How to Evaluate a WordPress Site Before Buying

Introduction

Purchasing an established WordPress site can be one of the smartest investments in digital assets, but only if you buy the right one. A thorough evaluation process separates profitable acquisitions from expensive mistakes. This comprehensive guide provides a systematic approach to evaluating WordPress sites, covering every aspect from traffic analysis to technical health assessment.

The Evaluation Framework

The 7 Pillars of Site Evaluation

1. Traffic Analysis - Quantity and quality of visitors
2. Revenue Verification - Income validation and sustainability
3. SEO Assessment - Search performance and risks
4. Content Audit - Quality, originality, and scalability
5. Technical Review - WordPress health and setup
6. Risk Analysis - Potential problems and red flags
7. Growth Potential - Future opportunity assessment

Pillar 1: Traffic Analysis

Accessing Traffic Data

Required Access:

• Google Analytics (viewer access minimum)
• Google Search Console
• Any other analytics platforms used

Key Reports to Review:

• Audience Overview (users, sessions, pageviews)
• Acquisition (traffic sources breakdown)
• Behavior (top pages, user flow)
• Geography (country distribution)

Traffic Metrics That Matter

Volume Metrics:

Traffic Source Breakdown:

• Organic Search: Most valuable (sustainable)
• Direct: Brand awareness indicator
• Referral: Quality backlinks
• Social: Audience engagement
• Email: List effectiveness
• Paid: Requires ongoing spend

Traffic Quality Indicators

Good Signs:

• Steady organic traffic growth
• Diverse traffic sources
• Low bounce rate on key pages
• Returning visitor percentage (20%+)
• Geographic alignment with monetization

Warning Signs:

• Sudden traffic spikes without cause
• Single source dependency
• Extremely high bounce rate (80%+)
• Traffic from irrelevant countries
• Declining organic traffic trend

Seasonality Assessment

Review 24+ months of data to identify:

• Peak and low periods
• Year-over-year comparisons
• Holiday or event impacts
• Industry-specific cycles

Calculate average monthly traffic accounting for seasonality.

Pillar 2: Revenue Verification

Types of Revenue to Verify

Display Advertising:

• Google AdSense
• Mediavine
• AdThrive
• Ezoic

Affiliate Income:

• Amazon Associates
• ShareASale
• CJ Affiliate
• Direct partnerships

Product Sales:

• Digital products
• Physical products
• Memberships
• Courses

Other Revenue:

• Sponsored posts
• Lead generation
• Consulting/services

Verification Methods

Request Documentation:

• Screenshot from ad networks (with dates visible)
• Affiliate dashboard exports
• Payment processor statements
• Bank deposit records

Cross-Reference Data:

• Compare revenue to traffic (RPM calculation)
• Check industry benchmarks
• Verify consistency across reports
• Look for reporting anomalies

Revenue Analysis

Calculate Key Metrics:

• Revenue Per Mille (RPM) = (Revenue / Pageviews) x 1000
• Average Monthly Revenue (use 12-month average)
• Revenue Trend (growing, stable, declining)
• Revenue Diversification Score

Industry RPM Benchmarks:

Red Flags:

• RPM significantly above industry norms
• Revenue without verifiable traffic
• Single month screenshots only
• Reluctance to provide documentation

Pillar 3: SEO Assessment

Domain Authority Check

Use multiple tools for accuracy:

• Moz Domain Authority (DA)
• Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR)
• Majestic Trust Flow
• SEMrush Authority Score

Interpreting Scores:

• 0-20: New or weak domain
• 21-40: Developing authority
• 41-60: Established domain
• 61-80: Strong authority
• 81-100: Industry leader

Backlink Profile Analysis

Quantity Metrics:

• Total backlinks
• Referring domains (more important)
• Dofollow vs nofollow ratio

Quality Indicators:

• Links from relevant sites
• Editorial (earned) vs placed links
• Anchor text diversity
• Link velocity (natural growth pattern)

Risk Factors:

• Sudden backlink spikes
• High percentage of exact match anchors
• Links from PBN sites
• Unnatural link patterns

Keyword Rankings

Assess Current Rankings:

• Number of keywords in top 10
• Number of keywords in top 100
• Traffic potential from rankings
• Featured snippets owned

Ranking Trends:

• Are rankings improving or declining?
• Any recent significant drops?
• Algorithm update impacts?

