HR Consultants Ltd - Website Report

Introduction

This comprehensive report assesses the website’s performance across various dimensions, including page speed, technical SEO, keyword optimisation, and server configuration. The analysis identifies critical areas impacting the site’s loading speed, security, and search engine visibility. Implementing the recommended changes will enhance user experience and improve conversion rates.

Key Findings

1. Image Optimisation: Current images are not in next-gen formats like WebP or AVIF, which offer better compression. Switching could save 29 KiB, improving performance.

2. HTTPS Implementation: The site lacks HTTPS, leading to 4 insecure requests. Transitioning to HTTPS is crucial for security and accessing modern web features.

3. Cache Policy: Static assets lack an efficient caching policy, slowing repeat visits. Setting a longer cache TTL will improve repeat visit load times.

4. Duplicate Meta Tags: Duplicate titles and descriptions can confuse search engines, affecting rankings. Unique titles and meta descriptions are necessary.

5. SSL Configuration: The absence of SSL affects user trust and SEO. Implementing SSL will secure the site and enable HTTPS.

6. Broken Links: Broken links and resources harm user experience and SEO. Identifying and fixing these will ensure smooth navigation.

7. Missing Sitemap and Robots.txt: Their absence hinders effective crawling and indexing. Creating and submitting a sitemap and configuring a robots.txt file are recommended.

8. Keyword Rankings: No keywords rank in the top 10 positions. Focusing on improving mid-range keywords (21-50) could enhance visibility.

9. Backlink Strategy: A robust backlink acquisition plan is needed to improve domain authority and keyword rankings.

10. Web Server Configuration: Apache is used as the web server. Implementing performance tuning and security enhancements will optimise the server’s performance and security.

These key findings highlight critical areas for improvement and provide actionable recommendations to enhance the website’s performance, security, and SEO effectiveness.

Summary

This report analyses the website’s performance based on specific PageSpeed Insights scores. The findings highlight key areas that affect the site’s loading speed and security, focusing on image formats, secure protocols, and caching policies. Addressing these issues will improve user experience, reduce data usage, and enhance security.

Image Optimisation

Serve Images in Next-Gen Formats

Current image formats could be optimised by using next-gen formats like WebP or AVIF. These formats offer superior compression compared to traditional PNG or JPEG formats, enabling faster downloads and reduced data consumption. Implementing this change could potentially save 29 KiB, enhancing the site’s performance.

Recommendation: Convert existing images to WebP or AVIF to improve loading times and reduce bandwidth usage.

Security

HTTPS Implementation

The site currently does not use HTTPS, which is essential for securing data transfer between the server and users. HTTPS prevents potential security threats like data interception and is necessary for accessing HTTP/2 and other modern web features. The absence of HTTPS results in 4 insecure requests.

Recommendation: Transition the website to HTTPS to secure user data and support advanced web technologies.

Caching

Efficient Cache Policy for Static Assets

The website’s static assets do not have an efficient caching policy, which can slow down repeat visits. Implementing a long cache lifetime allows browsers to store these resources locally, reducing load times on subsequent visits.

Recommendation: Set a longer cache TTL (Time To Live) for static assets to improve repeat visit load times and overall user experience.

Technical SEO Report for hrconsultants.co.uk

Overall Feedback Summary

The technical SEO audit of hrconsultants.co.uk reveals several issues that may impede the site’s search engine optimisation efforts. The primary concerns include duplicate meta tags, lack of SSL configuration, and the absence of a sitemap and robots.txt file. Additionally, there are broken links and resources that need addressing. The website’s onpage score is relatively decent, but significant improvements can be made to optimise site performance and search engine rankings.

Crawl Overview

• Crawl Progress: Finished
• Pages Crawled: 9
• Total Pages Available: 9
• Crawl Stop Reason: Empty queue

High Impact Issues

1. Duplicate Titles and Descriptions

• Impact: Duplicate titles and descriptions can confuse search engines and dilute the relevance of important content, potentially leading to lower rankings.
• Fix: Ensure each page has a unique title and meta description that accurately reflects the page content.

2. Lack of SSL Configuration

• Impact: Without SSL, user data can be intercepted, which affects user trust and SEO, as secure sites are favoured by search engines.
• Fix: Implement an SSL certificate to secure the website and enable HTTPS.

3. Broken Links and Resources

• Impact: Broken links and resources lead to a poor user experience and can affect crawl efficiency and search rankings.
• Fix: Identify and fix all broken links and resources to ensure smooth navigation and resource loading.

Moderate Impact Issues

1. Missing Sitemap and robots.txt

• Impact: A missing sitemap and robots.txt file can hinder search engines from effectively crawling and indexing the website.
• Fix: Create and submit a sitemap to search engines and configure a robots.txt file to guide search engine crawlers.

2. Canonicalisation Issues

• Impact: Lack of proper canonical tags can lead to duplicate content issues, where search engines might index multiple versions of the same page.
• Fix: Implement canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page to search engines.

3. HTTP to HTTPS Redirects Not Implemented

• Impact: Visitors accessing the site via HTTP may not be redirected to HTTPS, potentially leading to security warnings and loss of trust.
• Fix: Set up server-side redirects from HTTP to HTTPS to ensure all visitors access the secure version of the site.

