Common Technical SEO Issues and How to Fix Them

 

While many focus on content and backlinks, it's easy to overlook the technical side of SEO. Technical SEO is like the engine of a car, without it running smoothly, your website won't perform as well as it could, no matter how shiny the exterior looks. The following provides an overview of common technical SEO issues that site owners face that are detrimental to SEO performance.

1. Slow Page Load Speed

Picture this: You're browsing online and click on a link, but instead of loading instantly, the page takes ages. Frustrating, right? Well, search engines like Google feel the same way. A slow page can negatively impact user experience and lead to higher bounce rates, which can hurt your rankings.

How to Fix It:

• Optimize Images: Large images are often the culprit behind slow load times. Compress images using tools like TinyPNG or ImageCompressor. Additionally, ensure you're using next-gen formats like WebP for better performance.
• Enable Browser Caching: By enabling caching, you allow repeat visitors to load your site faster since their browser won't have to download all resources again. You can do this via your .htaccess file if you're using Apache or by modifying server settings if you're on Nginx.
• Minimize HTTP Requests: Each element on your page—images, scripts, stylesheets—requires an HTTP request. Reduce these by combining CSS files or using CSS sprites for images.

2. Broken Links

Broken links are like dead-ends on a map. They not only frustrate users but also send bad signals to search engines. When search engines crawl your site and encounter broken links, they may conclude that your site isn’t well-maintained, leading to lower rankings.

How to Fix It:

• Regularly Audit Your Website: Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs' Broken Link Checker. These tools will crawl your website and identify any broken links.
• Redirect or Replace Links: Once you've identified broken links, either update them with the correct URLs or set up 301 redirects to relevant pages.

3. Duplicate Content

If search engines find duplicate content on your site, they may struggle to determine which version is more relevant. This can dilute your rankings and even lead to penalties in extreme cases.

How to Fix It:

• Cannonical Tags: Use canonical tags (<link rel="canonical" href="URL">) to tell search engines which version of a page is the original one.
• Noindex Tag: For pages that don’t need to be indexed (e.g., duplicate category pages), use a “noindex” meta tag to keep them out of search results.
• Avoid URL Parameters: Sometimes URL parameters can create duplicate versions of the same page (e.g., sort=asc vs sort=desc). Use parameter handling in Google Search Console or canonical tags to mitigate this issue.

4. Poor Mobile Usability

You might be surprised how many websites still aren't optimized for mobile devices. With over half of global web traffic coming from mobile phones (Statista, 2021), poor mobile usability can significantly impact user experience and search engine rankings.

How to Fix It:

• Use Responsive Design: Ensure that your website is fully responsive by using CSS media queries or frameworks like Bootstrap (Bootstrap) to adapt layouts based on device size.
• Avoid Pop-Ups on Mobile: Google penalizes websites that use intrusive pop-ups on mobile devices. Ensure that any pop-ups are easy to close or consider alternatives like banners or in-content CTAs (Calls To Action).
• Test Using Google's Mobile-Friendly Tool: Run your site through Google's Mobile-Friendly Test (Google's Mobile-Friendly Test) for specific recommendations tailored for mobile optimization.

5. Missing or Improper Use of Structured Data

If content is king, then structured data is its crown jewel—it helps search engines understand what’s on your site beyond just keywords. When implemented correctly, structured data can result in rich snippets (like star ratings in reviews) in SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages), giving you an edge over competitors who rely solely on traditional optimization methods.

How to Fix It:

• Add Schema Markup: Use schema markup language (JSON-LD format recommended) to tell search engines what type of content you have—be it articles, events, recipes, etc. Tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper (Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper) can assist in generating this code.
• Avoid Overuse: While structured data is powerful, stuffing too much schema markup can confuse search engines rather than help them. Focus on applying it where it makes sense—product pages, review sections, etc.
• Validate Your Structured Data: After adding structured data, always validate it using Google’s Rich Results Test (Google’s Rich Results Test). This tool will highlight any errors so you can correct them before going live.

6. Incorrect Indexing Settings

If parts of your website aren't being indexed by search engines—or worse, if pages meant for indexing are accidentally blocked—you could be losing out on significant organic traffic opportunities.

How to Fix It:

• Create an XML Sitemap: An XML sitemap serves as a roadmap for search engines and helps ensure all important pages get crawled and indexed. Tools like XML Sitemaps Generator, can automate this process for you.
• Edit Your Robots.txt File: Double-check your robots.txt file to make sure you're not unintentionally blocking crucial pages from being crawled by search engine bots.
• Submit Your Sitemap in Google Search Console: After creating an XML sitemap, submit it via Google Search Console (Google Search Console). This step ensures that Google has direct access to the structure of your site and can index it accordingly.

A Strong Foundation for Better Rankings

Tackling technical SEO issues is a bit like maintaining a house, you might not always see the work being done under the hood, but it's crucial for long-term stability and performance. The next time you're working on an SEO campaign or troubleshooting why a site isn't ranking as well as you'd expect it to be, don't forget about these fundamental technical aspects; they could be the missing puzzle piece that unlocks better performance across the board!