What is Technical SEO?
Technical SEO refers to the process of adjustments and optimizations made to a website or server that are within the direct control. These changes are done to enhance the crawlability and indexation of your web pages that ultimately increase their website rankings.
These optimizations include components like page titles, title tags, HTTP header responses, xml sitemaps, 301 redirect, and meta data. Technical SEO excludes activities like analytics, keyword research, building a backlink profile, and social media strategies. The main objective of technical SEO is to enhance the search experience.
The common technical SEO issues that are overlooked written below and how to fix them:
1. No HTTPS Security
Website security is crucial for HTTPS than before.
Generally when people type your domain name in search engine and your website is not secure it will display either a gray background or “not secure” warning there are more chances that the users will leave on the spot and get back to the SERP.
How to Fix It?
- You need an SSL certificate from a Certificate Authority to convert your website to HTTPS.
- Your website will be secured once your buy and install your certificate.
2. Website isn’t Indexed Correctly
If your website doesn’t appear in Google Search Results when you look up your brand name, it could indicate an issue in indexation.
According to Google, if your page is not indexed they it doesn’t exist which means that they wont be found on search engine
How to check?
You can check simply by typing search command in the google search bar “site:yoursitename.com” and press enter. It will show you the pages that are indexed
How to Fix It?
- In order to index your website pages you can start by adding your URL to Google.
- To index your website pages you take the assistance of search console. It will assist you in indexing your website.
3. Missing XML Sitemaps
XML sitemaps assists Google search bots to acknowledge more about your website pages, so that they can advantageously and intelligently crawl your website.
How to check?
You can check by simply typing your domain name and adding
“/sitemap.xml”
How to Fix it?
If your website lacks xml sitemap and displays 404 error, you can create either by yourself or hire a web developer to assist. The simplest approach is to use an xml sitemap generator. For WordPress websites, Yoast SEO plugin can automatically generate xml sitemaps, making the process effortless.
4. Missing or Incorrect Robot.txt
A missing robot.txt file is a significant red flag, but an improperly configured one can be even worse, potentially harming your organic site traffic.
How to check?
To check the issues regarding robots.txt file, enter your website URL followed by “/robots.txt” in your browse. If the results display “User-agent: * Disallow/, it indicates a problem.
How to Fix It?
- If you see “Disallow” ask the developer to change to “Allow”. It might be intentionally configured that way for a specific reason or could be simply be an oversight.
- For complex robots.txt files, as often seen on ecommerce websites, it is essential to review each line with the developer to ensure it is accurately configured.
5. Meta Robots NOINDEX Set
The NOINDEX tag, when used correctly informs search bots that certain pages, such as multi-page blog categories, are less important for indexing. However, an incorrectly configured NOINDEX tag can severely harm your search visibility by removing entire groups of pages from Google’s index a significant SEO issue. During website development, it is common to apply NOINDEX tags to large sections of the website. However, once the website is live, it is crucial to ensure the tag is removed. Never assume this step was completed as failing to do so can critically impact your website’s visibility in search results.
How to check?
Right click on the website page and select “View Source Code” Do CTRL + F to search for the line on the source code that read “NOINDEX” or “NOFOLLOW” such as:
<meta name=”robots” content=”NOINDEX, NOFOLLOW”>
How to Fix It?
You can ask the website developer to change the code
6. Slow Page Speed
If the website is taking too much time to load (more than 3 seconds) there are many chances that your users might go elsewhere from your website.
Page speed plays a crucial role in user experience and impacts Google’s algorithm. In the summer of 2021, Google introduced the Page experience update, incorporating Core Web Vitals metrics, and launched an updated Page Experience report in Search Console.
How to Check?
Utilize Google PageSpeed Insights to identify specific speed issues on your website, ensuring you review both desktop and mobile performance. For ongoing, consider using seoClarity’s Page speed tool to gather scores on a monthly or bi-weekly basis, helping you pinpoint and address page speed challenges across your entire website.
How to Fix It?
Address slow page load times can range from straightforward fixes to more intricate solutions. Common strategies for improving page speed include optimizing and compressing images, enhancing browser caching, reducing server response times, and minifying JavaScript.
7. Multiple Versions of Homepage
Have you noticed that “xyz.com” and www.xyz.com” lead to the same place? While this might seem convenient, it can result in Google Indexing multiple URL versions, reducing your site’s search visibility. Even more concerning, having multiple versions of a live page can create confusion for both users and Google’s indexing algorithm, potentially leading to improper site indexing.
How to Fix It?
- First of all verify if all the variations of your URL redirect to a single, standardized version. This includes checking both HTTPS and HTTP as well as URL’s. Test every possible combination. You can also use search query “site:xyz.com” to see which pages are indexed and identify if they originate from multiple URL versions.
- If you find duplicate indexed versions, implement 301 redirects to consolidate them, or ask your developer to handle it. Additionally, make sure to set your preferred domain in Google Search Console to establish a canonical version.
8. Incorrect Rel=Canonical
The rel=canonical tag is essential for websites with duplicate or closely similar content, such as ecommerce platforms. Dynamically generated pages, like category listings for blog posts or products, can appear duplicative to Google’s search bots.
By using the rel=canonical tag, you can signal to search engines which version of a page is the “primary” or original version. This ensures search engines focus on the correct page, similar to URL canonicalization.
How to Fix It?
Addressing this issue involves reviewing your source code for accuracy. The solution will depend on your website’s content structure and platform.
9. Broken Links
Effective internal and external linking highlights your high-quality content to both users and search engines. However, as content evolves, even the best links can become broken. Broken links disrupt the user experience and can signal lower quality content, potentially impacting your page rankings.
How to Fix It?
- Internal links should be verified whenever a page removed, updated or redirected while external links require ongoing monitoring. The most efficient way to manage broken links is through regular website audits.
- Conducting an internal link analysis helps digital marketers and SEO’s identify where broken links exist, enabling them to update those links with the correct or new pages.
10. Missing or Non-Optimized Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are brief, up to 160 character summaries that explain what a web page is about. These snippets play an important role in helping search engines index your page, and a well crafted meta description can grab the attention of potential visitors.
Although this is a simple SEO element, many pages overlook its importance. While you might not see the meta description directly on your page, it’s crucial component for informing users whether they want to click on your link after a search query.
Just like your page content, meta descriptions should be optimized to accurately reflect the page’s content, and it’s a good idea to include relevant keywords to increase visibility and click-through rates.
How to Fix it?
- For pages missing meta descriptions, run an SEO site audit to identify all pages that lack them. Once identified, assess the value of each page and prioritize optimization accordingly.
- For pages with meta descriptions, evaluate their performance and relevance to your organization. An audit can help uncover any errors in existing meta descriptions. Prioritize optimizing high-value pages that are close to reaching your desired ranking. Additionally, whenever a page undergoes edits, updates, or changes, be sure to update the meta description at the same time. Always ensure that each meta description is unique to its respective page for optimal effectiveness.