Evaluation Criteria for Site Audit
The independent authority on search vendors, topseos.com, evaluates and ranks the best site audit companies in the industry. Through in-depth company analysis, review of work completed, and client evaluation, we put together a list of the top companies in the industry. Our analysis delves into a company’s business practices and compares them against industry standards to ensure quality work.
Clients are asked about their overall experience with the company, as well as details about the processes, reporting, and success of the campaign.
Anyone can claim to be the best at site audit, but topseos identifies the best based on five key areas: GAP analysis, objective driven, audit report, efficiency, and variety.
First we review the GAP analysis provided by the vendor. How comprehensive is the analysis in comparing the current site performance against the site potential.
Is the site audit completed by the vendor objective driven? Do they factor in the goals of the client and determine the effectiveness of the site at meeting those goals?
Next we evaluate the audit reports created by the vendor. Do the reports provide clear and concise information to the client? Are action steps provided to the client in order to know where to begin and the different steps to optimize the site?
We also assess the efficiency of the site audit company. How quickly can the vendor provide a quality report to the client? Is the report still effective in helping the client to understand how to make the site better?
The variety of expertise that a site audit company offers is also a big factor in their effectiveness. Does the company have an understanding of various different scripting languages and internet marketing strategies?
A few questions we may ask clients of these firms include:
General Queries:
- How is client satisfaction measured?
- To what extent are services customized to the client's needs?
- What improvements does the staff need?
- Does the pricing match up to the services received?
- Are you satisfied with the overall services?
Project Specific Queries:
- Who were the audit panel made up of?
- How many rounds of audits were conducted and what did each round involve?
- How were results of the audit presented to you?
- Has a follow up audit been scheduled? If so, when is it?
- What industry standards did the audit comply with?
