Indexing and crawl access: start here
If a page is not in the index, nothing else about it matters. Compare three numbers: pages on the site, pages in the sitemap, and pages indexed by Google and Yandex. A gap is not a diagnosis, only a reason to dig.
Also check whether a staging version of the site sits open to search engines on a subdomain. It happens after launches and migrations more often than people expect, and then two copies of one site compete in results.
- Reasons for excluded pages in Search Console and Yandex Webmaster are reviewed
- No accidental noindex on important pages
- Key pages return a 200 code and server errors are absent
- robots.txt blocks only service areas, and the scripts and styles needed for rendering stay open
Technical health
This block covers anything that stops a search engine from understanding the site or a visitor from using it.
Open the mobile version on a real phone, not only in an emulator. A common finding: the enquiry form works on a laptop, while on a smartphone the submit button slips off the edge of the screen. For a shop or clinic whose customers arrive from Instagram or Telegram on their phones, that is lost enquiries.
- One canonical address version (https, with or without www), the rest redirect to it
- Duplicate pages and correct canonical tags
- Redirect chains and loops, broken internal links
- Core Web Vitals based on real-user data
- A valid certificate and no mixed content
- Hreflang if there are Russian and Uzbek versions
Site structure and page optimisation
Every service and category needs its own page. If a dental clinic describes implants, braces and cleaning on one “Services” page, it will struggle to appear for each of those searches.
Also look at pages reachable only through internal search or filters. Neither visitors nor crawlers often find them.
- Important pages are a few clicks from the home page
- Readable URLs, breadcrumbs, logical navigation
- No orphan pages without internal links
- Unique titles and meta descriptions
- One H1 and a sensible heading hierarchy
- Light images with alt text
- Structured data without errors that matches what is visible on the page
Content and the Uzbek-language version
Look for thin pages with a couple of lines, repeated texts, and cannibalisation, where several pages compete for one query. Check for outdated details too: old prices in sums, closed branches, dead phone numbers, expired promotions.
The Uzbek version is usually checked only formally: there is a language switcher, so everyone moves on. Open it as a customer would. Is every page translated, or only the home page? Does the text read naturally, or is it a literal machine translation? People search differently in Uzbek and in Russian, so Uzbek Latin-script queries cannot be produced by swapping words in a Russian text.
External signals, local search and analytics
Review which domains link to the site and whether any look suspicious. Then type the company name into search and judge the branded results. Auditors often look only at commercial queries and miss negative content tied to the name, yet that is what a buyer sees when checking you out.
For a local business in Tashkent or the regions, details must match everywhere and counters must record real enquiries.
- Google, Yandex and 2GIS profiles are complete and match the website
- The owner or an administrator replies to reviews
- The contact page has an address, a landmark and a map
- Tracking code is on every page
- Goals cover forms, calls, Telegram clicks and Click or Payme payments, and were tested
- Internal traffic is excluded
- Search Console and Yandex Webmaster access belongs to the company account
How to use an SEO audit checklist
Work in two passes. The first is quick and covers every item, marking where problems are obvious. The second is deep and covers only flagged items: find example URLs, estimate scale, and write a task for the developer or copywriter. This way you will not get stuck in one section while others stay unchecked.
For each item record not just yes or no but the data source and the period. In six months you can repeat the check with the same tools and compare honestly. “Not checked” is never a neutral status: if many items carry it, the audit is incomplete. Add new items after every project that surfaces an unusual problem, and adapt the list to the site type, such as out-of-stock product pages for shops or separate service and regional pages for service businesses.
If you want prioritised, explained findings instead of a column of ticks, markdev works on SEO optimisation for websites in Uzbekistan. Tell us about your site and we will discuss where to begin.
FAQ
How often should a website have an SEO audit?
There is no fixed schedule. It helps to check after a launch, redesign or structure change, then periodically, for example twice a year, using the same tools so results can be compared.
Can I run an SEO audit myself with a checklist?
You can cover the basics yourself with Search Console, Yandex Webmaster and manual checks. Interpretation is harder: ticking an item is easy, but judging its cause and priority takes experience.
How is a checklist different from an audit?
A checklist lists what to check. An audit adds conclusions: why a problem appeared, how much it affects traffic and what to fix first.
What do people most often miss?
Staging sites on subdomains, resources needed for rendering, a formal check of the Uzbek version, pages found only via filters, mobile forms and branded search results.
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