What does an SEO audit include at Hagee Marketing?

If you run a business in Chicago, you have probably heard the term SEO audit more times than you can count. The problem is that many audits look impressive but do not actually help. You get a long report, a lot of numbers, and no clear direction on what to fix or why it matters.

A proper SEO audit should give clarity, not confusion. It should show what is holding your site back, what is already working, and what deserves attention first. In a competitive city like Chicago, guessing wastes time and money.

This is how Hagee Marketing approaches SEO audits for Chicago businesses. Instead of relying on automated reports, we focus on priorities, context, and real next steps that make sense for your market.

The purpose of an SEO audit for Chicago businesses

An SEO audit is not about finding every tiny issue on your website. It is about identifying the problems that are actively limiting visibility, traffic, and leads.

A useful audit should answer questions like:

• Why rankings are not improving
• What competitors are doing better
• Which fixes will have the biggest impact
• Where to focus effort first

Without those answers, an audit is just noise.

Technical crawl and site health review

Every audit starts with a technical crawl. This looks at how search engines see your website behind the scenes.

The technical review typically includes:

• Page speed and performance
• Mobile usability
• Crawl errors and broken links
• Indexation problems
• Site structure and internal links

In Chicago, even small technical issues can push your site below competitors. Fixing these often creates early wins.

Keyword gap analysis and intent review

Keyword gap analysis compares what your site ranks for against what competing Chicago businesses rank for.

This part of the audit highlights:

• Missed keyword opportunities
• Searches competitors capture
• Gaps in service or location coverage
• Content that does not match intent

Many Chicago businesses target obvious keywords and miss valuable long tail searches.

Backlink profile and authority review

Backlinks still play a role in competitive markets. An audit includes reviewing your backlink profile to see how your authority compares.

This looks at:

• Quality of current backlinks
• Risky or low quality links
• Authority gaps versus competitors
• Areas for improvement

The goal is understanding whether authority limits rankings.

Chicago competitor benchmarking

SEO is always relative. Competitor benchmarking focuses specifically on the Chicago market.

This includes reviewing:

• Sites ranking above yours
• Content depth and structure
• Technical advantages
• Local relevance signals

What works in other cities does not always apply to Chicago.

Turning findings into a clear roadmap

One major stop sign in SEO is an audit with no plan. A proper audit ends with a clear roadmap.

At Hagee Marketing, that roadmap prioritizes:

• Fixing high impact issues first
• Separating urgent fixes from long term work
• Aligning SEO tasks with business goals

Typical cost for an SEO audit in Chicago

For most Chicago businesses, an SEO audit typically costs between $700 and $1,500. Pricing depends on site size, competition, and depth of analysis. A strong audit prevents wasted effort later

How Hagee Marketing delivers SEO audits

Hagee Marketing builds SEO audits that focus on clarity, not fluff. We explain what matters, why it matters, and what to do next.

If you want clear direction instead of guesswork, call Hagee Marketing at (206) 582-6727 to discuss an SEO audit built for Chicago businesses.