Excel in Advanced SEO Audit Techniques 

With some effort and practice, preparing and working with data becomes effortless. Before you know it, you’ll become a seasoned pro in no time. It’s simpler than you might imagine!

Data Cleaning and Preparation Tips

One of the initial hurdles you’ll encounter is data cleaning during SEO analysis and SEO audit. This involves eliminating empty rows or columns that can disrupt the data, ensuring accurate column labelling, and standardising data values. For instance, if you have “AZ” in one dataset and “Arizona” in another, they must be consistent for Excel or Google Sheets to recognise them as the same.

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Data cleaning may seem daunting, but there are efficient techniques to expedite the process. These methods are especially useful when conducting SEO analysis, performing audits, generating audit reports, and utilising SEO audit templates.

Removing Empty Rows in Excel

Both Google Sheets and Excel follow similar principles when it comes to removing blank cells. The only difference lies in the appearance of the commands used in each platform.

Using Excel:

To remove blank cells in your data, follow these steps:

• Highlight all of the data in your sheet.
• Navigate to the “Home” tab and click on “Find & Select” in the toolbar.
• From the dropdown menu, choose the “Go to Special” option.
• In the “Go to Special” dialogue box, select the “Blanks” option and click “OK.”
• Right-click on any of the selected cells and choose “Delete” from the context menu.
• In the confirmation prompt, select “Entire row” and click “OK.”

By following these instructions, you can effectively eliminate the blank cells from your data.

Using Google Sheets:

To remove blank cells from your data, perform the following steps:

• Highlight the data you want to work with.
• Go to the “Data” tab and click on “Filter.” Uncheck the box next to “Blanks” to exclude blank cells from the view.
• Next, select “Create a filter” in the Data tab. This enables the filter functionality.
• In the first row of your data, click on the filter icon. Then, choose “Clear” and select “Blanks” to remove any remaining blank cells.
• Press Ctrl (or Cmd) + A to select all the data and delete the corresponding rows that contain blanks.

Finally, turn off the filter by going to the “Data” tab and selecting “Turn off the filter.”

By following these steps, you can effectively eliminate blank cells from your data.

Removing Empty Columns in Excel

The process of removing empty columns is similar to removing empty rows. However, it is crucial not to overlook this step as it can lead to numerous errors during data analysis.

Using Excel:

To eliminate empty columns from your data, follow these steps:

• Select the data range you want to work with.
• Go to the “Home” tab and click on “Find & Select” in the toolbar.
• From the dropdown menu, choose the “Go To Special” option.
• In the “Go To Special” dialogue box, select the “Blanks” option and click “OK.”
• Press Ctrl (or Cmd) + Spacebar to select the entire column.
• Right-click on the selected column and choose “Delete” from the context menu.
• In the confirmation prompt, select “Entire column” and click “OK.”

By following these instructions, you can effectively remove empty columns from your data.

Using Google Sheets:

To remove empty columns from your data, follow these steps:

• Select the data range you want to work with.
• Navigate to the “Data” tab and click on “Filter.”
• In the first row of your data, click on the filter button and uncheck the box next to “Blanks” to exclude empty columns from the view.
• Identify the empty columns and select them by clicking on the column headers.
• Right-click on the selected empty columns and choose “Delete column” from the menu.

By following these instructions, you can effectively eliminate empty columns from your data in Google SEO Checker.

Combining Two Cells with Concatenate

The CONCATENATE function is a handy tool for merging text into a single cell. It proves especially valuable when combining first and last names, dates, or any other data spread across multiple columns. By linking these functions together, you can efficiently organise and merge data into a consolidated sheet.

In Excel and Google Sheets:

Let’s imagine we have two separate data sets in different sheets:

Sheet 1 contains columns for first name, last name, and email.

Advanced SEO Audit Template: Excel

Sheet 2 contains columns for first name, last name, and phone number.

Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

Now, let’s combine the data from both sheets to make it more manageable.

To start, we will combine the first and last names to avoid any duplicates if multiple people have the same first name.

• Insert a new column to the right of the “last name” column in both Sheet 1 and Sheet 2.

Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

• In cell C2 of both sheets, enter the following formula:

=CONCATENATE(A2,” “,B2) (This formula combines the contents of cell A2, a space, and the contents of cell B2.)

Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

• Select cell C2, click and drag the bottom right corner of C2 to copy the formula down to the rest of the data.
• Next, insert a new column to the right of the combined name column (column C) in Sheet 1.
• In the first row of the new column, enter the following formula:

=VLOOKUP(Sheet1!C2,Sheet2!$C:$E,2,FALSE) (This formula searches for the value in cell C2 of Sheet 1, which represents the full name, in Sheet 2. It then retrieves the corresponding phone number from Sheet 2 to Sheet 1.)

Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

• Copy the formula from the first row of the new column in Sheet 1 and paste it into the remaining rows of the column, similar to how you copied the concatenate formula earlier.

By following these steps, you can effectively combine the data from both sheets, making it easier to work with and analyse.

Note: The reference to “Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel” is just an example context and not part of the instructions.

Learn More: How To Use SEO Progress Report Templates on Traffic Radius?

Other Useful Data Cleaning Commands

To eliminate unwanted spaces within a cell, you can utilise the Trim function. This function is compatible with both Excel and Google Sheets, allowing you to remove excess spaces and enhance data cleanliness.

Combining Data Sets into a Single Table with Google Sheets

When working with data, a frequent requirement is to consolidate it into a single sheet. However, it’s crucial to exercise caution as combining multiple data files can become a nightmare if the data is not properly prepared. Therefore, ensure that all files have the same structure and format before proceeding.

Let’s begin with a simple scenario and gradually progress.

Importing One Dataset into Another

To import data into an existing sheet, follow these steps:

• Go to the “File” menu and select “Import.”
• Choose the data set you want to import.
• Select the “Insert” option.
• In the dropdown menu, change the selection to “Insert new sheet.”
• The new data will be added below the existing sheet.

By following these instructions, you can successfully import data into an existing sheet.

Using the “QUERY” Function

Suppose you have a sheet containing traffic and bounce rates, and your objective is to generate a new sheet that specifically includes bounce rates below 50%. This will help identify pages with better performance.

Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

To achieve this, utilise the following formula:

=QUERY(Sheet1!A2:C5, “SELECT A,B,C WHERE C < 0.5”)

This formula selects data from the range Sheet1!A2:C5. It then pulls information from columns A, B, and C if the corresponding bounce rate in column C is less than 0.5.

By applying this formula, you can create a new dataset that only includes information from pages meeting the criteria of a bounce rate below 50%.

Using the “VLOOKUP” Function

The VLOOKUP function is a powerful tool that enables you to search for a value in one data set and retrieve a related value from another data set. Let’s consider an example of how to utilise this function:

In this scenario, we have two sheets: one containing bounce rates (Sheet 2) and another with traffic numbers (Sheet 1).

Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

To retrieve corresponding values, use the following formula:

=VLOOKUP(Sheet1!A2, Sheet2!A:B, 2, FALSE)

This formula searches for the value in cell A2 of Sheet 1 within the first column of Sheet 2. When a match is found, it returns the corresponding value from the second column of Sheet 2.

It is crucial to ensure that the page names are identical in both data sets. If there are discrepancies, such as having a “sale page” in one data set and a “landing page” in the other, the VLOOKUP function will not function correctly.

By following these instructions and maintaining consistent page names, you can effectively utilise the VLOOKUP function to retrieve corresponding values from different data sets.

Utilising the “INDEX” and “MATCH” Functions

With this formula, you can search for the value in cell A2 of Sheet1 within the first column of Sheet2. Once a match is found, it will retrieve the corresponding value from the second column of Sheet2.

Importing Functions in the Formula Bar

To import data from another sheet using the formula bar, you can utilise the IMPORTRANGE function:

Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

=IMPORTRANGE(“spreadsheet_url”, “range_string”)

Copy the URL of the other data set (everything before the # sign), and specify the range you want to import. This function will automatically update as changes are made on the other sheet.

Note: Initially, you may encounter an error, but you can grant access to resolve it. Additionally, there are other import options you can explore:

Import via RSS feed:

=IMPORTFEED(“https://example.com/rss”, “items title”) Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

Import via XML:

=IMPORTXML(“https://example.com/”, “xpath_query”)

Import from an online structured data file (e.g., CSV):

=IMPORTDATA(“https://example.com/file.csv”)

Import from a table on a webpage:

=IMPORTHTML(“https://example.com/slug”, “table”, 1) (Here, “table” represents the query and “1” indicates the starting index location.)

Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

Feel free to experiment with these different import methods based on your specific needs.

Non-Formula Solutions

If you prefer to avoid formulas, Google Sheets Add-Ons can be incredibly useful. However, we highly recommend giving formulas a try as they offer flexibility and provide a sense of empowerment when they accomplish tasks. Working with formulas not only saves time but also allows you to feel smart and powerful in managing your data. So, don’t hesitate to explore the capabilities of formulas and experience the satisfaction they bring.

