SEO Expert Audit Checklist
The exact checklist Mark Gabrielli runs on every new MarkCMO engagement. Covers technical SEO, content strategy, link earning, AI search optimization, and reporting.
A 2026 SEO expert checklist covers six areas. (1) Technical SEO - Core Web Vitals, schema, indexation, JavaScript rendering, site architecture. (2) Content - topic coverage, pillar pages, content quality scores, freshness, internal linking. (3) Off-site - backlink profile, brand mentions, PR coverage, citations. (4) AI search - Wikidata entity, Crunchbase, Schema.org Person, llms.txt, robots.txt AI crawler permissions, citation tracking across LLMs. (5) Analytics - GA4 configuration, Search Console setup, attribution model, conversion tracking. (6) Reporting - dashboard fidelity, pipeline-first metrics, board-ready format.
Technical SEO Checks
Core Web Vitals (LCP under 2.5s, INP under 200ms, CLS under 0.1) across mobile and desktop. Schema markup coverage and validity (Organization, Person, Service, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList, Article, Product as applicable). XML sitemap completeness and submission status. robots.txt audit (AI crawler access, disallow patterns). Indexation status (Google Search Console coverage report). JavaScript rendering check (view-source vs rendered DOM). Internal linking depth and equity flow. Redirect chains and broken links. HTTPS and security headers. Mobile-friendliness.
Content Checks
Topic cluster coverage vs competitors. Pillar page completeness. Search intent alignment per URL. Content freshness (last modified dates, refresh cadence). Content quality scores (depth, originality, E-E-A-T signals). Internal linking patterns and orphan page detection. Thin content audit (under 300 words, low engagement). Cannibalization analysis.
Link Earning Checks
Referring domain count and quality vs competitors. Anchor text distribution (branded vs commercial vs generic). Lost backlinks recovery opportunities. Brand mention monitoring (linked vs unlinked). PR coverage frequency and authority. Citation accuracy across NAP profiles. Toxic backlink identification and disavow recommendation.
AI Search Optimization Checks
Wikidata entity status (exists, linked to website, sameAs complete). Crunchbase profile completeness. Schema.org Person markup on key pages. llms.txt presence and configuration. robots.txt AI crawler permissions (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, etc.). Citation tracking across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews for target queries. Definition-lead content patterns on key pages. Quotable passage formatting.
Analytics and Reporting Checks
GA4 configuration completeness (events, conversions, attribution model). Search Console setup and API access. Conversion tracking from organic traffic to pipeline. Dashboard format (board-ready vs analyst-level). Pipeline-first storytelling vs vanity metric reporting.
Related Reading
- SEO Expert (National Guide)
- Best SEO Expert 2026 Top 10
- SEO Expert Cost
- How to Hire an SEO Expert
- Mark Gabrielli SEO Expert Profile
Talk to Mark
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Book a 30-minute call →Written by Mark Gabrielli — SEO Expert and Fractional CMO, founder of MarkCMO. 32 ventures in production. 24,000 plus SEO-optimized pages on markcmo.com as live proof of the methodology. Contact: [email protected].