Imagine this: you’ve spent hours and hours building the perfect website, but it’s not ranking as well as you want. Frustrating, right? I’ve been there and I know exactly how you feel. But here’s the thing - your site may be suffering from hidden technical issues that are holding it back.
That’s where Ahrefs' Site Audit, also known as the Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (or AWT for short) feature, comes in. It’s like having a superpower SEO sidekick that reveals all those sneaky problems hiding beneath the surface.
In this post, I’ll show you exactly how to use Ahrefs Site Audit to turn your website into an SEO machine. No fluff, no jargon - just step-by-step instructions you can start using today. Ready to level up your SEO? Let’s get started!
What is Ahrefs Site Audit?
Ahrefs Site Audit is one of the few SEO audit tools that identifies and prioritises critical issues that affect SEO performance, such as broken links and slow page speed. And trust me, after running thousands of SEO campaigns over the years, I can tell you that a solid technical foundation is key to winning the search results.
Think of Ahrefs Site Audit as your website’s health check-up. Just like you’d visit a doctor for a physical, Ahrefs Site Audit gives your site a full examination and reveals any SEO issues that might be holding you back.
In short, Ahrefs Site Audit crawls your entire website like Google would, identifies technical SEO issues from minor annoyances to major obstacles, gives you a full report on your site’s health and provides actionable fixes for the problems it finds.
Now you might be thinking, “Why can’t I just use Google Search Console for this?” Good question! While GSC is a great tool (and one I use daily), Ahrefs Site Audit is one of the most comprehensive SEO audit tools available. It’s more user-friendly and gives you more insights into your site’s performance, including backlink analysis and competitive insights.
And trust me, auditing your site regularly isn’t just nice to have - it’s absolutely necessary for long-term SEO success. I’ve seen many websites skyrocket in rankings after fixing issues found in an audit. It’s like giving your site a supercharger!
Setting Up Your First Ahrefs Site Audit
Okay, now that you know what Ahrefs Site Audit is all about, let’s get started and set up your first audit. Don’t worry, it’s easier than you think! Setting up your first SEO audit with Ahrefs is straightforward and essential for identifying issues.
Connect your website
First things first, you need to connect your website to Ahrefs. The easiest way to do this is through Ahrefs Webmaster Tools (AWT). It’s free and takes a few minutes to set up.
Go to ahrefs.com/webmaster-tools, sign up for an account, click on “Add new project”, enter your website URL and verify your website ownership. You can do this through DNS, HTML file upload or meta tag.
Set up your audit
Once your site is connected, setting up your audit is easy. Click on “Get Started” to proceed with the audit.
Ahrefs will start crawling your site using the default settings.
Site Health Score
Okay, you’ve run your first audit - yay! Now you’re probably staring at a bunch of numbers and wondering what the heck they all mean. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
First thing you’ll see is your Site Health Score. This is a quick snapshot of your site’s overall SEO health, from 0 to 100. Think of it like a report card for your website.
Here’s a rough guide:
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90-100 you’re killing it!
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Your site is in great shape. 70-89 is good but there’s room for improvement.
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50-69 you’ve got work to do.
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Below 50? Houston, we have a problem. Time to get to work!
Now don’t panic if your score isn’t where you want it to be. I’ve seen sites with scores in the 40s get to the top of Google after fixing their issues. The key is to use this score as a benchmark and work on improving it over time.
Issues: Errors, Warnings, Notices
Okay, now we’re getting to the good stuff. Ahrefs breaks down issues into three main categories: Errors, Warnings and Notices. Think of these as a traffic light system for your SEO.
Addressing on-page SEO issues is crucial for improving website rankings and user experience.
Errors: The Red Lights
These are the big, bad issues that need your attention right now. They’re like potholes on the SEO highway - hit too many and your rankings will take a hit.
Some common errors include broken links (404 errors), missing title tags and duplicate content.
Warnings: The Yellow Lights
Warnings are issues that aren’t critical but could become critical if left unchecked. They’re like that “check engine” light on your car - ignore it for too long and you’re asking for trouble. Examples include slow page load speed, missing meta descriptions and images without alt text.
Don’t underestimate these! I’ve seen sites move up several positions in the SERPs just by fixing warnings like improving page speed.
