Google Search Central has released new guidance that’s changing how SEO professionals approach technical audits. In a video published on November 6, 2025, Google’s Martin Splitt outlined a practical methodology that emphasizes contextual analysis over arbitrary scoring systems—a message that challenges how many automated SEO tools are used today.
Moving Beyond Arbitrary Scores
According to Splitt, the purpose of a technical SEO audit isn’t just to generate a list of problems—it’s to prevent technical issues from interfering with crawling and indexing. Automated scoring systems that assign “SEO health” percentages often miss the mark because they fail to consider how a website actually works.
“Finding technical issues is just half of an audit,” Splitt explained. “An effective audit should make sense within the website’s context and help prioritize actionable fixes.”
In short, Google is urging SEO professionals to stop chasing perfect scores and start analyzing how their websites function in real-world scenarios.
Three Key Principles of Google’s Technical SEO Audit Methodology
The video breaks down Google’s audit philosophy into three essential steps:
- Identify potential issues using trusted tools and Google’s guidelines.
- Contextualize findings based on how the specific website operates.
- Develop recommendations that are meaningful and relevant—not generic checklist items.
Google also criticized audits that rely on flashy dashboards filled with graphs and color-coded scores but lack true insight. Such reports often look impressive but don’t help webmasters understand what truly needs fixing.
Understanding Your Site Before Running Tools
Splitt emphasized the importance of understanding your website’s technical architecture before jumping into analysis tools. Once you know how the site functions, you can better identify and group issues based on implementation effort and business impact.
Google recommends collaborating with developers and site administrators who understand the platform’s technology stack. This collaboration ensures that technical recommendations are not only accurate but also realistic and actionable.
What Areas Should a Technical SEO Audit Cover?
Google’s recommended approach includes a structured review of key areas, such as:
- Routing and network configuration
- HTTP headers and metadata setup
- Redirect chains and canonicalization
- Internal linking structure
- Markup and rendering performance
Selecting the right tools makes a big difference.
For example:
- Crawling tools help identify redirect issues and broken links.
- Browser developer tools reveal HTTP header problems and SSL status.
- Google Search Console’s Crawl Stats report provides valuable insights into how Google interacts with your site.
However, Google cautions that not every flagged issue is actually a problem. For instance, a spike in 404 errors may simply mean pages were intentionally removed—a normal consequence of site maintenance, not a ranking concern.
Context Is Everything
One of the strongest takeaways from Google’s video is that context should define audit scope and recommendations. A multilingual website, for example, requires an hreflang audit, while a single-language site does not.
There’s no one-size-fits-all audit checklist. Every site operates under unique conditions, technologies, and goals—meaning each audit must be tailored accordingly.
Preparing for the Future of Technical SEO
The technical SEO landscape continues to evolve with AI-driven search systems and mobile-first indexing. Google reminded SEOs that modern audits must account for:
- How AI search engines process and synthesize content
- Differences in indexing between mobile and desktop versions
- Crawl budget optimization for large or frequently updated websites
As search platforms change, technical SEO audits must adapt, focusing on how to make a site more accessible, understandable, and indexable for both users and search engines.
Google’s new guidance is a wake-up call for SEO professionals relying too heavily on automated audit scores. Effective technical SEO audits should be insightful, collaborative, and context-aware—not just data dumps from a crawler.
By understanding your site’s technology, analyzing findings meaningfully, and prioritizing actionable recommendations, you can make your audits truly valuable.
SEO Guru NYC is a leading digital marketing agency offering expert Technical SEO Services in New York. Our team specializes in conducting in-depth, context-driven audits that align with Google’s latest best practices. We don’t rely on arbitrary scores—we focus on real solutions that enhance your site’s crawlability, indexation, and performance. If you’re ready to make your website search-engine friendly and future-proof your online visibility, contact us today for a comprehensive technical SEO audit tailored to your business.
