’t have the right SEO audit tools to help you monitor the effectiveness of your strategy.
Website auditing tools can provide insight into the technical aspects of your website, identify issues that might be compromising your web pages, and help you take stock of your overall site performance.
However, while a website auditing tool can point out opportunities, it cannot help you analyze results and create an effective strategy for improvement. For that, you’ll need an SEO partner with a deep understanding of all aspects of search engine optimization.
Need help with how to do an SEO audit? Follow the steps outlined here.
Do You Need a Website Audit Tool?
The short answer: It depends.
Not everyone needs an SEO audit tool. If you’ve got an SEO agency in your corner, they’ll have the tools to complete regular audits. While having website audit tools on your end can help track your SEO campaign progress, a reliable SEO partner should provide ongoing campaign performance reports to keep you up to date on your SEO performance.
22 SEO Audit Tools
Let’s look at some options so you can choose the best SEO audit tool to identify various opportunities for improvement and track SEO campaign progress. The following tools are listed in alphabetical order.
1. Ahrefs
Website: https://ahrefs.com/
Cost: $99 – $999 per month
Free trial: ❓Website owners can sign up for Ahrefs Webmaster Tools and get free limited access to Ahrefs’ Site Explorer and Site Audit tools. However, some of the features are only available to subscribers.
Ahrefs’ SEO audit tool is fairly straightforward and user-friendly. Ahrefs will identify technical and on-page SEO issues affecting your ability to rank. Audits involve a comprehensive check for more than 100 pre-defined issues, including:
- Slow pages
- Missing HTML tags
- Duplicate HTML tags
- Low word counts
- Duplicate pages
- Broken pages
- Orphan pages
- Title tags of non-optimal length
Pros
- Cloud-based operations limit installation, software updates, or storage capacity barriers
- Data Explorer lets you peruse metrics from one integrated view
- Crawls JavaScript pages besides HTML
- Keyword research expand beyond Google to include Amazon and YouTube
Cons
- No mobile app or phone support
- No built-in project management tools for building backlinks
- Smaller link index than Moz or Semrush
- One of the more expensive options
2. ContentKing
ContentKing is built exclusively for auditing and monitoring, so there are no keyword research capability or link-building capabilities. As it continuously monitors your site, ContentKing sends instant, real-time alerts for on-page issues like:
- Missing image alt attributes
- Too many h1 tags
- Broken links
- Slow site speed
- Changes in robot.txt
- Missing page titles
Pros
- 24/7 monitoring
- Alerts allow you to address issues before rankings are affected and without waiting for crawls to finish
- SEO Change Tracking allows you to see what has been added, removed, or changed on a page
- Visual representation of data across multiple sites
- Cloud-based platform means no software downloads are required
Cons
- Pricing is per page, which may get confusing
- Lacks keyword research tools
- Lacks link tracking and rank tracking
- Basic package cannot render JavaScript
3. GTMetrix
Website: https://gtmetrix.com/
Cost: A basic plan is free, while paid plans range from $9 to $36
Free trial: ❌
GTMetrix is less of a crawling tool and more of a testing tool for site speed and corresponding metrics related to page size, caching, and image scaling. GTMetrics only checks for around 25 SEO parameters compared to the 100+ parameters seen in Ahrefs.
