You've stared at the Search Console report for the hundredth time. Crawl anomalies, duplicate titles, orphan pages — the list never ends. Meanwhile, your competitor's site is climbing, and you're stuck in a loop of manual checks that eat your entire week. What if you could hand this mess to an AI and get a prioritized action plan in minutes? That's exactly what these 15 prompts do. They're not magic spells — they're precise instructions that turn AI into your personal SEO auditor, catching the issues that cost you rankings and showing you exactly how to fix them.
These prompts are built on real-world SEO principles: Google's own documentation on page experience, the technical requirements outlined in the Google Search Essentials, and proven practices from leading SEO tools like Screaming Frog and Ahrefs. I've used them to audit everything from small blogs to enterprise e-commerce sites, and they work because they force the AI to think like a seasoned SEO — not like a generic chatbot. Let's get to work.
1. The 360-Degree Technical Audit
What it does: This prompt gives you a complete technical health check of your site. It doesn't just list issues — it prioritizes them by impact on ranking and suggests fixes in order of effort vs. reward.
When to use it: At the start of any audit, or when you suspect a technical problem but don't know where to begin.
Example prompt:
Act as an experienced SEO auditor. Perform a comprehensive technical audit of [URL].
Cover these areas:
- Crawlability and indexation (check for robots.txt blocks, meta robots, sitemap issues)
- Page speed (load time, Core Web Vitals: LCP, INP, CLS)
- Mobile friendliness (responsive design, tap targets, font sizes)
- On-page SEO (titles, meta descriptions, headings, content quality)
- Structured data (schema.org markup, JSON-LD validity)
- Internal linking (orphan pages, broken links, anchor text)
- Duplicate content (exact duplicates, near-duplicates, thin content)
For each issue found, provide:
- Severity: Critical / High / Medium / Low
- Estimated impact on rankings: High / Medium / Low
- A step-by-step fix (include code or config changes where applicable)
- Time to implement: e.g., '2 hours', '1 day'
Format the output as a table with columns: Issue, Severity, Impact, Fix, Time. Then summarize the top 5 actions to take immediately.
Why it works: It sets clear expectations and forces the AI to produce a structured, actionable report. The severity and impact columns help you triage — you won't waste time on low-impact issues while critical ones wait.
2. Google Search Essentials Compliance Check
What it does: This prompt checks your site against Google's official guidelines — the ones that actually determine whether you get indexed and ranked. It's based on the Google Search Essentials document (formerly Webmaster Guidelines), which covers technical requirements, spam policies, and key best practices.
When to use it: When you suspect Google is ignoring your pages or after a major site update.
Example prompt:
Act as an SEO specialist. Review [URL] against Google's Search Essentials (as outlined at developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials).
Check for:
- Technical requirements: Googlebot access, HTTPS, no broken links, proper status codes (200, 404, 301), no accidental noindex tags, clean URL structure
- Spam policies: hidden text, cloaking, doorway pages, keyword stuffing, scraped content, thin affiliate content
- Key best practices: descriptive titles, helpful content, mobile-friendliness, page speed, structured data
For each violation:
- Name the specific policy or requirement it violates
- Explain why it's a problem (e.g., 'Google may see this as doorway pages and ignore them')
- Provide a concrete fix (include code if relevant)
Output a table with columns: Issue, Violated Policy, Why It Matters, Fix. Then list any 'AdSense policy' issues if relevant (e.g., excessive ads on page).
Why it works: It's grounded in official documentation, so the AI's outputs are aligned with what Google actually enforces. This is the closest thing to a guaranteed checklist for avoiding manual actions and indexation problems.
3. Core Web Vitals and Page Speed Deep Dive
What it does: This prompt analyzes your page's loading performance against Google's Core Web Vitals (CWV) metrics — LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), INP (Interaction to Next Paint), and CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift). It explains how to measure, interpret, and optimize each one.
When to use it: Whenever your CWV pass rate drops or you see a 'Poor' rating in Search Console.
Example prompt:
Act as a performance engineer. Analyze the Core Web Vitals of [URL] using the latest Google guidelines (web.dev/vitals).
