Semantic SEO Audit: Complete Step-by-Step Guide with Koray Framework Checklist [2026]
A semantic SEO audit is a structured evaluation of how well a website’s content communicates entity relationships, topical authority, and search intent to search engines — going beyond technical checks to assess Knowledge Graph signals, EAV content structure, topical coverage gaps, and internal link semantics. Unlike a standard technical SEO audit, a semantic audit determines whether Google can extract machine-readable meaning from your content and whether your domain demonstrates sufficient topical completeness to rank competitively in your cluster.
| Audit Type | What It Evaluates | Primary Output |
|---|---|---|
| Technical SEO audit | Crawlability, indexability, site speed, Core Web Vitals | Fix list for technical errors |
| On-page SEO audit | Title tags, meta descriptions, keyword placement, headers | Page-level optimization recommendations |
| Backlink audit | Link profile quality, toxic links, anchor text distribution | Link building / disavow actions |
| Semantic SEO audit | Entity coverage, topical completeness, EAV structure, Knowledge Graph signals, intent alignment | Content architecture + topical map gaps |
What Does a Semantic SEO Audit Include?
A complete semantic SEO audit covers seven diagnostic areas:
1. Topical Coverage Analysis
Evaluate whether your domain covers all entities, subtopics, and user intents within your target topic cluster. Map existing content against a complete topical map to identify gaps. Google rewards domains that answer the full query spectrum — not just high-volume keywords.
Tool: Google Search Console (query coverage), Ahrefs (topical gap), Topical Map methodology
2. Entity-Attribute-Value (EAV) Structure Audit
Assess whether content describes entities with explicit attributes and verifiable values. Pages should answer: What entity? What attribute? What value? — not just repeat keywords. Every key claim should be structured as a machine-readable SPO triple.
Check: Can Google extract a standalone factual statement from each H2 section without reading the surrounding context?
3. Information Responsiveness Check
Verify that each page provides an extractive answer — a 40–60 word direct response to the target query — in the first paragraph. Pages without extractive answers miss featured snippet opportunities and perform poorly in AI Overview inclusion.
Test: Copy the first paragraph of each page. Does it answer the target query completely without requiring additional context?
4. Internal Link Semantic Architecture
Audit whether internal links signal entity relationships (hub → subtopic, spoke → related entity) rather than simply distributing PageRank. Anchor text should be entity-descriptive, not generic (“click here,” “learn more”). Every subtopic page should link back to its hub.
Tool: Screaming Frog (internal link crawl), manual review of anchor text patterns
5. Schema Markup Coverage
Verify JSON-LD implementation across all page types: Article, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList, HowTo, Product (where applicable). Schema markup is the direct bridge between your content and Google’s Knowledge Graph — pages without schema cannot achieve Knowledge Graph inclusion.
Tool: Google Rich Results Test, Schema Markup Validator. See: Schema Markup SEO Guide
6. Content Cannibalization Detection
Identify pages competing for the same entity/query within your domain. Multiple thin pages covering the same topic dilute topical authority signals. Solution: merge into comprehensive pillar content or privatize the weaker version with a 301 redirect.
Check: Filter GSC query data by page — if 3+ pages share the same top queries, cannibalization is present.
7. Knowledge Graph Alignment
Assess whether your key entities (brand, people, products, concepts) have Knowledge Graph presence. Check: Does a Knowledge Panel appear for your brand? Are your entities mentioned in Wikipedia or Wikidata? Do your pages reference authoritative sources that establish entity credibility?
Semantic SEO Audit Checklist — Koray Framework
| # | Audit Item | Pass Criteria | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Extractive answer in first paragraph | 40–60 word direct answer to target query | 🔴 Critical |
| 2 | Question H2s aligned to query intent | Every H2 is a question a user would type | 🔴 Critical |
| 3 | EAV structure per section | Each section describes entity → attribute → value | 🔴 Critical |
| 4 | SPO triples in key statements | Subject → Predicate → Object extractable per paragraph | 🔴 Critical |
| 5 | Schema markup (Article + FAQ) | JSON-LD present, validated, no errors | 🔴 Critical |
| 6 | Internal links to hub + related spokes | Min. 5 contextual internal links with entity anchor text | 🟡 High |
| 7 | Topical gap coverage | No subtopic in cluster without a dedicated page | 🟡 High |
| 8 | Cannibalization check | No 2 pages targeting same primary entity/query | 🟡 High |
| 9 | FAQ section with 5+ questions | FAQPage schema present, answers extractive | 🟡 High |
| 10 | Knowledge Graph entity references | Key entities linked to authoritative sources | 🟢 Medium |
| 11 | Breadcrumb schema | BreadcrumbList JSON-LD on every page | 🟢 Medium |
| 12 | Content depth vs competitors | Word count ≥ top 3 competitors + EAV tables | 🟢 Medium |
How to Conduct a Semantic SEO Audit: 6-Step Process
Step 1 — Build Your Topical Map
Before auditing existing content, define the complete topical map for your cluster. List every entity, subtopic, attribute, and user intent your domain should cover. Use GSC query data + competitor gap analysis. This becomes your audit benchmark. See: How to Build a Topical Map
Step 2 — Crawl and Categorize All Content
Use Screaming Frog to extract all published URLs with word count, title, and H1. Map each URL to a topical cluster. Identify: pages below 800 words (thin), pages without schema, pages with duplicate H1/title patterns, and orphan pages (zero internal links).
Step 3 — Run Information Responsiveness Test
For each page in your priority cluster, copy the opening paragraph and ask: Does this paragraph answer the target query in under 60 words? If not, rewrite the opening with an extractive answer. This single fix often moves pages from pos 15→8 without changing anything else.
Step 4 — Audit EAV Structure Per Page
Read each H2 section and verify: (a) the entity is named explicitly, (b) an attribute of that entity is described, (c) a verifiable value is provided. Convert narrative prose to EAV tables where possible — structured data is extracted by Google’s NLP pipeline more reliably than flowing text.
Step 5 — Schema Markup Audit
Run every page through Google’s Rich Results Test. Flag: missing Article schema, FAQPage schema without matching FAQ content, BreadcrumbList errors, and HowTo pages without HowTo markup. Fix systematically — schema errors block Knowledge Graph signals entirely.
Step 6 — Internal Link Semantic Mapping
Export internal links from Screaming Frog. For each anchor text, verify it describes an entity relationship — not a generic action. Map every page to its hub. Add missing inbound links from hub and related spoke pages. See: Semantic SEO Fundamentals
Semantic SEO Audit Tools
| Tool | Use In Audit | Audit Phase |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Query coverage, cannibalization detection, impression gaps | Steps 1, 6 |
| Screaming Frog | Internal link crawl, orphan pages, schema detection | Steps 2, 6 |
| Ahrefs / Semrush | Topical gap analysis, competitor coverage mapping | Step 1 |
| Google Rich Results Test | Schema validation, error detection | Step 5 |
| InLinks / WordLift | Entity salience scoring, Knowledge Graph alignment | Steps 3, 4 |
| ChatGPT / Claude | EAV structure review, extractive answer quality check | Steps 3, 4 |
See the complete tool stack: Topical Authority Tools: Complete Semantic SEO Stack
How POS1 Conducts a Semantic SEO Audit
POS1’s semantic SEO audit follows the Koray Framework methodology across four deliverables:
- Topical map gap report — all missing entities and subtopics vs. complete cluster coverage
- Content architecture audit — EAV scoring, extractive answer presence, Question H2 alignment per page
- Schema markup audit — JSON-LD coverage, validation errors, Knowledge Graph inclusion assessment
- Internal linking map — hub-spoke structure visualization, anchor text semantic quality, orphan page list
Results from applying this audit framework: +340% organic traffic (e-commerce), +156% conversion rate (B2B SaaS), local business topical authority without backlinks.
Frequently Asked Questions About Semantic SEO Audits
What is a semantic SEO audit?
A semantic SEO audit evaluates how well a website’s content communicates entity relationships, topical completeness, and search intent to search engines. It goes beyond technical checks to assess Knowledge Graph signals, EAV content structure, internal link semantics, and schema markup coverage.
How is a semantic SEO audit different from a technical SEO audit?
A technical SEO audit identifies crawlability errors, site speed issues, and indexation problems. A semantic SEO audit evaluates meaning — whether Google can extract structured facts from your content, whether your domain demonstrates topical authority, and whether internal links signal entity relationships rather than just distributing PageRank.
How long does a semantic SEO audit take?
For a site with 50–100 pages, a thorough semantic audit takes 3–5 days: 1 day for topical map construction, 1–2 days for content EAV review, 1 day for schema audit, 1 day for internal link mapping. Larger sites (500+ pages) require 2–4 weeks depending on cluster complexity.
What tools do I need for a semantic SEO audit?
The core stack: Google Search Console (query data), Screaming Frog (crawl + internal links), Ahrefs or Semrush (topical gaps), Google Rich Results Test (schema validation), and an LLM (ChatGPT/Claude) for EAV structure review. Enterprise clients add InLinks or WordLift for entity salience scoring.
How often should a semantic SEO audit be conducted?
Full semantic audits are recommended every 6 months or after major Google algorithm updates. Ongoing monitoring via GSC (weekly) catches query coverage drops and cannibalization issues between full audits.
Can I do a semantic SEO audit myself?
Yes, using the 6-step process and 12-item checklist above. The most impactful self-audit action: test Information Responsiveness on your top 10 pages — rewrite openings to extractive answers and check GSC for position improvements within 2–3 weeks.