Case Study - Comprehensive SEO Audit for Audio Equipment Retailer

Client's Objective

The Bass Bin UK approached us to conduct a comprehensive SEO audit of their website. They wanted to understand their current SEO performance and identify areas for improvement to enhance their online visibility and search engine rankings.

Our Approach

We performed a detailed analysis of The Bass Bin UK's website, examining various on-page and technical SEO factors. Our audit covered aspects such as content optimization, technical SEO elements, site structure, and backlink profile.

Key Findings

Areas for Improvement

1. Image Optimization: Some images on the page lack alt attributes. This is a missed opportunity for better accessibility and image SEO. Adding descriptive alt text to all images can improve search engine understanding of your content and provide context for visually impaired users.

2. JavaScript and CSS Minification: Some JavaScript and CSS files are not minified. Minifying these files can reduce their size, leading to faster page load times and improved performance.

3. HTTP Request Reduction: The page makes 92 requests, which is significantly higher than the recommended maximum of 20. This high number of requests can result in slower page loading times. Reducing the number of requests through techniques like file concatenation and image sprites can improve load speed.

4. Header Tag Structure: No H2 tag was found on the homepage. Proper use of header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your content. Adding H2 tags to your homepage can improve content organization and SEO.

5. Social Media Optimization: Some OpenGraph meta tags are missing. These tags control how your content appears when shared on social media platforms. Adding these tags can improve the visibility and appeal of your content when shared on social networks.

6. Page Load Speed: Website load times are too long. Slow load times can negatively impact user experience and search engine rankings. Optimizing images, leveraging browser caching, and minimizing code can help improve load times.

7. Domain and Page Authority: The website has a low Domain Strength and Page Strength score, with only 11 backlinks. This indicates that the website's authority in search engines' eyes is relatively weak. Developing a comprehensive backlink strategy can help improve these scores and overall SEO performance.

Positive Aspects

1. Basic SEO:

   • The SEO title is well-optimized at 53 characters long.
   • The meta description is set and is 151 characters long, which is within the recommended length.
   • Keywords are effectively used in both the title and description.

2. Content Structure: One H1 tag was correctly implemented on the page, which is good for SEO.

3. Link Structure: The page has an appropriate balance of internal and external links.

4. Advanced SEO:

   • The page is using the canonical link tag, which helps prevent duplicate content issues.
   • There are no noindex headers or meta tags, allowing search engines to index the page.
   • Both www and non-www versions of the URL redirect to the same site, maintaining consistency.
   • The site has a robots.txt file, which provides guidance to search engine crawlers.
   • Schema.org data was found on the page, enhancing rich snippet potential in search results.

5. Performance:

   • The server is using "expires" headers for images, which can improve caching and load times.
   • The HTML document size is 17 Kb, which is below the average of 33 Kb, contributing to faster load times.
   • The server response time is under 0.2 seconds, which is excellent for user experience and SEO.

6. Security:

   • Directory listing is disabled on the server, enhancing security.
   • Google has not flagged the site for malware, indicating good security practices.
   • The site is using HTTPS, which is crucial for security and is a ranking factor for search engines.

Recommendations

Based on our findings, we recommend the following actions to improve The Bass Bin UK's SEO performance:

1. Add descriptive alt text to all images to improve accessibility and image SEO.
2. Minify all JavaScript and CSS files to reduce file sizes and improve load times.
3. Implement techniques to reduce HTTP requests, such as file concatenation and image sprites.
4. Improve content structure by using H2 tags on the homepage and throughout the site.
5. Add missing OpenGraph meta tags to enhance how your content appears when shared on social media.
6. Optimize page load times through various techniques like image compression, browser caching, and code optimization.
7. Develop a comprehensive backlink strategy to improve domain and page authority. This could include guest posting, creating shareable content, and engaging in industry partnerships.

By addressing these issues and building upon existing strengths, The Bass Bin UK can significantly improve their website's SEO performance, user experience, and overall online visibility.