Notices: The Green Lights (kind of)
Notices are minor issues that are good to monitor but won’t hurt your SEO. They’re more like suggestions for optimisation. These might include HTTP pages without canonical tags, uncrawled pages and pages with low word count.
While these aren’t urgent, fixing them can give you that extra edge in competitive niches. It’s often these little optimisations that separate the good from the great in SEO.
Fixing Common SEO Issues
Now that we know what we’re looking at, let’s get to work and fix some of these issues. I’ll walk you through some of the most common problems I see and how to fix them.
Optimising internal links can significantly improve page rankings and is an important aspect of fixing SEO issues. Ahrefs Site Audit while using complementary tools like Google Search Console and Analytics help you monitor and optimise internal linking structures, offering tips on avoiding redirects and identifying link opportunities that can enhance page rankings for specific keywords.
Broken Links (404 Errors)
Broken links are dead ends for both users and search engines. They waste crawl budget and can seriously harm user experience.
To fix them, go to the “Internal pages” report in Ahrefs Site Audit and filter for 404 errors.
For each broken link, you’ll need to decide whether to redirect it to a relevant page (use a 301 redirect), restore the missing content or remove the link altogether if it’s no longer needed.
Pro tip: Don’t just redirect everything to your homepage. That’s lazy and can hurt your SEO. Always redirect to the most relevant page possible.
Missing or Duplicate Meta Tags
Meta tags are like your site’s billboard on the search results page. Missing or duplicate tags are missed opportunities to get clicks. Go to the “HTML tags” report in Ahrefs Site Audit. For missing title tags or meta descriptions, write unique, compelling ones that describe the page content and include your target keywords. For duplicate tags, rewrite them to be unique for each page.
Your title tag is prime real estate, so make it count! I aim for titles around 50-60 characters that clearly describe the value of the page.
Redirect Chains and Loops
Redirect chains are like a game of telephone for your website - the message (or in this case, the link equity) gets weaker with each hop.
To fix them, go to the “Redirects” report in Ahrefs Site Audit. Find any chains or loops and update the original redirect to point directly to the final destination URL.
Analysing Content Issues with Ahrefs Site Audit
Content might be king, but the way you present it to search engines is the crown jewel of SEO. Ahrefs Webmaster Tools doesn't just look at your content itself - it also examines how you're packaging that content for search engines and users. Let's dive into some common issues.
Meta Description Tag Missing or Empty
While they might not boost your rankings directly, your site pages' meta descriptions are your sales pitch on SERPs. A missing or empty meta description is like sending a salesperson to a meeting without any talking points.
AWT will flag pages with missing or empty meta descriptions. When you spot these, take the time to craft compelling, keyword-rich descriptions that entice users to click.
I've seen click-through rates jump by 20% or more just by adding well-written meta descriptions. More clicks mean more organic traffic, and that's something Google definitely pays attention to.
Title Tags Too Long
Title tags are like the headlines of your SERP listing. If they're too long, Google will cut them off, potentially losing the most impactful part of your message. Ahrefs Site Audit will highlight titles that exceed the recommended length (usually around 60 characters).
Don't just truncate your titles blindly. Rewrite them to front-load the most important information and keywords. It's a small change that can yield big results.
H1 Tag Missing or Empty
The H1 tag is like the chapter title in the book of your page. It tells both users and search engines what your content is all about. A missing or empty H1 is like starting a chapter without a title - confusing for readers and missed opportunity for SEO.
When Ahrefs flags pages with H1 issues, don't just slap any old headline on there. Craft H1s that incorporate your target keywords naturally and accurately describe the content of the page. I've seen pages jump several positions in search results after adding well-optimised H1 tags.
Mobile Usability and Core Web Vitals
In a mobile-first world, having a site that performs well on smartphones isn’t just nice to have - it’s necessary. Ahrefs Site Audit has got you covered here too, with important insights into your site’s mobile performance.
Mobile-Friendliness
Ahrefs checks your site’s mobile-friendliness by looking at viewport configuration, text size and tap target sizes. It’s like having a mini version of Google’s mobile-friendly test built into your audit.
