Content and structure
- Every indexable page has a clear purpose.
- Navigation reflects the main visitor tasks.
- Thin or duplicated pages are consolidated where appropriate.
- Contact details, policies and service information are current.
Accessibility
- One meaningful H1 identifies the page topic.
- Keyboard focus is visible and interactions work without a mouse.
- Images that convey information have suitable alternatives.
- Forms use proper labels and understandable errors.
Performance
- Hero and content images are appropriately sized.
- Unused scripts and CSS are removed.
- The main content does not depend on unnecessary third-party widgets.
- Mobile pages are tested on slower connections.
Privacy and security
- You know what personal information forms and integrations collect.
- Privacy wording reflects the actual website configuration.
- Administrative accounts use strong authentication.
- Old plugins, scripts and abandoned endpoints are removed.
Ownership
- The organization controls the domain and hosting accounts.
- Critical access is documented.
- Backups and recovery steps are known.
- Source files or CMS export paths are available.
Content and information architecture
- Can a first-time visitor identify what the organization does within a few seconds?
- Does each important page have a clear purpose rather than duplicating another page?
- Are outdated rates, services, staff details and policies easy to find and update?
- Do location pages contain genuinely local information rather than swapped place names?
- Are related pages linked in ways that help the visitor continue the task?
Technical and search checks
- Confirm there is one useful H1 and a logical heading hierarchy on each page.
- Review canonical URLs, robots directives, sitemap entries and 404 behaviour.
- Check that legacy URLs are redirected intentionally when content moved.
- Look for duplicate title tags, thin descriptions and orphaned pages.
- Inspect structured data for accuracy rather than adding schema simply because it is available.
Forms, conversion and trust
- Test every form on mobile and desktop, including validation and error states.
- Remove fields that are not needed at that stage of the process.
- Confirm business identity, contact information and policies are easy to verify.
- Make primary actions obvious without covering the page in competing buttons.
- Check spam protection without creating unnecessary barriers for legitimate users.
Compare against real projects
Live examples can help expose different audit priorities. Burnaby-Lawyers.com can be reviewed for professional-service hierarchy and trust cues, Surrey-BC.ca for editorial depth and navigation, and BlackCarServices.ca for a service-led conversion path.