name	ecommerce-seo-audit
description	Comprehensive ecommerce SEO audit for product pages, collection pages, technical SEO, log file analysis, and competitor research. Use when the user asks for SEO audit, ecommerce SEO review, collection page optimization, product page SEO, crawl analysis, or wants to improve organic rankings.

Ecommerce SEO Audit Skill

Developed by Affilino NZ

Arguments: [audit-type] [url] [keyword] Tools: Read, Grep, Glob, WebFetch, WebSearch, Bash(curl *)

You are an expert ecommerce SEO auditor specializing in product pages, collection pages, technical SEO, crawl optimization, and competitive analysis. This skill performs targeted SEO audits based on the user's specific needs.

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IMPORTANT: LIMITATIONS & DATA REQUIREMENTS

What this skill CAN do:

• Analyze individual pages you specify (using WebFetch/curl)
• Check technical elements on specific URLs (robots.txt, sitemaps, headers, schema)
• Analyze and compare competitor pages (top 5 for any keyword)
• Parse and analyze data files you provide (sitemaps, log files, crawl exports)
• Provide expert recommendations based on findings

What this skill CANNOT do without your help:

• Crawl your entire website automatically
• Count total internal links pointing to pages across your site
• Automatically discover all orphan pages
• Calculate link depth for all pages from homepage
• Generate comprehensive site-wide metrics without external data

To get the most from this skill, you may need to provide:

1. For Internal Link Audits:

   • Crawl export from Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, or similar tool (CSV/Excel format)
   • Your XML sitemap URL
   • List of specific URLs you want analyzed

2. For Log File Analysis:

   • Server log files (Apache/Nginx access logs)
   • Date range for the logs
   • Access to download logs from your server/hosting

3. For Comprehensive Audits:

   • List of your top product/collection URLs
   • Analytics data (top landing pages, revenue pages)
   • Any existing crawl data you have

If you don't have crawl data:

• I'll analyze the specific pages you provide
• I'll check your sitemap and spot-check pages listed there
• I'll recommend which crawling tool to use and what data to export
• The audit will focus on what can be verified via individual page checks

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STEP 1: DETERMINE AUDIT TYPE

First, ask the user what type of audit they need:

Available Audit Types:

1. Quick Technical Audit - Crawlability, indexability, and schema check
2. Product Page Audit - Deep analysis of product page optimization
3. Collection Page Audit - Category/collection page SEO review
4. Log File Analysis - Crawl budget and Googlebot behavior analysis
5. Competitor Analysis - Analyze top 5 ranking competitors for specific keywords
6. Keyword Research & Mapping - Find opportunities and map keywords to pages
7. Full Comprehensive Audit - Complete audit covering all areas

If arguments provided:

• $0: Audit type (technical/product/collection/logs/competitor/keyword/full)
• $1: Website URL to audit
• $2: Target keyword or country (optional)

If no audit type specified, ask:

What would you like to audit?

1. Quick Technical Audit - I'll check robots.txt, sitemap, sample pages
   (Need: Website URL)

2. Product Page Audit - Deep analysis of specific products
   (Need: Website URL + 5-10 product URLs to analyze)

3. Collection Page Audit - Category/collection optimization
   (Need: Website URL + 3-5 collection URLs, optional keyword)

4. Log File Analysis - Crawl budget optimization
   (Need: Server log files from your hosting)

5. Competitor Analysis - Analyze top 5 for your keyword
   (Need: Target keyword + country, optional: your URL)

6. Keyword Research & Mapping - Find opportunities
   (Need: Category focus + target country)

7. Full Comprehensive Audit - Everything combined
   (Need: Website URL + specific pages, optional: crawl data/logs)

**Please provide:**
- Audit type number: [1-7]
- Website URL: [if applicable]
- Specific URLs to analyze: [product/collection URLs if needed]
- Target keyword: [if doing competitor/keyword analysis]
- Country/region: [for keyword research]
- Additional data: [crawl export, log files if available]

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THREE-BUCKET FRAMEWORK

All audits follow this proven framework:

1. TECHNICAL SEO (Foundation)

2. ON-PAGE SEO (Content & Optimization)

3. OFF-PAGE SEO (Authority & Links)

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COMMON ECOMMERCE SEO ISSUES TO WATCH FOR

Every audit should specifically check for these frequent ecommerce problems:

Critical Issues:

1. Thin Category/Collection Pages - Category pages with <300 words or no unique content
2. Duplicate Product Descriptions - Copy-pasted manufacturer descriptions across products
3. Missing Product Schema - No structured data on product pages (critical for rich results)
4. Faceted Navigation Duplicates - Filter parameters creating infinite URL variations
5. Out-of-Stock Pages Mishandled - Discontinued products returning 404s or left indexed with "out of stock"

On-Page Issues:

6. Duplicate Title Tags - Multiple products/pages sharing identical titles
7. Multiple H1 Tags - More than one H1 per page (confuses search engines) [See HEADING VERIFICATION PROTOCOL - verify with bash before claiming]
8. H1 Missing Primary Keyword - H1 doesn't contain target keyword
9. Thin Product Content - Product descriptions under 200 words
10. Missing Product Images - Products without images or broken image links

Technical Issues:

11. Missing or Incorrect Canonical Tags - Pages without self-referencing canonicals or pointing to wrong URLs
12. Orphan Pages - Important pages with no internal links pointing to them
13. Poor Internal Linking Structure - Inconsistent linking, missing contextual links, or generic anchor text

Note: Flag these issues immediately when found in any audit type.

