SEO Audits are also called website health checks available through both free and paid methods, Since every website has unique structures and requirements, the type of audit you need depends on your website.
 If you are considering a free SEO Audit service, read this guide to understand whether a free or paid SEO Audit is the right choice for you.
What is a Proper SEO Audit?
A proper SEO Audit is a complete website analysis covering various aspects such as on-page SEO Audit, Off-page SEO Audit, Technical SEO audit, Local SEO audit, and Content Analysis.
SEO audit of all parameters in a website helps you understand the reason behind poor user experience, SERP ranking drop, low clicks, and much moreÂ
By considering the recommendation of Audit tools, you can enhance the SEO performance of your website, which in turn leads to more visitors and customers.
Is SEO Audit free?
Yes, there are many free SEO audit tools and some agencies and freelancers provide free SEO audit services.
But there are some limitations to free SEO auditing services, if you have a new website with less than 100 pages then you can opt-in for free SEO audit services
Free SEO Audit- Pros and Cons
We will dive deep into the positive and constructive aspects of Free SEO Audit, it helps you to make better decisions on SEO Audit.
Pros:
- One of the main advantages of a Free SEO Audit is it does not require any cost, and is widely available online, so small businesses with low budgets benefit from it.
- Basic free SEO services often depend upon the automated tool, so it quickly scans the website and serves you the exact performance of the website.
- Free SEO audits provide basic insights into a website’s SEO performance. They can help identify fundamental issues such as broken links, image alt-text, and website speed performance.
- New websites can have a first basic audit from free tools, which helps to enhance the performance from scratch.
- Free SEO Tools help website owners understand the importance of SEO and areas of improvement without sign-up.
ConsÂ
- The main disadvantages of Free SEO audits are they offer limited depth, they may not provide detailed recommendations for improvement, and they often lack advanced SEO factors like competitor analysis or backlink profiles
- Free SEO audit tools follow a standard template that lacks customization and may not tailor their analysis to the specific needs of your website or industry. This can result in generic recommendations that may not be effectiveÂ
- Some free SEO audit tools may not use reliable algorithms or may overlook certain aspects of SEO, leading to inaccurate results.Â
- Many free SEO audit tools, offered by agencies, help them to upsell their paid services. While the initial audit may be free, and remember free is not always free, after a free audit you will be asked to purchase additional services or upgrades.
Free SEO audit tools
Let’s look into some most commonly used free SEO Audit tools that help in basic site analysis.
- Google’s Free Tools
- Google Search Console provides insights into your website’s performance,  including indexing status, search queries, and more.
- Page Speed Insights offers website speed and performance metrics
- Rich Results and Structured Data Testing Tool helps to analyze the rich results of the website            Â
- Google Lighthouse is a tool to analyze web performance, It is also available as a Chrome Lighthouse Extension.
- SEMrush: The SEMrush-free version has features, including on-page SEO issues, backlink analysis, and more.
- Moz’s MozBar: MozBar is a browser extension that provides basic SEO metrics, including domain authority and page authority, for free
- SEOptimer: SEO Optimizer is a free SEO Audit tool that provides detailed SEO analysis and actionable recommendations for website users.
There are some more website auditing tools other than the list and most agencies will provide Free SEO Audit as their compliment.Â
Glance of Paid SEO Audits
It’s time to have a glance at paid SEO tools and their benefits, it helps you to choose free or paid SEO Audit for your websiteÂ
- Paid SEO audits are a result of the analysis done through both automation and human intervention, so they have customized recommendations to understand your website’s performance.Â
- It is perfectly crafted by SEO Auditing agencies who take time to understand your unique business goals and challenges before auditing your website Â
- You have control over the SEO audit with the help of SEO Professionals, you can ask questions, share concerns, and provide input throughout the process, ensuring that the audit aligns with your goal for your website.
- As I said, an SEO audit is just the beginning of your SEO journey. Through Paid SEO Audit you can get ongoing support, guidance, and updates to help you enhance the website’s performance, and even at the top end, you can also get business development support.
- Paid audits rely on advanced SEO tools and software to gather detailed data and insights, providing a deeper analysis of your website’s performance.
- Overall SEO Audit is not a one-time task but an ongoing process, when you opt-in for a paid SEO audit, you can get some valuable insights throughout your marketing journey.
Free SEO Audit vs Paid SEO Audit
Still in confusion about deciding whether Free or Paid SEO Audit helps your website, here is a glance at the differences.
| Aspect | Free SEO Audit | Paid SEO Audit |
|---|---|---|
|
SEO Analysis |
Analysis covers basic SEO Elements |
Detailed analysis covering technical, on-page, off-page SEO, and more |
|
Cost |
Free |
Paid |
|
Personalization |
Generic recommendations |
Recommendations tailored to your website's needs |
|
Expertise |
Automated tools with minimal human intervention |
Conducted by experienced SEO professionals or agencies |
|
Tools and Resources |
Often Free SEO tools or Trial version |
Advanced tools and software for detailed SEO Audit |
|
Support |
Limited or no support |
Long-term support and consultation |
|
Accessibility |
Available online without signup |
You should rely on a specific service provider |
|
Accuracy |
Less data accuracy |
Accurate and up-to-date data available |
|
Audit Reports |
Basic Reports |
Advanced Audit Reports and Enhanced Progress Tracking |
Now that you clearly understand the advantages and disadvantages of Free SEO Audit and Paid SEO Audit, It’s your time to choose what suits your website’s needs.
Wrap Up
After all this analysis it is obvious that free SEO audit comes for free, provides less reporting and does not have human intervention to help you in the future but it serves the SEO needs of small businesses.
On the other hand, Paid SEO Audits need financial investment, provide detailed and customized reporting, and serve the SEO needs of medium and large-scale organizations.
