Audit, SEO

Why a Manual Audit is Always Better than an Automated SEO Audit

May 26, 2023

Manual audits offer a human touch and enable a deeper understanding of the SEO performance of the website.

Audits are a critical component of search engine optimisation, helping to evaluate and enhance website performance. There are two main methods for conducting an SEO audit: a manual audit and an automated audit.

Automated audits are quick and convenient but don’t provide a thorough review. On the other hand, manual audits offer a human touch and enable a deeper understanding of the SEO performance of the website.

We will examine the differences between manual and automated SEO audits and review each one’s benefits and drawbacks.

Breakdown of a Manual SEO Audit

A manual audit comes from an SEO professional or team’s in-depth study of numerous aspects of a website’s SEO performance.

Process: A manual audit often entails checking on-page components, examining backlinks, analysing site architecture and technical elements, evaluating content quality, and researching the competition.

Importance: A manual audit enables thorough analysis that considers both technical and user-centric aspects of SEO. It should also offer insightful information for fixing the issues and how teams can do this effectively.

Breakdown of an Automated SEO Audit

An automatic SEO audit scans and evaluates a website’s SEO components using specialised software or online resources.

Process: Automated audits employ algorithms to crawl websites, evaluate SEO variables, spot potential problems, and produce results following predetermined guidelines.

Convenience: Automated audits can quickly analyse vast amounts of data, making them quick and convenient.

Local SEO Audit

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White Label SEO Audit

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Advanced SEO Audit

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Manual SEO Audits

Advantages of Manual Audits

In-depth investigation: Manual audits thoroughly investigate all SEO components, enabling a deeper comprehension of the website’s issues and opportunities.
Customisation: Manual audits reflect particular business objectives and industry standards, enabling for personalised recommendations and tactics.
Human Expertise: Manual audits rely on human experience and expertise, enabling SEOs to spot subtle problems that automated tools might overlook.
User-Centric Approach: Manual audits put the user experience first while taking into account things like content quality, relevance, and navigability.

Disadvantages of Manual Audits

Time-consuming: Manual audits examine every aspect of a website, so they take more time and effort and are, therefore, less suitable for businesses with strict deadlines. We have several packages available, allowing you to choose an audit that works for you.
Subjectivity: Different SEO specialists view particular elements differently, so manual audits may require subjective judgements.
Resource-intensive: Manual audits frequently call for a knowledgeable SEO team or consultant, which can be expensive for smaller companies or individuals.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Automated SEO Audits

Advantages of Automated SEO Audits

Speed and Efficiency: Automated audits are good for initial website inspections or ongoing monitoring since they can quickly analyse enormous amounts of data.
Accessibility: Automated tools are easily accessible and usable by those with little to no technical knowledge.
Data-driven Insights: Automated audits offer unbiased information and predetermined guidelines that can be used to spot problems and significant optimisation opportunities.

Disadvantages of Automated SEO Audits

Lack of Context: Automated audits may overlook context-sensitive factors, such as user behaviour or industry-specific complexity, that impact SEO performance.
Limited Analysis: Automated solutions usually focus on technical SEO elements; nevertheless, they may also need to consider other crucial elements like content quality or user engagement.
False Positives/Negatives: Automated audits could produce false positives or false negatives, causing unnecessary actions to be taken or leaving out serious issues.

Why a Manual Audit is Overall Better

In conclusion, a manual audit is superior to an automatic one for several reasons. A manual audit allows for customised optimisation advice and improvements by considering the unique context of your website, industry, and target audience. It goes beyond making general recommendations by considering user intent, business specifics around the industry, and competitive analysis.

A thorough, unique, and user-centred approach to SEO optimisation is provided via a manual audit. It differs from automated audits in that it may consider context, provide in-depth analysis, and adjust to algorithm modifications.

By spending money on a manual SEO audit, you will get the knowledge and understanding needed to maximise the SEO potential of your website and achieve long-term success for your business.

Nikki Halliwell

Based in Manchester, UK, Nikki is a freelance Technical SEO Consultant. She has worked at several agencies and in-house and has worked across the health, hospitality and fashion industries and more. Nikki enjoys working with eCommerce websites and beyond to ensure that websites are easy to find, load quickly and work efficiently.