Blog Audit Checklist 2025: SEO, UX & Monetisation

Whether you're running a passion project, a growing side hustle, or a full-on blogging business, it's always a good time to give your blog a proper once-over. With algorithms evolving, user expectations shifting, and new monetisation methods popping up every month, it’s worth taking a step back to see how your blog’s holding up.

So, grab a cuppa and let’s dive into this Blog Audit Checklist for 2025, covering SEO, User Experience (UX) and Monetisation. Tick off as you go, and you’ll walk away with a blog that’s sharper, faster, and more profitable than ever.

Disclosure: The FTC Disclosure Provision is a law that requires influencers to disclose when they are being paid to promote a product or service. So please know that if I'm not making money through affiliate links/sponsored content on the post you're currently reading, it's an oversight on my part and will be corrected soon. Read the full disclosure about all the legal stuff here.

If you've been here before you'll know that I'm a big fan of blog audits. In fact, you can find links to my previous Blog Audit Challenge posts here.

SEO Audit: Get Found (and Loved) by Google

Search engines are clever, but they still need a little help. Here's what to check:

On-Page SEO

• Title Tags & Meta Descriptions – Are they unique, relevant, and enticing?
• Header Structure – Using H1, H2, H3 correctly? Helps readers and crawlers.
• Keyword Optimisation – Targeting relevant, current keywords naturally within your content?
• Internal Linking – Linking to your own related posts to keep people exploring your blog?
• Alt Text for Images – Useful for SEO and accessibility.

Technical SEO

• Mobile-Friendliness – Is your blog fully responsive? Test it on multiple devices.
• Page Speed – Fast sites rank better. Compress images, reduce scripts, and consider a CDN.
• HTTPS – If your blog still isn’t secure (SSL certificate), it's time to sort that!
• Crawlability – Check your sitemap and robots.txt – are search engines indexing what you want?

Content Audit

• Outdated Posts – Got old stuff that needs updating (or deleting)? Keep it fresh!
• Thin Content – Add more depth to posts that are under 500 words (unless it’s intentional).
• Duplicate Content – Use tools to sniff out repetition – Google doesn’t like it.

UX Audit: Make It a Joy to Read & Navigate

Great content isn’t enough if your site’s is hard to use. Let’s make sure it’s a pleasure for your readers to stick around.

Navigation & Layout

• Easy Menu Structure – Can visitors find your main categories or posts in 2 clicks or less?
• Search Function – Is there a working search bar?
• Consistent Layout – Pages and posts should follow a clear, familiar format.

Readability

• Font Size & Type – Easy to read on all screens? No squinting required.
• Whitespace – Break up big blocks of text – your readers’ eyes will thank you.
• Accessible Design – Colour contrast, screen reader friendliness, keyboard navigation – check it all.

Engagement Boosters

• Comments Enabled – Encouraging interaction? (And moderating spam!)
• Related Posts – Keep readers engaged with content they’ll love.
• CTAs – Whether it's a newsletter signup or product recommendation, guide your readers gently.

Monetisation Audit: Maximise Your Blog’s Earnings

If your blog’s part of your income strategy, it deserves a health check on the money-making front too.

Affiliate Links

• Up-to-date Products – No broken links or discontinued items?
• Proper Disclosures – Being transparent keeps you trustworthy and compliant.
• Conversion Tracking – Are you monitoring what actually brings in money?

Ads

• Ad Placement – Not too many, not too distracting. Strike a balance.
• Page Speed Impact – Ads can slow you down – test performance!
• Income Review – Is your current ad network still giving you the best rates?

Products & Services

• Sales Funnel Review – From blog post to checkout – is it smooth?
• Email List Growth – Still offering a compelling freebie to get signups?
• Pricing Check – Time to raise prices, offer bundles, or test new services?

Final Tips: Tools to Help You Audit

Here are a few handy tools for the job:

• Google Search Console – SEO insights and crawl errors
• Ahrefs / Ubersuggest / SEMrush – Keyword & backlink analysis
• Google Analytics 4 – Understand what content performs best
• Lighthouse / PageSpeed Insights – Technical performance checker
• Hotjar / Microsoft Clarity – Watch how users interact with your blog

Wrap-Up: Schedule Regular Check-Ins

Treat this checklist like a mini-MOT for your blog – do a full audit every 6 months, and you’ll stay ahead of the curve. Things change fast in blogging land, so staying proactive is the key to growth (and fewer nasty surprises).

Got questions, or want to share your own blog-audit tips? Drop them in the comments – let’s help each other out.