Advanced Technical SEO Errors

Following my previous blog post describing common technical SEO errors, I’ve compiled a more detailed list of more advanced technical SEO issues. This list is arguably more important but typically requires web development experience to address effectively.

Advanced Technical SEO Errors:

1. Incorrect HTTPS implementation: Ensure that your website is fully migrated to HTTPS, and check for mixed content issues where secure and non-secure content might be served together.
2. Mobile usability Issues: Google uses a mobile first indexing approach, which means that your website may not appear in search engines if there are any mobile usability issues. Address any mobile usability problems that could affect user experience and rankings, such as viewport settings, touch elements too close together, and font sizes.
3. Crawl errors: If Googlebot has trouble accessing a page due to server errors, timeout issues, or too many redirects, it may not be indexed.
4. Server configuration problems: Review server settings to ensure proper HTTP status codes (like 404s for missing pages and 301s for permanent redirects) and that robots.txt and .htaccess files are correctly configured.
5. Incorrect use of redirects: Make sure that redirects are used properly, especially 301 redirects, to preserve SEO value when pages are moved or deleted.
6. Bad redirect chains: Check redirect chains, where multiple redirects lead from one URL to another. Avoid long chains of redirects which can slow down page load times and dilute SEO value. Ensure redirects don’t lead to endless loops that prevent pages from being accessible.
7. Canonical issues: If a website page has a canonical tag pointing to another URL, Google might not index it, assuming the canonical URL is the preferred version of the content.
8. Incorrectly implemented structured data: Structured data helps search engines understand the content of your website and can enhance search results with rich snippets. Implement schema markup where appropriate. Verify that structured data (schema markup) is correctly set up and error-free to enhance search engine understanding and rich snippet eligibility.
9. JavaScript issues: Ensure that JavaScript is not hindering search engine crawlers from accessing important content. Use server-side rendering or prerendering if necessary. If your page content relies heavily on JavaScript and the script prevents Googlebot from accessing or rendering the content, the page might not be indexed.

By addressing these advanced technical SEO issues, you lay a strong foundation for your website’s overall SEO performance. Technical SEO requirements can change frequently, often due to updates to search algorithms or advancements in technology.

There is one additional critical aspect of technical SEO that deserves its own dedicated blog post: page speed load times. This is a crucial factor for both user experience and search rankings. Ensuring that your site loads quickly on all devices is essential for maintaining a competitive edge and providing a seamless experience for your visitors.

Check back soon to learn more about optimising page speed and its impact on your SEO success.