The SEO playbook
for people who ship.
Practical guides, no lead-magnet PDFs, no fluff. Audits, Core Web Vitals, schema and WordPress fixes, by the team building FreeSEO.
How to Do an SEO Audit (Step-by-Step, 2026)
A practical, no-fluff playbook for running a full SEO audit on any website — technical, on-page, performance, and structured data, in the order that actually moves rankings.
More from the blog
What Is an SEO Audit? (Plain-English Guide)
An SEO audit is a structured health check of your website's ability to rank on Google. Here's exactly what one covers, who needs one, and how often.
ReadHow to Perform an SEO Audit Like a Pro
The exact process SEO consultants use to audit a site — tools, checks, and the priority order for fixes. Free templates included.
ReadHow Much Does an SEO Audit Cost in 2026?
SEO audit pricing varies wildly — from free to $15,000. Here's what each tier actually delivers, and how to know which one you need.
ReadHow to Make an SEO Audit Report (Free Template)
Turn your audit findings into a clean, client-ready report. Structure, sections, screenshots, and a free template you can copy.
ReadRun a Free SEO Audit in 5 Minutes (2026)
Step-by-step walkthrough for running a free SEO audit on any website — what to scan, how to read the report, and which fixes move the needle first.
ReadBest Free SEO Tools for Beginners (2026)
Just starting with SEO? These free tools cover audits, keywords, rank tracking, and backlinks — no credit card, no learning cliff.
ReadDoes Google Have a Free SEO Tool? (Yes — Here Are All of Them)
Google offers a full suite of free SEO tools most people don't know exist. Here's all 7 of them and how to actually use them together.
ReadHow to Do Keyword Research for Free (Without Semrush)
A complete free workflow for finding keywords with real volume, low difficulty, and high intent — using only free tools.
ReadBest Free SEO Audit Tools in 2026
We benchmarked 12 free SEO audit tools on accuracy, speed, and what they actually fix. Here's the shortlist that's worth your time.
ReadThe 2026 WordPress SEO Checklist
A practical WordPress SEO checklist covering technical setup, on-page, schema, and Core Web Vitals — with the exact plugin and fix for each item.
ReadFix Core Web Vitals (LCP, CLS, INP) in 2026
Step-by-step fixes for the three Core Web Vitals — Largest Contentful Paint, Cumulative Layout Shift, and Interaction to Next Paint.
ReadMeta Description Length: The 50–160 Rule
How long should a meta description be in 2026? The simple rule, why Google rewrites long ones, and what to write instead.
ReadFAQ Schema Markup: How to Add It in 2026
FAQPage JSON-LD example, how to implement it on any site, and the eligibility rules Google enforces in 2026.
Readrobots.txt & sitemap.xml: 2026 Guide
What goes in robots.txt, what goes in sitemap.xml, common mistakes that block Google, and how to verify both files are working.
ReadFree Alternatives to Semrush and Ahrefs
Semrush and Ahrefs cost $130+/month. Here's what's actually free, what each free tool does well, and how to combine them.
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