For a website to succeed in digital marketing, and in fact, in all aspects of marketing, search engine optimisation is one of the most needed aspects. And then there’s technical SEO, which is all about improving the structure of your website. Following the best technical SEO practice, search engines can easily crawl and index your content. There are common technical SEO errors that even the best efforts cannot avoid, such as search rankings. This blog will review these errors and how to fix them.
1. Broken Links
Problem: Old broken links can break your users’ experience and leave a wrong impression for search engines that your page requires better maintenance.
Solution: Use tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, and Screaming Frog to regularly check for broken links. Once these fractured links have been identified, it is important to update or remove them so visitors to the website enjoy a smooth browsing experience.
2. Slow Page Load Speed
Problem: The speed at which a page loads is an essential ranking signal. In the case of slow-loading pages, users may bounce fast and have lower user engagement.
Solution: Images should be optimised, browser caching should be used, and CSS and JavaScript files must be minimised. There are tools like Google PageSpeed Insights that can help you analyse and improve the speed of your site.
3. Duplicate Content
Problem: Search engines need to clarify which page to rank to your duplicate content, which will dilute your SEO efforts.
Solution: Canonical tags allow you to indicate the preferred version of a page. Furthermore, specific content for each page should be developed, and the just redirected pages should be redirected utilising 301.
4. Improper Use of Redirects
Problem: Redirect chains or loops can confuse users, and in the worst case, they harm your SEO.
Solution:
- Try to keep the limit of redirects to a single step whenever possible.
- Permanent moves should have 301 redirects, while 302 redirects should be used for temporary changes.
- Make sure to regularly audit your redirects to make sure they’re working the way they should.
5. Missing or Improperly Structured XML Sitemap
Problem: An XML sitemap is helpful to search engines to understand your site’s structure. Crawling can be helped or hampered depending on the presence or lack of (and structure of) sitemaps.
Solution: You’ll use Yoast SEO or Screaming Frog to create a comprehensive XML sitemap. Please submit it to Google Search Console and update it whenever your site changes.
6. Missing Alt Tags for Images
Problem: Images with alt tags are treated to optimisation and can also contribute to accessibility.
Solution: I always put descriptive alt tags on images for SEO so visually impaired users can find my content. Use keywords to your advantage; don’t go overboard with keyword stuffing.
7. Not Using HTTPS
Problem: You lose user trust and search rankings by not using HTTPS.
Solution: Get an SSL certificate online to secure your website. Once rolled out, ensure all pages redirect from HTTP to HTTPS and update internal linkings accordingly.
8. Poor Mobile Optimisation
Problem: With mobile-first indexing, websites that aren’t mobile-friendly can lose rankings.
Solution: Use responsive design techniques to respond to your site well on mobile devices. To test your site in the Google Mobile-Friendly Test tool and identify which areas you need to work on.
9. Ignoring Robots.txt File
Problem: Search engines only crawl your site if the robots.txt file is configured correctly.
Solution: Keep a regular eye on your robots.txt so that any essential pages are, in fact, being crawled. You’ll use the Robots Testing Tool in Google Search Console to verify them.
10. Schema Markup that is not correct or missing
Problem: It’s schema markup that boosts your site’s SEO visibility but needs to be seen.
Solution: Mark your content up with schema to assist search engines in understanding what your content is about. Use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to create and test this markup.
Conclusion
Fixing these technical SEO errors can significantly benefit your website’s performance and search rankings. Once the site is up and running, you will need regular audits and proactive optimisation to keep a healthy site that serves its users AND the search engines. Knowing the correct technical SEO guidelines and utilising the right tools ensures your website stays ahead in the digital realm. Whether you’re a technical SEO expert or just beginning, technical SEO for small businesses and how to optimise technical SEO are musts. Let’s fix these errors to pave the way for better rankings and a better user experience!