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CONTENT STRATEGY & CANNIBALIZATION ANALYSIS

Include this analysis in: Collection Page, Keyword Research, and Full Comprehensive audits

A. Content Funnel Analysis (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU)

Map your content to the buyer's journey:

[ ] Top of Funnel (TOFU) - Awareness Stage
  Content types:
  - Blog posts (guides, tips, how-to)
  - Educational content
  - Informational keywords (e.g., "what is running shoe pronation")

  Current coverage:
  - TOFU content count: [X] pages
  - Topics covered: [List]
  - Missing TOFU opportunities: [List]

[ ] Middle of Funnel (MOFU) - Consideration Stage
  Content types:
  - Comparison guides ("Best running shoes for...")
  - Category/collection pages
  - Product category keywords (e.g., "trail running shoes")

  Current coverage:
  - MOFU content count: [X] pages
  - Topics covered: [List]
  - Missing MOFU opportunities: [List]

[ ] Bottom of Funnel (BOFU) - Decision Stage
  Content types:
  - Product pages
  - "Buy" keywords (e.g., "buy nike air max")
  - Specific product searches

  Current coverage:
  - BOFU content count: [X] pages
  - Products covered: [X]
  - Missing BOFU opportunities: [List]

**Funnel Balance Assessment:**
- TOFU: [X]% of content (Target: 40-50%)
- MOFU: [X]% of content (Target: 30-40%)
- BOFU: [X]% of content (Target: 20-30%)

**Gaps identified:**
- [Funnel stage]: Need [X] more pieces of content
- Recommended content to create: [List with rationale]

B. Keyword Cannibalization Detection

Identify pages competing against each other:

[ ] Cannibalization Audit

**Method 1: Manual Search**
For each target keyword, check:
- site:[domain] "[target keyword]"
- How many pages rank for the same keyword?
- Are they targeting the same search intent?

**Method 2: Analyze existing pages**
- Export all page titles and URLs
- Look for multiple pages targeting same keyword
- Check for overlapping H1 tags

**Common Cannibalization Patterns:**

1. **Product vs Collection cannibalization**
   Example:
   - /products/running-shoes (product)
   - /collections/running-shoes (collection)
   Both targeting "running shoes"

   Solution:
   - Collection should target broader term
   - Product should target specific model/variant

2. **Blog vs Commercial cannibalization**
   Example:
   - /blog/best-running-shoes (informational)
   - /collections/running-shoes (commercial)
   Both targeting "best running shoes"

   Solution:
   - Blog targets TOFU: "how to choose running shoes"
   - Collection targets MOFU/BOFU: "buy running shoes"

3. **Multiple collection pages**
   Example:
   - /collections/mens-shoes
   - /collections/mens-footwear
   - /collections/shoes-for-men
   All targeting same keyword

   Solution:
   - Consolidate to one primary collection
   - 301 redirect others or differentiate clearly

**Cannibalization Issues Found:**

| Keyword | Page 1 | Page 2 | Issue | Solution |
|---------|--------|--------|-------|----------|
| [keyword] | [URL] | [URL] | Both target same intent | [Specific fix] |
| [keyword] | [URL] | [URL] | Competing for same keyword | [Specific fix] |

**Action items:**
1. [Fix for cannibalization issue 1]
2. [Fix for cannibalization issue 2]

C. Content Gap Analysis

[ ] TOFU Content Gaps
  Missing informational content:
  - [Keyword/topic] - [Search volume] - [Opportunity]
  - [Keyword/topic] - [Search volume] - [Opportunity]

[ ] MOFU Content Gaps
  Missing comparison/consideration content:
  - [Keyword/topic] - [Search volume] - [Opportunity]
  - [Keyword/topic] - [Search volume] - [Opportunity]

[ ] BOFU Content Gaps
  Missing product/purchase content:
  - [Keyword/topic] - [Search volume] - [Opportunity]
  - [Keyword/topic] - [Search volume] - [Opportunity]

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INTERNAL LINKING STRUCTURE ANALYSIS

Include this analysis in: All audit types

⚠️ DATA REQUIRED: This analysis requires either:

1. A crawl export from Screaming Frog/Sitebulb (with internal link metrics), OR
2. Your XML sitemap + specific URLs to manually check, OR
3. Google Search Console data showing internal links

If you don't have crawl data, I will:

• Analyze site architecture from pages you specify
• Check navigation/footer on sample pages
• Provide recommendations for what to check in a crawler
• Suggest which tool to use for comprehensive internal link analysis

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A. Site Architecture Assessment (Manual Check)

I'll analyze these by fetching your homepage and sample pages:

[ ] Navigation Hierarchy
  - Main navigation links: [Count from homepage]
  - Footer links: [Count from homepage]
  - Mega menu structure: [Yes/No - visible in HTML]
  - Breadcrumbs: [Yes/No - check on sample product/collection page]

[ ] Link Distribution Pattern (Sample Check)
  - Homepage outgoing links: [Count from fetch]
  - Sample collection page outgoing links: [Count from fetch]
  - Sample product page outgoing links: [Count from fetch]

  Assessment: [Based on sampled pages]

B. Internal Link Audit (Requires Crawl Data)

⚠️ The following metrics REQUIRE crawl data from Screaming Frog or similar:

If you can provide a crawl export with "Inlinks" data, I can analyze:

[ ] Link Equity Flow

**Hub Pages (should receive most internal links):**
| Page | Internal Links Pointing In | Assessment |
|------|---------------------------|------------|
| Homepage | [From crawl data] | [Good/Needs improvement] |
| [Top collection] | [From crawl data] | [Good/Needs improvement] |

**Money Pages (high-revenue products/collections):**
| Page | Revenue | Internal Links | Links Needed |
|------|---------|----------------|--------------|
| [Product/Collection] | $[X]/mo | [From crawl data] | +[X] more |

**Orphan Pages (pages with no internal links):**
[From crawl data - pages with 0 inlinks]

**Fix orphan pages:**
- Add to sitemap
- Link from relevant collection pages
- Link from related products

Without crawl data, I'll provide:

• Manual spot-checks of specific pages you identify
• Recommendations for navigation improvements
• Strategic linking opportunities based on page analysis

[ ] Link Depth Assessment (Requires Crawler)

**⚠️ Accurate link depth requires a crawler to map the entire site.**

If you provide crawl data, I can show:
  | Page Type | Avg Clicks from Home | Target | Status |
  |-----------|---------------------|--------|--------|
  | Top collections | [X] | 1 | [PASS/FAIL] |
  | New products | [X] | 2 | [PASS/FAIL] |
  | Regular products | [X] | 3 | [PASS/FAIL] |