Low Impact Issues

1. Low Content Rate on Some Pages

• Impact: Pages with low content may not provide enough information to users or search engines, affecting relevance and rankings.
• Fix: Enhance content on the affected pages to ensure it is comprehensive and informative.

2. No <h1&gt Tag on One Page

• Impact: The absence of an <h1&gt tag can lead to confusion about the main topic of the page for search engines.
• Fix: Add a clear and descriptive <h1&gt tag to the affected page.

3. No Favicon Detected

• Impact: A missing favicon can affect user experience and brand recognition when the site is bookmarked.
• Fix: Add a favicon to the website to improve user interface and branding.

Additional Observations

• Links Analysis: The site has a good balance of internal and external links (44 internal, 12 external). However, attention should be given to broken links.
• Meta Tag Consistency: Ensure meta tags are consistent across the site to maintain a uniform message and improve SEO.

Conclusion

Addressing these technical SEO issues will improve the site’s performance, user experience, and search engine visibility. Prioritise SSL implementation, fixing duplicate content, and repairing broken links as immediate actions. Implementing these changes will pave the way for better search rankings and user engagement.

Summary

The website is currently utilising the Apache HTTP Server as its web server. Apache is a reliable and widely-used web server; however, there are potential enhancements or alternatives that could be considered to optimise performance, security, and scalability. The following sections provide a detailed assessment of the current technology stack and suggest possible improvements.

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Web Server: Apache HTTP Server

Current Configuration

• Server Type: Apache HTTP Server

Apache is an open-source web server software that is known for its flexibility and extensive feature set. It supports a wide range of functionalities through modules and can handle diverse workloads.

Recommendations for Improvement

1. Performance Tuning:

• Enable Caching: Implement server-side caching mechanisms like mod_cache or integrate with external caching solutions such as Varnish to reduce load times.
• Compression: Utilise mod_deflate to compress files served to users, reducing bandwidth usage and improving page load speeds.
• Optimise Keep-Alive Settings: Adjust Keep-Alive settings to improve handling of concurrent connections.

2. Security Enhancements:

• Regular Updates: Ensure that the Apache server is kept up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates.
• Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF): Consider deploying a WAF to protect against common web threats and attacks.
• Enable HTTPS: Ensure that all communications are encrypted using TLS, and consider implementing HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS).

3. Scalability and Alternatives:

• Consider Nginx: Evaluate the potential benefits of transitioning to or incorporating Nginx either as a reverse proxy or a replacement for improved performance with static content and concurrent connections.
• Load Balancing: If the website experiences high traffic, implement load balancing to distribute traffic efficiently across multiple servers.

Potential Alternatives

• Nginx: Known for its high performance, Nginx can serve as an excellent alternative or complement to Apache, especially in handling a large number of simultaneous connections.
• LiteSpeed: Offers superior performance and security over Apache in certain scenarios, particularly for high-traffic sites.
• Caddy: Provides automatic HTTPS and is easy to configure, making it a suitable choice for smaller projects or simpler configurations.

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By considering these recommendations and potential alternatives, the website can ensure that its technology stack is optimised for performance, security, and scalability, ultimately enhancing the user experience and operational efficiency.

Summary

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the current SEO performance, focusing on keyword rankings, search visibility, competition levels, and backlink strategies. The aim is to identify strengths and weaknesses in the current SEO strategy and provide actionable insights for improvement.

SEO Strengths and Weaknesses

Rankings

• Total Ranked Keywords: There are 16 keywords for which your website currently ranks.
• Top Positions: There are no keywords ranking in the top 10 search positions.
• Mid-range Positions (21-50): 3 keywords fall within this range, indicating potential for improvement.
• Lower Positions (50+): The majority, 13 keywords, rank beyond the 50th position, suggesting a need for optimisation efforts.

Keywords Analysis

• Top Ranked Keyword: There is no single keyword presently dominating the rankings.
• Keywords with High CPC: Out of the total, 13 keywords have a Cost Per Click (CPC) exceeding $1, indicating their potential value in paid search campaigns.
• Search Volume Insights: The keyword “human resource consultants” has the highest search volume of 2400, presenting an opportunity for targeted optimisation.
• Average Competition: The competition for the keywords varies, with the highest being 0.579 for terms like “independent hr consultant”. This indicates a moderately competitive landscape.

Backlinks and Strategies

While this dataset does not include backlink information, it’s crucial to consider the impact of backlinks on overall SEO performance. A comprehensive backlink strategy focusing on acquiring high-quality links can significantly improve rankings and search visibility.

Strategies for Improvement

• Keyword Optimisation: Focus on improving rankings for keywords within the 21-50 range, as these have the potential to move into more visible positions with targeted efforts.
• Content Enhancement: Create high-quality, relevant content targeting high search volume and high CPC keywords to increase visibility and engagement.
• Competitor Analysis: Investigate competitors ranking higher for targeted keywords to understand their strategies and identify gaps in your approach.
• Backlink Strategy: Develop a robust backlink acquisition plan to enhance domain authority and improve keyword rankings.
• Monitor and Adjust: Regularly monitor keyword performance and adjust strategies based on analytical insights to ensure continuous improvement.

Conclusion

The current SEO performance shows potential areas for improvement, particularly in keyword optimisation and backlink strategies. By focusing efforts on improving keyword rankings and implementing a strategic backlink plan, there is an opportunity to enhance overall search visibility and increase the estimated traffic value.