The 15-Minute Weekly Tech Audit: A Non-Techie’s Guide to a Healthy Blog

We’ve all been there. You started your blog because you love sharing—whether it’s a review of a book you couldn't put down, a new fitness routine, or a travel itinerary from your latest weekend away. But then, the "tech gremlins" move in. Suddenly, you’re hearing about algorithms, indexing, and site speed, and it feels like the joy of blogging is being buried under a mountain of jargon.

I’m a huge fan of a good audit. Over the years, I’ve shared plenty of blogging basics for beginners and even did a deep dive into how to do a full blog audit to help you get your strategy on track. But I know that sometimes, a full-scale audit feels like a massive project you just don't have time for.

That’s why I’ve developed this 15-minute weekly tech audit. It’s simple, it’s clear, and I promise it won’t make your head spin. Think of it like a quick "house tidy" for your corner of the internet.

Why Bother with Tech?

If you’re trying to improve your blog SEO, Google needs to be able to "read" your site easily. If your "front door" is locked or your "hallways" are cluttered with broken links, Google will just move on to the next house.

Grab a cuppa, set a timer for 15 minutes, and let’s tick these off together.

1. The 5-Minute Link Sweep

Broken links are incredibly frustrating for readers. If someone clicks a link to see your favourite beauty product and hits a "404 Error" page, they’ll likely leave your site immediately.

• What to do: Use a free tool like Dr. Link Check or if you use WordPress, a simple plugin to find any "dead ends."

• The fix: Either update the link to a new, working URL or remove it entirely. It keeps the journey smooth for your readers.

2. The 3-Minute Speed Check

We live in a fast-paced world. If your site takes ages to load, people won't wait—especially if they’re browsing on their phones while on the go.

• What to do: Pop your URL into Google PageSpeed Insights.

• The fix: Don’t worry about the complex graphs. Just look for the stuff you can improve on. Usually, the culprit is a giant image. If you find one, make a note to resize your photos before uploading them next time. Small changes make a big difference!

3. The 4-Minute "Google Check-In"

Google Search Console sounds scary, but it’s actually just a way for Google to leave you a note about how your site is doing.

• What to do: Log in and look at the "Indexing" report.

• The fix: You’re looking for any bright red "Error" bars. Most of the time, everything is fine (grey and green are your friends!), but catching a red error early means you can fix it before it affects your traffic growth.

4. The 3-Minute Mobile Walkthrough

Since most of us are trying to grow our blogs without the overwhelm, we often forget to look at our own work the way our readers do: on a smartphone.

• What to do: Open your latest post on your phone.

• The fix: Can you read the text easily? Are the buttons too close together? If a pop-up is blocking your beautiful content, it might be time to tweak your settings.

Final Thoughts

Blogging should be about the things that make life better—learning, exploring, and enjoying the process. By spending just 15 minutes a week on these "techy" bits, you’re clearing the path so your content can actually reach the people who need to see it.

If you’re looking for more ways to polish your site, don’t forget to check out my previous posts on content strategy and simple growth tips. We’re all learning together, one step at a time!

Do you have a specific tech question that’s been holding you back? Drop it in the comments and let’s see if we can simplify it together.

Ready to grow your blog?

Whether you're looking for fresh post inspiration, SEO tips, or want to check out my annual Book Blogging Survey tracking realistic industry statistics, I have got you covered. Click a button below to explore!

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End-of-Year Blogging Audit: How to Prepare Your Site for the New Year

As another year draws to a close, bloggers are reflecting on achievements, evaluating strategies, and setting goals for the year ahead. But before planning next year’s content, there’s one crucial step you shouldn’t skip: a complete end-of-year blogging audit.

Performing a yearly audit helps you clean up your website, refresh old posts, fix technical issues, and start the new year with a blog that’s optimised for SEO, speed, and growth. Follow this step-by-step guide to give your blog the ultimate year-end check-up.

1. Analyse Your Blog Analytics

Start by reviewing your website analytics from the past 12 months. Understanding your readers’ behaviour and your blog’s performance is key to improving engagement.