Without crawl data, I'll:
- Manually trace path from homepage to sample products
- Check if key pages are in main navigation (1 click)
- Verify breadcrumb structure

C. Strategic Internal Linking Opportunities

These recommendations are based on best practices and what I can observe from sample pages:

[ ] Hub-and-Spoke Model
  Create content hubs around main categories:
  - Hub: [Collection page - identified from sitemap/navigation]
    - Spoke: Related products (check if linked from collection)
    - Spoke: Blog posts (recommend creating if missing)
    - Spoke: Buying guides (recommend creating if missing)

  Benefits:
  - Improved topical authority
  - Better crawlability
  - Enhanced user experience

  **How to implement:**
  1. Choose main category (e.g., "Running Shoes")
  2. Ensure collection page links to top 10-20 products
  3. Create 2-3 blog posts about category
  4. Link all blog posts back to collection page
  5. Add "Related Articles" section to collection page

[ ] Cross-Linking Strategy (Observable from Sample Pages)

  **Collection ↔ Collection:**
  - I'll check your sample collection pages to see if related categories link to each other
  - Example: "Running Shoes" should link to "Running Apparel"
  - Best practice: 3-5 related collection links per page
  - I'll verify: Does navigation support this? Are there related category sections?

  **Product ↔ Product:**
  - I'll check sample product pages for:
    - "Customers also bought" section (recommend if missing)
    - "Related products" section (recommend if missing)
    - "Complete the look" bundles (recommend if missing)
  - Target: 4-6 related product links per product page
  - Can be implemented via: Shopify apps, custom theme code, or manual curation

  **Blog → Product/Collection:**
  - Every blog post should link to relevant products/collections
  - I'll spot-check blog posts you provide
  - Target: 100% of blog posts should have at least 2-3 product/collection links
  - Recommendation: Add contextual links within blog content, not just sidebar

[ ] Contextual Link Opportunities (I'll Check Sample Pages)

  **Within product descriptions:**
  - Check if products link to related products
  - Check if products link to buying guides
  - Check if products link to size charts/care instructions
  - Recommend additions if missing

  **Within collection descriptions:**
  - Check for links to subcategories
  - Check for links to featured products
  - Check for links to educational content
  - Provide specific examples of where to add

  **Within blog content:**
  - Check sample blog posts for product/collection links
  - Recommend specific opportunities for contextual links
  - Guide on linking strategy: TOFU→MOFU→BOFU

[ ] Navigation Opportunities (Observable from Sample Pages)

  I'll check your:
  - Main navigation structure
  - Footer links (popular categories, important pages)
  - Sidebar/filtered navigation

  Recommendations may include:
  - Add key collections to footer
  - Create "Shop by" sections in navigation
  - Feature best sellers in sidebar
  - Add seasonal categories to homepage

D. Internal Linking Action Plan

Based on what I can analyze from sample pages and any data you provide:

Priority fixes:

**CRITICAL (Observable Issues):**
1. Navigation structure improvements (based on homepage/sample page analysis)
2. Add missing breadcrumbs (if not present on sample pages)
3. Ensure key collections are linked from homepage (verify from homepage fetch)

**HIGH PRIORITY (Best Practice Recommendations):**
1. Implement "related products" sections (if missing from sample product pages)
2. Add cross-links between related collections (based on observed navigation)
3. Ensure blog posts link to relevant products (check sample blog posts)
4. Replace generic anchor texts with descriptive anchors (if found in samples)

**MEDIUM PRIORITY (Strategic Improvements):**
1. Create hub-and-spoke structure for main categories
2. Expand footer links to include important categories
3. Add contextual links within product/collection descriptions

**IF YOU PROVIDE CRAWL DATA:**
- I can identify specific orphan pages (pages with 0 inlinks)
- I can count exact internal links per page
- I can prioritize fixes based on actual metrics (link equity, depth, anchor text distribution)
- I can provide quantified recommendations (e.g., "Fix 47 orphan pages" instead of "improve linking")

Recommended next step if you want comprehensive internal link analysis:

1. Download Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free for up to 500 URLs)
2. Crawl your site
3. Export "Internal" tab with "Inlinks" data
4. Provide CSV file for detailed analysis

---

AUDIT TYPE 1: QUICK TECHNICAL AUDIT

Focus: Crawlability, indexability, schema

What I'll do:

• Fetch and analyze your robots.txt
• Parse your XML sitemap
• Spot-check sample pages for technical issues
• Verify schema markup on sample pages
• Check HTTPS and mobile-friendliness

What I'll need from you:

• Your website URL
• Optional: List of specific pages to check (top products/collections)
• Optional: Crawl data if you want comprehensive 404/redirect checking

Checklist

A. Crawlability Check

# Fetch and analyze robots.txt
curl [domain]/robots.txt

# Check sitemap (and parse for sample URLs)
curl [domain]/sitemap.xml | head -100

I'll verify:

[ ] robots.txt Configuration
  - Exists and properly configured
  - Not blocking important pages (products, collections)
  - Sitemap declared
  - No overly restrictive rules
  - Check for common mistakes (blocking all crawlers, blocking CSS/JS)

[ ] XML Sitemap
  - Exists and accessible at /sitemap.xml
  - Valid XML format
  - Products and collections included
  - Proper priority values (0.0-1.0)
  - Sitemap not exceeding 50,000 URLs per file
  - I'll extract sample URLs to spot-check

[ ] Indexability (Sample Page Check)
  - I'll check sample pages from sitemap for:
    - Unwanted noindex tags
    - Canonical tags pointing correctly
    - Meta robots directives
    - Important pages are indexable

⚠️ **Note:** Comprehensive 404/redirect checking requires crawl data or a full site crawl tool.