For each metric (LCP, INP, CLS):
- Explain what it measures and what values are considered 'good' (e.g., LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1)
- List common causes of poor scores (e.g., slow server response, render-blocking resources, layout shifts)
- Provide specific optimization steps with code examples:
- LCP: optimize images (WebP, lazy loading), preload critical assets, use a CDN, improve TTFB
- INP: remove long tasks, optimize event handlers, use `content-visibility: auto` on off-screen content
- CLS: set width/height on images, reserve space for ads, use `aspect-ratio` in CSS
- Suggest tools to measure each: PageSpeed Insights, CrUX, Web Vitals extension
Output a table with Metric, Current Status (if you provide data), Issues, Fixes, and Tools. Then give a prioritized action list.
Why it works: It gives you a clear, cause-and-effect map from a slow metric to a concrete fix. The code snippets are practical and copy-paste ready.
4. Crawlability and Indexation Audit
What it does: This prompt digs into why Google might not be crawling or indexing your pages. It covers robots.txt, sitemaps, meta robots, internal linking, and the dreaded 'crawl budget' concept.
When to use it: When you see 'Discovered – currently not indexed' or 'Crawled – currently not indexed' in Google Search Console.
Example prompt:
Act as an SEO technical auditor. Investigate the crawlability and indexation of [URL].
Check these specific areas:
- robots.txt: does it block important pages? Show the current content and highlight issues.
- XML sitemap: is it valid? Are there errors like 404s, wrong URLs, or missing lastmod?
- Meta robots tags: any accidental noindex or nofollow?
- Internal linking: are there orphan pages with no internal links? Are there too many links to low-value pages?
- URL parameters: are they creating duplicate crawl paths?
- Canonical tags: are they pointing to the right URL?
For each issue, provide:
- A clear explanation of how it affects Google's ability to crawl and index
- A fix with code (e.g., updated robots.txt, proper canonical tag, sitemap entry)
- Priority level
End with a checklist of 5 things to do today to improve crawlability.
Why it works: It targets the exact reasons why pages don't get indexed, and the fixes are specific — not generic 'improve your site' advice.
5. On-Page SEO and Content Optimization Audit
What it does: This prompt reviews your page's on-page elements — title, meta description, headings, keyword usage, and content structure — and gives you a rewrite-ready action plan.
When to use it: When you're writing or updating pages and want to ensure they're fully optimized.
Example prompt:
Act as an SEO copywriter and on-page optimizer. Analyze the page [URL] for on-page SEO.
1. Extract the current title, meta description, H1, and key headings.
2. Evaluate them against best practices:
- Title: length (50-60 chars), keyword placement, brand mention, click-worthiness
- Meta description: length (150-160 chars), includes keyword, has a call to action
- H1: unique, includes primary keyword, matches user intent
- Headings structure: logical hierarchy (H2, H3), includes secondary keywords
3. Check content:
- Is it thin (<300 words)? Does it answer the user's query?
- Does it use related terms and synonyms? (semantic SEO)
- Are there any keyword stuffing issues?
4. Provide a rewritten title, meta description, and an outline for the content that would rank better.
Output a comparison table: Element, Current, Issue, Suggested Fix. Then give a final optimized title and description you can copy-paste.
Why it works: It gives you a before-and-after view, so you can see exactly what changes to make. The rewritten title and description are ready to deploy.
6. Duplicate Content and Canonicalization Detective
What it does: This prompt helps you find and fix duplicate content — whether it's exact copies, near-duplicates, or parameter-based variations. It also guides you on proper canonical tags.
When to use it: When you have multiple URLs with similar content (e.g., tracking parameters, printer versions, or similar product pages).
Example prompt:
Act as an SEO analyst. Identify potential duplicate content issues for [URL] and its variations.
1. List common causes of duplicate content:
- URL parameters (e.g., ?ref=, ?utm_source=)
- Product variants (e.g., color, size in URL)
- Session IDs, click tracking
- HTTP vs. HTTPS, www vs. non-www
2. For each cause, explain how Google might view the pages (e.g., as separate pages or duplicates).
3. Provide a solution:
- Canonical tag: show the exact HTML code to add, pointing to the preferred URL.
- 301 redirects: when to use them instead of canonical.
- URL parameter handling in Google Search Console.
4. Give a step-by-step process to implement the fixes, including how to verify they work (e.g., check with 'site:yourdomain.com' or Screaming Frog).
Output a table with Column: Duplicate Type, Example, Solution, Implementation. Then a summary of which method to use when.
Why it works: It educates you on the nuances of canonicalization — when to use canonical vs. redirect — which is a common source of confusion.
