Common Technical SEO Errors Holding Your Website Back (And How to Fix Them)

Optimising your website for search engines goes beyond great content and backlinks. Technical SEO plays a crucial role in determining how well your site performs in search engine rankings. However, even minor technical errors can have a significant impact on your website’s visibility. In this blog, we’ll explore some common technical SEO errors that may be restricting your site from ranking higher, and more importantly, how you can fix them.

1. Slow Page Loading Speed

Why It’s a Problem: Page speed is a critical ranking factor for Google, as it directly affects user experience. Slow-loading pages lead to higher bounce rates, meaning visitors leave your site before it even fully loads. This sends negative signals to search engines and impacts your rankings.

How to Fix It:

• Optimise Images: Compress images before uploading them to reduce file size without compromising quality. Tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim can help.
• Minimise HTTP Requests: Reduce the number of elements on your page (scripts, CSS, images) that need to load. Combining CSS files and minimising JavaScript can help speed things up.
• Enable Browser Caching: Use caching to store certain elements of your site locally, so they don’t have to reload every time a visitor returns.
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN helps deliver your content faster by using servers that are geographically closer to your user.
  
  

2. Broken Links and 404 Errors

Why It’s a Problem: Broken links and 404 errors occur when a page on your website cannot be found. Not only do these errors frustrate users, but they also waste "crawl budget"—the amount of time and resources search engines like Google allocate to crawling your website. Too many broken links can cause your site to be crawled less efficiently, affecting how well it gets indexed.

How to Fix It:

• Run a Crawl Report: Use tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs to identify any broken links on your site.
• Redirect 404 Pages: If a page no longer exists, set up a 301 redirect to guide visitors to a relevant page.
• Fix Internal Links: Update internal links that point to broken or outdated URLs to ensure smooth navigation across your site.
  
  

3. Non-Optimised Mobile Experience

Why It’s a Problem: Google’s mobile-first indexing means that the mobile version of your site is considered the primary version for ranking purposes. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, it’s likely you’ll struggle to rank, as a poor mobile experience can result in higher bounce rates and fewer conversions.

How to Fix It:

• Responsive Design: Ensure that your website is responsive and adjusts well to different screen sizes. Most modern themes and website builders like WordPress or Wix offer responsive options.
• Optimise Mobile Speed: Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to see how your site performs on mobile and follow its recommendations for improvement.
• Minimise Pop-Ups: Intrusive pop-ups can negatively affect user experience on mobile devices, so ensure any pop-ups are easy to close or minimise.
  
  

4. Duplicate Content

Why It’s a Problem: Duplicate content can confuse search engines, as they struggle to determine which version of the content should rank higher. This can lead to both pieces of content being ranked lower or not at all. Duplicate content can also dilute your link equity, making it harder for any single page to rank well.

How to Fix It:

• Use Canonical Tags: If you have similar content across different pages (e.g., product pages with slight variations), use canonical tags to indicate the preferred version to search engines.
• Eliminate Duplicate Pages: Ensure that each page on your website serves a unique purpose. Consolidate any pages that offer the same or very similar content.
• Update Meta Tags: Check that your title tags and meta descriptions are unique for each page to avoid duplicate metadata.
  
  

5. Improper Use of Noindex Tags

Why It’s a Problem: A "noindex" tag tells search engines not to index a particular page. While it’s a useful tag for pages that you don’t want appearing in search results, such as thank-you pages or login screens, using it incorrectly can result in important pages being excluded from search engine results.

How to Fix It:

• Audit Your Pages: Use Google Search Console to see if any important pages are marked as "noindex" accidentally.
• Remove Unnecessary Noindex Tags: Once you identify the pages that should be indexed, remove the "noindex" tags and resubmit those pages to Google for re-indexing.
• Use Robots.txt Wisely: Make sure your robots.txt file isn’t inadvertently blocking important sections of your site from being crawled.
  
  

6. Missing or Incorrect Structured Data (Schema Markup)

Why It’s a Problem: Structured data, also known as schema markup, helps search engines better understand your content. By adding structured data, you can improve how your site appears in search results (e.g., rich snippets, star ratings, FAQs). Failing to implement or incorrectly setting up schema markup can reduce your chances of standing out in search results.

How to Fix It:

• Implement Schema Markup: Use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or Schema.org to implement the correct schema for your website type, such as product, FAQ, or recipe schemas.
• Test Your Markup: After adding structured data, use Google’s Rich Results Test tool to ensure it’s correctly implemented and error-free.
• Keep it Updated: Regularly review your structured data to ensure it reflects any changes to your content.
  
  

7. Missing or Poor XML Sitemap

Why It’s a Problem: An XML sitemap acts as a roadmap for search engines, helping them find and index your content more efficiently. If you’re missing an XML sitemap or it’s poorly structured, search engines may miss key pages on your site, leading to poor indexing and ranking issues.

How to Fix It:

• Create an XML Sitemap: Use tools like Yoast SEO (for WordPress) or Screaming Frog to generate an XML sitemap if you don’t have one.
• Submit to Google Search Console: Once your XML sitemap is ready, submit it to Google Search Console to ensure it’s being crawled and indexed properly.
• Keep It Updated: Ensure your sitemap is automatically updated whenever new content is added or old pages are removed.
  
  

8. Non-Optimised URL Structure

Why It’s a Problem: Your URL structure can impact how search engines and users understand your website. Complex or poorly organised URLs can make it harder for search engines to crawl your site and for users to navigate it. Non-descriptive or overly long URLs can also affect click-through rates in search results.

How to Fix It:

• Use Descriptive URLs: Keep your URLs short, simple, and descriptive. Avoid using random numbers or characters.
• Include Keywords: Where possible, include relevant keywords in your URLs, but don’t overstuff them.
• Ensure Consistency: Maintain a consistent URL structure throughout your site, avoiding deep nesting that makes URLs unnecessarily long.
  
  

Optimise Your Technical SEO for Better Rankings

Technical SEO errors can seriously hinder your website's ability to rank well in search engines, regardless of how good your content or backlinks are. By addressing these common issues—such as slow loading speeds, broken links, duplicate content, and poor mobile optimisation—you can ensure that your website is properly indexed, ranked, and accessible to users.

Regularly auditing your site for technical SEO issues will keep it performing at its best and help you stay competitive in search rankings. Implement these fixes, and you’ll be well on your way to improving your site’s visibility and overall search engine performance.