8 Ahrefs Site Audit Substitutes: Top Tools for In-Depth Technical SEO Analysis

Technical SEO audits are key for finding and fixing website issues.

They help improve how well a site works and shows up in search results.

Many people use Ahrefs for these checks, but there are other good options too.

This article looks at eight tools you can use instead of Ahrefs for technical SEO audits. These substitutes offer features to check your site’s health, find problems, and suggest fixes. You’ll learn about different choices that can help you make your website better for both users and search engines.

1) SEMrush Site Audit

SEMrush Site Audit is a powerful tool for checking your website’s health.

It scans your site for over 130 technical and SEO issues.

You can easily set up crawls for your website.

SEMrush will then show you a list of problems, sorted by how serious they are.

The tool gives you an overall health score for your site.

This helps you see how well you’re doing compared to other sites in your industry.

SEMrush Site Audit checks things like broken links, slow pages, and missing meta tags.

It also looks at more complex issues like Core Web Vitals.

You get clear advice on how to fix each problem.

This makes it easier to improve your site’s SEO and user experience.

The tool creates reports that are easy to read and share.

You can use these to show your progress to clients or team members.

SEMrush Site Audit works well with other SEMrush tools.

This means you can do keyword research and track rankings alongside your technical SEO work.

You can set up regular crawls to keep an eye on your site’s health over time.

This helps you catch new issues quickly before they become big problems.

2) Moz Pro Site Crawl

Moz Pro Site Crawl is a powerful tool for technical SEO audits.

It scans your website to find various issues that might affect your search engine rankings.

The tool automatically crawls your site weekly and alerts you to new and critical problems.

This helps you fix issues before they become major setbacks.

You can use Moz Pro Site Crawl to spot problems like duplicate content, redirect loops, and crawler errors.

It provides clear insights into these technical SEO issues.

One helpful feature is the ability to ignore certain issues.

This lets you focus on the most important problems without getting distracted by minor ones.

Moz Pro Site Crawl works well for both small and large websites.

It can handle bigger site audits, making it useful for larger brands with more complex sites.

The tool gives you an overall SEO health score for your site.

This score helps you track improvements over time as you fix the issues it finds.

Moz Pro Site Crawl also offers advice on how to fix the problems it discovers.

This guidance can be very helpful, especially if you’re new to technical SEO.

3) Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a powerful tool for website crawling and SEO auditing.

It helps you find and fix common SEO issues on your site.

You can use Screaming Frog to check for broken links, analyze page titles and meta descriptions, and find duplicate content.

The tool crawls your entire website, giving you a complete picture of your site’s structure.

Screaming Frog offers both free and paid versions.

The free version lets you crawl up to 500 URLs, while the paid version removes this limit and adds more features.

To start an audit, simply enter your website URL into the tool.

Screaming Frog will then crawl your site and provide a detailed report of any issues it finds.

One of Screaming Frog’s strengths is its ability to audit redirects during site migrations.

This feature helps ensure that your old URLs properly redirect to new ones, maintaining your site’s SEO value.

The tool also checks for technical SEO elements like robots.txt files, XML sitemaps, and canonical tags.

It can identify slow-loading pages and help you optimize your site’s performance.

Screaming Frog integrates with other SEO tools and can export data in various formats.

This makes it easy to share reports with your team or clients.

4) Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool that helps you monitor and improve your website’s performance in Google search results.

It’s a great alternative to Ahrefs Site Audit for technical SEO audits.

You can use Google Search Console to check your site’s overall health.

It shows you important issues like manual penalties or security problems right on the overview page.

The tool lets you identify and fix technical SEO issues.

You can see how Google crawls and indexes your pages, which is crucial for improving your search visibility.

Google Search Console provides data on your site’s search performance.

You can see which queries bring traffic to your site and how your pages rank for different keywords.

The URL inspection tool is handy for technical audits.

It lets you check specific URLs to see how Google views them and if there are any indexing or crawling issues.

You can also use Google Search Console to submit sitemaps and request indexing for new or updated content.

This helps ensure Google can find and index your important pages quickly.

Remember to check the Coverage report regularly.

It shows you which pages are indexed and which ones have errors, helping you spot and fix technical issues promptly.

5) DeepCrawl

DeepCrawl is a powerful site auditing tool designed for big websites and complex SEO needs.

It’s built to handle large-scale crawls and provide in-depth analysis.

You can use DeepCrawl to scan multiple domains at once.

This feature is handy if you manage several websites or work with many clients.

The tool offers custom crawl settings.

You can tailor your audits based on specific geographic areas or device types.

This lets you focus on the most relevant data for your target audience.

DeepCrawl gives detailed reports on technical SEO issues.

It checks things like page speed, broken links, and duplicate content.

You’ll get clear insights into what needs fixing on your site.

One standout feature is DeepCrawl’s ability to simulate search engine crawlers.

This helps you see your site the way Google does, spotting potential indexing problems.

The tool also tracks changes over time.

You can easily see if your SEO efforts are working or if new issues have popped up since your last audit.

While DeepCrawl is packed with features, it may be overkill for smaller sites.

It’s best suited for enterprise brands, eCommerce sites, publishers, and agencies that need robust analysis tools.

6) Sitebulb

Sitebulb is a powerful tool for technical SEO audits.

It offers a user-friendly interface and comprehensive crawling capabilities.

You can use Sitebulb to find and fix various website issues.

The tool scans for over 170 technical SEO problems.

It groups these issues into major categories, making it easier for you to tackle them.

Sitebulb checks things like slow pages, Core Web Vitals, and heavy CSS or HTML.

One of Sitebulb’s strengths is its ability to visualize data.

You’ll get clear charts and graphs that help you understand your site’s performance at a glance.

This visual approach can save you time when analyzing complex data.

