Mid-Year SEO Check-In: What to Review in June

8 hours ago
12 min read

Taking a moment mid-year to check your website's SEO is super important. It helps you see what's working and what's not. Here are the main things you should focus on during your check-up:

Key Takeaways

Make sure your website is easy for search engines to find and read, and that it works well on phones.
See which blog posts or pages people like the most and find out where you can add new, helpful information.
Track where you stand for important words people search for and look for new words that could bring visitors.
Check that your website has good links pointing to it from other trusted sites and clean up any bad ones.
Understand how visitors use your site, if they stick around, and if they find what they're looking for.

Analyze Your Website's Technical Health

Alright, let's get down to business with the nuts and bolts of your website. If the foundation isn't solid, nothing else you do will really stick. Think of this as your mid-year check-up for your site's engine.

Crawlability And Indexability Check

First things first, can search engines actually find and read your pages? This is super important. If Googlebot can't crawl your site, it can't index it, and if it's not indexed, well, it won't show up in search results. Simple as that.

Here's what to look at:

Robots.txt: Make sure you're not accidentally blocking important pages or your entire site. A misplaced directive here can cause big problems.
XML Sitemap: Is it up-to-date? Does it include all the pages you want indexed? Submit it to Google Search Console if you haven't already.
Index Status: Use Google Search Console's Index Coverage report. Are there errors? Are pages being excluded for reasons you don't understand?

Sometimes, a simple mistake in your robots.txt file can keep your best content hidden from search engines. It's worth double-checking this regularly, especially after site updates.

Mobile-Friendliness Assessment

Most people are browsing on their phones these days, so if your site looks janky on a small screen, you're losing visitors. Google also uses mobile-first indexing, meaning they look at your mobile version for ranking. Your mobile experience needs to be top-notch.

Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool. It's quick and tells you if there are any immediate issues. Also, manually click around on your phone. Does everything load okay? Are buttons easy to tap? Is text readable without zooming?

Page Speed Performance Metrics

Nobody likes a slow website. If your pages take too long to load, people will just leave. This affects user experience and is a ranking factor. We're talking about Core Web Vitals here – things like how quickly the main content appears (LCP), how soon users can interact (FID), and visual stability (CLS).

Check your site's speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights. It gives you scores and specific recommendations. Focus on optimizing images, reducing server response time, and leveraging browser caching. Getting these right can make a big difference in how users perceive your site and how search engines rank it. A faster site often means better search engine visibility.

This technical check-up is your first step. If these basics aren't in order, it's like trying to build a house on sand. Get this right, and the rest of your SEO efforts will have a much stronger foundation. For a more detailed look, consider using a technical SEO audit template.

Evaluate Your Content Performance

Okay, so your website is technically sound, but what about the stuff people are actually looking at? This is where we dig into your content. It's not enough to just have pages; they need to be doing their job. We need to see what's working and what's not.

Underperforming Content Identification

Now for the flip side. What content is just sitting there, not doing much? These are the pages that might be hurting your site more than helping. Low traffic, high bounce rates, and zero conversions are red flags. Don't just ignore them; figure out why they're failing. Maybe the topic is outdated, the writing is weak, or it's not optimized for any relevant searches.

Sometimes, content just misses the mark. It might have been great a year ago, but the world moves fast. Or maybe it was never quite right for the audience you're trying to reach. It's better to know this now than let it drag down your overall site health.

Pinpoint content with low traffic and high exit rates.
Review content that hasn't been updated in over a year.
Assess if underperforming pages are targeting keywords with no search volume.

Content Gap Analysis

This is where you look at what your competitors are doing that you aren't. What topics are they covering that your audience might be interested in, but you haven't touched yet? This isn't about copying; it's about finding opportunities. Use tools to see what keywords your competitors rank for that you don't. This can reveal new content ideas that could bring in fresh traffic. It’s a good way to see where you can improve your visibility.

Identify topics your competitors cover that you don't.
Look for keywords your competitors rank for, but you don't.
Consider creating new content or updating existing content to fill these gaps.

Assess Your Keyword Rankings

Okay, so your website is technically sound and your content is getting some traction. Now, let's talk about what people are actually searching for and if you're showing up for those searches. This is where keyword rankings come into play. It's not just about ranking, but ranking for the right keywords.

