Running a site audit is one of the most powerful things you can do to uncover technical SEO issues that silently hurt your rankings. But once you run the audit, what comes next? If you’re using SEMrush’s Site Audit tool, understanding how to interpret the results is key to turning data into action. 

This step-by-step guide breaks down the SEMrush audit report so you can quickly spot issues, prioritize fixes, and improve your website’s health and search performance. 

Why Should You Perform a Site Audit? 

To rank well in search engine results, your website must be technically sound, user-friendly, and easy for search engines to crawl. A comprehensive SEMrush site audit identifies a wide range of SEO issues—from broken links to mobile performance problems—giving you valuable insight into how search engines view your site. 

It helps you: 

• Ensure all pages are properly indexed 
• Identify on-page and technical SEO errors 
• Improve user experience and site speed 
• Fix duplicate content, metadata, and crawlability issues 
• Strengthen your backlink profile and internal linking structure 

A well-maintained site improves visibility, reduces bounce rates, and increases organic traffic. 

What Does the SEMrush Site Audit Tool Do? 

The SEMrush Site Audit tool scans your website for over 140 technical and SEO issues. It classifies them into three categories: 

• Errors: Critical problems affecting performance and visibility 
• Warnings: Moderate issues that can weaken your rankings 
• Notices: Suggestions and best practices for long-term improvement 

The audit covers essential areas like: 

• Crawlability & indexability 
• HTTPS & site security 
• Internal linking & site structure 
• On-page SEO and Core Web Vitals 
• Mobile usability 
• Schema markup 
• International SEO setup 

It also offers thematic reports for deeper analysis and allows you to track progress with on-demand or scheduled crawls. 

Step 1: Review the Site Health Score 

At the top of your audit, you’ll see the Site Health score—a percentage rating of your site’s overall technical condition. It’s based on the number and severity of issues detected during the crawl. 

• 90%+ = Excellent 
• 70–89% = Needs improvement 
• Below 70% = Urgent attention needed 

SEMrush also compares your score against industry benchmarks, showing how your site stacks up to top performers. 

Step 2: Analyze Errors, Warnings, and Notices 

Click through each category to review what was found: 

Errors are high-priority issues like: 

• Broken internal links 
• Duplicate title tags or content 
• Pages blocked from indexing 
• Invalid SSL certificates 

Warnings include: 

• Missing meta descriptions or alt text 
• Large file sizes or uncompressed images 
• JavaScript or CSS that isn’t minified 

Notices are lower-risk issues like: 

• Pages with low word count 
• Missing favicons 
• Non-SEO friendly URLs 

Use the “Why and how to fix it” links in the report for explanations and recommended fixes. 

Step 3: Review Thematic Reports 

SEMrush generates seven thematic reports to help you drill down into specific areas of your site: 

1. Crawlability 

Shows which pages are indexable and which are blocked. Fix crawl errors, redirect chains, or orphaned pages that can hurt visibility. 

2. HTTPS 

Checks your site for security compliance, including SSL validity and mixed content warnings. 

3. International SEO 

Verifies correct implementation of hreflang tags and identifies language or region targeting conflicts. 

4. Core Web Vitals 

Evaluates page speed, responsiveness, and layout shifts—key factors for both SEO and UX. 

5. Site Performance 

Identifies issues slowing down your HTML load speed and affecting performance metrics. 

6. Internal Linking 

Highlights crawl depth issues and poor internal link distribution that weakens site authority. 

7. Markup 

Detects structured data issues, such as invalid or missing schema on key pages. 

Step 4: Prioritize and Fix Critical Issues 

Start with Errors, as these have the greatest negative impact. Fix broken links, duplicate content, incorrect canonical tags, and indexation problems first. Then address Warnings, which may include optimization opportunities like missing metadata or uncompressed files. Lastly, review Notices for fine-tuning and best practice implementation. 

Not all issues require immediate attention—but resolving the high-impact problems early will provide the fastest gains. 

Step 5: Schedule Regular Re-Audits 

Websites change constantly. New pages get added, old ones removed, plugins updated—each update can introduce new issues. That’s why it’s essential to re-run your audit regularly: 

• Monthly audits are ideal for most business sites 
• Weekly audits are better for large or frequently updated sites 

Ongoing audits help you track improvements, monitor technical SEO health, and ensure your website stays optimized over time. 

Make Your SEMrush Audit Actionable 

Running a SEMrush Site Audit isn’t just about finding problems—it’s about creating a roadmap for improvement. From crawl errors to content optimization and performance tuning, the audit gives you a detailed, prioritized list of what needs to be done. 

By interpreting the report correctly and taking consistent action, you can: 

• Increase organic traffic 
• Improve your rankings 
• Enhance user experience 
• Stay ahead of competitors 

Remember: SEO isn’t one-and-done. It’s a continuous process—and SEMrush gives you the tools to stay in control.