Sitebulb also provides an advanced Single Page Analysis tool.

You can use this feature for in-depth examinations of individual pages.

It’s particularly helpful for new business audits or competitor analysis.

The software offers detailed recommendations on how to fix the issues it finds.

This guidance can be invaluable, especially if you’re new to technical SEO.

You’ll learn not just what’s wrong, but how to make it right.

Sitebulb allows you to compare different audits easily.

This feature lets you track changes over time and measure the impact of your SEO efforts.

You can quickly see which problems you’ve solved and which new ones have appeared.

7) Netpeak Spider

Netpeak Spider is a desktop application that offers comprehensive automated technical SEO audits for Windows and macOS users.

This tool stands out for its ability to run in-depth site checks while using minimal RAM.

You can use Netpeak Spider to find and fix a wide range of SEO issues.

It helps you detect broken links, duplicate pages, and faulty meta tags that could be hurting your site’s performance.

One of Netpeak Spider’s strengths is its detailed issue reporting.

For each problem it finds, you get a clear description of the threat level and tips on how to fix it.

This makes it easier for you to prioritize and address issues.

The tool also allows you to break down your audit by site structure.

This feature helps you understand how different parts of your website are performing in terms of SEO.

Netpeak Spider offers a batch export function for individual analysis components.

This can save you time when you need to review specific aspects of your site’s performance.

You can also use Netpeak Spider to check the quality of your external links.

It helps you find broken links, links to slow-loading pages, and links to potentially harmful websites.

With its user-friendly interface and powerful features, Netpeak Spider is a solid choice for conducting thorough technical SEO audits.

8) OnCrawl

OnCrawl is a powerful technical SEO platform that offers a comprehensive site audit tool.

It crawls your website and collects data to analyze various aspects of your SEO performance.

With OnCrawl, you can find and fix technical issues on your site.

It helps you identify problems like orphan pages, hreflang errors, and canonical conflicts.

The platform provides detailed guidelines and recommendations to improve your site’s technical health.

This makes it easier for you to prioritize and address the most critical issues.

OnCrawl’s audit tool allows you to check your on-page fundamentals.

You can review elements like meta descriptions, title tags, and other important on-page SEO factors.

One of OnCrawl’s strengths is its ability to help you reduce server load.

It provides insights on how to optimize Google’s crawls of your site, potentially improving your overall site performance.

The platform offers a user-friendly interface that visualizes key data in charts and graphs.

This makes it easier for you to understand and interpret the audit results.

OnCrawl also allows you to track your site’s SEO progress over time.

You can run regular audits and compare results to see how your efforts are paying off.

Key Components Of Technical SEO Audits

Technical SEO audits check critical elements that impact your website’s search engine visibility and user experience.

These audits focus on the technical aspects that can make or break your site’s performance in search results.

Crawlability And Indexability

Crawlability refers to how easily search engines can access and navigate your site.

To improve crawlability, check your robots.txt file for any accidental blocking of important pages.

Make sure your XML sitemap is up-to-date and properly submitted to search engines.

Indexability is about ensuring search engines can understand and index your content.

Look for issues like duplicate content, thin content, or pages with noindex tags.

Fix broken links and redirect chains that may prevent proper indexing.

Use tools to check for crawl errors and fix them promptly.

Pay attention to your site’s structure and internal linking to help search engines discover all your important pages.

Site Speed And Performance

Site speed is crucial for both SEO and user experience.

Slow loading times can lead to higher bounce rates and lower rankings.

Start by measuring your site’s speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.

Optimize images by compressing them and using the right file formats.

Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML to reduce file sizes.

Consider implementing browser caching to store static files on users’ devices.

Look into your hosting solution.

A slow server can impact your site’s performance.

If needed, upgrade to a faster hosting plan or consider using a content delivery network (CDN) to serve files from locations closer to your users.

Mobile Usability

With mobile-first indexing, your site’s mobile version is now the primary one for ranking.

Check if your site is mobile-friendly using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.

Ensure your design is responsive and adapts well to different screen sizes.

Test your site’s navigation on mobile devices.

Make sure buttons and links are easy to tap without zooming.

Check that text is readable without horizontal scrolling.

Pay attention to mobile page speed, as it can differ from desktop.

Optimize images and minimize resource-heavy elements that might slow down mobile loading times.

Consider using AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) for faster mobile experiences if it fits your site’s needs.

Benefits Of Using Ahrefs Site Audit Alternatives

Ahrefs Site Audit alternatives offer unique advantages for your SEO efforts.

You’ll find options that can save money and provide specialized features to boost your website’s performance.

Cost Efficiency

Ahrefs alternatives can be much gentler on your wallet.

Many tools offer lower-priced plans that still pack a punch.

For example, SE Ranking’s basic plan starts at just $44 per month.

This is less than half the cost of Ahrefs’ entry-level plan.

Budget-friendly options don’t mean less value.

Many cheaper tools still offer robust site auditing features.

You can often get unlimited SEO projects and keyword tracking for a fraction of the cost.

Some alternatives use a modular pricing structure.

This lets you pay only for the features you need.

It’s a smart way to cut costs if you don’t require all of Ahrefs’ tools.

Feature Diversity

Different Ahrefs alternatives shine in various areas.

This diversity can better match your specific needs. Serpstat, for instance, offers 55+ SEO tools in one package.

It includes backlink analysis, rank tracking, and even AI content generation.

Some tools focus on providing easy-to-read reports.

This can save you time when analyzing your site’s health.

Others might excel in visualizing data or offering more frequent crawls.

You might find tools with unique features not available in Ahrefs.

These could include specialized local SEO tools or advanced competitor analysis functions.

By exploring alternatives, you can discover features that align perfectly with your SEO strategy.