Combining Data Sets into a Single Table with Excel

For a straightforward import process, follow these steps:

• Go to the “File” menu and select “Import.”
• Choose the data set you want to import.
• Specify whether it is a delimited or fixed-width file.
• Indicate the file’s delimiter (e.g., tabs, colons, etc.).
• Select the desired data format, such as text, dates, etc.
• Complete the import process.

Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

Finally, decide whether you want to add the imported data to an existing sheet and specify the location, or opt for creating a new sheet.

Using Excel’s Power Query

If you enjoyed using the QUERY function in Google Sheets, you’ll appreciate Power Query in Excel. It is an incredibly useful and powerful feature for working with large data sets, offering comparable functionality to Python, R, and coding languages without the need for extensive programming knowledge.

To learn and utilise Power Query effectively, you’ll find excellent documentation and numerous instructional videos available. These resources often include downloadable data to follow along with, making the learning process more engaging. Monthly reporting data is particularly beneficial for practising.

When starting with a new Excel file, you can directly import your data files into it using the following steps:

• Go to the “Data” tab and select “Get & Transform Data.”
• Click on “Get Data” and choose the appropriate file type or provide a URL for importing. Follow the prompts to import the file into Excel.

Continue importing all the relevant data files into Excel.

To combine the imported data files, follow these steps:

• Again, go to the “Data” tab and select “Get & Transform Data.”
• Click on “Combine Queries” and choose “Append Queries.”
• Select the desired queries to combine. Additionally, you can add a custom column that identifies the source file for each data entry.

Using VLOOKUP in Excel

The “VLOOKUP” function in Excel operates similarly to its counterpart in Google Sheets. Here’s an example:

Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

=VLOOKUP(A2, Sheet1!A:B, 2, FALSE)

This formula searches for the value in cell A2 within the first column of Sheet 1 and retrieves the corresponding value from the second column of Sheet 1.

Using “INDEX” and “MATCH”

In Excel, the combination of INDEX and MATCH functions can work wonders as well.

Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

=INDEX(Sheet2!B5:C8, MATCH(Sheet1!A2, Sheet2!A5:A8, 0), MATCH(D1, Sheet2!A4:C4, 0))

This formula operates by searching the range on Sheet2 (in blue) and checking the first column (A5:A8) for an exact match (0) with the value in A2 from Sheet1 (in red).

The row information is represented in green text. It examines the first row (A4:C4) for an exact match (0) with the value in D1.

Additionally, you can set conditions to copy the value only if it meets specific criteria. For example, 1 indicates “less than,” while -1 represents “greater than.”

If this doesn’t seem particularly exciting, just wait until you witness the immense possibilities and capabilities it offers.

Working with Data

Looking Up Values with Customised Variables

At times, you may simply want to look up a specific value in your data. Let’s consider an example where monthly traffic numbers are organised in columns and pages in rows. Using the INDEX and MATCH functions, you can easily retrieve the amount of traffic a particular page (such as the contact page) received in a specific month (e.g., January) by inputting the respective values in cells G2 and G3.

The formula to enter cell G4 is:

=INDEX(B2:C5, MATCH(G3, A2:A5, 0), MATCH(G2, B1:C1, 0))

In this formula, INDEX identifies the range to search within, while the MATCH functions act as the row and column numbers, finding exact matches based on the values you typed in G2 and G3.

This technique allows you to create a clean dashboard on a separate sheet, enabling anyone on your team to easily look up specific data. It’s an efficient way to summarise your Google Analytics data by criteria such as traffic source, medium, and date range.

For even more powerful data analysis, consider exploring SUMIFs and AVERAGEIFs. These functions allow you to sum or average data based on multiple criteria, making them ideal for quickly summarising Google Analytics data. They can be invaluable when assessing SEO audit reports and performance.

Creating Pivot Tables

Pivot tables are an essential tool for summarising extensive data sets and transforming them into a more manageable format. In the context of Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel, you can leverage pivot tables to expedite your reporting process by performing the following tasks:

• Summarise traffic data based on product, category, or time.
• Analyse traffic patterns over time to identify seasonal trends.
• Compare data across different categories, such as bounce rates for landing pages across various products or regions.
• Filter data to display specific product or region-related information.
• Calculate metrics such as averages, counts, and percentages. For example, calculating the average daily traffic per product over the last 30 days.
• Identify outliers, such as pages or products with significantly higher or lower sales compared to others.

