The verdict in three sentences
A technical SEO audit before a rebuild is not optional: it is the insurance that protects the Google rankings you spent years earning. For EUR 1,500 to 3,500 and 5 to 10 days, you get a full map of the existing site, a 301 redirect plan and a prioritised list of fixes. Without it, a rebuild loses on average 20 to 40 % of organic traffic within three months of launch.
Why audit before, never after
The classic trap for an acquisition lead: approve a beautiful mockup, launch the new site, then discover three weeks later that demo requests have collapsed. The culprit is rarely the design; it is the URLs changed without redirects, the lost meta tags, the broken internal linking and a crawl budget wasted on useless pages.
A pre-audit freezes the baseline: which pages generate traffic, which keywords rank, what the current URL structure is. That baseline then becomes the SEO brief for the rebuild agency.
| Audited area | What we check | Risk if ignored |
|---|---|---|
| Indexation | Indexed vs submitted pages, stray noindex | Key pages absent from Google |
| Redirects | Old -> new mapping, 301 chains | Loss of 30-40 % of traffic |
| Crawl budget | Orphan pages, parameters, facets | Googlebot ignores new pages |
| Internal linking | Depth, anchors, orphan pages | Diluted link equity |
| Markup | Title, meta, Hn, structured data | Loss of rich snippets |
| Performance | Core Web Vitals, page weight | Mobile ranking drop |
What the deliverable contains
A serious audit is not just a tool export. The deliverable combines an annotated report, a redirect mapping file and a roadmap prioritised by impact and effort.
| Deliverable | Format | Timeline | 2026 indicative price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full technical crawl | Report + export | Day 3 | included |
| 301 redirect mapping | Spreadsheet URL -> URL | Day 6 | included |
| Prioritised action plan | Roadmap P1/P2/P3 | Day 8 | included |
| Express audit (site < 200 URLs) | Summary report | 5 days | EUR 1,500 |
| Standard audit (200-2,000 URLs) | Full | 7 days | EUR 2,500 |
| Deep audit (complex site) | Full + guidance | 10 days | EUR 3,500 |
The number of checked points ranges from 40 for a brochure site to 80 for a high-volume B2B site with a product catalogue and blog. Each point is rated green, amber or red with a concrete recommendation.
Mini case study
Thomas, acquisition lead at an industrial SME in Dublin, runs an 850-page site that generates 60 leads per month through organic search. Before his rebuild, he orders a standard audit at EUR 2,500. It reveals 220 URLs with no redirect planned in the new structure. Without a fix, assuming a 30 % organic traffic loss, he would have lost roughly 18 leads per month. At an average value of EUR 400 per qualified lead, that is EUR 7,200 of monthly pipeline at risk. The audit paid for itself in under two weeks of preserved traffic.
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
FAQ
How much does a pre-rebuild technical SEO audit cost in 2026?
Expect EUR 1,500 to 3,500 depending on URL volume and complexity. A brochure site under 200 pages sits near EUR 1,500; a B2B site with a catalogue lands at EUR 2,500 to 3,500.
How long does the audit take?
Between 5 and 10 working days. Crawl and analysis take 3 days, redirect mapping 2 to 3 days, the debrief the rest.
What actually protects traffic during a rebuild?
The exhaustive 301 redirect plan. Every old URL with traffic or backlinks must point to its closest equivalent, with no redirect chains or loops.
Can you audit a site that has already been rebuilt?
Yes, but that is costlier curative work. Fixing after the fact often needs 30 to 50 % more budget and a recovery window of 2 to 4 months.
How many control points in a full audit?
From 40 to 80 depending on site size: indexation, crawl, redirects, linking, markup, structured data, performance and security.
Let's scope your project. Share your URL volume and target rebuild date, and we will propose the right audit. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