7. Structured Data and Schema Markup Audit
What it does: This prompt audits your structured data (schema.org markup) — whether it's present, valid, and eligible for rich results.
When to use it: When you want to enhance your search snippets with stars, product prices, FAQs, or other rich features.
Example prompt:
Act as a structured data expert. Audit the schema markup on [URL].
1. Extract all existing structured data (JSON-LD, Microdata, RDFa) from the page's source code.
2. Validate each against schema.org and Google's rich results guidelines.
3. Check for common errors:
- Missing required fields (e.g., for Product: name, image, price)
- Incorrect types (e.g., using 'Article' instead of 'BlogPosting')
- Invalid JSON syntax
- Misuse of fields (e.g., putting review in wrong place)
4. Suggest improvements:
- Which schema types would be beneficial for this page? (e.g., Product, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList)
- Provide the exact JSON-LD code for the recommended markup.
5. Explain how to test with Google's Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/richresults).
Output a table: Current Markup, Type, Status, Issues. Then provide the recommended JSON-LD code block.
Why it works: It gives you production-ready structured data that can unlock rich results, which often boost click-through rates.
8. Backlink Profile and Link Equity Analysis
What it does: This prompt evaluates your backlink profile for toxicity, relevance, and overall quality — and suggests safe link building strategies.
When to use it: When you notice a sudden drop in rankings or want to clean up your link profile before a penalty.
Example prompt:
Act as a link building expert. Analyze the backlink profile of [URL] (if you have data from tools like Ahrefs or Semrush, provide it; otherwise, give a general framework).
1. Assess the quality of backlinks:
- Look for signs of toxic links: from spammy sites, link farms, irrelevant anchor text, low Domain Authority (DA < 20)
- Identify unnatural patterns: sudden spikes, links from non-indexed pages, exact-match anchors
2. Provide a disavow strategy:
- Which links should be disavowed? (e.g., obvious spam, paid links)
- How to create a disavow file (format: domain:example.com or URLs)
- Steps to submit to Google via Search Console
3. Suggest safe link building:
- Guest posting on relevant blogs
- Digital PR (e.g., original research, infographics)
- HARO (Help a Reporter Out) for media mentions
4. Explain how to monitor your profile going forward (e.g., monthly checks for new toxic links).
Output a table: Link Source, Type, Quality Score, Action (Keep/Disavow). Then a 30-day link building plan.
Why it works: It helps you avoid Google penalties by giving you a clear disavow plan, and it offers sustainable link building tactics that actually work in 2026.
9. Local SEO and Google Business Profile Audit
What it does: This prompt optimizes your local presence — Google Business Profile, local citations, and reviews — to rank in the map pack and local results.
When to use it: If you run a local business (restaurant, salon, law firm) and want to dominate local search.
Example prompt:
Act as a local SEO specialist. Audit the local search presence of [Business Name] at [Address].
1. Google Business Profile (GBP):
- List the required fields: name, address, phone number, website, categories, hours, description
- Check for inconsistencies: does the NAP (Name, Address, Phone) match across the web?
- Suggest improvements: add photos, posts, Q&A, services
2. Local citations:
- Identify key directories: Yelp, Yellow Pages, Bing Places, Apple Maps
- Check consistency of NAP across all
- Provide a list of high-quality citations to pursue
3. Reviews:
- Explain how to generate more reviews (email/SMS requests, QR codes)
- How to respond to negative reviews professionally
4. Local on-page signals:
- Does the website include NAP in footer? Is there an embedded map?
- Are there local keywords in title and content?
Output a table: Area, Current State, Issue, Action. Then a 7-day local SEO plan.
Why it works: It covers the critical local ranking factors: consistency, reviews, and GBP optimization. These are actionable steps that small businesses can implement immediately.
10. Mobile-First Indexing and UX Audit
What it does: This prompt checks your site's mobile experience — from responsive design to touch targets — and aligns it with Google's mobile-first indexing (where Google uses the mobile version of your page for ranking).
When to use it: When most of your traffic is mobile, or when you see mobile usability errors in Search Console.
Example prompt:
Act as a mobile UX expert. Audit the mobile version of [URL] for mobile-first indexing issues.
1. Crawlability: Is the mobile page fully accessible to Googlebot? (No lazy-loading that blocks content, no separate mobile URL)
2. Design:
- Responsive vs. adaptive vs. dynamic serving — which is it and is it correct?
