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Free website audit: what you can check yourself

You can run a basic website check yourself, for free: PageSpeed Insights, Search Console, browser tools and two security checks. Below: what each tool shows, which number to write down and what free tools miss, including EU consent. What is left is covered by an audit for €200 + VAT.

In short

  • The PageSpeed score is one simulated load, Google looks at real visitors
  • Search Console shows unindexed pages and security issues
  • You can count cookies before consent in 10 minutes, the right answer is 0
  • An A+ security grade does not mean plugins are up to date
  • Free tools cannot see server-side sends and duplicate conversions

Speed on mobile: what PageSpeed Insights really shows

Open PageSpeed Insights, enter the URL and choose the mobile view. The top shows real Chrome visitor data over 28 days, the bottom a lab score from one simulated load. Write down three numbers: LCP (threshold 2.5 s), INP (200 ms) and CLS (0.1).

A low-traffic site often has no data at the top. That is not an error, just a sign that only the lab is left: run it three times and look at LCP, not the score. Check not only the home page but also a product or service page.

Does Google see your pages: Search Console in 15 minutes

The Pages report shows how many pages are indexed and why the others are not. Not every unindexed page is a problem: filter and pagination URLs should stay out of the index. It is a problem when a service or product page shows "Crawled, currently not indexed", and you check a specific URL with URL inspection.

Two reports few people open: Security issues and Manual actions. A green tick in both is good. If Search Console is not connected yet, connecting it is the first job, before judging the site. The Mobile-Friendly Test was retired in December 2023, so guides that suggest it are out of date.

Security headers and WordPress site health

Mozilla Observatory and securityheaders.com check HTTP headers: you enter the URL and get a grade. Write down the grade and the missing headers. A D or an F means there are almost no headers.

An A+ does not mean a secure site: these tools do not check outdated versions, vulnerable plugins or passwords. WordPress has its own free check under Tools, then Site Health. Also review the user list: how many administrators there are and whether each has two-factor login.

Structured data: Rich Results Test

Google's Rich Results Test shows whether a page has markup Google supports, e.g. Product, Article, Breadcrumb or LocalBusiness, and whether it has errors. For a product page the key one is Product with price and availability.

The test checks only Google-supported types, and passing it does not guarantee a rich result in search. For general schema.org markup use validator.schema.org.

What free tools miss and when an audit is worth it

The browser cannot see what happens on the server:

  • a purchase sent to an ad platform from the server without a consent check
  • the same conversion counted twice
  • bypassing protection through the server's direct IP

An audit is the same measurements for the whole site plus what the browser cannot see: 161 checks, six areas, each finding with a number and a measurement method you can repeat yourself. The price is €200, fixed. If your own check found at least one problem or an "I don't know", Get in touch.

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FAQ.

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