SEO audits are one of the most repeatable deliverables in agency work — yet they're also one of the most inconsistently scoped.
The problem isn't the audit itself. It's that "SEO audit" means different things to different people. To the client, it might mean "tell me what's wrong." To the auditor, it might mean a 60-page technical crawl report. To the account manager who sold it, it might mean "a quick look that leads to a retainer."
When the scope is vague, audits expand into free consulting. When it's too rigid, auditors miss critical issues because they weren't "in scope." This template strikes the balance.
Who this is for
- SEO agencies that sell audits as standalone deliverables
- Teams using audits as the entry point to retainer engagements
- Freelance SEO consultants pricing fixed-fee audits
- Account managers who need to scope audits without senior involvement
Variables that determine audit scope
| Variable | Impact |
|---|---|
| Site size | 50 pages vs 5,000 pages = fundamentally different crawl and review scope |
| Number of templates | Unique page templates that need individual review |
| CMS / platform | WordPress, Shopify, custom — affects technical recommendations |
| Multi-language / multi-region | Hreflang, localised content, and market-specific indexation |
| Access readiness | GA4, GSC, CMS, crawl tool — missing access delays everything |
| Audit depth | Technical-only vs full audit (technical + content + backlinks) |
| Deliverable format | Slide deck vs detailed report vs spreadsheet with prioritisation |
What an SEO audit scope should contain
| Section | Key details |
|---|---|
| Access requirements | GA4, GSC, CMS access, staging environment, crawl permissions |
| Crawl scope | URL ranges, subdomains included/excluded, crawl budget |
| Technical checks | Indexation, crawlability, site architecture, page speed, structured data |
| On-page review | Title tags, meta descriptions, heading structure, internal linking |
| Content assessment | Thin content, duplicate content, content gaps, cannibalisation |
| Backlink review | Link profile health, toxic links, competitor gap |
| Competitor snapshot | 2–3 competitor comparison on visibility, authority, content |
| Deliverables | Format, depth, prioritisation framework, presentation meeting |
| Timeline | Duration, milestones, access deadline, delivery date |
| Assumptions & exclusions | What's NOT included (implementation, content writing, link building) |
Pre-audit requirements
- GA4 access (read-only minimum)
- Google Search Console access (full user)
- CMS access (for content and technical review)
- Crawl permissions confirmed (robots.txt allowance for audit tool)
- Staging environment access (if applicable)
- Previous audit reports (if any exist)
- Target keyword list or priority pages (if available)
Technical audit
- Crawl analysis (broken links, redirect chains, orphan pages)
- Indexation review (indexed vs submitted, noindex issues, crawl budget)
- Site architecture assessment (depth, internal linking, URL structure)
- Page speed audit (Core Web Vitals, LCP, CLS, INP)
- Mobile usability review
- Structured data validation (schema markup, rich results eligibility)
- Security checks (HTTPS, mixed content, canonical configuration)
- XML sitemap and robots.txt review
On-page audit
- Title tag analysis (length, keyword inclusion, uniqueness)
- Meta description review (length, relevance, CTR optimisation)
- Heading structure (H1 uniqueness, hierarchy, keyword alignment)
- Internal linking assessment (anchor text, link equity distribution)
- Image optimisation (alt text, file size, format)
Content audit
- Thin content identification (pages below word count threshold)
- Duplicate content detection (internal and cross-domain)
- Content gap analysis (topics competitors rank for that you don't)
- Keyword cannibalisation check (multiple pages targeting same terms)
Backlink audit
- Link profile overview (total links, referring domains, authority distribution)
- Toxic link identification (spam, PBN, irrelevant)
- Competitor backlink gap analysis
- Anchor text distribution review
Deliverables
- Prioritised findings report (critical / high / medium / low)
- Executive summary (1–2 pages, non-technical)
- Detailed technical appendix
- Recommended action plan with estimated effort
- Presentation meeting (walkthrough of findings and recommendations)
Scoping by audit depth
Technical audit only (8–16 hours) Crawl analysis, indexation, speed, architecture, structured data. Best for sites with known technical debt or pre-migration assessments. Deliverable: technical report with prioritised fixes.
Standard audit (20–40 hours) Technical + on-page + content assessment. The most common agency audit. Deliverable: comprehensive report with strategy recommendations.
Full audit (40–60+ hours) Technical + on-page + content + backlinks + competitor analysis. Reserved for larger sites or enterprise engagements. Often includes a presentation meeting and implementation roadmap.
How RuleDox helps
Audits follow patterns. Site size determines crawl scope. Platform determines technical checks. Engagement context determines whether the audit is standalone or leads into implementation.
RuleDox lets you:
- Set audit variables — site size, platform, depth level, deliverable format
- Auto-include the right sections — technical-only audits exclude content and backlink sections
- Calculate hours consistently — based on site size and audit depth, not guesswork
- Maintain exclusion language — "Implementation of recommendations is not included" appears automatically when the audit is standalone
FAQ
How long should an SEO audit take? Depends on site size and depth. A technical-only audit for a 200-page site: 8–12 hours. A full audit for a 5,000-page site: 40–60 hours. The scope should define this — not the client's expectations.
Should audits be free? No. Free audits train clients to undervalue the work and create misaligned expectations. If you use audits as a sales tool, keep them surface-level (30-minute review) and save the full audit for paid engagements.
What's the most common mistake in audit scoping? Not defining the deliverable format. "An SEO audit" could mean a 5-page summary or a 100-page technical document. Specify format, depth, and whether a presentation meeting is included.