The Most Complex SEO
Problems & How To Fix Them
SEO remains as crucial today as it was several years ago, and it is likely to remain one of the most important aspects of a website for years to come.
Running a thorough SEO campaign is paramount to your website’s success. If your SEO isn’t up to par and you’re not staying on top of the latest trends, your competitors certainly are. With so many SEO best practices to keep track of, mistakes can happen—but these errors can harm your website’s performance.
This article addresses some of the most common and complex SEO issues and offers practical solutions. If you’ve encountered any of these problems, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered.
Crawlability & Indexability Issues
Crawlability and indexability are critical factors that allow search engines to discover and rank your website. Crawlability refers to search engine bots’ ability to access your pages, while indexability determines whether a search engine chooses to include your page in its index.
Here are examples of issues that can arise in each category:
Crawlability Issues:
Misconfigured robots.txt file: Preventing search engine bots from accessing key parts of your site.
Server errors (5xx status codes): Server crashes or misconfigurations making pages inaccessible.
Broken links (404 errors): Hindering search engine bots from efficiently crawling your site.
Complex or dynamic URLs: Confusing bots with unnecessarily complicated structures.
Missing XML sitemap: Causing bots to overlook certain pages on your site.
Overzealous security systems: Mistaking bots for malicious actors and restricting their access.
Poor internal linking: Making it harder for bots to discover important pages.
Duplicate pages: Wasting crawl budgets on redundant content and overlooking crucial pages.
Indexability Issues:
Noindex meta tags: Preventing pages from being indexed.
Incorrect canonical tags: Leading bots to index the wrong pages.
Thin content: Pages with minimal value not deemed worth indexing.
Duplicate content: Causing search engines to ignore all duplicate pages.
Slow-loading pages: Risking timeouts during crawls and failing to be indexed.
Hidden content in JavaScript: Preventing search engines from indexing important elements.
Lack of authority signals: Pages without quality backlinks are often ignored.
How Do You Fix These Issues?
To address these issues effectively, tackle them one at a time, giving each problem the attention it deserves. Here’s how:
Optimize your robots.txt file: Avoid overly restrictive rules that block search engine bots.
Resolve server errors: Fix broken links and ensure your URL hierarchy is error-free.
Submit an XML sitemap: Keep it updated and ensure all critical pages are included.
Improve internal linking: Regularly test links to ensure each page is accessible.
Enhance content quality: Publish unique, valuable, and SEO-friendly content.
Monitor with Google Search Console: Regularly test and track the indexability of each page.
In Conclusion
These lists are not exhaustive. Many other issues can impact your website’s crawlability and indexability, and numerous solutions are available to fix them.
While you can identify and resolve some of these issues yourself, enlisting the help of a reputable SEO agency can ensure more advanced problems are addressed effectively.
Have questions or comments about this article? Email us at comments@emilemeyerwebdesign.com.