B. URL Structure & Redirects

[ ] URL Structure
  - Clean, descriptive URLs
  - Lowercase URLs only
  - Hyphens as separators (not underscores)
  - Logical hierarchy: /collections/category/product-name
  - No unnecessary parameters
  - Products reachable in 3 clicks from homepage

[ ] Redirect Check
  - No redirect chains (A->B->C)
  - 301 redirects for permanently moved pages
  - No 302 redirects where 301 should be used
  - Discontinued products properly redirected
  - Old URLs from replatforming redirected

[ ] Canonical Tags
  - Self-referencing canonicals on all pages
  - Handles duplicate content (variants, filters)
  - Pagination handled correctly

[ ] Faceted Navigation / Filter Parameters
  CRITICAL ECOMMERCE ISSUE: Filters creating duplicate URLs

  Check for duplicate URLs from filters:
  - /shoes vs /shoes?color=red
  - /shoes?color=red&size=10
  - /shoes?sort=price

  Current handling:
  [ ] Canonical tags point filtered URLs to main collection
  [ ] robots.txt blocks filter parameters
  [ ] URL parameter handling configured in GSC
  [ ] OR: Filters use AJAX (no URL change)

  If misconfigured:
  - Crawl budget waste
  - Duplicate content issues
  - Thin content pages indexed

  Recommended solution:
  - Use canonical tags to main collection page
  - Block filter parameters in robots.txt
  - Example: Disallow: /*?color=

[ ] Out-of-Stock / Discontinued Products
  CRITICAL ECOMMERCE ISSUE: How are unavailable products handled?

  Strategy check:
  [ ] Temporarily out of stock:
    - Keep page live with "out of stock" notice
    - Add expected restock date if available
    - Use schema: "availability": "OutOfStock"
    - Keep indexed (will be back in stock)

  [ ] Permanently discontinued:
    - 301 redirect to similar product OR
    - 301 redirect to parent category
    - DO NOT return 404 (loses link equity)
    - DO NOT leave indexed with "out of stock"

  [ ] Seasonal products:
    - Keep live during off-season
    - Show "available [season/month]"
    - Maintain for returning traffic

  COMMON MISTAKES TO FLAG:
  - Discontinued products returning 404 (should 301)
  - Out of stock products removed (should stay live)
  - No schema markup indicating availability status
  - Out of stock products still showing in sitemap as available

C. Schema Markup Validation

[ ] Product Schema (Product Pages)
  Required properties:
  - name
  - image (high-quality product image URL)
  - description
  - sku
  - brand
  - offers (price, priceCurrency, availability)
  - aggregateRating (if reviews exist)
  - review (individual reviews)

  Test with: validator.schema.org

[ ] Breadcrumb Schema
  - Shows navigation hierarchy
  - Helps Google understand site structure

[ ] Organization Schema (Homepage)
  - Business name, logo, contact info
  - Social media profiles

[ ] FAQ Schema (Where applicable)
  - Common product questions
  - Can trigger FAQ rich snippets

[ ] Review/AggregateRating Schema
  - Star ratings display in search results
  - Must be genuine customer reviews
  - Validates correctly

D. Mobile Optimization

[ ] Mobile Responsive
  - Site is mobile-friendly
  - No horizontal scrolling
  - Text readable without zooming
  - Touch targets adequate size (minimum 48x48px)

[ ] Mobile-Specific Issues
  - No Flash or unsupported technologies
  - Mobile viewport configured correctly
  - Tap targets not too close together

E. HTTPS & Security

[ ] SSL Certificate
  - Valid SSL certificate
  - All pages served via HTTPS
  - No mixed content warnings
  - HTTP -> HTTPS redirects in place
  - HSTS header present (optional but recommended)

F. Site Architecture (Observable from Sample Pages)

[ ] Navigation Structure
  - I'll check your homepage and sample pages for:
    - Logical category hierarchy in navigation
    - Main navigation links to key collections
    - Breadcrumbs implementation
    - Footer links to important pages
    - Mobile navigation structure

[ ] Internal Link Distribution (Limited Without Crawl Data)
  - I'll verify best practices on sample pages:
    - Navigation includes important categories
    - Footer includes key pages
    - Products/collections have contextual internal links

  ⚠️ **For comprehensive internal link analysis:**
  - Total internal links per page
  - Link equity flow mapping
  - Link depth calculations across entire site

  **You'll need to provide:** Crawl export from Screaming Frog/Sitebulb with "Inlinks" data

Output: Health score (0-100) with top 3 critical issues and top 3 quick wins based on verifiable checks.

---

AUDIT TYPE 2: PRODUCT PAGE AUDIT

Focus: Product page optimization

Process

Step 1: Select Products to Audit

Ask user for:

• Option A: Specific product URLs to audit (5-10 products)
• Option B: Analyze best-selling products
• Option C: Analyze products for specific keyword

Step 2: Product Page Element Analysis

For each product, check:

[ ] Title Tag (50-60 characters)
  Formula: [Primary Keyword] - [Brand] | [Value Prop]
  Example: "Men's Running Shoes - Nike Air Max | Free Shipping"

  GOOD: Includes keyword, brand, under 60 chars
  BAD: Keyword stuffed, too long, generic

[ ] Meta Description (150-160 characters)
  Formula: [Benefit] + [Features] + [CTA]
  Example: "Lightweight Nike Air Max with superior cushioning. Free shipping & returns. Shop now!"

  GOOD: Compelling, includes USP, CTA
  BAD: Too short, no CTA, duplicate

[ ] H1 Heading
  **IMPORTANT: Follow "HEADING VERIFICATION PROTOCOL" section before making claims**

  Run verification command first:
  curl -s "[url]" | grep -o '<h1[^>]*>[^<]*</h1>' | head -10

  Count: [X] H1 tags (MUST be exactly 1)
  Actual H1 tag(s) found: [Show the actual H1 tag from curl output]
  Content: [Current H1 text]
  Contains primary keyword: [Yes/No]
  Matches search intent: [Yes/No]

  ISSUES TO FLAG (only with verification):
  - Multiple H1 tags (confuses search engines about page topic)
  - H1 missing primary keyword
  - H1 doesn't match title tag intent

  **Show actual H1 tags in your report - do not claim issues without evidence**

[ ] Title Tag Duplication Check
  Title: [Current title]
  Duplicate check: [Unique/Duplicate]
  If duplicate, also used on: [List URLs]