Check for:

• Top-performing posts – Identify articles that drove the most traffic. Update them with new content, internal links, and optimised keywords.

• Underperforming posts – Low-traffic pages may need rewriting, improved formatting, or keyword optimisation.

• Traffic sources – See whether visitors came from Google search, Pinterest, social media, or email marketing. Focus efforts on the most effective channels.

• Audience behaviour – Look at time on page, bounce rates, and returning visitors to see what content resonates.

Pro tip: Keep an eye on what worked this year so you can plan even better content for 2026.

2. Refresh and Update Old Content

Refreshing old blog posts is one of the most effective ways to boost traffic and SEO without creating entirely new content.

Check older posts for:

• Outdated statistics or facts

• Broken links or missing images

• Poor formatting or readability

• Opportunities for internal linking

• New keywords relevant to your niche

• Weak meta descriptions or headlines

Updating older content improves search rankings, keeps your blog current, and helps maintain authority in your niche.

3. Fix Broken Links

Broken links negatively affect user experience and SEO. At the end of the year, perform a thorough link check:

• Broken internal links

• Outdated external links

• Missing images or media

Use tools like Broken Link Checker or Ahrefs to identify and fix issues. A polished site keeps readers engaged and improves your search performance.

4. Optimise Site Speed and Performance

Website speed is critical for SEO and user experience. Perform a performance audit:

• Compress large images using tools like TinyPNG

• Remove unused or heavy plugins

• Update your theme and CMS

• Enable caching and browser compression

• Ensure mobile responsiveness

Even small speed improvements can reduce bounce rates and increase organic search visibility.

5. Organise Categories and Tags

A cluttered category and tag structure confuses readers and search engines. Ensure your blog has:

• Logical categories with minimal overlap

• Useful, relevant tags

• Correct post placement (ideally 1–2 categories per post)

A well-structured site improves navigation, SEO, and user engagement.

6. Review On-Page SEO

Check that every post is optimised for SEO best practices:

• Focus keyword included in title, headings, and content

• Proper H1, H2, H3 structure

• Alt text on all images

• Engaging meta descriptions

• Internal and external links

• Readable formatting (short paragraphs, bullet points, subheadings)

Consistent on-page SEO increases your chances of ranking higher on Google and other search engines.

7. Back Up Your Blog

End-of-year is a perfect reminder to back up your entire site:

• Full website

• Theme customisations

• Database

8. Review Your Plugins and Tools

Audit your plugins and tools to ensure your blog remains fast, secure, and reliable:

• Outdated plugins – May pose security risks

• Unused plugins – Slow down your site

• Duplicate plugins – Keep only the most efficient one

• Heavy or unnecessary plugins – Replace with lightweight alternatives

After reviewing:

• Update remaining plugins, themes, and CMS

• Check compatibility

• Test your site to confirm functionality

A lean, optimised plugin setup improves site speed and security heading into the new year.

9. Test Site Speed and Performance

Perform a detailed site speed test to ensure optimal performance:

• Use Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix

• Compress and optimise images

• Minimise unnecessary scripts and CSS

• Consider a CDN for international traffic

A fast, responsive blog improves user experience, SEO, and reader retention.

10. Review Your SEO and Content Strategy

End-of-year is the perfect time to audit your SEO and content strategy:

• Identify top-performing posts – Repurpose or expand them

• Spot underperforming posts – Update or combine content

• Check for broken links – Fix or redirect

• Refresh outdated information – Update stats, dates, and references

• Plan for next year – Use insights to create a 2026 content calendar aligned with your audience

A comprehensive SEO review strengthens your blog’s visibility and sets you up for growth in the new year.

Final Thoughts

An end-of-year blogging audit isn’t just about fixing problems—it’s about preparing your site for success. From SEO optimisation and content refreshes to plugin management and speed improvements, a thorough audit ensures your blog is polished, professional, and ready for growth in 2026.

Take the time now to review, refresh, and optimise, and your future self (and your readers) will thank you.

