The Complete Website Security & SEO Audit Guide - A Methodical Approach
The Complete Website Security & SEO Audit Guide
Running a website audit can feel overwhelming. With dozens of tools available, where do you even start? Should you check SSL first or DNS records? What about email authentication?
This guide provides a methodical, step-by-step approach to auditing your website's security and SEO. We'll walk you through exactly which tools to run, in what order, and why that sequence matters.
Why Order Matters
The sequence of your audit isn't arbitrary. Each check builds on the previous one:
- DNS forms the foundation — Everything else depends on your DNS being correctly configured
- Security protects your visitors — Before optimizing for search engines, ensure your site is secure
- SEO optimization drives growth — Once the foundation is solid, optimize for visibility
- Infrastructure reveals hidden issues — Understand your tech stack and find forgotten assets
- Email authentication protects your brand — Spoofed emails can destroy trust and domain reputation
Let's begin.
Phase 1: DNS Foundation (10 minutes)
Your DNS configuration is the foundation of everything. Start here to ensure your domain is properly set up and resolving correctly.
Step 1.1: DNS Health Check
Run a comprehensive health check first. This gives you an overview of your entire domain configuration and identifies critical issues.
What to look for:
- ✅ All essential DNS records present (A, MX, NS)
- ✅ No conflicting records
- ✅ Proper nameserver configuration
- ⚠️ Any warnings or errors flagged
💡 Pro Tip
Save your DNS Health Check results. You'll reference them throughout this audit to track improvements.
Step 1.2: DNS Propagation Status
If you've made recent DNS changes, verify they've propagated globally. Inconsistent DNS can cause intermittent issues that are hard to diagnose.
What to check:
- Query your domain's A record from multiple global locations
- Ensure all servers return the same IP address
- Check MX records are consistent worldwide
Step 1.3: TTL Values Review
Understanding your TTL (Time to Live) values helps you plan future changes and troubleshoot caching issues.
Recommended TTL values:
| Record Type | Recommended TTL | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| A/AAAA | 3600 (1 hour) | Balance between caching and flexibility |
| MX | 3600 | Email routing stability |
| TXT (SPF/DMARC) | 3600 | Allow for quick policy updates |
| NS | 86400 (24 hours) | Rarely change, benefit from caching |
Step 1.4: WHOIS Information
Verify your domain registration details are current. Outdated WHOIS information can cause issues with:
- Domain renewal notifications
- SSL certificate validation (for OV/EV certificates)
- Legal and compliance requirements
Phase 2: SSL & Transport Security (10 minutes)
With DNS confirmed working, verify your site's encryption and transport security.
Step 2.1: SSL Certificate Check
Your SSL certificate is your first line of defense. Verify:
- ✅ Certificate is valid and not expired
- ✅ Certificate chain is complete
- ✅ Domain name matches the certificate
- ✅ Key size is 2048-bit or higher
- ⚠️ Certificate expires in more than 30 days
⚠️ Certificate Expiration
Set a calendar reminder 30 days before your certificate expires. Expired certificates will cause browsers to block access to your site entirely.
Step 2.2: HTTP Version Support
Modern HTTP protocols significantly improve performance:
- HTTP/2: Multiplexing, header compression, server push
- HTTP/3: Built on QUIC, faster connections, better mobile performance
If your site doesn't support HTTP/2 at minimum, you're missing out on significant performance gains.
Step 2.3: CAA Records
Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records specify which Certificate Authorities can issue certificates for your domain. This prevents unauthorized certificate issuance.
Example CAA record:
example.com. IN CAA 0 issue "letsencrypt.org"
example.com. IN CAA 0 iodef "mailto:security@example.com"
Phase 3: Security Headers & Configuration (10 minutes)
Now that transport is secure, audit your HTTP security headers.
