8 Most Common Technical SEO Issues
Today, I want to chat about something that’s been driving me crazy lately – technical SEO issues. You know, those pesky little problems that can totally tank your search rankings? Yeah, those ones.
When you conduct an SEO Audit of your site, fixing technical SEO Issues comes in the same line.
I remember when I first started my tech blog, I was so focused on creating killer content that I completely overlooked the technical side of things. Big mistake! It wasn’t until I noticed my traffic taking a nosedive that I realized something was seriously wrong.
Listen up, because I’m about to share the 8 most common technical SEO issues that might be killing your search rankings. Trust me, I’ve learned these lessons the hard way, and I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did.
Let’s dive in!
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1. Slow Page Load Speed
Slow websites. They're the worst, right? I mean, who has the patience to wait around for a page to load these days? Certainly not me, and definitely not your visitors!
I’ll never forget the time I added a bunch of high-res images to my homepage, thinking it would look amazing. Spoiler alert: it did look great, but it loaded slower than my grandma’s dial-up connection. Not cool.
Here’s the deal:
- Google hates slow websites. They’re all about user experience, and a slow site is a big no-no.
- Your visitors will bounce faster than a rubber ball if your page takes forever to load.
- Slow loading times can seriously hurt your search rankings. It’s like SEO kryptonite!
Pro tip: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to check your site’s speed. They’ll give you a bunch of nerdy data, but also some actionable tips to speed things up.
Remember, “every second counts when it comes to page load speed!” Shave off those milliseconds wherever you can!
2. Mobile Unfriendliness
Okay, let's talk mobile. If your website isn't mobile-friendly in 2025, you might as well be using a carrier pigeon to send messages. It's that outdated!
I learned this lesson the hard way when I realized half my traffic was coming from mobile devices, but my site looked like a hot mess on phones. Talk about a facepalm moment!
Here’s why mobile-friendliness is crucial:
- Google uses mobile-first indexing. That means they primarily use the mobile version of your site for ranking and indexing.
- More people browse on their phones than on desktops these days. Shocking, I know!
- A bad mobile experience = high bounce rates = sad Google rankings.
Want to know if your site is mobile-friendly? Just pull out your phone and check! Or, if you want to get fancy, use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.
Pro tip: Responsive design is your best friend. It’s like having a Swiss Army knife for web design – one site that works great on all devices!
3. Crawlability and Indexation Problems
Alright, this one's a bit technical, but stick with me. Imagine you've built this awesome treehouse, but you forgot to put in a ladder. That's what it's like when search engines can't crawl or index your site properly.
I once accidentally blocked Google from crawling my entire site with a messed-up robots.txt file. Oops! My traffic disappeared faster than free pizza at a college dorm.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Your robots.txt file is like a bouncer for your website. Make sure it’s not turning away the VIPs (search engines).
- Check that you’re not accidentally using noindex tags on pages you want in search results.
- A good XML sitemap is like a roadmap for search engines. Make sure yours is up-to-date and error-free.
“Think of search engine crawlers as very literal-minded guests. You need to give them clear, specific instructions on how to navigate your site.”
4. Duplicate Content
Duplicate content is like wearing the same outfit to prom as someone else - embarrassing and totally avoidable!
I once had a blog where I republished some of my articles on other sites without proper canonicalization. Big mistake! Google got confused about which version was the original, and my rankings took a hit.
Here’s the lowdown on duplicate content:
- It can be internal (on your own site) or external (on other sites).
- Search engines don’t know which version to rank, so they might choose the wrong one – or none at all!
- It wastes your precious crawl budget. Don’t make Google work harder than it needs to!
How to fix it? Use canonical tags, my friends. They’re like a “hey Google, this is the OG version” sign for your content.
Pro tip: If you’re syndicating content, always make sure the republishing site includes a canonical tag pointing back to your original article. It’s like giving credit where credit’s due!
5. Broken Links and 404 Errors
The 404 errors! They're like those awkward moments when you wave at someone who wasn't actually waving at you. Embarrassing for everyone involved!
I once deleted a popular post without redirecting it, and my inbox was flooded with confused readers hitting a 404 page. Not my proudest moment.
Here’s why broken links and 404s are bad news:
- They provide a terrible user experience. Nothing makes visitors bounce faster!
- They waste your crawl budget. Why let Google crawl dead ends?
- Too many broken links can signal to search engines that your site is low-quality or poorly maintained.
Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to find broken links. And please, for the love of all things SEO, set up proper 301 redirects when you move or delete content!
“Remember, a well-crafted 404 page can turn a potential disaster into an opportunity to engage your visitors.”
6. Poor URL Structure
Let's chat about URLs. They're like the addresses of the internet, and just like in real estate, location matters!
When I first started blogging, my URLs looked like alphabet soup. You know, something like “mysite.com/p=123“.
Yuck! No wonder Google (and my visitors) were confused.
Here’s why URL structure is important:
- Clean, descriptive URLs help users and search engines understand what a page is about before they even click.
- They can include your target keywords, giving you a little SEO boost.
- Good URLs are easier to share and remember.
Aim for URLs that are short, sweet, and descriptive. Something like “mysite.com/seo-tips” is way better than a string of random numbers and letters.
Pro tip: Use hyphens to separate words in your URLs. Underscores are so 2005!
