When it comes to SEO, we often think about keywords, backlinks, and content quality. But what about the technical side of things? Ignoring technical SEO can lead to a variety of issues that can damage your website’s performance, making it harder for search engines to crawl, index, and rank your pages. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the top 5 technical errors that can hurt your SEO, so you can keep your site running smoothly and ranking high!
1. Broken Links
Broken links are one of the most common technical issues that can severely impact your SEO. A broken link is a link on your site that leads to a non-existent page, resulting in a 404 error. This can happen for various reasons—perhaps the page has been deleted, the URL was mistyped, or the destination website has moved.
Why It Hurts Your SEO:
- User Experience: When visitors land on a 404 error page, it disrupts their browsing experience, making them more likely to leave your site.
- Search Engine Crawlers: Broken links can confuse search engine crawlers, leading to incomplete indexing of your site. This means some of your valuable content might not even appear in search results.
- Link Equity: Any “link juice” from backlinks pointing to your broken pages is essentially wasted, as it’s not being passed on to any other pages on your site.
How to Fix It:
Regularly check your site for broken links using tools like Google Search Console or third-party link checkers. Fix or redirect any broken links to ensure your site is easy to navigate and fully crawlable.
2. Slow Page Load Speed
Page load speed is another critical factor in SEO that’s often overlooked. If your website takes too long to load, both users and search engines will take notice—and not in a good way.
Why It Hurts Your SEO:
- User Experience: A slow website frustrates users, leading to higher bounce rates. If your site doesn’t load within a few seconds, visitors are likely to click away and find what they’re looking for elsewhere.
- Search Engine Rankings: Google has made it clear that page speed is a ranking factor. A slower website can result in lower rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs), reducing your visibility and traffic.
How to Fix It:
Optimise your images, enable browser caching, and use a content delivery network (CDN) to speed up your site. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help identify areas for improvement.
3. Duplicate Content
Duplicate content occurs when the same content appears on multiple pages of your site or across different websites. While it might seem harmless, duplicate content can lead to significant SEO problems.
Why It Hurts Your SEO:
- Search Engine Confusion: Search engines might struggle to determine which version of the content to rank, leading to lower visibility for all duplicates.
- Diluted Link Equity: If other websites link to multiple versions of the same content, your link equity gets diluted across those versions, weakening the overall impact on your rankings.
- Risk of Penalties: While Google generally tries to handle duplicate content without penalising sites, in extreme cases, it could lead to penalties.
How to Fix It:
Use canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page and avoid publishing the same content across multiple URLs. Regularly audit your site for duplicate content and address any issues you find.
4. Missing or Poorly Optimised Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Title tags and meta descriptions are fundamental elements of on-page SEO. They provide search engines and users with a brief summary of what your page is about. However, missing or poorly optimised title tags and meta descriptions can hurt your SEO efforts.
Why It Hurts Your SEO:
- Search Engine Rankings: Title tags are a crucial ranking factor. If your title tags are missing, too short, or stuffed with keywords, it can negatively impact your rankings.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): Meta descriptions might not be a direct ranking factor, but they do influence your CTR. A well-crafted meta description can entice users to click on your link over others in the SERPs.
- User Experience: Inconsistent or irrelevant title tags and meta descriptions can confuse users, leading to a poor experience and potentially higher bounce rates.
How to Fix It:
Ensure that every page on your site has a unique, descriptive title tag and meta description. Use relevant keywords naturally and focus on crafting tags and descriptions that are engaging and informative. Tools like Yoast SEO can help you optimise these elements.
5. Incorrect Use of Redirects
Redirects are essential for managing changes to your website, such as when you move a page or delete outdated content. However, using the wrong type of redirect can lead to SEO problems.
Why It Hurts Your SEO:
- 301 vs. 302 Redirects: A 301 redirect is permanent, while a 302 redirect is temporary. Using a 302 redirect when you actually intend a permanent change can cause search engines to continue indexing the old URL, splitting your rankings and diluting your SEO efforts.
- Redirect Chains and Loops: A redirect chain occurs when one URL redirects to another, which then redirects to yet another URL. This slows down your site and can confuse search engines. A redirect loop happens when a URL redirects back to itself, causing an endless loop that can make a page inaccessible.
How to Fix It:
Always use 301 redirects for permanent changes and 302 redirects for temporary ones. Regularly audit your site for redirect chains and loops, and correct them to ensure smooth navigation and proper indexing.
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Technical SEO might seem daunting, but addressing these common errors can make a significant difference in your website’s performance. By keeping an eye on broken links, page load speed, duplicate content, title tags, meta descriptions, and redirects, you can ensure that your site is well-optimised and ready to climb the search engine rankings.
Remember, SEO isn’t just about content and keywords—it’s about creating a solid technical foundation that allows search engines and users to interact with your site seamlessly. So, roll up your sleeves, dive into the technical side of things, and watch your SEO efforts pay off!
At Illume, we specialise in boosting your site’s technical SEO, ensuring a solid foundation for improved search engine rankings. From optimising local SEO and crafting targeted content to offering tailored SEO training and effective digital PR strategies, we’re here to help your business grow and thrive online. Let us handle the technical side so you can focus on what you do best.
