A Handy Site Audit Checklist for SEO and Content Writing that Works — And Leads to More Projects
By Pam Foster

In today’s competitive market, a strong presence on the Web is critical to a company’s success. Yet many companies have no idea why their websites aren’t working as well as they’d like. As a web copywriter, you can be the hero who helps companies figure it out. And, it can lead to more paid projects for you!

Picture this scenario: a marketing director is charged with updating the company website. The site’s been the same for about five years, and it’s only generating lackluster results.

Their competitors “own” page one of the Google rankings in their market, and it’s downright frustrating.

The marketing director’s job may even be on the line, and she needs help now.

As a freelance copywriter who specializes in SEO and writing content for websites, this is where you can help and earn handsome fees doing it.

Your job as a Site Auditor is to make sure the content on a website is inviting and irresistible to visitors. And then, you can help turn those visitors into paying customers.

You can help the marketing director by explaining that you know how to make websites WORK MUCH BETTER in terms of traffic, leads, and sales.

The director says, “Fantastic! How can we get started?”

You say, “Let me go through your site and evaluate it against my ‘best practices’ checklist. This list includes all the must-haves for websites to work today. I’ll be able to pinpoint any gaps you have and recommend solutions. What do you think?”

The marketing director answers, “Okay, yes, please.”

Great! Now you have a client.

Now it’s time to sit down with the website and go through your checklist.

Here’s an example of what you’ll have on your checklist as a starting point — just give it a YES or NO as you go down the list.

• The website loads quickly, which means people won’t abandon it before even seeing it.
• The site is mobile-responsive, meaning it’s easy to read on smartphones and tablets.
• You instantly see the company name and know what they do (it’s crazy, but this is not obvious on a LOT of websites).
• Every page includes a big, strong headline that shows why this company’s solutions are the best available in that category.
• If it’s a local website, you can quickly tell where the business is and how to contact them by phone or email (again, this is lacking in a HUGE percentage of local-business websites).
• The headline and other copy sections include SEO key phrases people use in Google to find solutions related to this company. For instance, if the client sells “puppy crate training” solutions, is that phrase on the page? (Seems obvious, but quite often this is not the case.)
• The website is very easy to navigate and read: you can find what you’re looking for within just a click or two.
• The copy is friendly and 100% focused on the visitor; solving a need or goal in the best and easiest way. (This one seems obvious as well. But guess what? Thousands of websites use “corporate-speak,” confusing copy, “clever” overly creative copy, or other copy that’s not clear or user-friendly.)
• There’s a clear call-to-action on every page, telling the visitor how to get what they want (such as, “download the free trial,” “get a sample now,” “request a free report,” “chat with a specialist,” or even “buy here.”)
• It’s easy to order or buy from the website. This means visitors can easily place an order in the online form, without hunting for things or filling out gobs and gobs of information that turns them off.

Okay, that’s just for starters. But you can see the immense power of this type of checklist.

You’ll confirm what’s working.

You’ll find what’s missing.

And then you’ll recommend the corrections you can make — for an additional fee!

Your “Gateway” to Offer Additional SEO and Content Writing Services to Your Clients

So, let’s say you perform a Site Audit for a fee of $2,000, and you were able to pinpoint gaps and areas of weakness …

Next, you deliver your findings to the marketing director, and then offer your recommendations to fix all the problems you identified in their website content — all of which pay you additional fees. For example:

Now, that’s just for starters. Depending on what your client needs, you could also offer email writing, e-newsletters, special reports, case studies, video scripts, and even social media management — all for additional fees.

That’s how an initial paid Site Audit can become your “gateway” to additional SEO and content writing paid projects in no time!

Give it a try.

You can become the client’s hero who saved the day — and get long-term business for yourself at the same time.

What questions do you have about the Site Audit method and using it as a gateway to other web-writing projects? Please let us know in the comments so Pam can help.