Here’s What You’ll Learn in This Article
This guide breaks down the most common technical SEO errors that quietly hurt rankings and visibility, along with clear steps to fix them. You’ll learn how issues like crawlability, speed, mobile usability, and internal linking impact long term search performance and what to adjust for a healthier, more stable website.
Introduction
When businesses think about search performance, they often focus on content, keywords, or link building. While those elements matter, the truth is that technical SEO is the foundation that supports everything else. If your website has structural issues, search engines cannot properly crawl, understand, or index your content. That means even the strongest strategy can fall flat.
At
Utah SEO Sync, we work closely with businesses across Utah to strengthen their online visibility by addressing technical SEO errors early. It is incredible how many ranking issues disappear once a website runs smoothly. Technical SEO is not about guesswork. It is about creating a structure that search engines trust.
In this guide, we will explore the most common technical SEO errors and exactly how to fix them so your site can achieve long term visibility, stability, and growth.
Why Technical SEO Matters for Sustainable Growth
Before diving into specific errors, it is helpful to understand why technical SEO plays such a critical role in long term ranking performance.
Search engines want to deliver the best possible experience to users. That means they need websites that are fast, easy to navigate, mobile friendly, and structured clearly. When technical issues get in the way, even great content cannot reach its full potential.
Statistic: Sites that load in under two seconds experience significantly higher engagement according to a study from Think with Google.
Technical SEO is how you remove friction and create a smooth path for both users and search engines. Now let us look at the common problems businesses face and how to fix them properly.
Technical SEO Errors Fix: Crawlability Issues
One: Blocked Pages in robots txt
One of the most common mistakes is accidentally blocking important pages or folders through the robots txt file. This file tells search engines what to crawl and what to ignore.
You can scan your robots txt using tools like
Ahrefs Site Audit or the
Google Search Console robots tester.
How to Fix It:
- Remove Disallow rules that block important content
- Ensure only private areas like admin files are restricted
- Test again after updating to confirm accessibility
A small mistake here can prevent entire sections of your site from appearing in search.
Two: Missing Sitemap or Incorrect Sitemap Submission
Your XML sitemap is a roadmap for search engines. When it is missing, outdated, or contains errors, indexing becomes inconsistent.
You can create and maintain sitemaps using
Yoast SEO or
Rank Math.
How to Fix It:
- Generate a clean sitemap
- Remove redirected or broken URLs
- Submit it to Google Search Console
- Keep it updated automatically through your SEO plugin
Search engines use your sitemap to find new content, so it needs to be accurate.
Slow Page Load Speeds
Speed is one of the most important technical SEO factors. Slow sites push users away and force search engines to crawl fewer pages.
You can test your performance using
Google PageSpeed Insights or
GTmetrix.
Pro Tip: According to Pingdom, a one second delay can reduce conversions by up to seven percent.
How to Fix It:
- Compress images
- Use next generation formats like WebP
- Minify CSS and JavaScript
- Enable caching
- Upgrade hosting for better server response times
A fast website performs better in search and creates a better user experience.
Duplicate Content and Canonicalization Errors
Duplicate content confuses search engines about which page to rank. This can happen because of:
- Multiple versions of the same URL
- HTTP and HTTPS versions
- Parameter based URLs
- Copy pasted content
You can detect duplicates with tools like
Siteliner or
Semrush Site Audit.
How to Fix It:
- Use canonical tags to declare the primary version
- Redirect duplicate variations
- Consolidate thin or repetitive pages
- Standardize URL structure across the site
Search engines reward clarity. Canonicalization helps them understand your content.
Mobile Usability Errors
Google prioritizes mobile first indexing, which means your mobile experience impacts your entire website.
You can check your mobile health in
Google Search Console Mobile Usability.
Common mistakes include:
- Text too small
- Touch elements too close
- Content overflowing the screen
- Slow mobile load times
How to Fix It:
- Use responsive design
- Increase font size
- Space out interactive elements
- Optimize mobile image rendering
Mobile friendliness is essential for ranking well in Utah’s fast growing digital landscape.
Broken Links and Redirect Chains
Broken links frustrate users and waste crawl budget. Redirect chains slow down your site and confuse crawlers.
Tools like
Screaming Frog SEO Spider can identify these issues quickly.
How to Fix It:
- Replace internal broken links
- Redirect outdated URLs to the correct pages
- Remove redirect chains longer than one step
- Avoid redirect loops
A clean link structure improves crawlability and user experience.
Improper URL Structure
URLs should be clear, readable, and consistent. Technical SEO suffers when URLs are:
- Too long
- Filled with random parameters
- Missing keywords
- Not following a logical hierarchy
Your CMS should allow you to structure URLs cleanly, but if not, tools like
Yoast SEO help create correct formats.
Best Practices:
- Keep URLs short
- Use descriptive words
- Separate words with slashes
- Maintain category hierarchy
Clean URLs help both users and search engines understand your content instantly.
Missing Structured Data
Structured data helps search engines understand context. When it is missing, your content loses opportunities for rich results.
You can generate structured data using
Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper.
How to Fix It:
- Add schema for products, services, FAQs, reviews, articles
- Test markup using Rich Results Test
- Monitor errors inside Google Search Console
Schema enhances how your pages appear in search and helps attract higher quality clicks.
Weak Internal Linking Structure
Internal linking is one of the most overlooked yet effective technical SEO strategies.
It helps with:
- Crawlability
- Content hierarchy
- Topical relevance
- Page value distribution
You can audit internal linking gaps using the
Ahrefs Site Audit internal link report.
Statistic: Strong internal linking can increase page visibility by up to forty percent according to research from Search Engine Journal.
How to Fix It:
- Link new pages from relevant high authority pages
- Build topic clusters
- Use contextual anchor text
- Avoid orphan pages
Strengthening your internal linking helps your entire website rise in visibility.
Outdated Plugins and Security Issues
Security is a technical SEO factor. If your site is vulnerable, search engines reduce your trust score.
Security issues include:
- Outdated plugins
- Lack of HTTPS
- Insecure hosting
- Exposed admin areas
Use monitoring tools like
Sucuri or
Wordfence for security audits.
How to Fix It:
- Update plugins regularly
- Install an SSL certificate
- Use strong passwords
- Limit admin access
A secure site keeps both your visitors and your performance safe.
Conclusion
Technical SEO errors can silently hold your website back, even when the rest of your strategy is sound. The good news is that these issues are fixable, measurable, and preventable. By focusing on crawlability, speed, structured data, mobile usability, and internal linking, you create a website built for long term stability and growth.
At
Utah SEO Sync, we guide businesses through a complete technical SEO process that improves performance today and strengthens visibility for the future. When you fix technical problems early, everything else in your SEO strategy works better. Real impact happens when your foundation is solid, your structure is clear, and your website is easy for both users and search engines to trust.
Technical SEO is not just maintenance. It is long term visibility insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How often should I run a technical SEO audit?
A full audit is recommended every three to six months. Frequent checks help you catch errors early before they affect rankings or user experience.
2. Are technical SEO issues more important than content?
Both matter. Content drives visibility, but technical SEO ensures search engines can access and evaluate it properly. Without a strong technical foundation, even great content struggles to rank.
3. What tools help diagnose technical SEO issues?
Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, Screaming Frog, and Google Search Console provide detailed scans of crawlability, performance, indexing, and site health.
4. What is the fastest fix for improving rankings through technical SEO?
Improving page speed and mobile usability often leads to quick wins because these directly affect user experience and crawlability.
5. Can small businesses fix technical SEO issues themselves?
Yes, many technical SEO improvements are manageable with guidance and the right tools. For complex issues, partnering with specialists like Utah SEO Sync ensures long term stability.
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