SEO audit checklist

Som's self-check before every draft goes to Bobby. Built from Bobby's "Best CS2 Pro Settings Page: SEO Checklist" (8 Oct 2026) and made general so it works for every page type: game pages, guides, problem pages, comparison pages and answer pages (pricing, trust, homepage, /technology).

How to use it: run it on every draft before it goes to Bobby, in the same layout Bobby used, so his check is quick. Write every result as one of three things, the way he does: - Yes, with the evidence (the line or heading it is in). - Fix: what to change, with the old and new text and the character count. - To do: something that can't be done yet (a page that doesn't exist, an image not made), and who it waits on.

1. Page summary

Fill this at the top of every audit.

Item Value
Primary keyword keyword (US volume; source, date). Say if it is the parent topic
Secondary keywords the full list from the brief, plus any old primary it now covers
Title text (character count)
Meta description text (character count)
H1 text
Page type game, guide, problem, comparison, answer
Checked date

2. The 15 checks

# Check What "good" looks like (from Bobby's CS2 audit)
1 Primary keyword is not the primary of another page Check the keyword map (V12) and the calendar (N1). If a related page exists or is planned, this page only gets a short section that links to it. Prefer the parent topic over a smaller phrasing when Ahrefs shows one ("cs2 pro settings" replaced "cs2 best settings")
2 Title 50 to 60 characters, keyword near the start Primary keyword first, "| Hypertune" at the end. If there's room, add the broader variant too ("Best CS2 Pro Settings" also covers "best cs2 settings"). Give the old and new title with counts
3 Meta description 140 to 155 characters, contains the keyword Contains the primary word for word. If it's near 155, say "don't add words"
4 One H1 with the keyword Exactly one H1 on the page. Say where it sits (hero, block 1). On pages that need to look current, a freshness marker is fine ("Q4 2026")
5 Keyword in the first 100 words Primary in the opening paragraph. If the first sentence already carries a strong secondary, keep it and add the primary next to it instead of replacing it
6 Secondaries in H2s or the first paragraph under one Map every secondary to a place: H2, H3, the first paragraph under an H2, or an FAQ question (for close variants). List any that are only partly covered and the fix. Don't use a heading that is another page's primary ("How to Fix CS2 Stuttering" belongs to the stuttering page). H3s name the topic in full ("Best NVIDIA Control Panel Settings for CS2", not "NVIDIA Control Panel")
6a Tables Every table gets a caption with a keyword in it ("Best CS2 settings for FPS: Competitive vs Quality"). Column names use the words people search ("Low-end", not "Entry-level"). Keep exact menu and setting names so rows can rank for single-setting searches
7 Answer in the first two sentences Answers the search on its own and can be quoted in an AI Overview. Tables are real HTML (<table> with <th>) on every screen size, including mobile cards and switchers. Content behind tabs is in the HTML when the page loads, not only after a click
8 Length within 20% of the brief's target Count the words readers see. Leave out placeholders and unfilled sections, and say what you left out. If the page is near the top of the range, list what to cut and add optional extras only if the page stays under the limit
9 Links out match the page type List them (V8 section 3 for the type). Pages that don't exist yet are named in the copy without a link, as "upcoming". Add the link and update the copy when that page goes live
10 Links in listed for Kamil Every page that should link to this one, for the Linear ticket. Note any that already do
11 Images Alt text describes what the image or video actually shows, with the keyword where it fits naturally. Screenshots for menus and steps. Settings tables are never images
12 URL Short, lowercase, hyphens, with the primary keyword in the slug (for example /games/cs2-pro-settings). If the page is a template (game pages), agree the slug pattern for all of them at once
13 Schema Game pages: WebPage with dateModified matching "Settings last checked", plus BreadcrumbList (Home > Games > [Game]). Guides and articles: Article with author and dates. Homepage and /technology: FAQPage for their own questions only (C29). No HowTo
14 Indexing Self canonical, no noindex, in the sitemap. After publishing, request indexing and check it is indexed within 7 days
15 Keeping it current Say what triggers an update (a game patch that changes video settings, a price change). Update the page, the "last checked" line and dateModified together

3. Content gaps against the top 5

For the primary keyword (or the brief's main search). One row per ranking page:

Rank Page What it has that we must match On our page
Yes / Partly / No, and what to do. Anything that needs Austin (named pros, test data) is marked "For Austin to consider"

4. Extra checks Bobby added

5. My own checks (not in Bobby's list)

From what went wrong on CS2 and the V8 rules: - Same setting, same advice. List every setting that shows up more than once (summary list, stutter fixes, tables, PC columns, FAQ, captions) and check they all say the same thing. The frame cap slipped through on CS2 this way. - Claims. Everything about Hypertune matches V8 section 2. Intel and AMD partner wording is fine; NVIDIA is "supports" only. FPS above 60% only with our own data and a source. Creators named only if they're on Austin's list. - No em dashes anywhere, including alt text and the meta description. - Every number has a source and a date. Open three at random. - Reads like a person. Read the first screen out loud.

6. What the audit hands back

The same four parts as Bobby's CS2 audit: 1. The page summary and the 15 checks, with Fix and To do rows clearly marked. 2. The content gap table. 3. Headings to set: every heading in order (H1, H2, H3), each marked "Was ..." or "As in the original". 4. Revised page copy: the full copy with every change made, changes in bold.

Blank template

SEO AUDIT: [page]                         Type:            Checked: [date]
Primary:                (US __; Ahrefs, [date])   Parent topic?
Secondaries:
Title:                                     (__ characters)
Meta:                                      (__ characters)
H1:

#  | Check                              | Result (Yes / Fix: / To do:)
1  | Primary not on another page        |
2  | Title 50-60, keyword first         |
3  | Meta 140-155, has keyword          |
4  | One H1 with keyword                |
5  | Keyword in first 100 words         |
6  | Secondaries placed                 |
6a | Table captions and column names    |
7  | Answer in first two sentences      |
8  | Length within 20%                  |
9  | Links out                          |
10 | Links in (for Kamil)               |
11 | Images and alt text                |
12 | URL slug                           |
13 | Schema                             |
14 | Indexing                           |
15 | Keeping it current                 |

Content gaps (top 5):
Jump links:            Update strip:          Suggested questions:
Same setting, same advice:      Claims:      Em dashes:      Sources:
Headings to set:
Revised copy: