Complete Website Audit Checklist: Get Your Copy Ready For The New Year: Complete Website Audit Checklist

When was the last time you gave your website copy a proper health check? If you’re scratching your head right now, you’re not alone. Most small businesses launch their websites and then… crickets. But here’s the thing: your website audit checklist shouldn’t be gathering dust until something breaks.

Think of your website like that plant you got last year. You can’t just set it and forget it, babes. According to Business Dasher, small businesses with websites grow 2X as fast as those without. But if you don’t keep that website up-to-date, it’ll quickly fall to the wayside while small businesses with updated website content quickly rise up the ranks (search engine rankings, that is).

What is a Website Audit?

Think of a website audit as a health check-up for your online presence. It systematically reviews your website’s content, functionality, and performance. A website audit checklist helps you identify what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs a refresh.

Why Fresh Website Content is Your Best Friend

Before we dive into our website audit checklist, let’s talk about why keeping your website content updated is crucial for your business success.

1. Better Search Engine Rankings

Google loves fresh content! According to Backlinko, fresh, high-quality, informative, and relevant content is one of Google’s key ranking factors. Regular updates signal to search engines that your site is active and relevant, helping you climb those SERP rankings.

2. Higher Conversion Rates

Updated website content speaks to what people need right now, and any objections that keep them from clicking the button. And when you nip those in the bud, you increase your chances of conversions!

3. Increased Trust and Credibility

Would you trust a website with outdated prices or 2020 COVID policies? Neither would your customers. So having updated website content will not only make Google happy, but it’ll also make you look more legit.

4. Lower Bounce Rates

A bounce rate is the percent of people that ‘x’ out of your website after only viewing one page. Fresh content prevents that from happening, and keeps your website visitors engaged and exploring.

5. More Return Visitors

People come back when they know they’ll find something new! Whether that be your blog content, new additions to your resources page, or new episodes of your podcast. Yet another incentive to update your website content.

6. Better Customer Experience

Updated content means current information, working links, and relevant offers — which all create an enjoyable experience for people, and that matters! According to PwC’s Customer Experience Survey, 32% of customers will walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience.

7. Competitive Edge

In today’s digital landscape, a static website is like a dusty storefront. But with fresh website content, you’ll attract more people and more potential to make more money!

Now that you know why fresh content matters, let’s dive into that website audit checklist and get your site working like an undefeated employee of the month.

Your Complete Website Audit Checklist

1. Review Discovery Call Feedback

Listen to what your potential clients are actually saying. Addressing common customer objections in your website copy will remove anything standing in the way of them clicking the ‘Buy’ button.

So what you’ll want to do is:

• Document frequently asked questions
• Note common objections
• Create solutions in your copy
• Beef up your FAQ section

2. Brand Voice Alignment Check

Your website should sound like you had a coffee chat with your ideal client, not like C3PO. Use your brand voice guide to ensure consistency across all pages (and if you don’t have one, you can download my free Brand Voice Guidelines Workbook>>>).

Steps for auditing your brand voice:

• Review each page against your guidelines
• Check for consistent tone and language
• Update any corporate-speak or bland sections
• Ensure your personality shines through

3. Legal Document Updates

Take it from Termly: “A privacy policy is a document on your website that informs users about how you collect their information, why you use it, and if you share it with others.” Aside from that, you’ll also want a Terms of Use document, and a cookie policy.

Not only does having these legal documents make you more trustworthy, but you need to keep them up-to-date, too! Because 1 in 5 people always or often reads a company’s privacy policy before agreeing to it (Pew Research Center).

4. Copyright Footer Updates

That tiny © at the bottom of your site? It matters! Google actually considers copyright dates when determining content freshness. Update it to show you’re active and current.

5. Image Optimization

Optimized images with alt text and small file sizes are better for SEO because search engines like Google will have a better chance crawling and indexing these images. So, check your website images for:

• Descriptive file names
• Alt text for accessibility
• Compressed file sizes
• Relevant titles

6. Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

Your title tags and meta descriptions are like your website’s elevator pitch. And when they’ve got good keywords and descriptive content, they get more clicks.

So here are some best practices:

• Include target keywords naturally
• Keep titles under 60 characters
• Write compelling meta descriptions (150-160 characters)
• A/B test different versions to see which performs better

7. Link Check

Nothing says “neglected website” like broken links. But you can use this free tool to scan for:

• Dead internal links
• Broken external links
• Outdated references
• Missing anchor texts

8. Additional Must-Check Items

Speed and Mobile Responsiveness

For every 10 seconds it takes your site to load, your chance of bounce rate increases by 123% (Google). So you’ll want to keep these up-to-scuff on your website:

• Page loading times
• Mobile formatting
• Responsive design elements

Inclusivity Review

Make sure your copy speaks to everyone in your audience by:

• Using inclusive language
• Avoiding cultural assumptions
• Providing accessible content formats

Content Freshness

There are a few things on your website you should review that are nit-picky, but very important:

• Team/about page information
• Case studies and testimonials
• Service descriptions
• Contact information

Conversion Tracking

Make sure you can measure success by:

• Setting up proper analytics
• Tracking conversion goals
• Monitoring what people do and how they act after reading your website content
• Analyzing heat maps

Ready for Your Website Glow-Up?

This website audit checklist is your roadmap to better-performing copy. But if you’re looking at this list thinking “ain’t nobody got time for that,” I gotchu!

Book a Website Copy Audit and let’s breathe new life into your website together. You’ll get:

• A professional copy review
• Research-backed recommendations
• Implementation guidance
• Final revision support, and more!

Your website should be your hardest-working team member. Let’s make sure it’s showing up ready to serve!

Book Your Website Copy Audit in 2025 >>>

Remember, a website audit checklist is just the beginning. The magic happens when you actually implement the changes. Ready to transform your website into a lead-generating machine? Let’s do this thing!