Set Up Your First Site Scan on SEOSpace

Learning Objectives

• Set up and run your first SEOSpace site scan
• Read and understand your scan report results
• Take action on scan findings to improve your website's SEO

Introduction

Site scans are one of the most useful tools in SEOSpace for beginners. They give you a complete picture of your website's SEO health and show you exactly what needs fixing. This chapter walks you through setting up your first scan, reading the results, and turning those insights into improvements.

Lessons

Setting Up Your First Site Scan

Here's how to get your first SEOSpace site scan running.

Step 1: Access the Site Scan Tool

• Log into your SEOSpace account
• Find 'Site Scan' in your main dashboard
• Click to open the tool

Step 2: Enter Your Website Details

• Type your website URL into the scan field
• Make sure you include the full URL (https://www.yoursite.com)
• Double-check for typos before proceeding

Step 3: Start the Scan

• Click 'Start Scan' to begin the process
• Larger websites take longer to scan (usually 5-15 minutes)
• You can close the tab and return later – SEOSpace will email you when it's done

Common mistake: Don't run scans while your site is undergoing maintenance or major updates. This can give you incomplete results.

Reading Your Site Scan Report

Your scan report breaks down into several key sections. Here's what each one tells you.

On-Page Elements
This section checks your meta titles, descriptions, headings, and image alt text. You'll see:

• Missing or duplicate meta titles
• Descriptions that are too short or too long
• Images without alt text
• Heading structure problems

Site Speed Analysis
Speed matters for both users and search engines. The report shows:

• How fast your pages load on desktop and mobile
• Which elements slow your site down
• Specific recommendations for improvement

Mobile Performance
With most searches happening on mobile, this section is crucial:

• How well your site works on phones and tablets
• Text readability issues
• Button and link usability problems

Backlink Profile Overview
This shows you the external websites linking to yours:

• Total number of backlinks
• Quality assessment of linking sites
• Potentially harmful links to review

Acting on Your Scan Results

Here's how to turn your scan results into actual improvements.

Step 1: Prioritise High-Impact Issues
Start with problems that affect multiple pages or have the biggest SEO impact:

• Missing meta titles or descriptions
• Slow loading speeds
• Mobile usability problems

Step 2: Create Your Action Plan
Write down specific tasks for each issue:

• "Add meta descriptions to 12 product pages"
• "Compress images on homepage"
• "Fix mobile menu navigation"

Step 3: Set Up Regular Scanning
Schedule scans every 3 months to track your progress:

• Use SEOSpace's recurring scan feature
• Set calendar reminders if scheduling manually
• Compare results over time to see improvements

This is the bit most people miss: Don't try to fix everything at once. Focus on 3-5 high-impact issues first, then move on to the next batch.

Practice

Run a site scan on your website and identify your top three priority issues. Write down one specific action you'll take for each issue within the next week.

FAQs

How often should I run site scans?
Every 3 months is a good starting point. Run them more frequently if you're actively making changes to your site or adding new content regularly.

Why is my scan taking so long?
Large websites with many pages take longer to scan. Sites with technical issues or slow servers can also extend scan times. Most scans complete within 15 minutes.

Can I scan a website I don't own?
Yes, you can scan any public website to see how it performs. This is useful for competitor research or learning from well-optimised sites.

What if I don't understand some of the technical terms in my report?
SEOSpace provides explanations for most technical terms. Start with the high-priority issues marked in red – these usually have clear, actionable instructions.

Do site scans affect my website's performance?
No, SEOSpace scans don't slow down your website or affect your visitors' experience. The tool accesses your site like a regular visitor would.

Jargon Buster

Site Scan: A comprehensive analysis of your website that checks for SEO issues and opportunities across multiple factors like speed, mobile-friendliness, and content optimisation.

Meta Title: The clickable headline that appears in search results. It should be under 60 characters and describe what the page is about.

Meta Description: The short summary that appears under your title in search results. It should be 150-160 characters and encourage people to click.

Backlink: A link from another website to yours. High-quality backlinks from relevant sites help improve your search rankings.

Alt Text: Descriptive text added to images that helps search engines understand what the image shows. It also helps visually impaired users.

Wrap-up

Your first SEOSpace site scan gives you a clear starting point for improving your website's SEO. The key is taking action on the results rather than just reading them. Start with the highest-priority issues, make those changes, then run another scan in a few months to see your progress.

Remember, SEO improvement happens gradually. Each issue you fix makes your site a bit better for both search engines and your visitors.

Ready to take the next step? Check out our advanced SEOSpace tools to dive deeper into your site's performance: https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership