Annual Website Audit: What to Check Each Year
Why an Annual Website Audit Matters
Your website isn’t a “set it and forget it” asset. Technology evolves, search algorithms change, security threats emerge, and your business grows. An annual website audit ensures your site remains fast, secure, findable, and effective — catching problems before they cost you traffic, customers, or credibility.
At SecureTechs, we perform comprehensive website audits as part of our maintenance services. This checklist covers everything to review at least once per year.
Performance Audit
| Check | Tool | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Page load time | PageSpeed Insights | Under 2.5 seconds (LCP) |
| Mobile performance score | Lighthouse | 90+ score |
| Core Web Vitals | Search Console | All “Good” in field data |
| Total page weight | Chrome DevTools | Under 2MB per page |
| Server response time | WebPageTest | Under 200ms TTFB |
Performance Action Items
- Optimize or remove images added over the past year
- Audit and remove unused plugins, scripts, or CSS
- Verify CDN is properly configured and caching
- Check PHP version (update if behind)
- Review hosting plan — have you outgrown it?
Security Audit
- SSL certificate: Valid, not expiring soon, all pages served over HTTPS
- Software updates: CMS, plugins, themes all on latest versions
- Backup verification: Backups running, stored offsite, tested for restoration
- User accounts: Remove old/unused admin accounts. Verify all have strong passwords and 2FA.
- Security headers: CSP, X-Frame-Options, HSTS properly configured
- Malware scan: Run Sucuri SiteCheck or Wordfence scan
- File permissions: Verify correct permissions on critical files
SEO Audit
- Search Console: Check for crawl errors, indexing issues, manual actions
- Broken links: Scan for 404s and fix or redirect them
- Meta titles and descriptions: Review top pages — are they optimized for current target keywords?
- Schema markup: Validate structured data, add to new pages that lack it
- Sitemap: Verify it’s current, submitted to Search Console, and includes all important pages
- Mobile-friendliness: Test on actual devices, not just simulators
- Content freshness: Update or remove outdated content (anything referencing last year’s dates, old statistics)
Content Audit
- Outdated information: Pricing, team members, services, statistics — all current?
- Broken functionality: Test all forms, buttons, links, downloads
- Missing content: New services or products that aren’t on the website yet?
- Testimonials and case studies: Add recent ones, verify old ones are still relevant
- Legal pages: Privacy policy, terms of service — do they reflect current practices?
- Copyright year: Update the footer copyright year
Accessibility Audit
- Run WAVE or axe DevTools scan on key pages
- Test keyboard navigation through critical flows
- Check color contrast on all text elements
- Verify images have appropriate alt text
- Test with a screen reader (VoiceOver or NVDA)
Legal and Compliance
- Privacy policy: Does it cover all current data collection practices?
- Cookie consent: Is it working properly? Blocking scripts until consent?
- Terms of service: Do they reflect current business practices?
- ADA compliance: Have you addressed accessibility requirements?
- Industry regulations: HIPAA, PCI, GDPR — any new requirements since last audit?
Business Alignment
- Brand consistency: Does the site still reflect your current brand identity?
- Conversion goals: Are CTAs aligned with current business priorities?
- Analytics review: Is tracking configured for your current KPIs?
- Competitor check: How does your site compare to competitors launched or updated this year?
Schedule Your Annual Website Audit
SecureTechs performs comprehensive website audits covering performance, security, SEO, content, and compliance. We deliver a prioritized report with clear action items and can implement the fixes for you. Book a free consultation to schedule your audit.
Annual Audit Action Plan
- Block 2-4 hours for a thorough self-audit using this checklist
- Prioritize issues by impact: security first, then performance, then SEO
- Create a task list with deadlines for each fix
- Schedule the next audit (same time next year — put it in your calendar now)
- Contact SecureTechs for a professional website audit with expert recommendations
Need this done for you?
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