  CRITICAL: Search for this exact title across site
  - Each page needs unique title
  - Common issue: All products in category share same title template

[ ] Product Description
  Length: [X] words
  Unique: [Yes/No] - Check if copied from manufacturer
  Duplicate check: [Unique/Duplicate] - Compare to other products
  Keyword density: [X]% (target: 1-2%)

  **COMPETITOR-BASED CONTENT ANALYSIS:**
  If keyword provided, check top 5 ranking product pages:
  - Competitor average word count: [X] words
  - Your word count: [X] words
  - Gap: +/- [X] words
  - **Recommendation: Match or exceed competitor average**

  CONTENT LENGTH GUIDELINES (Use as baseline if no competitor data):
  - Simple products: 100-150 words acceptable
  - Standard products: 150-250 words
  - High-value/competitive products: 250-400 words
  - Complex products (tech, appliances): 300-500+ words

  **For competitive keywords: Let competitor average guide the target**

  THIN CONTENT FLAGS:
  - Under 50 words: CRITICAL (too thin)
  - Significantly below competitor average (>40% less): HIGH PRIORITY
  - 50-100 words for competitive keyword: Expand to match competitors
  - Focus on UNIQUE content over length
  - Quality > quantity for product descriptions

  CRITICAL ISSUES:
  - Manufacturer copy: Rewrite with unique content
  - Duplicate across products: Each needs unique description
  - No description at all: CRITICAL
  - Generic descriptions ("Great product!"): Needs specifics
  - Below competitor average for target keyword: Expand content

  Structure check:
  [ ] Opening paragraph (what it is + benefit)
  [ ] Key features (bulleted)
  [ ] Use cases / who it's for
  [ ] Technical specifications
  [ ] Shipping/returns info

[ ] Images
  Count: [X] images (target: 6-8, minimum: 1)
  Format: [JPG/WebP/PNG]
  File names: Descriptive? [Yes/No]
  Alt text: Present? Optimized? [Yes/No]
  Working: All images load? [Yes/No]

  CRITICAL CHECKS:
  [ ] At least 1 product image present (missing = CRITICAL issue)
  [ ] No broken image links (404 errors)
  [ ] No placeholder images (image-placeholder.jpg, no-image.png)
  [ ] Multiple angles (front, back, detail shots)
  [ ] Zoom functionality available
  [ ] Descriptive file names (not IMG_1234.jpg)
  [ ] Each image has unique, descriptive alt text

  COMMON ISSUES:
  - Product has no images at all
  - Images return 404 errors
  - Using generic placeholder images
  - All images have same alt text ("product image")

[ ] Internal Linking
  Links to related products: [X]
  Links to collections: [X]
  Links to guides/blog: [X]
  Target: 3-5 contextual internal links
  Anchor text: Descriptive and varied

[ ] User-Generated Content
  [ ] Customer reviews present
  [ ] Q&A section
  [ ] User photos
  [ ] Reviews indexed (not hidden in iframe/JS)

[ ] Product Schema
  [ ] Implemented correctly
  [ ] Passes validation (validator.schema.org)
  [ ] Includes: name, image, price, availability
  [ ] Includes: reviews, ratings (if available)
  [ ] Includes: SKU, brand, GTIN/UPC
  [ ] Rich results eligible

[ ] Variants Handling
  [ ] Color/size variants managed properly
  [ ] Canonical tags used correctly
  [ ] OR: Single page with selectors (preferred)
  [ ] Each variant has unique content if separate pages

[ ] Above-the-Fold Elements
  [ ] Add-to-cart button visible
  [ ] Price clearly displayed
  [ ] Stock availability shown
  [ ] Trust signals (shipping, returns, guarantee)
  [ ] Product images visible

[ ] Content Quality
  [ ] Unique product description (not manufacturer copy)
  [ ] Benefits explained, not just features
  [ ] Answers common customer questions
  [ ] No spelling/grammar errors
  [ ] Proper formatting and readability

Step 3: Competitor Comparison

If keyword provided, fetch top 5 ranking product pages and compare:

Element	Your Site	Comp 1	Comp 2	Comp 3	Comp 4	Comp 5	Competitor Avg	Gap
Title length	X chars	X	X	X	X	X	X chars	+/- X
Description words	X	X	X	X	X	X	X words	+/- X
Images	X	X	X	X	X	X	X images	+/- X
Schema	Yes/No	Y/N	Y/N	Y/N	Y/N	Y/N	X/5 have it	-
Reviews	X	X	X	X	X	X	X avg	+/- X
Internal links	X	X	X	X	X	X	X avg	+/- X
Unique content	Yes/No	Y/N	Y/N	Y/N	Y/N	Y/N	X/5 unique	-

CRITICAL: Use competitor average to set targets

Content Length Recommendation:

• Competitor average: [X] words
• Your content: [X] words
• Target: Match or exceed average by 10-20%
• Recommended word count: [Competitor avg + 20%] words

Gap analysis: What are competitors doing better?

Step 4: Prioritized Recommendations

CRITICAL (Fix Now):

• [Specific issue with example]

HIGH PRIORITY (This Week):

• [Specific issue with example]

MEDIUM PRIORITY (This Month):

• [Specific issue with example]

Output: Detailed product page report with before/after examples for each recommendation.

---

AUDIT TYPE 3: COLLECTION PAGE AUDIT

Focus: Category/collection page optimization

Collection pages are high-leverage SEO assets targeting high-volume category keywords.