7. Improper Use of Canonical Tags
Canonical tags. They sound fancy, don't they? But trust me, they're not just for show. These little bits of code can save you from a world of SEO hurt!
I once had a site where every page had a self-referencing canonical tag… including my pagination pages. Facepalm! I was essentially telling Google that page 1 of my blog was the same as pages 2, 3, 4, and so on. Not smart.
Here’s the deal with canonical tags:
- They tell search engines which version of a page is the “master copy”.
- They’re super helpful for dealing with duplicate content issues.
- But use them incorrectly, and you might as well be speaking gibberish to Google.
Remember: canonical tags are powerful, but with great power comes great responsibility. Use them wisely!
“Think of canonical tags as your way of saying, ‘Hey Google, if you see these pages that look similar, this is the one I want you to pay attention to.'”
8. HTTPS and SSL Certificate Issues
Last but definitely not least, let's talk about HTTPS and SSL certificates. In today's internet, if your site isn't secure, you're basically walking around with a "Hack Me" sign on your back.
I learned this lesson when Chrome started marking my site as “Not Secure”. Talk about embarrassing! It was like showing up to a black-tie event in pajamas.
Here’s why HTTPS is non-negotiable:
- It’s a ranking factor. Google likes secure sites, and so do your visitors.
- It encrypts data transferred between the user and your site. Super important if you’re handling any sensitive info!
- It builds trust. Would you enter your credit card info on a site marked “Not Secure”? I didn’t think so.
Implementing HTTPS isn’t just good practice – it’s essential. And please, make sure your SSL certificate is properly installed and up-to-date. An expired certificate is almost as bad as no certificate at all!
Conclusion
Wrapping Up Most Common Technical SEO Issues
These 8 technical SEO issues might seem daunting, but trust me, tackling them is worth every bit of effort. Your search rankings (and your visitors) will thank you!
Remember, technical SEO isn’t a one-and-done deal. It’s an ongoing process that requires regular check-ups and maintenance. Think of it like going to the dentist, but for your website. Not as painful, I promise!
If all of this seems overwhelming, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Many website owners struggle with these technical issues. That’s why it might be worth considering hiring a technical SEO expert. They can dive deep into your site’s backend, identify these issues (and probably a few more), and fix them properly.
A good technical SEO specialist can save you time, headaches, and potentially a lot of lost traffic. They’ll make sure your site is running like a well-oiled machine, leaving you free to focus on what you do best – creating awesome content!
So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to roll up your sleeves and give your website the technical TLC it deserves. Your improved search rankings will be worth it!
FAQs
On-page SEO focuses on optimizing individual web pages for specific keywords and improving content quality. Technical SEO, on the other hand, deals with improving the technical aspects of a website to help search engines crawl and index it more effectively. While on-page SEO is about content and keywords, technical SEO is about the website’s infrastructure.
I recommend performing a comprehensive technical SEO audit at least once every 6 months. However, it’s a good idea to do quick checks more frequently, especially after making significant changes to your website. Regular monitoring can help you catch and fix issues before they negatively impact your rankings.
Absolutely! Technical SEO issues can significantly impact your organic traffic. Problems like slow page speed, poor mobile optimization, or indexation issues can lead to lower rankings and decreased visibility in search results. This, in turn, can result in less organic traffic to your site.
There are several free tools available to help identify technical SEO issues:
- Google Search Console
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- Mobile-Friendly Test
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free version)
- Yoast SEO plugin (for WordPress sites)
- Bing Webmaster Tools
To fix duplicate content issues:
- Use canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page
- Implement 301 redirects for duplicate pages
- Use rel=”next” and rel=”prev” for paginated content
- Avoid publishing the same content on multiple URLs
- Be cautious with URL parameters that create duplicate content
Remember, fixing duplicate content usually improves rankings in the long run, even if there’s a temporary fluctuation.
While there’s no definitive “ideal” speed, Google suggests aiming for a page load time of under 3 seconds. However, faster is always better. Studies have shown that 53% of mobile site visits are abandoned if pages take longer than 3 seconds to load. Aim to have your pages load as quickly as possible, ideally under 2 seconds.
To improve crawl budget:
- Remove or noindex low-value pages
- Fix broken links and redirect chains
- Optimize your robots.txt file
- Improve site speed and performance
- Use an XML sitemap and keep it updated
- Improve internal linking structure
- Reduce duplicate content
Key technical SEO factors for e-commerce sites include:
- Site speed optimization
- Mobile responsiveness
- Proper handling of pagination and faceted navigation
- Implementing schema markup for products
- Managing duplicate content (e.g., product variations)
- Optimizing internal search functionality
- Ensuring proper indexation of product and category pages
To implement structured data correctly:
- Choose the appropriate schema type for your content
- Use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or schema.org as a reference
- Implement the markup using JSON-LD (preferred by Google)
- Test your markup using Google’s Rich Results Test tool
- Monitor the performance of your structured data in Google Search Console
Remember to keep your structured data up-to-date and consistent with your visible content.
Core Web Vitals are a set of specific factors that Google considers important in a webpage’s overall user experience. They are now a ranking factor in Google’s algorithm. While they’re not the only ranking factor, improving your Core Web Vitals can positively impact your search rankings and overall user experience. Focus on optimizing Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) for the best results.
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