Step 3.1: Security Headers Analysis
Security headers tell browsers how to handle your content securely. Critical headers include:
| Header | Purpose | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS) | Force HTTPS connections | Critical |
| Content-Security-Policy (CSP) | Prevent XSS attacks | High |
| X-Frame-Options | Prevent clickjacking | High |
| X-Content-Type-Options | Prevent MIME sniffing | Medium |
| Referrer-Policy | Control referrer information | Medium |
| Permissions-Policy | Control browser features | Medium |
Target grade: A or higher
Step 3.2: Redirect Chain Analysis
Improper redirects waste performance and can leak SEO value. Check:
- HTTP → HTTPS redirect is in place
- www → non-www (or vice versa) is consistent
- No redirect chains (A → B → C should be A → C)
- All redirects use 301 (permanent), not 302 (temporary)
Ideal redirect chain:
http://example.com → 301 → https://example.com ✅
http://www.example.com → 301 → https://example.com ✅
https://www.example.com → 301 → https://example.com ✅
Phase 4: SEO Audit (15 minutes)
With security locked down, optimize for search visibility.
Step 4.1: Comprehensive SEO Scan
Run a full SEO analysis to get your baseline score. The scanner checks:
- Title tags — Length, keyword presence, uniqueness
- Meta descriptions — Length, call-to-action, relevance
- Heading structure — H1 presence, hierarchy
- Technical SEO — Canonical tags, robots meta, viewport
- Social tags — Open Graph, Twitter Cards
- Structured data — Schema.org markup
Target score: 80+ out of 100
Step 4.2: Open Graph & Social Tags
Social sharing drives traffic. Verify your pages look great when shared on:
- Twitter/X
- Messaging apps
Essential tags:
<meta property="og:title" content="Your Page Title">
<meta property="og:description" content="Compelling description">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/image.jpg">
<meta property="og:url" content="https://example.com/page">
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">
Step 4.3: Robots.txt Analysis
Your robots.txt controls what search engines (and AI crawlers) can access.
Check for:
- ✅ Important pages are NOT blocked
- ✅ Admin areas, duplicates ARE blocked
- ✅ Sitemap location is specified
- ⚠️ Unintended blocks that hurt SEO
💡 AI Crawler Blocking
The Robots.txt Analyzer also shows which AI crawlers are accessing your site and provides code to block them if desired.
Phase 5: Infrastructure & Technology (10 minutes)
Understand your technical foundation and discover potential hidden issues.
Step 5.1: Technology Stack Detection
Knowing your technology stack helps identify:
- Potential vulnerabilities in specific versions
- Optimization opportunities
- Compatibility considerations
Step 5.2: WordPress-Specific Audit
If you're running WordPress, run a dedicated scan to check:
- WordPress core version (is it current?)
- Theme version and potential vulnerabilities
- Plugin inventory and update status
- Security-related configurations
⚠️ WordPress Security
Outdated WordPress plugins are the #1 cause of WordPress site compromises. Keep everything updated!
Step 5.3: Secure Your Admin Access
If your site uses a CMS like WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla — or has any kind of admin login — strong passwords are essential.
Password security best practices:
- ✅ Use unique, complex passwords for every admin account
- ✅ Never reuse passwords across different sites
- ✅ Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) where available
- ✅ Use a password manager to generate and store credentials securely
🔐 Recommended: Use a Password Manager
A password manager like NordPass generates strong, unique passwords for every account and stores them securely. This eliminates the risk of weak or reused passwords — one of the most common ways websites get compromised.
Step 5.4: Subdomain Discovery
Forgotten subdomains are a common attack vector. Discover all your subdomains and verify:
- Each subdomain is still needed
- SSL certificates cover all subdomains
- No sensitive staging/dev environments are exposed
Phase 6: Email Authentication (15 minutes)
Email security directly impacts your domain reputation. A single spoofed email can damage trust and brand perception.
Step 6.1: Email Authentication Summary
Start with a complete overview of your email authentication setup. This tool checks SPF, DKIM, DMARC, MTA-STS, and BIMI in one scan.