Core Keyword Position Tracking

This is your bread and butter. You know the main terms you want to be found for. Are you still there? Are you moving up or down? It’s good to check in on these regularly. You can use tools like Google Search Console to see how your primary keywords are performing.

Check your top 5-10 target keywords: See where you stand today.
Note any significant shifts: Did you drop a few spots? Jump ahead? Why?
Compare to previous months: Look for trends over time.

Emerging Keyword Opportunities

Sometimes, new search terms pop up, or existing ones gain popularity. You might be missing out on traffic if you're not aware of these. Keep an eye on related searches and "people also ask" sections on Google. This can give you ideas for new content or ways to update existing pages.

Think about what your audience might be asking that you haven't covered yet. Sometimes the simplest questions lead to the most traffic.

Competitor Keyword Landscape

What are your competitors ranking for that you aren't? This is a goldmine for finding new opportunities. You don't want to let them steal traffic that could be yours. Tools can help you see their top keywords, which can be really insightful. For instance, you might discover a niche term they're dominating that you hadn't considered. Spying on competitor keywords can reveal a lot.

Identify keywords your competitors rank for, but you don't.
Analyze the search volume and difficulty of these new terms.
See if these keywords align with your business goals.

Review Your Backlink Profile

Your backlink profile is like your website's reputation on the internet. It's a collection of all the links pointing to your site from other websites. A strong backlink profile can significantly boost your search engine rankings and drive more traffic. It's not just about the quantity of links, but also their quality and relevance. Think of it as getting recommendations from other reputable sources.

Backlink Quality And Relevance

When you're looking at your backlinks, the first thing to check is their quality. Are these links coming from websites that are actually related to your niche? A link from a well-respected blog in your industry is way more valuable than a random link from a site about gardening if you sell software. We need to make sure the sites linking to us are trustworthy and have their own good reputation. It's about building connections with the right crowd. A good place to start is by looking at what makes a good backlink.

New Link Acquisition Trends

It's also smart to see how you've been getting new links lately. Have you been actively building new relationships? Are you getting links from new sources, or is it the same old places? Keeping an eye on this helps you understand if your link-building efforts are working or if you need to switch things up. Maybe you've started a new content series that's attracting attention, or perhaps a guest post you wrote is finally paying off. It's good to know what's working.

Toxic Link Audit

Sometimes, you might end up with links that are actually hurting your site. These are often called 'toxic' links. They might come from spammy websites, link farms, or sites that have been penalized by search engines. Having too many of these can drag your rankings down. It's important to periodically clean these out. This involves identifying the bad actors and disavowing those links so search engines know you don't want them associated with your site. For local businesses, this is especially important to clean up your local links.

Cleaning up your backlink profile isn't just about removing bad links. It's also about understanding the overall health and direction of your site's authority. A clean profile means search engines see your site as a reliable source, which is what we all want.

Examine User Experience Signals

Okay, so we've looked at the technical stuff and the content, but how are people actually interacting with your site? That's where user experience (UX) signals come in. Google's paying more attention to this, and honestly, so should you. If people are bouncing off your pages faster than a hot potato, it's a sign something's not quite right.

Bounce Rate and Time On Page

These two go hand-in-hand. A high bounce rate means folks are hitting your page and leaving without clicking anything else. Not great. Time on page tells you if they're sticking around to read or watch. Are they finding what they came for?

High bounce rate + low time on page: Big red flag. People aren't finding what they expect or the page is just plain boring.
Low bounce rate + high time on page: Usually a good sign. People are engaged and finding the content useful.
High bounce rate + high time on page: This one's tricky. They might be reading a whole article but not interacting further, or maybe they found the answer they needed immediately and left. Worth digging into.

Click-Through Rates From SERPs

This is about what happens before they even get to your site. When your page shows up in search results, are people clicking on it? A low click-through rate (CTR) might mean your title tags and meta descriptions aren't compelling enough, or maybe your competitors have better-looking snippets. It's worth checking out how your search result snippets look compared to others.

User Journey Mapping

Think about how a typical user finds your site and what they do next. Do they land on a blog post and then easily find their way to a product page? Or are they stuck in a loop? Mapping out these paths helps you spot where users might be getting lost or frustrated. It's all about making it easy for them to find what they need and take the next step, whatever that might be. This is a big part of why SEO and UX are intertwined.