By skillfully utilising pivot tables, you can efficiently summarise and gain valuable insights from large data sets, enhancing your SEO audit tools and reporting process.

In Google Sheets:

Follow these steps to create and customise a pivot table for data analysis:

• Highlight the data you want to analyse.
• Go to the “Data” tab and click on “Pivot Table” to open a new sheet with a blank pivot table.
• Set up your pivot table:
• In the “Rows” and “Columns” fields, select the fields you want to use as rows and columns.
• In the “Values” field, select the field you want to analyse.
• Customise your pivot table to meet your specific needs:
• Modify the summary function (e.g., sum, average, count) to calculate the desired value.
• Sort and filter the data to focus on relevant information.
• Add subtotals and grand totals for additional insights.
• Pro Tip: When dealing with a large data set, select the entire table by clicking on the top-left corner of the table.

In Excel:

To create a pivot table in Excel, follow these steps:

• Start by highlighting the data you want to analyse. If you have a large data set, you can click on the top-left corner of the table to select the entire range.

Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

• Go to the “Insert” tab and click on “Pivot Table.” Specify the range of data you want to analyse. Choose whether you want the pivot table on a new sheet or within the existing sheet.

(Note: If you accidentally select an empty range, an error may occur. So, if you encounter any complaints, this is usually the reason.)

• Now, set up your pivot table. Add the desired columns into the “Values” field and the rows into the “Rows” field.

Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel

• If you need to make changes, such as using average instead of sum, click on the information button associated with the relevant value to adjust the summary function.

Extracting Information from URLs with REGEXTRACT

The REGEXEXTRACT formula is a powerful tool for extracting specific data from text strings using regular expressions. In the context of Advanced SEO Audit Techniques: Excel, you can employ REGEXEXTRACT to extract valuable information such as the source and medium of website traffic from Google Analytics reports.

To extract the domain from a URL in cell A2, you can utilise the following formula:

=REGEXEXTRACT(A2, “^(?:https?://)?(?:[^@\n]+@)?(?:www.)?([^:/\n]+)”)

Regular expressions can be intricate, so it is essential to test your formula with different examples to ensure accurate extraction of the desired data.

Minimising Tables

To minimise a table, click on the small arrow icon located in the top-left corner of the table. This action collapses the table and hides the data, leaving only the table header visible.

To expand the table again and reveal the data, simply click on the arrow icon.

Another option is to utilise the “Data” > “Group Rows” or “Group Columns” feature. This feature allows you to group related rows or columns, creating collapsible sections that can be expanded or collapsed as needed.

Freezing Rows and Columns

Freezing rows and columns is a useful feature that allows you to keep specific rows or columns visible on the screen while scrolling through the rest of the spreadsheet.

In Google Sheets: To freeze rows or columns, select the desired row or column, then click on “View” > “Freeze” > “Up to current row/column” or “Up to and including the current row/column.”

In Excel: Select the row or column you wish to freeze, then go to “View” > “Freeze Panes” > “Freeze Top Row” or “Freeze First Column.”

If you’re dealing with a substantial amount of data, filters can be a valuable tool. They enable you to eliminate irrelevant data and display only the information that meets specific criteria.

Extra Tips for Large Data Sets

Named ranges can be used to assign specific names to ranges of cells in your sheet, simplifying the process of referring to and analysing large data sets.

It is advisable to avoid excessive use of formulas as they can slow down the performance of your sheet and complicate tasks, especially when multiple formulas are chained together.

Take advantage of conditional formatting:

In Google Sheets:

• Select the range of cells you want to apply conditional formatting to.
• Click on “Format” > “Conditional Formatting.”
• In the “Conditional format rules” panel on the right-hand side, choose the desired formatting type. Options include “Color scale,” “Icon set,” and “Custom formula.”

In Excel:

• Select the range of cells you want to apply conditional formatting to.
• Click on “Home” > “Styles” > “Conditional Formatting.”
• From the drop-down menu, select the desired formatting type, such as “Highlight Cells Rules,” “Top/Bottom Rules,” or “Data Bars.”

Conclusion

Excel and Google Sheets may seem deceptively simple or intimidatingly complex at first glance, but both assumptions are far from true.

By harnessing a few essential formulas and mastering useful techniques, you’ll soon realise that these tools are among the most influential and invaluable resources in your SEO arsenal.

With Excel and Google Sheets, you can effectively utilise keywords like “SEO audit report template,” “SEO audit checklist 2023,” and “SEO audit report sample” to enhance your auditing process and generate comprehensive reports.