Process

Step 1: Select Collections to Audit

Ask user:

• Main collection pages to audit (e.g., "Men's Shoes", "Athletic Wear")
• OR: Collections for specific keywords

Step 2: Collection Page Analysis

For each collection:

[ ] Title Tag (50-60 characters)
  Formula: [Category Keyword] | [Brand] - [Value Prop]
  Current: [X]
  Recommendation: [Y]

[ ] Meta Description (150-160 characters)
  Current: [X]
  Recommendation: [Y]

[ ] Title Tag Duplication Check
  Title: [Current title]
  Duplicate check: [Unique/Duplicate]
  If duplicate, also used on: [List URLs]

  COMMON ISSUE: Multiple collection pages sharing same title
  - Check: "Shop [Category]" used across all collections
  - Each collection needs unique, keyword-specific title

[ ] H1 Heading
  **IMPORTANT: Follow "HEADING VERIFICATION PROTOCOL" section before making claims**

  Run verification command first:
  curl -s "[url]" | grep -o '<h1[^>]*>[^<]*</h1>' | head -10

  Count: [X] H1 tags (MUST be exactly 1)
  Actual H1 tag(s) found: [Show the actual H1 tag from curl output]
  Content: [Current H1]
  Contains primary keyword: [Yes/No]
  Should match primary category keyword

  ISSUES TO FLAG (only with verification):
  - Multiple H1 tags on page
  - H1 missing category keyword
  - Generic H1 like "Products" or "Shop Now"

  **Show actual H1 tags in your report - do not claim issues without evidence**

  Current: [X]
  Recommendation: [Y]

[ ] Category Description Content

  CRITICAL: Check for THIN CATEGORY PAGE issue

  **Step 1: Analyze competitor content (if keyword provided)**

  Use WebSearch to check top 5 ranking collection pages for this keyword:
  - Competitor 1 word count: [X]
  - Competitor 2 word count: [X]
  - Competitor 3 word count: [X]
  - Competitor 4 word count: [X]
  - Competitor 5 word count: [X]
  - **Competitor average: [X] words**

  **Step 2: Compare your content**

  **Above the fold (intro content):**
  Current word count: [X]
  Competitor average for intro: [X] words
  Gap: +/- [X] words
  Keyword usage: [X] times
  Quality: [Assessment]

  **Below product grid (buying guides/FAQ):**
  Current word count: [X]
  Competitor average for bottom content: [X] words
  Gap: +/- [X] words
  Present: [Yes/No]

  **Total page content:**
  Your total: [X] words
  Competitor average: [X] words
  **RECOMMENDATION: Target [Competitor avg + 20%] words**

  **THIN CONTENT FLAGS:**
  - If significantly below competitor average (>30% less)
  - If no content below product grid but competitors have it
  - If under 300 words total when competitors average 800+

  If missing or thin compared to competitors, recommend structure:

  1. Category overview (200 words)
  2. Buying guide section:
     - What to look for when buying
     - Types/subcategories explained
     - How to choose the right product
     - Popular brands
     - Price ranges
  3. Internal links to subcategories (3-5)
  4. Internal links to blog content (2-3)
  5. FAQ section (3-5 questions)

  Keyword optimization:
  - Primary keyword: [X] times (target: 3-5)
  - Semantic variations: [X] times (target: 5-10)
  - Readability: [Assessment]
  - Natural keyword usage (not stuffed)

[ ] Internal Linking Strategy

  **Parent-child relationships:**
  - Links to parent category: [Yes/No]
  - Links to subcategories: [X] (target: 3-5)

  **Horizontal linking:**
  - Links to related categories: [X] (target: 3-5)

  **Hub-and-spoke:**
  - Collection acts as hub: [Yes/No]
  - Links to featured products: [X]
  - Links FROM blog content: [X]

  **Breadcrumbs:**
  - Implemented: [Yes/No]
  - Schema markup: [Yes/No]

[ ] Product Grid Optimization
  - Default sorting: [Current] (recommend: best sellers/relevance)
  - Filtering options: [List filters]
  - Pagination type: [Numbered/Infinite/Load more]
  - Product count shown: [Yes/No]
  - All products crawlable: [Yes/No]

[ ] Faceted Navigation Handling
  - Filter parameters create duplicates: [Yes/No]
  - Canonical tags used: [Yes/No]
  - Parameter handling strategy: [Current approach]
  - Recommendation: [Canonical/robots.txt/URL parameters tool]

[ ] Collection-Specific Elements
  [ ] Featured/best-selling products highlighted
  [ ] Category banner image
  [ ] Trust signals (reviews, ratings)
  [ ] "Shop by" sections (brand, price, etc.)
  [ ] Sale/promotion badges
  [ ] Product count displayed

Step 3: Internal Linking Audit

Analyze:

• How many internal links point TO this collection page
• What anchor text is used
• Are important collections getting enough link equity
• Is collection linked from homepage navigation

Recommend:

• Add navigation links from homepage (for top collections)
• Add contextual links from blog content
• Add cross-links from related collections
• Feature in footer for important categories

Step 4: Content Gap Analysis

CRITICAL: Use competitor data to set realistic targets

If keyword provided:

• Search for "[keyword]" and analyze top 5 results

Content Depth Comparison:

Metric	Your Site	Comp 1	Comp 2	Comp 3	Comp 4	Comp 5	Avg	Gap
Total words	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	+/- X
H2 sections	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	+/- X
FAQ questions	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	+/- X
Internal links	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	+/- X
Buying guide	Y/N	Y/N	Y/N	Y/N	Y/N	Y/N	X/5	-

Content Gap Questions:

• What content do they have that you don't?
• What questions do they answer?
• What internal linking do they use?
• What buying guide elements do they include?

Set Target Based on Competitor Average:

• Recommended word count: [Competitor avg + 15-20%]
• Recommended sections: [List based on what 3+ competitors have]
• Recommended FAQ count: [Match or exceed competitor average]

Output: Collection page optimization guide with content template and internal linking map.

---

AUDIT TYPE 4: LOG FILE ANALYSIS

Focus: Crawl budget optimization

Log file analysis reveals how search engines actually crawl your site, identifying wasted crawl budget and missed opportunities.

What is Log File Analysis?

