When you test your website with an SEO tool, it gives you a score — maybe 67 out of 100, maybe 82. That number looks important, but Google warns that this score might actually be misleading.

Google expert Martin Splitt recently explained why you shouldn’t treat automated scores as the full truth:

• They flag “problems” that may not be real issues for your specific site.
• They focus on things that might not actually help your business.
• They treat every website the same, even though every site has different goals.

If you want better rankings, you must understand the difference between a real problem and a fake one.

Google’s 3-Step Guide for Better Audits

Google suggests a simple three-step plan to fix your website the right way.

Step 1: Use Tools to Find Clues

SEO tools are great at scanning thousands of pages. Use them to find potential issues. However, remember that the tool provides a list of possibilities, not a medical diagnosis. It tells you what might be wrong, not necessarily what is wrong.

Step 2: Create a Custom Report for Your Site

Most reports fail because they are generic. A good report takes the tool’s data and checks it against your specific business.

• Is your site a small local shop or a giant online store?
• Is the “error” actually a normal part of how your site works?

Your report should separate the big problems from the things that don’t matter.

Step 3: Fix What Actually Matters

This is where experts come in. Don’t blindly fix every error the tool lists. Instead, prioritize the fixes that will actually help Google read your site better and help your customers use it.

Example: When an “Error” is Good

Consider 404 errors (Page Not Found).

The Tool says: “You have many 404 errors. This is bad. Your score goes down.”
The Reality: Did you recently delete 500 old, useless pages? If yes, those 404s are exactly what should happen. It means your cleanup worked.

A high number of errors is only bad if you don’t know why they are happening. A tool can’t tell the difference, but a human can.

The Real Problem: Generic Scores

Tools give scores because numbers are easy to understand. But generic scores are dangerous.

For example, a tool might complain that a local US website doesn’t have “hreflang tags” (code for different languages). But if your business only exists in America, you don’t need those tags! The tool calls it a failure; a human knows it’s irrelevant.

What You Should Do Next

If you are hiring an agency or running your own audit, remember:

1. Don’t panic over a score. It is just a starting point.
2. Ask “Why?” If a tool flags an error, ask if it actually hurts your specific business goals.
3. Trust Experts, Not Just Software. Tools find patterns, but humans understand context. You need someone who understands code, servers, and your business history to make the right decisions.

Technical SEO isn’t about getting a perfect score of 100. It is about fixing the things that actually stop your site from succeeding.

Need an Expert Opinion?

Don’t waste money fixing “errors” that don’t matter. You need a partner who understands both the complex code behind your website and the marketing strategy in front of it.
Ingenious Netsoft combines expert web development with advanced SEO strategies to give you a technical audit that is tailored to your business, not a generic checklist. Get a real technical audit at Ingenious Netsoft!