Run the initial scan
Start with a single page or small site scan. Save the PDF or JSON export before making changes so there is a baseline.
SEO Crystal Ball Tutorial
SEO Crystal Ball Tutorial: Scan, Fix, and Verify
Use this workflow to turn a Crystal Ball audit into practical website improvements without treating every warning as equally urgent.
What You Will Verify
- Which finding cleared
- Which source change caused it
- Which warnings remain
- Whether the next step is content, schema, or routing
Workflow
A repeatable six-step audit loop.
The goal is not to chase a perfect score in one pass. The goal is to identify the most meaningful verified issue, fix it cleanly, and run another scan with better evidence.
Group repeated findings
Look for patterns across pages: missing schema, weak titles, title/H1 mismatch, redirect issues, short descriptions, or contact signal gaps.
Choose one representative fix
Pick a fix that is visible, meaningful, and easy to verify. Avoid mixing too many unrelated changes into the first pass.
Make the source change
Edit the page title, meta description, structured data, canonical hints, or routing configuration. Keep the change aligned with visible content.
Redeploy and capture evidence
After publishing, save the changed source references, the live page URL, and a page capture so the follow-up scan can be explained clearly.
Run the follow-up scan
Compare the new report to the baseline. Mark cleared findings, document remaining warnings, and choose the next layer of work.
Choosing fixes
Prioritize fixes that are true, visible, and verifiable.
Good first fixes
- Missing JSON-LD where visible page content supports schema.
- Short titles that do not identify page purpose.
- Title and H1 combinations that describe different topics.
- Missing or weak meta descriptions on important pages.
Handle carefully
- Phone or address warnings when the business intentionally uses email-first contact.
- Article schema warnings on landing pages that are not articles.
- LocalBusiness schema warnings when a page mentions service terms but is not a location landing page.
Escalate separately
- Redirect chains and inconsistent HTTP statuses.
- Host-level cache or rewrite behavior.
- Canonical, slash, and extensionless URL policy.
- Anything that needs DNS, CDN, or hosting control.
Example walkthrough
Pricing page: missing schema became a clear source-level fix.
This is a useful example because the finding was specific, verifiable, and tied to visible page content. The follow-up scan confirmed that the structured-data warning cleared.
Initial scan finding
The pricing page was missing JSON-LD structured data. The recommended fix was to add schema that matches visible pricing and navigation context.
- JSON-LD missing
- Pricing page
- Structured data
Implemented action
The page received WebPage, BreadcrumbList, and OfferCatalog schema. The follow-up scan no longer reports the structured-data warning.
- WebPage
- BreadcrumbList
- OfferCatalog
Why this was a good fix
The page already displayed pricing, offer tiers, and navigation context. That made OfferCatalog and breadcrumb schema appropriate rather than speculative.
How to verify it
Run a follow-up scan, confirm JSON-LD parses, and check that the schema types match the visible page: no fake offers, no hidden claims, and no unsupported business facts.
Evidence checklist
Save enough proof to make the work easy to explain later.
Before evidence
- Initial PDF export
- Initial JSON or HTML export
- List of warnings by page
- The source file or template that likely owns the issue
After evidence
- Source file and line reference
- Deployment timestamp or release note
- Follow-up PDF or HTML export
- Cleared finding or narrowed remaining warning
When warnings remain
A good follow-up scan often becomes a sharper to-do list.
If a page improves but still shows warnings, decide whether each remaining item is a real issue, a context-dependent choice, or a scanner sensitivity question.
Real issue
Redirect chains, inconsistent status responses, missing canonical data, or missing schema that clearly matches visible content.
Business choice
Visible phone number, mailing address, social links, and contact methods depend on how the business wants customers to engage.
Scanner refinement
If a warning does not match page reality, document it. The scanner should become more accurate as repeated edge cases appear.
Use the workflow
Run a scan when you are ready to turn a page review into an action list.
Start with a page that matters, save the baseline export, make one focused technical change, and use the follow-up scan to verify what improved. Use the Crystal Ball Fix Library when a finding needs a plain-English explanation before you edit the site.