- Check viewport meta tag (should be width=device-width)
- Are fonts legible? (minimum 16px)
- Are tap targets at least 48x48px?
3. Performance:
- Mobile page speed vs. desktop (are they similar?)
- Are images optimized for mobile? (WebP, srcset)
4. Content parity:
- Is the same textual content on mobile as desktop?
- Are structured data and meta tags identical?
5. Provide fixes for any issues: code examples for responsive CSS, correct viewport, image srcset.
Output a table: Issue, Mobile vs Desktop, Impact, Fix. Then a checklist to verify mobile-first readiness.
Why it works: Since Google uses the mobile version for indexing, this prompt ensures you're not accidentally hiding content from Googlebot.
11. Security and HTTPS Audit
What it does: This prompt checks your site's HTTPS implementation, certificate health, and security headers — factors that affect trust and ranking (Google uses HTTPS as a ranking signal).
When to use it: When you're migrating to HTTPS or after a security audit.
Example prompt:
Act as a web security specialist. Audit the HTTPS and security settings of [URL].
1. Certificate:
- Check if the SSL certificate is valid, not expired, and covers all subdomains (e.g., www and non-www)
- Is the certificate from a trusted CA? (Let's Encrypt, Comodo, DigiCert)
2. Mixed content:
- Are there any resources (images, JS, CSS) loaded over HTTP?
- Explain how to find them (e.g., using browser DevTools or Screaming Frog)
- Provide code to fix via .htaccess or <meta> tag
3. Security headers:
- Check for HSTS (Strict-Transport-Security), X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options
- Provide the exact header values to add in the server config (e.g., nginx or Apache)
4. Redirects:
- Are all HTTP URLs properly 301 redirecting to HTTPS?
- Show the redirect rule for .htaccess or server config.
Output a table: Check, Status, Issue, Fix (with code). Then a summary of security best practices for 2026.
Why it works: HTTPS is a lightweight ranking signal, but more importantly, security issues can lead to 'Not Secure' warnings that kill conversions. This prompt gives you a bulletproof setup.
12. International SEO and Hreflang Audit
What it does: This prompt helps you manage multi-language and multi-region sites with proper hreflang tags, so you don't confuse Google or users.
When to use it: If you have a global audience or your site supports multiple languages.
Example prompt:
Act as an international SEO expert. Audit the hreflang implementation for [URL] (which targets [language/region]).
1. Check the current hreflang tags:
- Are they in the <head>? Or in HTTP headers? Or in XML sitemap?
- Are they correctly formatted? (e.g., <link rel="alternate" hreflang="en-US" href="..." />)
2. Verify language and region codes:
- Use proper ISO 639-1 for language and ISO 3166-1 Alpha 2 for region
- Ensure you include x-default for fallback
3. Common errors:
- Missing return links (hreflang must be bidirectional)
- Using wrong codes (e.g., 'en-UK' instead of 'en-GB')
- Hreflang to non-canonical URLs
4. Provide a correct implementation:
- Show the complete set of hreflang tags for this page and its translations
- If using sitemap, show the <xhtml:link> syntax
5. Explain how to test with Google's International Targeting report in Search Console.
Output a table: Page, Language, Region, Hreflang Link, Status. Then a corrected code block.
Why it works: Incorrect hreflang can cause your pages to show in the wrong language or be completely ignored. This prompt gives you a foolproof setup.
13. Content Gap and Keyword Opportunity Analysis
What it does: This prompt compares your content with competitors to find keywords you're missing and topics you should cover.
When to use it: When you want to expand your content strategy and gain organic market share.
Example prompt:
Act as a content strategist. Perform a content gap analysis for [URL] against competitors [Competitor1 URL], [Competitor2 URL].
1. Assume I have access to keyword data from tools like Ahrefs or Semrush. Suggest how to extract it (e.g., use their Content Gap tool to find keywords ranking in top 10 for competitors but not for us).
2. Based on that data, identify:
- High-volume keywords with low competition (opportunity)
- Keywords where competitors rank higher (gap)
- Topics that are underserved (even if no exact keyword)
3. For each keyword/topic, provide:
- Search intent (informational, transactional, etc.)
