25-Point Website Audit Checklist

Page loads in under 3 seconds

53% of mobile users leave if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load. Test at PageSpeed Insights.

Core Web Vitals pass (LCP, INP, CLS)

Google uses these as ranking signals. LCP under 2.5s, INP under 200ms, CLS under 0.1.

Images are optimized (WebP, lazy-loaded)

Unoptimized images are the #1 cause of slow websites. Use next-gen formats and lazy loading.

No render-blocking JavaScript

Scripts that block rendering delay your visible content. Defer non-critical JS.

Hosting response time under 200ms (TTFB)

Your server should respond in under 200ms. If higher, consider upgrading hosting.

Fully responsive on all screen sizes

62.5% of traffic is mobile. Test on iPhone SE, iPhone 14, Galaxy S24, and iPad.

Tap targets are at least 48px

Buttons and links need minimum 48x48px touch area. Small targets frustrate mobile users.

Text readable without zooming

Base font should be 16px minimum. No horizontal scrolling.

Phone number is tap-to-call

Mobile users should be able to call you with one tap. Use tel: links.

Forms work on mobile

Test every form on a real mobile device. Auto-correct, auto-fill, and keyboard type should all work.

Clear CTA above the fold

Visitors should see a call-to-action without scrolling. 70% of SMB websites miss this.

Phone number visible on every page

Especially critical for service businesses. Header is the best location.

Contact form works and sends notifications

Test your contact form monthly. Broken forms are invisible lead killers.

Live chat or AI chatbot installed

Websites with chat convert 2.4x more visitors. Chatbots work 24/7.

Trust signals visible (reviews, badges, logos)

Social proof near CTAs increases conversion by 15-34%.

Unique title tag on every page (under 60 chars)

Title tags are the #1 on-page ranking factor. Each page needs a unique, keyword-rich title.

Meta description on every page (under 155 chars)

Meta descriptions don't directly rank but affect click-through rate from search results.

H1 heading on every page (only one per page)

Your H1 should contain your primary keyword and clearly describe the page content.

XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console

A sitemap helps Google discover all your pages. Submit at search.google.com/search-console.

robots.txt allows AI crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot)

AI search engines need explicit access. Allow GPTBot and PerplexityBot for AI visibility.

Content is server-rendered (not JavaScript-only)

AI crawlers cannot execute JavaScript. SSR/SSG is required for AI search visibility.

FAQ section with question-based headings

AI engines extract Q&A blocks directly. Use H2/H3 questions with clear answer paragraphs.

Structured data (JSON-LD schema) implemented

Schema markup helps AI engines understand your business type, services, and content.

llms.txt file present at domain root

The emerging standard for AI crawlers. Provides structured overview of your site content.

Definition blocks in first 60 words of key pages

AI engines cite clear, direct definitions. Start with 'X is...' or answer the question immediately.