Technical SEO Audit

Check These Elements:

• Site speed (aim for <3 seconds)
• Mobile responsiveness
• Core Web Vitals scores
• Proper indexation
• XML sitemap presence
• Robots.txt configuration
• Canonical tags
• Structured data implementation

Google Search Console Review

Critical Checks:

• Manual actions (penalties)
• Security issues
• Coverage errors
• Mobile usability
• Core Web Vitals
• Links report

Pillar 4: Content Audit

Content Quantity Assessment

Inventory:

• Total published posts
• Total published pages
• Categories and organization
• Publication frequency

Content Quality Evaluation

Sample 10-20 posts across categories:

Quality Checklist:

• Original content (run plagiarism check)
• Comprehensive coverage
• Accurate information
• Good writing quality
• Proper formatting
• Updated when needed
• Engaging to readers

Content Performance Analysis

Identify:

• Top 10 traffic-generating posts
• Posts ranking for valuable keywords
• Content with high engagement
• Underperforming content

Calculate Content Value:

• Traffic per post average
• Revenue attribution
• Content age and decay rate

Content Risks

Check For:

• Plagiarized content
• AI-generated without editing
• Outdated information (especially YMYL)
• Copyright issues (images, quotes)
• Thin content pages

Pillar 5: Technical Review

WordPress Core

Version Check:

• Current WordPress version
• Update history
• Compatibility status

Database Health:

• Size relative to content
• Post revisions (bloat indicator)
• Spam comments
• Transients

Theme Analysis

Identify:

• Theme name and version
• Premium or free
• License type and transferability
• Customization level

Evaluate:

• Update availability
• Developer support status
• Code quality
• Speed impact

Plugin Audit

Create Inventory:

Assess:

• Plugin necessity
• Update status
• Conflicts or issues
• Annual costs

Security Assessment

Check:

• Past malware incidents
• Current security plugins
• User accounts (remove unnecessary)
• File permissions
• Recent security scans

Performance Metrics

Test With:

• Google PageSpeed Insights
• GTmetrix
• WebPageTest
• Lighthouse

Target Scores:

• Mobile: 70+
• Desktop: 80+
• Time to Interactive: <5 seconds

Pillar 6: Risk Analysis

Penalty Risk Assessment

Check For:

• Google manual actions
• Algorithmic penalties (traffic drops)
• Link penalties
• Content quality issues

Dependency Risks

Single Points of Failure:

• One traffic source dominance
• Single revenue stream
• Critical plugin dependencies
• Key person dependency

Legal Risks

Review:

• Trademark conflicts
• Copyright issues
• Privacy policy compliance
• Terms of service
• GDPR/CCPA compliance

Market Risks

Consider:

• Industry trends
• Competition changes
• Google algorithm vulnerability
• Technology changes

Pillar 7: Growth Potential

Content Opportunities

Identify:

• Keyword gaps to fill
• Content update opportunities
• New content categories
• Format expansion (video, podcast)

Monetization Opportunities

Unexplored Options:

• New ad networks
• Additional affiliate programs
• Digital product creation
• Service offerings
• Email monetization

Technical Improvements

Quick Wins:

• Speed optimization
• Conversion optimization
• SEO improvements
• User experience enhancement

Traffic Growth Potential

Assess:

• Untapped keywords
• Link building opportunities
• Social media potential
• Email list growth

Evaluation Scoring System

Create a Scorecard

Rate each pillar 1-10:

Interpretation

• 85-100: Excellent acquisition
• 70-84: Good with minor concerns
• 55-69: Proceed with caution
• Below 55: Significant concerns

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should the evaluation take?

Plan for 1-4 weeks depending on site complexity. Rushing leads to overlooked problems.

What if the seller won't provide access?

Major red flag. At minimum, you need view-only Analytics and Search Console access. Walk away if refused.

Should I hire a professional?

For sites over $10,000, consider professional evaluation. The cost (typically $200-500) is small compared to potential losses.

What's the biggest mistake buyers make?

Falling in love with the site before completing due diligence. Stay objective and trust the data.

How do I handle discrepancies in reported data?

Ask for clarification. Document everything. If explanations don't satisfy, reduce your offer or walk away.

Evaluation Tools Summary

Free Tools

• Google Analytics (with access)
• Google Search Console (with access)
• Google PageSpeed Insights
• Wayback Machine
• Copyscape (limited)

Paid Tools

• Ahrefs or SEMrush (backlink analysis)
• Moz Pro (domain metrics)
• Screaming Frog (technical audit)
• SurferSEO (content analysis)

Key Takeaways

• Never skip due diligence regardless of time pressure
• Verify everything with documentation and tools
• Use a systematic approach covering all seven pillars
• Score sites objectively before making emotional decisions
• Trust red flags and be willing to walk away
• The best deal is one that checks all boxes

Next Steps

Put this evaluation framework into practice with our curated marketplace of pre-verified WordPress domains. Each listing includes verified metrics, making your due diligence process faster and more reliable.

Meta Description: Learn how to evaluate WordPress sites before buying with this comprehensive framework covering traffic, revenue, SEO, content, technical health, and growth potential.

Keywords: evaluate wordpress site, website due diligence, buying websites, site analysis, wordpress site audit