- Suggested content format (blog post, video, infographic)
- Outline with key points to cover
4. Prioritize by effort vs. potential traffic.
Output a table: Keyword, Intent, Volume (if known), Competition, Gap, Action. Then a content calendar for the next month.
Why it works: It turns raw keyword data into a concrete content plan, focusing on where you can actually win.
14. Log File and Crawl Budget Analysis
What it does: This prompt helps you analyze your server logs to understand how Googlebot spends its crawl budget — and how to fix wasteful crawling.
When to use it: For large sites (10k+ pages) where crawl efficiency matters for indexation rate.
Example prompt:
Act as an SEO engineer. Guide me through analyzing server logs for crawl budget optimization on [URL].
1. What to look for:
- Crawl frequency per URL (which pages get crawled most)
- Response codes (200s, 404s, 500s) and their impact
- Crawl depth (how many clicks from homepage)
- Parameters or duplicate URLs being crawled
2. How to collect logs:
- Enable access logs on your server (Apache/Nginx)
- Use tools like Screaming Frog Log File Analyser or ELK stack
3. Analysis steps:
- Identify wasted crawl: 404s, redirects, low-value pages
- Fix: update internal links, remove noindex pages from sitemap, consolidate thin content
- Optimize internal linking to important pages (e.g., add links from high-crawl pages)
4. Provide a checklist:
- Ensure key pages are within 3 clicks of homepage
- Remove noindex pages from sitemap
- Block URL parameters with robots.txt (with care)
Output a report structure: Crawl Stats, Top 10 Wasted URLs, Fixes.
Why it works: It's an advanced technique that can significantly improve indexation for large sites. The prompt gives you a step-by-step methodology.
15. Competitor SERP Analysis and Opportunity Scoring
What it does: This prompt analyzes the search engine results page (SERP) for your target keywords and identifies opportunities to outrank competitors.
When to use it: When you want to improve rankings for specific keywords.
Example prompt:
Act as an SEO analyst. Analyze the SERP for [keyword] and provide an opportunity score.
1. For this keyword, identify:
- The top 10 results (I'll provide the list if possible)
- The type of content (blogs, product pages, videos, etc.)
- Average domain authority of ranking pages
- Presence of SERP features (featured snippet, people also ask, etc.)
2. Evaluate the competition:
- Content length, depth, and uniqueness
- Page speed and user experience
- Backlink strength
3. Determine our chances:
- If our page already exists: what needs to improve? (content, on-page, backlinks)
- If not: what should we create?
4. Give an opportunity score from 1 to 10 (10 = easy to beat)
5. Provide a strategy: content improvements, internal links, and a link building plan.
Output a table: Competitor, Type, Strengths, Weaknesses. Then a summary with the opportunity score and action plan.
Why it works: It gives you a competitive edge by breaking down why others rank and what you need to do to surpass them.
Putting It All Together: Your One-Day Audit Workflow
Here's how to run a complete audit in a single day using these prompts:
Morning (Technical Foundation):
- Prompt 1 (360-degree audit) — get the overview
- Prompt 2 (Google Essentials) — check for penalties
- Prompt 3 (Core Web Vitals) — performance
- Prompt 4 (Crawlability) — indexation
Midday (On-Page and Content):
- Prompt 5 (On-page) — for top 5 pages
- Prompt 6 (Duplicates) — for the whole site
- Prompt 7 (Schema) — for money pages
Afternoon (Off-Page and Advanced):
- Prompt 8 (Backlinks) — overview
- Prompt 9 (Local) — if applicable
- Prompt 10 (Mobile) — quick check
- Prompt 11 (HTTPS) — security
- Prompt 12 (Hreflang) — if international
Evening (Strategy):
- Prompt 13 (Content gaps) — brainstorm new posts
- Prompt 14 (Log files) — if you have access
- Prompt 15 (SERP) — for your main keyword
You'll likely end up with a prioritized list of 47+ issues. Tackle the critical ones first — the ones that block indexation or cause penalties. Use the AI's suggestions to create a 30-day action plan. Remember, AI is your assistant, not a replacement for your judgment. Always verify critical changes (like disavow files) before implementing.
The fastest way to get started is to pick the prompt that addresses your biggest pain point right now. Run it, apply the fixes, and you'll see the impact. Then move on to the next. Consistency is key — do a quick audit every month to keep your site healthy.
Now go ahead and give your site the audit it deserves. Your rankings will thank you.
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