I’ve seen sites jump several positions in mobile search results by fixing these basic mobile usability issues. It’s low-hanging fruit that can produce big results.
Core Web Vitals
Now, let’s talk about Core Web Vitals. These are Google’s metrics for user experience and are important for both SEO and user satisfaction. Ahrefs breaks down the three main Core Web Vitals:
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Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) - This measures loading time. Aim for LCP to occur within 2.5 seconds of when the page first starts loading.
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First Input Delay (FID) - This measures interactivity. Target FID of less than 100ms.
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Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) -This measures visual stability. Goal is to have a CLS score of less than 0.1.
To see the Core web vitals scores of your site pages, you need to enter the free API key from Google before running an audit.
Improving these metrics depend on the page's issue at hand. It might help if you focus on reducing server response times, optimising images and minimising unnecessary JavaScript. To know for sure, check the Diagnostics of each page to see the exact problem affecting the site's loading speed and efficiency. It’s technical work, but the results are huge.
Advanced Site Maintenance with Ahrefs
Now we’ve covered the basics let’s get into some advanced strategies to keep your site in top shape.
SEO isn’t a “set it and forget it” kind of thing. Google’s algorithm is constantly changing and your site needs to keep up. That’s why I recommend setting up recurring audits in Ahrefs.
You can set these to run automatically at regular intervals from the settings - weekly, monthly or quarterly, depending on how often your site changes. This way, you’ll catch any new issues before they become big problems.
Reporting and Sharing Site Audit Results
Now, all this data is great, but it’s useless if you can’t communicate it to your team or clients. Here’s how I report with Ahrefs Site Audit:
First, export your audit results. Ahrefs allows you to download reports in various formats, either in CSV or PDF. However, you can only choose a specific report to export. You have to go to each page report and download the data individually before compiling them using an audit template.
Next, customise these reports for your audience. If you’re presenting to a CEO, focus on high-level metrics and bottom-line impact. If you’re presenting to a dev team, you might go deeper into technical issues.
Finally, don’t just dump data on people. Tell a story with your audit results. Show the journey from where the site is now to where it could be if the issues are fixed.
Note: your goal isn’t just to identify problems - it’s to drive action. Use your audit results to create a clear, prioritised roadmap for improving your site’s SEO health.
How to Keep Your Site Healthy with Ahrefs
After years of running SEO campaigns and doing countless site audits, I’ve developed a set of best practices that work. Here’s how you can use Ahrefs Site Audit to keep your site in top shape:
Prioritise High-Impact Issues
When you have a long list of issues it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The key is to focus on the errors and warnings that will impact your SEO the most. Start with critical errors like broken links and duplicate content. Then move on to warnings that affect user experience like slow page speed or mobile usability issues.
Track Your Progress
Use the historical data in Ahrefs to track your site’s health over time. It’s so satisfying to see your health score improve month after month. Plus, this data can be a great motivator for your team or clients. The organic traffic increase that followed was amazing!
Stay Up to Date with Algorithm Updates
Google’s algorithm is always changing. Keep an eye on industry news and update your audit priorities accordingly. For example, when Google announced Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor we started paying more attention to those metrics in our audits.
Work with Your Dev Team
SEO isn’t a solo sport. Work with your dev team to implement the changes suggested by your Ahrefs audit. I find sharing access to the Ahrefs dashboard helps developers understand the SEO impact of their work.
Summary: Usng Ahrefs Webmaster Tools for SEO
We’ve covered a lot in this post, from setting up your first audit to advanced site maintenance. By now you should know how to use Ahrefs Site Audit to improve your SEO strategy.
The goal isn’t to get a perfect health score (although that’s nice!). The real goal is to have a site that provides value to your users and ranks well in search engines. Ahrefs Site Audit is the tool to help you do that.
But here’s the thing: knowledge is only powerful when it’s applied. So don’t just read this and forget about it. Take action. Run your first audit today. Start fixing those critical errors. Set up a recurring audit.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all this or just want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your Ahrefs Site Audit, we’re here to help. At Charles Floate Training, we turn complex SEO data into actionable strategies that produce real results.
Don’t let technical SEO issues hold your site back. Get in touch today to find out how we can help you become Ahrefs Site Audit master and take your SEO to the next level.