If you've ever wondered why your website isn't showing up on Google, you're not alone. Most small business owners have been there — you built a site, waited, and nothing happened. The problem is usually SEO, and the good news is that checking it takes about five minutes and costs nothing.
Here's exactly how to do it.
What Does "Checking Your SEO" Actually Mean?
SEO stands for search engine optimization — it's the collection of things that tell Google what your website is about and whether it deserves to show up in search results. Checking your SEO means looking at whether those things are in place.
You don't need to understand algorithms or write code. You need to answer one question: does your website make it easy for Google to understand what you do and who you help?
The 5 Things Google Actually Looks at on Your Pages
Before you run any audit, it helps to know what you're looking for. Google pays attention to five main things on every page of your site:
1. Page titles and meta descriptions
Every page on your site has a title — the text that appears in a browser tab and in search results. It's the single most important thing on the page for SEO. If your title is missing, too short, or just says "Home," you're leaving rankings on the table.
Your meta description is the short paragraph that appears under your title in search results. It doesn't directly affect rankings, but it affects whether people click — which does.
2. Headings (H1, H2, H3)
Every page should have one main heading — called an H1 — that tells Google what the page is about. Think of it as the headline of a newspaper article. If it's missing, Google has to guess, and it usually guesses wrong.
3. Page content
Google reads the words on your page to understand what it's about. Pages with very little text — under 300 words — often struggle to rank because there isn't enough information for Google to work with. This doesn't mean you need to write essays, but your key pages should have enough depth to actually be useful.
4. Page speed
Slow pages hurt rankings. Google measures how long it takes your page to load on a mobile phone. If it takes more than 3 seconds, you're losing both rankings and visitors. Images that aren't compressed and old hosting are the two most common culprits.
5. Mobile friendliness
More than half of all Google searches happen on a phone. If your site doesn't work well on mobile, Google knows — and it affects where you rank. Most modern website builders handle this automatically, but it's worth checking.
How to Do a Free SEO Audit in 5 Minutes
There are a few ways to check your SEO without spending anything.
Option 1 — Google Search Console (free, from Google)
Go to search.google.com/search-console and add your website. Google will show you which pages are indexed, what keywords you're ranking for, and any technical errors it finds. It takes about 10 minutes to set up and gives you real data about how Google sees your site.
Option 2 — ClaritySEO (free trial)
ClaritySEO crawls every page of your site and gives each one a grade from A to F based on the issues it finds. It checks titles, descriptions, headings, content depth, page speed, and more — then writes a plain-English action plan telling you exactly what to fix first. You can run your first audit free and have results in about 2 minutes.
Option 3 — Google PageSpeed Insights (free)
Go to pagespeed.web.dev, enter your URL, and Google will score your page speed and mobile performance. It's one tool for one thing, but it's the most reliable source for speed data.
What to Do With What You Find
The most common issues — and the easiest to fix — are usually:
Missing or weak page titles: Write a title for every page that includes what you do and who you help. "Plumbing Services | John's Plumbing — Denver, CO" is better than "Home."
Missing meta descriptions: Write 1-2 sentences for every page describing what the visitor will find there. Keep it under 160 characters.
Missing H1 headings: Make sure every page has one clear main heading that describes what the page is about.
Thin content: If a key page has fewer than 300 words, add more. Answer the questions your customers ask before they buy.
What to Do Next
Once you know what's broken, fix the most critical issues first. A page with a missing title tag is leaving money on the table every day — it's a 10-minute fix that can make a real difference in a few weeks.
SEO isn't magic. It's a checklist. Work through it page by page and your rankings will improve.
The easiest way to get your checklist is to run a free audit. ClaritySEO will scan your entire site, grade every page, and tell you exactly what to fix — in plain English, without the jargon.