Sometimes, the simplest changes make the biggest difference. Maybe a clearer call-to-action button, a better-organized menu, or even just breaking up long paragraphs can stop people from clicking away. It's not always about fancy tech; it's about making the site pleasant to use.

Conduct A Competitor Analysis

Okay, so we've looked at our own site, right? Now it's time to peek over the fence and see what the neighbors are up to. Checking out your competitors isn't just about seeing who's ranking above you; it's about understanding the whole game. What works for them might give you ideas, and what they're missing could be your next big opportunity.

Competitor Content Strategies

First off, let's talk content. What kind of articles, blog posts, or videos are they putting out there? Are they hitting the same topics you are, or are they focusing on something different? Look at:

The topics they cover: Are they all about 'how-to' guides, or do they do more listicles and reviews?
The format of their content: Is it mostly text, or do they use a lot of images, infographics, or videos?
How often they publish: Are they churning out new stuff daily, or is it more of a weekly thing?

Understanding their content approach can help you spot gaps or figure out if you need to adjust your own content calendar. You can start by using tools to see their top-performing pages, which gives you a good idea of what their audience likes.

Competitor Backlink Acquisition

Next up, backlinks. Where are they getting links from? This is a biggie for SEO. You want to see if they're getting links from reputable sites in your industry or if they're getting them from less-than-ideal places. Check out:

The quality of the sites linking to them: Are they well-known blogs, news sites, or industry publications?
The types of links: Are they mostly editorial links (where someone naturally linked to their content) or directory listings?
Any new links they've recently acquired: This can show you where they're focusing their outreach efforts.

Seeing who links to them can give you ideas for your own outreach. Maybe there's a site linking to three of your competitors but not you – that's a potential target!

Competitor Technical SEO

Finally, let's not forget the technical side. Even if their content is great and they have a ton of links, their site might be slow or hard for search engines to crawl. Look at:

Their website speed: Does their site load quickly on both desktop and mobile?
Their mobile-friendliness: Is their site easy to use on a phone?
Their site structure: Is it easy to navigate, or does it seem a bit messy?

Sometimes, a competitor might be outranking you not because they're doing everything perfectly, but because they've found a sweet spot where their content is good enough, and their technical setup isn't actively hurting them. You might find that improving your own technical SEO can give you a significant boost, especially if your competitors are lagging in this area. It's all about finding those little advantages.

By looking at these three areas – content, backlinks, and technical SEO – you get a pretty solid picture of what your competitors are doing. It's not about copying them, but about learning from their successes and failures to make your own SEO strategy even stronger. You can use tools to get a good overview of their SEO performance and see how you stack up.

Want to know what your rivals are up to? Understanding your competition is key to standing out. It helps you find your unique spot in the market. Learn how to do this effectively and get ahead. Visit our website to discover the best ways to analyze your competitors and boost your business.

Conclusion

So, hitting the halfway point of the year is a good time to pause and look at how your website is doing online. Doing a mid-year SEO audit isn't just about checking boxes; it's about making sure your site is working well for both search engines and the people who visit it. By looking at technical stuff, your content, keywords, links, how users act, and what your rivals are up to, you can find problems and chances to improve. This check-up helps you stay on track and make smart changes so your website keeps getting found and keeps doing its job. Don't wait for the end of the year – give your SEO a good look now!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I do a SEO check in the middle of the year?

Think of it like a mid-term report for your website. Doing a check now lets you fix problems before they get too big and catch new chances to get more people to visit your site. It helps you stay on the right path for the rest of the year.

What does 'crawlability and indexability' mean?

This is about how well search engines like Google can find and understand all the pages on your website. If they can't 'crawl' or 'index' your pages, they won't show up in search results, which is bad for business.

How often should I check my website's speed?

It's a good idea to check your website's speed at least once a month, but definitely during your mid-year SEO audit. Slow websites make people leave and hurt your search rankings.

What's a 'backlink profile'?

Your backlink profile is like a list of all the other websites that link to your site. Search engines see these links as votes of confidence. Good, relevant links help your site rank higher.

How can I tell if my content is underperforming?

If a page on your website gets very few visitors, doesn't rank well for its keywords, or has people leaving quickly, it might be underperforming. You can check this using tools like Google Analytics.

What is a 'toxic link audit'?

A toxic link audit is when you look for bad links pointing to your website. These could be links from spammy or irrelevant sites that might be hurting your search rankings. You can then ask to remove them.