HR Tech Website Audit Checklist
A page-by-page audit checklist built for HR Tech SaaS websites. Covers SEO, lead capture, multi-stakeholder journeys, and the compliance and security messaging HR buyers expect.
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How to use this checklist
Work through one section at a time. For each item, note the current state (Pass / Fail / Partial) and the action needed. A full audit takes 4–6 hours. Don’t try to fix while you audit — separate the assessment from the remediation.
This checklist is built for HR Tech websites specifically. Generic website audits miss the things HR buyers look for — security posture, integration ecosystem, compliance language, and content that serves a multi-stakeholder evaluation process.
Section 1: Page inventory and triage
Before you evaluate quality, know what you have. List every page on your site.
| Page URL | Page type | Last updated | Monthly traffic | Keep / Rewrite / Merge / Remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ______ | ______ | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| ______ | ______ | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| ______ | ______ | ______ | ______ | ______ |
Decision framework for each page
- Keep: Page is accurate, gets traffic, and serves a clear purpose
- Rewrite: Content is outdated or poorly written, but the page serves a real need
- Merge: Two or more pages cover the same topic and split authority
- Remove: Page serves no purpose, gets no traffic, and isn’t linked to internally
The pages HR Tech sites forget to audit
- Integration/partner pages — Often created once and never updated. If you’ve added 5 integrations since launch and the page still lists 3, your technical evaluators are getting incomplete information.
- Pricing page — Even if you don’t list prices, the way you frame your pricing model matters. HR buyers need to understand cost-per-employee implications.
- Security/compliance page — If you don’t have one, you’re losing deals to competitors who do. HR buyers handle employee PII; they need reassurance before they’ll even take a demo.
Section 2: Multi-stakeholder journey mapping
HR Tech purchases involve 4–7 stakeholders. Your website needs to serve at least three distinct visitor types.
Journey 1: The Champion (HR Director / VP of People)
| Question they need answered | Page that answers it | Quality (1–5) | Gap? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ”What does this product actually do?” | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| “How is this different from what we’re doing now?” | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| “Has anyone like us used this successfully?” | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| “How do I explain this to my boss?” | ______ | ______ | ______ |
Journey 2: The Economic Buyer (CHRO / CFO)
| Question they need answered | Page that answers it | Quality (1–5) | Gap? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ”What’s the ROI / cost-per-employee impact?” | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| “How long until we see results?” | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| “What does implementation actually look like?” | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| “Is this company stable enough to bet on?” | ______ | ______ | ______ |
Journey 3: The Technical Evaluator (HRIS Manager / IT)
| Question they need answered | Page that answers it | Quality (1–5) | Gap? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ”Does this integrate with our HRIS/ATS/payroll?” | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| “How is our data handled and secured?” | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| “What does implementation require from our team?” | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| “What’s the support model?” | ______ | ______ | ______ |
The gap that kills HR Tech deals
If a Champion loves your product but your website can’t answer the Economic Buyer’s ROI question or the Technical Evaluator’s security question, the deal stalls in committee. The Champion can’t build the internal case because they have nothing to share except the marketing page they already read.
Count your gaps: ______ / 12 questions answered well
If fewer than 8 are covered, your website is leaking pipeline at the committee stage.
Section 3: SEO fundamentals
| Item | Status | Action needed |
|---|---|---|
| Title tags — Unique per page, under 60 characters, include primary keyword | ______ | ______ |
| Meta descriptions — Unique per page, under 155 characters, include CTA language | ______ | ______ |
| H1 tags — One per page, matches the page’s primary topic | ______ | ______ |
| URL structure — Clean, descriptive slugs (no IDs or query strings) | ______ | ______ |
| Internal linking — Key pages linked from at least 3 other pages | ______ | ______ |
| Image alt text — Descriptive, includes keywords where natural | ______ | ______ |
| Page speed — Core Web Vitals passing (LCP, FID, CLS) | ______ | ______ |
| Mobile experience — Fully responsive, no horizontal scroll, buttons tappable | ______ | ______ |
| Sitemap — XML sitemap exists and is submitted to Search Console | ______ | ______ |
| Robots.txt — Not accidentally blocking important pages | ______ | ______ |
HR Tech-specific SEO considerations
- Keyword intent matters more than volume. “Best HRIS for midsize companies” has far less volume than “HRIS software” but converts 10x better because the searcher is further along in evaluation.