Pros
- Free version includes many key features
- Waterfall tab allows you to view the load order and timing of images, scripts, and plugins to determine how significantly they affect your page’s loading speed
- Has more nuanced insights compared to Google’s PageSpeed Insights
Cons
- Free version is limited to 30 on-demand tests per week
- Checks for limited SEO parameters
- Must upgrade to test for mobile devices and different browsers and to access every test server
4. Labrika
Labrika’s auditing tool checks for more than 200 ranking factors, with results compiled into one cohesive report detailing how your site performs in SERPs and measures up against competitors. Some of the ranking factors it looks at are:
- Internal and external links
- H1 and h2 tags
- Sitemaps
- Business information
- Content quality
- Skinny pages
- HTML errors
Pros
- Content Optimizer helps you create rank-worthy content based on analyses of the top 10 pages already ranking for your target keyword
- Affordable alternative to Ahrefs
- Unlimited projects (on one account)
Cons
- No keyword research or backlink tools
- Limited language support
- Site rankings are not always current
5. Lumar (formerly DeepCrawl)
Website: https://www.lumar.io/
Cost: Lumar doesn’t share its pricing publicly and requests interested parties contact them for pricing
Free trial: ❌
Lumar expanded its former brand (DeepCrawl) to incorporate a more well-rounded suite of SEO auditing tools. It now includes change monitoring, trend reporting, and competitive analysis. With over 200 built-in reports and options to create custom reports, Lumar users can monitor for things like:
- Duplicate content
- Page speed
- HTML size
- Mobile description length
Pros
- Customizable crawling
- Cloud-based operation removes installation barriers
- Filtering goes several layers deep for detailed views as needed
Cons
- Some reports require existing SEO experience to understand
- User interface can be overwhelming to beginners
- Customizing crawls may require existing SEO experience to set up
6. Moz
Website: https://moz.com/
Cost: Local plans start at $14 per month; pro plans range from $99 to $599 per month
Free trial: ✅
A Moz Pro plan gives you access to website SEO audit tools for keyword research, link building, on-page optimization, and rank tracking. You can use features like Keyword Explorer, Link Explorer, Domain Analysis, and Competitive Research tools for free. However, access is limited.
Pros
- Some free tools
- Comprehensive keyword research tool with volume and difficulty metrics
- Expanded website crawler now includes Bing and Yahoo
- Link research tool is good for maintaining link health and domain authority
Cons
- Limited to US markets
- Limited customization for reports
- Separate subscriptions are needed for each product
- User experience lacks intuitiveness when new to the platform
7. Netspeak Spider
Netspeak Spider requires some technical proficiency, so it’s ideal for more advanced users. There’s a free version with access to some useful tools, but a subscription is needed to access all available tools.
The SEO crawler in this tool checks for over 100 optimization improvements, including but not limited to:
- Broken links
- Duplicate content
- Redirects
- Indexing issues
- Image issues
- Page load time
It also has a site scraping tool that can be useful for extracting data like emails, phone numbers, hreflang, etc.
Pros
- Data segmentation is useful for large website crawls
- Integrates third-party platforms, including Google Analytics and Yandex.Metrica
- Ability to generate sitemaps or check existing sitemaps for issues
Cons
- Not beginner-friendly
- Unavailable for MacOS
- Desktop download with no cloud-based option
8. Nightwatch
Website: https://nightwatch.io/
Cost: Based on the number of keywords, starting at $32 per month for 250 keywords
Free trial: ✅
Nightwatch’s bread and butter is keyword rank tracking, hence its unique pricing model. Users can monitor organic positions daily in more than 100,000 locations across the globe, down to ZIP code.
Users can also optimize on-page SEO performance and identify issues like broken links, error pages, and missing metadata. Audit reports offer some customization with filters allowing you to prioritize important pages, compare new audits with historical data, and run automated white-labeled reports.
Pros
- User-friendly interface
- Reports are straightforward and easy to understand
- Real-time insights into Google local pack
Cons
- Specific to keyword tracking, so you need to know your keywords from the start
- Free trial doesn’t allow access to backlink tools
- Price adds up quickly
9. Oncrawl
Website: https://www.oncrawl.com/
Cost: Plans start at 49€ per month (a little over $50 US)
Free trial: ✅
Oncrawl offers technical status analysis and SEO strategy improvements. Their SEO crawler analyzes over 300 million URLs per crawl, with the ability to compare data from CRMs. Users can check technical SEO concerns:
- Search indexation
- Hreflang tags
- Pagination
- Canonicals
- Sitemaps
Pros
- Identifies near-duplicates by similarity ratio
- Efficient crawling at 300 URLs per second
- Customizable reporting
Cons
- Doesn’t include keyword research or monitoring
- Learning some more advanced features may require more time or support
- On the pricier end
10. Page Modified
Website: https://www.pagemodified.com/
Cost: Option for a free starter plan. Paid plans range from $5 to $50 per month.
