What’s the first thing you check in a site audit?

In a recent Twitter conversation, Kavin (@kavin_lazyy) sparked a valuable discussion among SEO professionals by asking: “Started working with a new client yesterday! 🚀 What’s the first thing you check in a site audit?” The replies flooded in, with a common theme—indexation, content gap and technical health.

Many experts emphasized the importance of checking whether the website is properly indexed by search engines. Without proper indexation, even the best content won’t surface in search results. Tools like Google Search Console, site search (site:domain.com), and crawling tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb were frequently mentioned.

This focus makes sense. Before diving into on-page SEO, content strategy, or link-building, it’s critical to confirm that the site is technically sound and that pages are discoverable and crawlable. It’s the foundation of any effective SEO campaign. This Twitter space highlighted how experienced SEOs prioritize technical audits and indexation checks as the first step when taking on a new client—a solid reminder that SEO success starts under the hood.