- Competitor comparison pages — HR buyers actively search “[Your competitor] vs [alternative]” and “[Your competitor] reviews.” If you don’t have comparison content, someone else is framing the conversation.
- Compliance-adjacent content — Terms like “ACA compliance software,” “FLSA overtime tracking,” and “EEO reporting tools” attract HR buyers with a specific, urgent need. These are high-intent keywords most HR Tech companies ignore.
Section 4: Lead capture assessment
| Item | Status | Action needed |
|---|---|---|
| Primary CTA — Clear, specific, appears above the fold on key pages | ______ | ______ |
| CTA variety — Different CTAs for different intent levels (demo, guide, newsletter) | ______ | ______ |
| Form length — Appropriate to the offer (email for content, more fields for demo) | ______ | ______ |
| Progressive profiling — Returning visitors see different/shorter forms | ______ | ______ |
| Thank you pages — Exist and track conversions (not just inline messages) | ______ | ______ |
| Lead routing — Form submissions reach the right person within 1 business day | ______ | ______ |
| Lead scoring — Submissions are scored by fit + behavior, not just collected | ______ | ______ |
The HR Tech lead capture mistake
Most HR Tech sites offer one CTA: “Request a Demo.” This works for the 3% of visitors who are ready to talk to sales. The other 97% — the HR Director who’s researching options, the CHRO who’s building a business case, the HRIS Manager who’s doing a technical assessment — leave without converting.
Content offers by evaluation stage:
| Stage | What the buyer needs | Offer type | You have this? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Understanding the problem | Blog posts, benchmark reports | ______ |
| Consideration | Evaluating approaches | Buyer’s guides, comparison tools | ______ |
| Evaluation | Comparing vendors | Case studies, ROI calculators | ______ |
| Business case | Justifying the investment | ROI frameworks, executive summaries | ______ |
| Decision | Final validation | Demo, free trial, implementation guide | ______ |
Section 5: Trust and compliance signals
HR buyers handle employee PII. If your website doesn’t signal security and compliance awareness, you’re eliminated before the first conversation.
| Item | Status | Action needed |
|---|---|---|
| Security page exists with certifications, data handling practices | ______ | ______ |
| SOC 2 / ISO 27001 mentioned (if applicable) | ______ | ______ |
| Data residency information available | ______ | ______ |
| GDPR/CCPA compliance stated | ______ | ______ |
| Privacy policy is current and specific (not boilerplate) | ______ | ______ |
| Terms of service are current | ______ | ______ |
| Customer logos displayed (with permission) | ______ | ______ |
| Case studies with named customers and specific results | ______ | ______ |
| Integration ecosystem listed with current partners | ______ | ______ |
| Company “About” page with leadership team, funding, company size | ______ | ______ |
The trust hierarchy for HR Tech buyers
HR buyers evaluate trust in this order:
- Peer validation — Do companies like mine use this? (logos, case studies)
- Security posture — Can I trust them with employee data? (certifications, security page)
- Company stability — Will they be around in 3 years? (funding, team, customer base)
- Product proof — Does it actually work? (demos, trials, screenshots)
If your website is heavy on #4 but light on #1–3, you’re leading with the wrong signal.
Section 6: Action plan and prioritization
Based on your audit, rank your findings:
Critical (fix within 30 days)
Items that are actively losing you pipeline:
Important (fix within 90 days)
Items that weaken your position but aren’t deal-killers:
Nice to have (backlog)
Items that would improve the experience but aren’t urgent:
Building the business case for a website overhaul
If this audit reveals systemic issues (not just a few missing pages), you may need to make the case for a redesign. Frame it in terms leadership understands:
- “Our website can’t answer 4 of the 12 questions our buying committee asks during evaluation. We’re losing deals at the committee stage because our champion has nothing to share.”
- “Our top 3 competitors have security pages, integration directories, and ROI calculators. We have none of these. Technical evaluators and economic buyers are eliminating us before we get to demo.”
- “We rank for zero high-intent keywords in our category. Every qualified visitor we get comes from direct outreach or referrals — we have no organic pipeline.”
The ask: “I need [budget/timeline] to rebuild the sections of our site that directly impact pipeline. Here’s the prioritized list, starting with the pages the buying committee needs most.”