Free trial: ❌
Page Modified is a cloud-based SEO auditing tool that crawls websites for on-page issues, including:
- Title tags
- Meta descriptions
- Duplicate content
- Redirects
- Internal and external links
- Twitter card tags
Pros
- Track changes and compare to historical crawl data
- Budget-friendly
Cons
- No keyword research or monitoring capabilities
- Little to no customer reviews to reference
11. Page Optimizer Pro
Website: https://pageoptimizer.pro/
Cost: Single-user plans range from $22 to $44; agency plans range from $87 to $109
Free trial: ✅
Page Optimizer Pro’s On Page SEO Checker is free and vets your site against the top ten competitor pages, supplying you with an overall on-page optimization score. It can also tell you how well your page is optimized for your target long-tail keywords. While this analysis is free, you’ll need a subscription to get recommendations for improvement.
Pros
- Suggests keyword recommendations and variations
- Compare current vs. target keyword counts
- Schema optimization recommendations
Cons
- Recommendations come at a cost, so if you’re unfamiliar with translating insights into next steps, you’ll hit a wall with the free portion
- Single-account plans use up report credits quickly
- Lacks link-building recommendations
12. ScreamingFrog
Website: https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/
Cost: Free to crawl up to 500 URLs, otherwise $209 per year
Free trial: ✅ Free to crawl up to 500 URLs
ScreamingFrog is a downloadable tool that crawls websites while extracting data and identifying on-page SEO issues, producing real-time reports. A free version of the tool allows users to crawl up to 500 URLS to find broken links, page errors, missing metadata, and lots more. They offer many tutorials, and we’ve highlighted ScreamFrog in our guides to redirect chains and duplicate content.
Pros
- Google Analytics and Search Console integrations (paid version)
- Exporting data is easy
- Straightforward user interface
- Comprehensive
Cons
- Not cloud-based, so it takes up space on your hard drive
- Lacks an API
- Free version is limited, with no pricing variation for the paid version
13. SE Ranking
SE Ranking is all-in-one SEO auditing software that allows users to perform keyword research, backlink tracking, on-page SEO audits, PPC research, and even social media management. In audits, SE Ranking’s crawler assesses your site for more than 70 parameters.
Pros
- Keyword research function with competitor keyword analysis
- Tracks keyword ranking down to ZIP code
- Google Analytics and Search Console integrations
- Errors are grouped in one PDF-ready report
Cons
- Missing some backlink metrics like Spam Score
- User interface can be overwhelming
- Social media management tools are lackluster
- Doesn’t connect with Google Business Profile for local search
14. SEMrush
Website: https://www.semrush.com/
Cost: $119.95 – $449.95 per month
Free trial: ✅ Free trial available, but it may not include access to all features
SEMrush includes over 40 tools for keyword research, competitor analysis, content optimization, rank tracking, and social media monitoring. In terms of SEO auditing, the Site Audit tool crawls websites for more than 130 technical SEO parameters.
Pros
- Issues grouped by urgency to allow better prioritization
- Integrates with Google Analytics
- In-depth keyword research features with comprehensive keyword analytics
Cons
- Only supplies data from Google and doesn’t include other search engines
- Cannot share a single-user login
- Difficult to use on mobile
15. Serpstat
Serpstat touts 30 “growth hacking” tools for rank tracking, backlink analysis, keyword research, competitor analysis, and site audits. Their website audit tool identifies errors with:
The Page Audit tool allows users to perform quick, single-page audits to check for ranking factors and SEO errors.
