How to Validate an SEO Audit Finding Before Approving a Fix

What to ask for in an audit finding

Use this issue card before approving work. If the report gives only a problem label and a general instruction, ask for the missing details.

• Affected URLs or page group. Confirm which addresses are in scope and how the auditor selected the pages.
• Evidence. Ask for the specific status, report, page response or other result behind the finding.
• Check date and method. The site may have changed since the audit, so establish when and how the pages were checked.
• Expected behaviour. Record what the pages should do, given their purpose on the site.
• Proposed change. Clarify what needs to change and which pages or templates are affected.
• Acceptance check. Agree how you will confirm that the task is complete.
• Expected effect. Separate resolving the reported technical condition from forecasts about rankings, traffic or enquiries.

These details help you assess the scope of work and establish whether the finding applies to the pages in question.

How to check a recommendation before work starts

Confirm the scope of the check

Ask for the affected URLs or a description of the sample. “There are many duplicate pages” does not tell you whether the issue affects a few addresses, a template or a whole section. If the auditor checked a sample, ask how it was selected and why it is suitable for assessing the wider group.

A finding about a shared template may not require a manual check of every URL. The auditor should still show examples and explain why the finding applies to other pages using that template.

Compare the evidence with the current site

Find out which report or method the auditor used and what it showed. If the site has changed since the audit, check the affected pages again: the original report may describe a state that no longer exists.

Record the URL, result and date of the new check. If the evidence does not support the finding, ask the auditor to explain how the result leads to the recommendation. The wording in a report does not, by itself, establish that a problem exists.

Check the page’s purpose

Ask whether the specific page is meant to be indexed. In Google Search Console, a URL’s absence from the index does not automatically indicate an error. For example, duplicate pages and pages deliberately excluded from indexing may appropriately remain unindexed. Google advises assessing the reason for a URL’s status rather than treating every unindexed address as a problem. See Google’s Page indexing report documentation.

That is why a recommendation to “get every URL indexed” needs clarification. Establish which pages should appear in search and which are expected to stay out of the index. Whether a status is a problem depends on the page’s purpose and the site’s intended behaviour.

Agree the acceptance check

Choose a check that answers one question: has the reported condition been corrected? For example, after release, repeat the same check on the same URLs and compare the result with the recorded starting point.

If you rely on Google Search Console, remember that information about the indexed version reflects Google’s most recent crawl and may not show a recent change. Passing a technical acceptance check does not show that rankings, visits or enquiries will increase.

How to check indexing in Google Search Console

The Page indexing report shows the indexing status of URLs Google knows about in the selected Search Console property. It is not intended to determine the status of an individual page. Use URL Inspection for a specific address; Google explains this distinction in its Page indexing report documentation.

In URL Inspection, distinguish information about the indexed version from the result of a Live Test. The indexed information reflects Google’s most recent crawl; the Live Test checks whether the URL might be indexable in its current state. A positive status does not guarantee that a page will appear in Google Search. The Live Test does not check every indexing condition, including whether Google considers a URL a duplicate or alternate version. See Google’s URL Inspection documentation.

For an individual page:

1. In Page indexing, find the reason shown for the URL. Do not treat the total number of unindexed addresses as proof of a problem.
2. Open URL Inspection for the important page in the correct Search Console property.
3. If you are checking a change that has already been released, compare the indexed information with the Live Test result.
4. Decide whether the page is meant to be indexed, then record the URL, result and check date.

If the report does not explain the finding or the results conflict, ask the auditor to show the evidence behind the recommendation. For a related indexing issue, see what to check when Search Console says “Crawled – currently not indexed”.

Separate evidence from advice and forecasts

Evidence is the result of a specific check, such as a URL’s status in a report on a stated date. Confirm that it concerns the correct address and site property.

A recommendation is a proposed action based on evidence and the page’s purpose. Ask why it is suitable in this case and how you will check that it has been completed.

An expected effect is a forecast about what might change after the work. Correcting a confirmed technical obstacle does not establish that rankings, traffic or enquiries will increase.

If the available evidence does not support a finding, record what still needs to be checked. Do not turn an untested assumption into an approved task.

Decide whether to fix, investigate or leave it unchanged

Hypothetical teaching example: an audit says that an important page is not indexed and needs urgent attention. Ask for the URL and check date. Then open URL Inspection, compare the indexed information with the Live Test and confirm whether the page is meant to be a distinct page for search.

If the evidence confirms a problem and the page should be indexed, agree a specific change and an acceptance check. If the result is unclear, request further investigation. If the URL is a duplicate or is deliberately excluded from indexing, do not change its status just to reduce the number of unindexed addresses in a report. This illustrates a decision process; it is not a client case.

Record the decision in one line: “Fix / investigate / leave unchanged — evidence: [result]; check: [URL or sample]; acceptance: [observable outcome].”

Before you send the task to a developer

• Name the affected URLs or define the sample.
• Include the evidence and date of the check.
• Describe the pages’ expected behaviour.
• Link the proposed change to a supported finding, not just a tool warning.
• Define how to check the fix after release.
• Describe any expected search effect as a forecast, not a guarantee.

If these details are missing, ask for them before approving the work. To assess technical and content issues on your site, see the SEO audit service. For practical guidance on setting tasks and agreeing work, read how to manage an SEO project with an agency.