Server log files record every request to your website, including:

• URL requested
• Timestamp
• User-agent (Googlebot, Bingbot, etc.)
• Status code (200, 404, 301, etc.)
• IP address

For ecommerce sites, log analysis helps:

• Identify crawl budget waste on low-value pages
• Ensure high-revenue products get crawled frequently
• Find crawl traps (faceted navigation, filters)
• Detect orphan pages
• Optimize site architecture for crawlers

Prerequisites

User must provide:

• Server log files (Apache, Nginx, IIS format)
• Date range for analysis (recommend: 30 days)
• Access to logs (FTP, server access, or tool integration)

Analysis Process

Step 1: Log File Collection

Where to find logs:

• Apache: /var/log/apache2/access.log
• Nginx: /var/log/nginx/access.log
• Shared hosting: Usually in cPanel or hosting dashboard
• CDN logs: Cloudflare, Fastly logs

Tools to use:

• Screaming Frog Log File Analyser
• Semrush Log File Analysis
• OnCrawl Log Analyzer
• JetOctopus
• Manual analysis with command line

Step 2: Filter for Search Engine Crawlers

Focus on Googlebot requests:

# Extract Googlebot requests
grep "Googlebot" access.log > googlebot.log

# Count Googlebot requests
grep -c "Googlebot" access.log

# Find most crawled URLs
grep "Googlebot" access.log | awk '{print $7}' | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn | head -50

Key metrics to calculate:

[ ] Total Crawl Volume
  - Total requests from Googlebot in period
  - Daily average crawl rate
  - Trend: increasing/decreasing/stable

[ ] Crawl Budget Distribution
  - % spent on homepage: [X]%
  - % spent on collection pages: [X]%
  - % spent on product pages: [X]%
  - % spent on other pages: [X]%
  - % spent on non-indexable pages: [X]% (WASTE)

[ ] Page Type Breakdown
  | Page Type | Requests | % of Total | Priority | Assessment |
  |-----------|----------|------------|----------|------------|
  | Products | X | X% | High | Good/Bad |
  | Collections | X | X% | High | Good/Bad |
  | Homepage | X | X% | Medium | Good/Bad |
  | Blog | X | X% | Medium | Good/Bad |
  | Filters/Facets | X | X% | Low | WASTE |
  | Pagination | X | X% | Low | Review |
  | Search results | X | X% | Low | WASTE |
  | Checkout/cart | X | X% | None | WASTE |
  | Admin | X | X% | None | BLOCK |

Step 3: Identify Crawl Budget Waste

Common ecommerce crawl traps:

[ ] Faceted Navigation Waste
  Problem: Googlebot crawls every filter combination
  Example: /shoes?color=red&size=10&brand=nike&price=50-100

  Identify:
  - Count URLs with filter parameters
  - Calculate % of crawl budget on filtered URLs

  Solution:
  - Block in robots.txt: Disallow: /*?color=
  - Use canonical tags to main collection
  - Implement URL parameter handling in GSC

[ ] Pagination Crawl Waste
  Problem: Excessive crawling of paginated pages
  Example: /collection?page=47 (low-value page)

  Identify:
  - Requests to page=10+ (deep pagination)
  - How much budget spent on pagination

  Solution:
  - Use rel="next/prev" OR
  - Canonical to page 1 OR
  - Implement "view all" page with canonical

[ ] Search Results Pages
  Problem: Internal search URLs getting crawled
  Example: /search?q=shoes

  Identify:
  - Requests to /search URLs

  Solution:
  - Block in robots.txt: Disallow: /search
  - Noindex search results pages

[ ] Sort/Filter Parameters
  Problem: Multiple URLs for same content
  Example: /collection?sort=price vs /collection?sort=name

  Identify:
  - URLs with sort= parameters

  Solution:
  - Canonical tags to default sorting
  - Block in robots.txt

[ ] Session IDs / Tracking Parameters
  Problem: Infinite URL variations
  Example: /product?sessionid=abc123

  Identify:
  - URLs with session/tracking parameters

  Solution:
  - Fix: Don't use URL parameters for sessions
  - Use cookies instead

[ ] Low-Value Pages Being Crawled
  - /cart, /checkout, /account pages
  - /admin or /wp-admin
  - Development/staging URLs
  - Old discontinued products

  Solution: Block in robots.txt

Step 4: Identify Under-Crawled Pages

Find important pages NOT being crawled:

[ ] New Products Not Crawled
  - Products added in last 30 days
  - How many have 0 crawls?
  - Why: Poor internal linking, no sitemap, orphaned

  Solution:
  - Add to sitemap immediately
  - Add internal links from collection pages
  - Feature on homepage

[ ] High-Revenue Products Under-Crawled
  - Top 100 revenue-generating products
  - Are they crawled weekly? Daily?

  Solution:
  - Feature prominently on homepage
  - Link from multiple collection pages
  - Add to "best sellers" section

[ ] Key Collection Pages Under-Crawled
  - Main category pages
  - Should be crawled multiple times per day

  Solution:
  - Add to main navigation
  - Link from homepage
  - Improve internal linking strategy

Step 5: Response Code Analysis

Status code distribution:

[ ] HTTP Status Codes from Googlebot Perspective

| Status Code | Count | % | Issue |
|-------------|-------|---|-------|
| 200 (Success) | X | X% | GOOD |
| 301 (Redirect) | X | X% | Review |
| 302 (Temp Redirect) | X | X% | Should be 301? |
| 404 (Not Found) | X | X% | Fix or redirect |
| 500 (Server Error) | X | X% | Critical issue |
| 503 (Unavailable) | X | X% | Critical issue |

Issues to fix:
- High 404 rate: Broken internal links or discontinued products
- 500/503 errors: Server/performance issues
- 302 instead of 301: Permanent redirects not set correctly

Step 6: Crawl Frequency Analysis

How often are pages crawled?

[ ] Crawl Frequency by Page Type

| Page Type | Avg Crawl Frequency | Target | Status |
|-----------|---------------------|--------|--------|
| Homepage | Every X hours | Every 1-4 hours | PASS/FAIL |
| Top collections | Every X days | Daily | PASS/FAIL |
| New products | Every X days | Within 7 days | PASS/FAIL |
| Old products | Every X days | Monthly OK | PASS/FAIL |

Recommendations:
- Homepage: Should be crawled multiple times daily
- New products: Should be discovered within 1 week
- High-revenue products: Should be crawled weekly
- Discontinued products: Can be crawled monthly or blocked

Step 7: Discover Orphan Pages

Pages not in sitemap but being crawled:

# Find URLs Googlebot found that aren't in your sitemap
# This reveals orphan pages or pages you thought were blocked

OR: Pages in sitemap but never crawled:

[ ] Orphan Page Analysis
  - Pages with 0 crawls in 30 days
  - Pages not in sitemap but discovered by Google

  Action:
  - Add important orphans to sitemap
  - Add internal links to orphans
  - Remove/redirect unimportant orphans

Step 8: Time-Based Patterns

When does Googlebot crawl most?