Blog Audit Checklist: 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, 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.

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.

Blogging: How To Do A Content Audit For Your Blog

What is a content audit? 

The Benefits of a Content Audit

Blogging: Things You Can Do To Grow Your Blog This Weekend

If you're looking to take your blog to the next level, there’s no better time to start than this weekend. Whether you're a seasoned blogger or just getting started, small changes can make a big impact on your blog’s growth. In this post, we’ll explore simple, actionable steps you can implement over the weekend to boost your content, increase your reach, and set your blog on the path to success. 

Want to grow your blog? Got some free time during the weekend? Let’s dive in!

You might also like: Things You Should Do AFTER You Publish a New Blog Post

1)  Blog audit

As you may know, I'm a huge fan of doing blog audits (so much so that I created the Blog Audit Challenge!).

Put in simple terms a blog audit is creating a list of things on your blog to fix and improve on.  

2) Pitch a guest post

Quality backlinks to your blog do wonders for your DA score and also put you in front of a whole new audience. 

3) Create/Improve resources page

A resources page is a great asset to any blog as they tend to pull in a lot of traffic. 

4) Schedule social media posts/pins for the week

5) Be active on social media

6) Update older posts

7) Check out your Analytics

8) Reply to comments

Blogging

Ways to Spring Clean Your Blog

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 over the years I've hosted several blog audit challenges. The idea behind them is to improve our blogs by taking on different tasks each month so that it's more doable and less overwhelming. 

This year I'm not doing an official blog audit but I do still want to work on updating and improving my blog. That's why this year I'm going to be doing a big digital Spring clean.

That's right, just like your home can get messy and cluttered so can your blog. A thorough clean out helps make sure it stays looking fresh and makes your blog better in the long term.

As always, I figured I'd share the process with you all in case anyone else wants to join in and do their own Spring clean.

You might also like: Things You Can Do To Grow Your Blog This Weekend

How to Spring Clean Your Blog

Freshen Up Your Homepage

Now is a good time to take a look at your homepage and make sure it still reflects you and your brand. Consider things like your navigation bar, featured posts, colour scheme and blog theme. 

Update Your Profile Photo

How long has it been since you updated your profile photo? Does it even look like you anymore? If not a new pic could be a good idea. 

Clean Up Your Sidebar and Footer

The sidebar and footer are areas that can get cluttered easily. Take a look at what's there and make sure you get rid of anything that doesn't need to be. 

Less clutter will also mean your site loads faster which is an added bonus both in terms of user experience and from an SEO point of view. 

Check Your Social Media Links

Make sure your links are all still relevant and working. Need to add new ones or maybe a delete some you no longer use?

Refresh Your About Page

Your about page is one of the most important pages on your blog and should be regularly updated. It tells your reader what your blog is about and who it is for. 

Make sure you check any dates e.g. information like how long you've been blogging for.

Clean Up Your Comments

The comments section can get overwhelming. Now it the perfect time to empty your spam folder and go through your comment backlog to approve, reply to, or delete comments. 

Update or Delete Old Posts

Check for Broken Links

Search engines like Google hate broken links as see them as a sign of a neglected site. This can therefore damage your SEO. 

Find any broken links on your blog and either fix them or delete them.

Update Your Media Kit

Don't have a media kit or not sure what to include in one? Check out What is a media kit and why do you need one?

If you want to work with sponsors it's a good idea to make sure your media kit is up to date, especially things like your stats and contact info.

Will you be doing a Spring clean on your blog this year? What tasks do you want to concentrate on? How often do you audit your book blog?

Want to read more...

If you've enjoyed this post you may like to read Want To Increase Your Blog Traffic? Ways To Upgrade Old Blog Posts

Here are some of my most popular posts on this topic:

• SEO for Book Bloggers: How to Improve SEO for Book Reviews
• Ultimate Guide to SEO for Book Bloggers
• Ways To Improve Your Blog DA Score
• The Ultimate Guide for Book Bloggers

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