When a new client approaches us saying there are problems with their website, traffic is not coming in, pages have disappeared from Google, or simply that “SEO isn’t working,” we don’t start by guessing.
For us, search engine optimization is always a structured, step by step process built on solid technical and content foundations. In this article, we show which SEO tools we use in our daily work and what you should do if you truly want results.
Step 1: Technical SEO audit with Screaming Frog
The first tool we reach for in almost every case is the Screaming Frog SEO Spider. With it, we map the entire website, and the fundamental technical issues become clear very quickly:
404 and other error pages
incorrect or chained redirects
missing or duplicate meta titles and descriptions
canonicalization issues
broken internal links
Why do we start here? Because as long as these errors exist, any further SEO work is only a partial solution.
Tip:
Don’t just keep producing content while your site is full of technical issues.
First, clean everything up with Screaming Frog — and only then build further.
Step 2: Google Search Console and what Google actually sees
The next stop is Google Search Console. Here, we examine how Google itself sees and interprets the website.
The most important checkpoints:
whether the sitemap has been submitted
whether robots.txt is properly configured
which pages are indexed
which are not, and for what reason
whether there are coverage or manual errors
A very common issue is that a page is fine in terms of content, but technically it has not been made accessible to Google.
Tip:
Don’t refine meta descriptions and title tags without knowing whether the page is indexed at all.
Search Console first, everything else comes after.
Step 3: Google Analytics and analyzing user behavior
Once we know the site is technically sound and indexable, we look at what visitors actually do on it. For this, we analyze data from Google Analytics.
What we examine:
how much time users spend on the site
which pages have a high bounce rate
where users exit
how many 404 pages they encounter
internal searches (if the site has a search function)
This data shows very precisely where the user experience breaks down.
Tip:
Don’t just look at visitor numbers.
Focus on what visitors do and where they get stuck.
Step 4: Checking loading speed with Google PageSpeed
A slow website is not only an SEO problem — it’s a business problem as well. That is why every audit includes an analysis with Google PageSpeed Insights.
We pay special attention to:
mobile and desktop loading times
Core Web Vitals metrics
image sizing issues
render blocking elements
Step 5: Reviewing the admin interface
We also log into the website’s control panel itself (for example, WordPress) and review:
outdated or faulty plugins
SEO related settings
signs pointing to duplication
Surprisingly often, we discover that a single incorrect admin setting has been holding the site back for months.
Step 6: Keyword research with Ubersuggest
After the technical foundations comes content. For keyword research, we often use Ubersuggest.
Here, we examine:
whether the site is actually optimized for the keywords people are searching for
whether service and product pages are properly structured
where untapped opportunities exist
Step 7: Finding blog topics with Answer The Public
For blog topics, one of our favorite tools is Answer The Public. Its strength is that it shows real questions people are actually asking.
If you answer these questions, you:
bring relevant traffic to your site
help visitors
build professional credibility
Tip:
Don’t blog just to have fresh content.
Answer specific questions and solve real problems.
Step 8: Off page SEO and external signals
SEO does not stop at the website. Important elements include:
backlinks
brand mentions
expert guest articles
reviews
Properly completing your Google Business Profile, social platforms, and review sites is a basic requirement. For example, we connect reviews to the website using Trustindex so that every credibility signal appears in one place.
Summary
The quality of online visibility depends on many factors, and of course it is possible to go even deeper than this. However, we consider this process a fundamental starting point for every website.
Anyone can learn these basics with a few weeks of study, but real results require experience and systematic thinking.
If you need consulting or implementation, get in touch with us.
Our first website audit is free.