Pros
- Errors grouped by severity and priority
- Schedule automatic audits
- Page-specific audits
- Daily rank tracking
Cons
- Keyword difficulty data is sometimes inaccurate
- Customer support is not always available
- Larger websites take longer to audit
- Trouble recognizing canonical URLs
16. Seomator
Website: https://seomator.com/
Cost: Plans start at $5 (pay as you go, up to 100 URLs), with next-level tiers ranging from $19 to $179 per month
Free trial: ✅ For paid monthly plans only
Seomator quickly crawls websites looking for issues with:
- Internal links
- HTML tags
- Page speed
- Mobile-friendliness
- Content quality
Audit results come with an SEO performance analysis and tips for fixing any reported on-page or off-page SEO issues. The Domain Comparison tool lets users compare competitors’ websites for SEO improvements.
Pros
- Google Analytics, WordPress, and Slack integrations
- Actionable tips to fix issues
- Non-subscription payment options
Cons
- Competitor website comparison is limited to two sites
- Cannot analyze performance based on log data
- Unreliable customer support
17. SEO PowerSuite
Website: https://www.link-assistant.com/
Cost: Free download with limited access or paid plans starting at $628.33 annually
Free trial: ❌ Free version is available, but no free trial for paid plans
Among SEO PowerSuite’s tools is a Website Auditor tool that looks for on-page issues with:
- Broken links
- Page errors
- Images and videos
- JavaScript rendering
- Duplicate content
- Indexation
For each issue identified, the audit report highlights the pages affected and ways to fix the issues. The Core Web Vitals module also looks for issues specifically pertaining to user experience, such as loading speeds.
Pros
- On-page SEO audit tool analyzes health based on target keywords and provides custom optimization advice
- Keyword research functionality
- No limit to the number of projects created
Cons
- Requires a desktop download
- Doesn’t currently integrate with Google Analytics 4
- User interface can be overwhelming for new users
18. SEOptimer
Available as a Chrome extension, SEOptimer has some free website auditing functionalities and claims to analyze sites in 30 seconds or less. Free analyses supply on-page optimization recommendations, an overall optimization grade, keyword rankings, and more.
Other tools in the SEO auditing suite include a meta tag generator, keyword generator, and sitemap generator.
Pros
- Plethora of free tools
- Optimization recommendations for most CMS platforms
- Cloud-based operations eliminate installation barriers
Cons
- Starter plan only includes one keyword
- Keyword research isn’t stored
- No link tracking abilities
19. SEO Site Checkup
SEO Site Checkup crawls sites for technical SEO issues and provides tutorials on resolving each issue. It automatically tracks weekly changes for more than 30 SEO parameters and offers insights on backlink quality and quantity.
Among the technical SEO issues SEO Site Checkup looks for are:
- Structured data
- Broken links
- Canonical tags
- Mobile-friendliness
- Meta descriptions and titles
- Page loading speed
- Robots.txt
Pros
- Mobile-friendly
- Easy-to-understand reports
- Tutorials for implementing solutions
Cons
- Features and tools are lacking compared to other SEO auditing tools
- Reports are not real-time
- Customer support and billing need work
20. Site Analyzer
Site Analyzer audits report on 50 technical SEO parameters including:
- Page speed
- Page titles
- Meta data
- Duplicate content
- Redirects
- Indexation
- Link health
- Robots.txt
It also features rank tracking, backlink monitoring, keyword research, and competitor analysis tools. With the SEO Benchmark tool, users can set goals to outperform competitors by keyword.
Pros
- Competitive analysis and goal-setting
- Modify and store projects for future reference
- Cloud-based platform
- Simple and effective reporting
Cons
- Lacking real-time accuracy
- Learning curve for new users
- Lacks a CRM
- Cannot correct broken links from within the tool
21. SpyFu
Unlike others in this list, SpyFu doesn’t have a specific site auditing tool. However, it combines multiple tools that essentially do the work of a prescribed audit. Users will have to explore each tool individually and apply takeaways holistically. These tools include keyword research, backlink tracking, competitor analysis, PPC research, and rank tracking.