Step 6.2: SPF Record Validation
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) specifies which servers can send email for your domain.
Common SPF issues:
- ❌ Too many DNS lookups (limit is 10)
- ❌ Missing include statements for email services
- ❌ Using
+all(allows anyone to send) - ❌ Syntax errors
Recommended SPF ending:
~all(soft fail) — For testing-all(hard fail) — For production
If you need to create or update your SPF record, use our SPF Generator.
Step 6.3: DKIM Configuration
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) adds a cryptographic signature to emails, proving they haven't been tampered with.
What to verify:
- DKIM record exists for your email provider's selector
- Key is 1024-bit or higher (2048-bit recommended)
- Record is properly formatted
💡 Common DKIM Selectors
Each email provider uses different selectors. Try: google, selector1, selector2, k1, default, or check your provider's documentation.
Step 6.4: DMARC Policy Check
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance) ties SPF and DKIM together and tells receivers what to do with failing emails.
DMARC progression path:
p=none— Monitor only (start here)p=quarantine— Send failing emails to spamp=reject— Block failing emails entirely
If you need to create a DMARC record, use our DMARC Generator.
Step 6.5: Advanced Email Security
For comprehensive email protection, also check:
- MTA-STS Checker — Enforces TLS encryption for incoming email
- TLS-RPT Checker — Receive reports about TLS failures
- BIMI Checker — Display your logo in supporting email clients
Step 6.6: Blacklist Status
Even with perfect authentication, your domain or IP could be blacklisted due to:
- Previous owner's activity
- Compromised accounts sending spam
- Shared IP reputation issues
Check regularly, especially if deliverability drops suddenly.
Post-Audit Action Plan
After completing your audit, prioritize fixes:
Critical (Fix Immediately)
- ❌ Expired or invalid SSL certificate
- ❌ No SPF record
- ❌ Listed on email blacklists
- ❌ Missing HTTPS redirect
High Priority (Fix This Week)
- ⚠️ DMARC policy set to
none - ⚠️ Security headers missing or weak
- ⚠️ SEO score below 60
- ⚠️ Outdated CMS or plugins
Medium Priority (Fix This Month)
- 📋 Improve SEO score to 80+
- 📋 Implement MTA-STS and TLS-RPT
- 📋 Add CAA records
- 📋 Set up BIMI
Ongoing Maintenance
- 🔄 Run this audit quarterly
- 🔄 Monitor blacklist status weekly
- 🔄 Check SSL expiration monthly
- 🔄 Review DMARC reports regularly
Quick Reference Checklist
Use this checklist for regular audits:
DNS & Foundation
- DNS Health Check — No critical issues
- DNS Propagation — Consistent globally
- WHOIS — Information current
Security
- SSL Checker — Valid, not expiring soon
- Security Headers — Grade A or higher
- CAA Checker — Records configured
SEO
- SEO Scanner — Score 80+
- Open Graph Checker — Tags configured
- Robots.txt Analyzer — No unintended blocks
Infrastructure
- Tech Stack — No outdated technologies
- Subdomain Finder — No forgotten subdomains
Email Authentication
- Email Auth Summary — All protocols configured
- SPF Validator — Valid, under 10 lookups
- DMARC Checker — Policy enforced (quarantine/reject)
- Blacklist Checker — Not listed
Key Takeaways
- ✅ Follow the order — DNS → Security → SEO → Infrastructure → Email
- ✅ Document everything — Save results to track improvements
- ✅ Prioritize fixes — Critical issues first, then work down the list
- ✅ Audit regularly — Quarterly at minimum, monthly for high-traffic sites
- ✅ Stay proactive — Set up monitoring and alerts before problems occur
Your website's security and SEO are ongoing responsibilities, not one-time tasks. Use this guide as your regular audit framework, and your site will be more secure, more trustworthy, and more visible than 90% of sites on the web.