Step by Step SEO Audit Checklist for Businesses in Kenya

SEO audit is like a health check for your website. It helps you find out whats working, whats broken, and what needs improvement to attract more local visitors and leads.

Here’s a step-by-step SEO audit checklist tailored specifically for Kenyan businesses

1. Check Your Website’s Technical Health

Before diving into content and keywords, make sure your website’s foundation is solid.

Key Technical SEO Checks:

  • Mobile-friendliness: Visit Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see if your website adapts well to phones, most Kenyan users browse using mobile devices.

  • Page Speed: Use Google PageSpeed Insights to check how fast your site loads. Slow websites (over 3 seconds) can lose up to 50% of potential visitors.

  • Secure Connection (HTTPS): If your site still starts with “http://” instead of “https://”, install an SSL certificate. It builds trust and boosts rankings.

  • Broken Links: Tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs help find and fix broken links that hurt your SEO.

Tip: Optimize your images and reduce heavy scripts to ensure your pages load fast even on 3G networks.

2. Audit Your On-Page SEO

This step ensures each page communicates clearly with both Google and your visitors.

On-Page SEO Checklist:

  • Page Titles & Meta Descriptions: Every page should have a unique title and meta description including relevant keywords.

  • Header Tags (H1, H2, H3): Use them to structure your content. Your main topic should be in H1, with subtopics in H2 and H3.

  • Keyword Optimization: Naturally include local keywords.

  • Image Optimization: Rename image files with descriptive keywords and use alt text for accessibility and ranking.

Tip: Avoid keyword stuffing. Write for humans first, search engines second.

3. Evaluate Your Content Quality

Content is still king even for Kenyan audiences looking for relevant and relatable information.

Content Audit Steps:

  • Relevance: Are you answering your customers’ real questions?

  • Freshness: Update old articles with new facts, links, and visuals.

  • Local Focus: Mention local data, regions, and examples to make your content resonate with Kenyan readers.

  • Engagement: Add videos, infographics, and call-to-actions that encourage users to stay longer.

4. Review Your Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO is about how other websites view and connect to yours.

Off-Page Audit Steps:

  • Backlink Profile: Use tools like Moz or Ahrefs to see which sites link to you. Focus on getting links from credible Kenyan sites.

  • Google Business Profile: Claim and update your listing on Google Business Profile. Add accurate contact info, photos, and collect reviews, it’s key for local SEO in Kenya.

  • Local Directories: List your business on Kenyan platforms.

Tip: Engage in community and industry events, backlinks often come naturally when local media cover your brand.

5. Measure Performance and Track Progress

Finally, check if your SEO improvements are paying off.

Use These Free Tools:

  • Google Analytics: Track traffic sources, top-performing pages, and user behavior.

  • Google Search Console: Monitor keyword rankings, index coverage, and any issues flagged by Google.

  • Ubersuggest or SEMrush: Get quick SEO insights, keyword trends, and content opportunities for your niche.

Tip: Set monthly SEO goals.

Stay Consistent

An SEO audit it’s a continuous process. Online space is growing fast, and new competitors enter daily. By regularly reviewing and optimizing your site, you stay ahead in visibility, credibility, and conversions.

If you need expert help conducting a full SEO audit or want to improve your site’s Google rankings, our SEO Services page explains how we can help your business grow online.

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