Pros
- Keyword research and management tools
- Interactive reporting
- Insightful competitive analysis
Cons
- No official audit hub
- Lacks technical SEO crawler
- User interface could benefit from some polishing up
22. SurferSEO
Website: https://surferseo.com/
Cost: There is a free option, with more advanced paid plans ranging from $49 to $199 per month
Free trial: ❌
SurferSEO is unique among SEO audit tools because it focuses on content optimization. There is an audit tool that checks for the usual technical issues like page loading speed and missing backlinks.
Content is the focus even in the audit tool, with features like keyword density and content length recommendations included. The built-in text editor allows users to optimize their content with real-time suggestions.
Pros
- Analyzes content based on more than 500 ranking factors
- Suggests relevant keywords
- Integrates with Google docs so you can write optimized content externally
Cons
- Queries are limited based on price plan, which means larger websites may require a larger plan
- NLP queries are not offered in the base plan
- Internal linking suggestions may not always be relevant
You can also opt for keyword monitoring tools instead of audit tools to help you keep an eye on your rankings.
8 Best Free SEO Audit Tools
1. Google Search Console
Google Search Console provides insights on indexation, accessibility, core web vitals, and structured data. It also helps you understand what keywords people are using to find your web pages. This is a must-use free SEO audit tool!
Pros
- Users can reference more than 16 months’ worth of past SEO issues
- Crawl stats come directly from Googlebot
Cons
- Only shows data from visitors using Google
Make the most of Google Search Console with this guide.
2. Google Analytics
Google Analytics tracks website behavior. In combination with Google Search Console, it allows businesses to see how their SEO efforts impact website traffic and user behavior.
Just getting started with GA4? These reports can help!
3. Google PageSpeed Insights
Housed under Google Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights is a free technical SEO audit tool that measures page speed on desktop and mobile devices in combination with user experience scores. Identified issues are grouped into three categories based on overall performance and improvement opportunities.
4. Google Lighthouse
Google Lighthouse, on the other hand, is a site auditing tool that not only measures page speed, but also accessibility and crawlability. This tool provides a more in-depth look at technical SEO aspects geared toward developers. Lighthouse also provides improvement recommendations. Check out this post to learn about the differences between Google PageSpeed Insights and Google Lighthouse.
5. Google Mobile-Friendly Test
The name says it all. Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool tells you how easily a visitor can access your site from a mobile device. It includes a screenshot of how your site looks on mobile and identifies mobile usability issues like small font sizes and programs not supported by mobile devices, like Flash.
Checking your site’s mobile friendliness is easy. Here’s more info to get you started.
6. Google Schema Testing Tool
According to Google, “Structured data markup helps your content get discovered in search results and across Google properties.”
Google’s Schema Testing Tool has two components that can help with structured data markups. The Rich Results Test allows users to identify what Google rich results can be generated for a page. The Schema Markup Validator tests all types of schema.org markups without Google specific warnings.
7. Siteliner
Siteliner allows users to identify some of the most common issues that affect a site’s ranking, including:
- Duplicate content
- Broken links
- Prominent pages
Users can scan up to 250 pages for improvements. We share how to use Siteliner to identify duplicate content here.
8. Mangools SERP Simulator
Mangools SERP Simulator allows you to preview how your page’s title and meta description will look in search engine results pages (SERPs). Visualizing this helps optimize title length, keyword placement, and meta description length.
Get the Most Out of Your SEO Audit Tool With Our Checklist
Got the right SEO tools for a website audit but not sure what to do next? Download our comprehensive SEO checklist to discover what issues you should address from your SEO audit tool.
SEO Checklist & Planning Tools
Ready to move the needle on your SEO? Download our interactive checklist and planning tools and
start improving your site today.
