SEO Pricing
SEO Audit: What You Should Get (Free or Paid)
An audit is only as useful as what you can act on afterwards.
Google’s advice on hiring an SEO says an audit should give realistic estimates of improvement and of the work involved, and that at this stage you should only grant read access to Search Console.
Whether an audit is free or paid, that’s the standard to hold it to.
Short answer: A useful SEO audit should cover indexing and technical health, on-page elements, content quality and gaps, internal linking, local presence if relevant, and measurement. It should deliver prioritized findings with evidence, an explanation of why each matters, the effort involved and realistic expectations. A free audit is usually a focused review of the biggest issues; a paid audit goes deeper and wider. Either way, you should only need to give read-only access.
Key Takeaways
- Expect prioritized findings with evidence, not a long list of tool warnings.
- Google says audits should include realistic estimates of improvement and work involved.
- Only grant read access during an audit.
- Free audits are usually focused reviews; paid audits go deeper.
- Judge an audit by how clearly you can act on it.
What an audit should cover
| Area | Key questions |
|---|---|
| Indexing and technical health | Are important pages indexed? Any crawl, redirect or speed problems? |
| On-page | Do titles, headings and content match what people search for? |
| Content | Is there one clear, useful page for each important topic? Any overlap? |
| Internal links | Can users and Google reach key pages easily? |
| Local (if relevant) | Is the Business Profile complete and accurate? |
| Measurement | Are Search Console and analytics set up, with key events? |
| Policy risks | Any spam-policy risks, such as bought links or thin pages? |
For the technical part in depth, see what a good technical SEO audit includes.
What you should receive
- A short summary of the most important findings.
- Each issue with evidence (URLs, screenshots or report data) and why it matters.
- Priority and estimated effort for each fix.
- Realistic expectations, not promises.
- Clear next steps you could act on with or without the auditor.
Free vs paid audits
| Free audit | Paid audit | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Focused on the biggest issues | Wider and deeper, often page by page |
| Typical depth | Key pages and site-wide checks | Full crawl, content and data analysis |
| Best for | Knowing where you stand and what to fix first | Planning a programme of work or a migration |
| Watch for | Generic automated reports | Volume of findings over usefulness |
How to judge the findings
- Are recommendations tied to your goals and your actual pages?
- Do they cite Google’s documentation where relevant?
- Are “issues” real problems, or tool warnings that don’t matter?
- Is anything recommended that breaks Google’s spam policies?
Doing it yourself
If you’d rather audit your own site first, follow how to do an SEO audit yourself.
Frequently asked questions
What access does an auditor need?
Google suggests only granting read access to Search Console during an audit.
Is a free SEO audit worth it?
A good free audit shows where you stand and what matters most. Judge it by how specific and actionable it is.
How long should an audit take?
It depends on site size and scope. A focused review is quicker than a full page-by-page audit.
Want a second opinion before you hire?
Request a free SEO audit. You’ll get a clear view of what your site needs, with no obligation to hire us.
Sources
- Google Search Central: Do you need an SEO?
- Google Search Central: Google Search technical requirements
- Google Search Central: Google Search Essentials
Last reviewed October 14, 2026.
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