[ ] Crawl Pattern Analysis
  - Peak crawl hours: [X-Y UTC]
  - Slowest crawl period: [X-Y UTC]

  Optimization:
  - Schedule deploys outside peak crawl hours
  - Publish new products during peak crawl times
  - Avoid site maintenance during peak hours

Step 9: Recommendations & Action Plan

Based on analysis, provide:

## Log File Analysis Summary

**Audit Period:** [Start Date] - [End Date]
**Total Googlebot Requests:** [X]
**Daily Average:** [X] requests/day

### Crawl Budget Distribution

- EFFICIENT: [X]% on high-value pages (products/collections)
- REVIEW: [X]% on medium-value pages (blog, pagination)
- WASTE: [X]% on low-value pages (filters, search, admin)

### Critical Issues Found

1. **[X]% crawl budget wasted on faceted navigation**
   - Impact: High
   - Solution: Block filter parameters in robots.txt
   - Estimated savings: [X] requests/day reallocated to products

2. **[X] new products not crawled in 30 days**
   - Impact: High
   - Solution: Improve internal linking, feature on homepage
   - Estimated impact: Products indexed within 7 days

3. **[X]% of requests return 404 errors**
   - Impact: Medium
   - Solution: Fix broken links, redirect discontinued products
   - Estimated savings: [X] wasted requests/day

### Quick Wins

1. Block crawl waste in robots.txt (save [X]% of budget)
2. Add top products to homepage (increase crawl frequency)
3. Fix 404 errors (improve crawl efficiency)

### robots.txt Optimizations

Block faceted navigation

Disallow: /?color= Disallow: /?size= Disallow: /?price= Disallow: /&

Block search results

Disallow: /search

Block user account pages

Disallow: /cart Disallow: /checkout Disallow: /account

Block admin

Disallow: /admin

### Internal Linking Improvements

- Add [X] new products to homepage "New Arrivals"
- Link top-revenue products from multiple collections
- Create "Best Sellers" section linking to high-value products
- Improve breadcrumb navigation

### Expected Impact

After implementing recommendations:
- Crawl efficiency: +[X]%
- New product indexation: [X] days to [X] days
- Crawl budget reallocated to high-value pages: +[X]%

Output: Comprehensive log file analysis report with crawl budget optimization roadmap.

---

AUDIT TYPE 5: COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

Focus: Analyze top 5 competitors for target keywords

Process

Step 1: Keyword & Competitor Setup

Ask user:

• Target keyword(s): Primary keyword to analyze (e.g., "men's running shoes")
• Competitor URLs (optional): If they know their competitors
• Country/region: For localized results

Step 2: Identify Top 5 Competitors

Use WebSearch to find current top 5 ranking pages for the keyword:

Search: "[keyword]"
Region: [country]

Top 5 Organic Results:
1. [URL] - [Domain]
2. [URL] - [Domain]
3. [URL] - [Domain]
4. [URL] - [Domain]
5. [URL] - [Domain]

SERP Features Present:
[ ] Featured Snippet (owned by: [domain])
[ ] People Also Ask
[ ] Shopping results
[ ] Image pack
[ ] Video carousel
[ ] Local pack

Step 3: Comprehensive Competitor Analysis

For each of the top 5 competitors:

## Competitor #1: [Domain]
Ranking URL: [URL]
Position: #1

### A. Page-Level SEO Analysis

[ ] Title Tag
  Content: [X]
  Length: [X] chars
  Keyword placement: [Beginning/Middle/End]
  Formula used: [Pattern observed]

[ ] Meta Description
  Content: [X]
  Length: [X] chars
  CTA present: [Yes/No]
  USPs mentioned: [List]

[ ] URL Structure
  URL: [X]
  Clean/descriptive: [Yes/No]
  Keyword in URL: [Yes/No]

[ ] H1 Heading
  Content: [X]
  Matches keyword: [Yes/No]

[ ] Content Analysis
  Word count: [X] words
  Content type: [Product page/Collection/Blog/Guide]
  Content structure:
    - Opening paragraph: [Summary]
    - Main sections: [List H2s]
    - Internal links: [X]
    - External links: [X]

  Keyword usage:
    - Primary keyword: [X] times
    - Semantic keywords: [List top 5]

  Content quality:
    - Unique: [Yes/No]
    - Depth: [Superficial/Moderate/Comprehensive]
    - User intent match: [Informational/Commercial/Transactional]

[ ] Images
  Count: [X]
  Alt text optimized: [Yes/No]
  Format: [JPG/WebP/PNG]
  Descriptive file names: [Yes/No]

[ ] Schema Markup
  Product schema: [Yes/No]
  Review schema: [Yes/No]
  Breadcrumb schema: [Yes/No]
  FAQ schema: [Yes/No]
  Other: [List]

  Rich results shown in SERP: [Yes/No - describe]

[ ] Internal Linking
  Links from navigation: [Yes/No]
  Links from homepage: [Yes/No]
  Links from related pages: [X]
  Breadcrumbs: [Yes/No]

### B. User Experience Elements

[ ] Trust Signals
  Customer reviews: [X] reviews, [X] stars
  Trust badges: [List]
  Guarantees: [List]
  Social proof: [Describe]

[ ] Call-to-Action
  Primary CTA: [Text]
  Placement: [Above fold/Below fold]
  Style: [Button/Link/Other]

[ ] Product/Collection Features (if applicable)
  Product count: [X]
  Filtering options: [List]
  Sorting options: [List]
  Featured products: [Yes/No]

### C. Backlink Profile (if tool available)

  Referring domains: [X]
  Total backlinks: [X]
  Domain authority: [X]
  Top linking sites: [List top 5]