Diving into SEMrush for the first time can feel overwhelming, but setting up your project correctly from the start will make everything a lot more smoother. The first step is to create a project. This step forms the foundation for all of your future audits and analyses.
To create your project, log in to your SEMrush account and navigate to the ‘Projects’ section. Click on ‘Create Project’, and input your website’s URL and project name. This will help you keep track of different websites if you manage more than one.
Accurate project setup is crucial. Pay attention to details like selecting the correct region and device type (desktop or mobile) for your site’s audience. This ensures your data is relevant and accurate. Regional targeting can significantly impact your SEO strategy.
As a beginner, the SEMrush dashboard might seem cluttered, but it’s pretty intuitive once you get the hang of it. Familiarise yourself with key menus and options. Spend a little time exploring the interface. Check out tools like the Position Tracking and Organic Research. These tools will be invaluable as you progress through your site audit journey.
Configuring Your Site Audit: The First Step to Success
With your project set up, the next big step is to configure your site audit. This might sound technical, but it’s pretty straightforward and crucial for getting the most out of SEMrush.
Start by configuring the audit settings. Go to the project you’ve just created and click on ‘Set up Site Audit’. In the settings, you’ll need to enter a few key details about your site, like the sitemap URL and the number of pages you want crawled. Make sure these settings match the actual structure and size of your website. The accuracy here will directly impact the quality of your audit results.
Adjust the crawler settings based on your requirements. If your site has sections that you don’t want to crawl—like internal subdomains or staging environments—make sure to exclude them in this step. Also, consider the crawl source. While it’s standard to use your specified sitemap, you might sometimes need to broaden it to other sources for a deeper scan.
Advanced configuration options are available for more detailed insights. For example, you can tweak parameters to check HTTP status codes, load times, and even structured data usage. These settings allow you to customise the audit to get the exact level of detail you need.
Configuring your site audit properly sets the stage for a comprehensive and actionable site health analysis. Paying attention to these details now will save you a lot of headaches later on, ensuring that your subsequent steps are rooted in accurate, reliable data.
Conducting the Audit: Crawling Your Website
Once your site audit is configured, it’s time to start the crawl-based audit. This step is where SEMrush begins to analyse your website’s structure, content, and technical health.
Initiate the audit by navigating to the ‘Start Audit‘ button within your project dashboard. SEMrush will crawl your site based on the settings you’ve configured, checking for issues such as broken links, duplicate content, and other common SEO pitfalls.
Understanding the importance of crawling is essential. Crawling mimics how search engines view your site, so identifying and fixing issues at this stage helps improve your overall SEO health.
One big pitfall to avoid is not monitoring the crawl process. Keep an eye on the progress to ensure that there aren’t any connectivity issues or unexpected crawl errors. Addressing these in real-time can save significant troubleshooting time later.
Once the crawl is complete, it’s time to analyse the results. SEMrush will categorise the discovered issues into three types: errors, warnings, and notices. Errors are critical and should be addressed immediately. Warnings are less severe but still important for optimizing your site’s performance. Notices are more informational but can offer valuable insights for fine-tuning.
Analysing these categories can help you prioritise your efforts. Start with errors, as these have the most impact on your site’s health. Then, work your way through warnings and finally the notices. This systematic approach ensures that the most significant issues are resolved first, laying a solid foundation for ongoing improvements.
Post-Audit Actions: Continuous Improvement of Your Website
With your crawl-based audit complete and initial issues addressed, the next step involves leveraging the insights gained for continuous improvement. The first place to start is by reviewing the thematic reports that SEMrush produces. These reports break down the various components of your site, such as backlinks, internal linking, and content, giving you a comprehensive view of what’s working well and what needs attention.
Interpreting your audit results can seem daunting, but it’s manageable when broken down. Focus on one report at a time. For example, if your audit flags problems with your backlinks, prioritise improving your backlink profile before moving on to other issues. Each report offers actionable tips that make these steps easier to implement.
Running campaign re-audits every month is an essential part of maintaining site health. Digital landscapes are constantly changing, and what works today might change tomorrow. Re-audits ensure that you catch new issues early before they escalate. Schedule these audits regularly and treat them as a routine check-up for your website.
Leveraging these insights for long-term SEO success requires a strategic approach. Use your audit results to inform your SEO strategy, focusing on areas with the most significant impact. For example, improving site speed or fixing broken links can lead to quick wins. Keep track of the changes you implement and monitor their effects over time.
Case studies and success stories often serve as an excellent source for inspiration. Look at how others have leveraged SEMrush audits to dramatically improve their SEO performance. These examples can provide insights and motivate you to adopt the best practices.
By following these post-audit actions, you can maintain a robust, healthy website that performs well in search engines, driving more traffic and achieving your long-term digital goals.