7 Common Technical SEO Issues and How to Fix Them

Many websites face the same technical SEO problems again and again. These issues can be frustrating and may stop a website from showing up well in search results.

After checking hundreds of websites, we’ve seen how often these problems come up. They can slow down a site and make it harder for people to find your content on Google.

In this blog, we’ll explain the most common technical SEO problems and share simple steps to fix them.

1. Pages Are Not Showing in Google:

Sometimes, we create great content, but it doesn’t show up on Google. This is one of the most common and annoying problems in SEO. If Google doesn’t index the page, no one will find it.

Why this happens:

• The page is blocked by robots.txt or has a noindex tag.
• There are no links pointing to the page from other pages (called an orphaned page).
• The content is too short, repeated from somewhere else, or too similar to other pages.
• A tag on the page tells Google to look at another page instead (canonical tag issue).
• The page needs JavaScript to show the content, and Google can’t read it properly.
• The content does not meet Google’s quality rules.
• Google’s bots didn’t reach the page because of crawl limits.

How to check for this:

• Use the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console.
• In Google Search Console, go to “Pages” and look under “Excluded” to find reasons like “Discovered – currently not indexed” or “Crawled – not indexed.”
• Use tools like Screaming Frog to find issues like noindex tags or problems with links.
• Compare what the page shows after loading (rendered) with what’s in the source code to find JavaScript problems.

Ways to fix it:

• Make sure the page is listed in your sitemap.
• Link to it from strong, easy-to-find pages on your site.
• Remove the noindex tag if it was used by mistake.
• Combine short or similar pages into one helpful page.
• Fix wrong canonical tags that point to the wrong place.
• If the page needs JavaScript to work, use server-side rendering so Google can read it.
• Make the content better if it’s too short or not useful.

Many websites have this problem with blog posts. Even if the posts are helpful, they don’t get indexed. A common cause is when the CMS (content system) makes tag pages that look very similar to blog posts. Google might ignore the real blog pages and only index the tags. A good fix is to mark the tag pages as noindex and add links to each blog post from the homepage. This usually helps Google find and index the pages within a week.

2. Broken Redirects and Redirect Chains:

When one web address leads to another, and then another, it confuses both search engines and users. People don’t like clicking through several pages just to reach one destination, and search engines may not pass link value through all those steps.

These redirect problems often happen after changes like moving to a new domain, updating the website design, or switching to a new content system. What starts as a small change can turn into a big web of redirects pointing to more redirects.

Common reasons for this:

• We moved to new URLs but didn’t update all the links.
• Our content system adds automatic redirects.
• We have redirects pointing to other redirects (chains).
• We changed from HTTP to HTTPS but didn’t do it correctly.
• We used temporary redirects (302) instead of permanent ones (301).
• The server and the content system have different redirect rules.

How to check:

• We can use tools like curl -I https://example.com/page to check redirect paths.
• The Chrome browser’s Network tab helps us see the steps in redirects.
• In Semrush, go to “Site Audit” > “Issues” > “Redirect Chains”.

How to fix:

• Update all links to point directly to the final page.
• Keep only one redirect step (just one 301).
• Check and clean up redirect rules in .htaccess, NGINX, and the content system.
• Change temporary (302) redirects to permanent (301) ones if the change is final.
• Set up one clear redirect from the original page to the final page.

3. Crawl Budget Wastage:

Google sends a bot to look at our pages, but it can only check a certain number each day. If it spends time on useless pages, it might skip our important ones.

Common causes:

• Filtered pages or calendars create endless web addresses.
• Search pages with ?q= show up in search engines.
• Tag pages that don’t offer much value are still visible.
• Duplicate pages like /page/2, /page/2/.
• Web addresses with session IDs.
• Test or staging versions of the site are not blocked.
• WordPress sites have too many tag and category pages.

How to check:

• In Google Search Console, look at “Crawl Stats” to see what pages are checked often.
• Look at server logs to find what Googlebot is visiting.
• Use tools like Screaming Frog to find useless or endless links.
• Use File Analyzer or Google’s crawl stats report to compare important and unimportant pages.

How to fix:

• Block folders or filters with low value in robots.txt.
• Use canonical tags to show the main version of a page.
• Block search result pages using robots.txt and noindex.
• In Search Console, set rules to handle repeated page addresses (carefully).
• Combine or delete empty tag pages.
• Lock test sites with passwords.
• Set up proper page numbers using rel=”next” and rel=”prev”.

Google’s Gary Illyes says that wasting crawl time on unimportant pages can delay the discovery of good content. That’s why this is important.

4. JavaScript Rendering Problems:

Sometimes Google sees a blank page while users see a beautiful site. This happens when the page uses too much JavaScript to show content. It makes it hard for search engines to understand the page.

Common causes:

• The content loads only after JavaScript runs (like React, Angular, Vue).
• Important parts like titles and descriptions appear only after the page loads.
• Google’s “Live Test” shows an empty page.
• Pages are found bu,t don’t rank well because Google can’t read them.

What’s going on:

When someone visits a page with a lot of JavaScript, here’s what happens:

• The browser loads the basic HTML.
• It downloads the JavaScript files.
• It runs JavaScript.
• Then it shows the content.

But Googlebot doesn’t always wait for steps 3 and 4, so it may miss important content. That’s a big problem for SEO.

How to check:

• Use Google Search Console’s “URL Inspection” to see what Google sees.
• Tools like Rendertron or Prerender.io help us see how Google sees the page.
• Compare the source code and final view using Chrome DevTools.
• Check if plain HTML pages rank better than JavaScript ones.

How to fix:

• Use Server-Side Rendering (SSR) with tools like Next.js or Nuxt.js.
• Use dynamic rendering to show bots a pre-loaded version of the page.
• Make sure key content and tags show up early, before JavaScript finishes.
• Save and serve pre-rendered versions of important pages.

JavaScript-based sites like Single Page Applications (SPAs) may look great to people, but be invisible to Google. Adding server-side rendering can help a page go from nowhere to the top of search results in just weeks.

New tools like Next.js and Gatsby were made to fix this. They give us the power of JavaScript along with better search visibility—a smart mix of both worlds.

5. Poor Core Web Vitals (especially INP):

Sometimes, a page loads, but it still feels slow or broken. This is often due to poor Core Web Vitals, which affect both how users feel and how well the page ranks on Google. Google has said these are ranking factors, so they are important to fix, even if the effect is small.

Common causes:

• JavaScript stops users from clicking or scrolling, especially on mobile.
• The layout shifts when ads or images load without set sizes.
• Big page elements take too long to appear.
• Too many third-party scripts slow things down.
• Large or uncompressed images make the page heavy.
• Web fonts cause text to disappear briefly before loading (FOIT).
• Server responses take longer than 200ms.

How to check for problems:

• Go to PageSpeed Insights and look under “Field Data”.
• Use Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools to find long tasks.
• Try WebPageTest to find scripts that block page loading.

How to fix:

• Break long JavaScript tasks into smaller ones.
• Delay loading third-party scripts like chats or social icons.
• Set fixed size for things that load later, like images or ads.
• Use font-display: swap to show text even before fonts load.
• Use fast-loading image formats like WebP or AVIF.
• Preload important assets like fonts or logos.
• Use better hosting or edge caching to speed up loading.
• Turn on browser caching with proper cache rules.

6. Duplicate Content & Canonical Tag Problems:

When the same content appears on different URLs, Google gets confused. This can hurt rankings because the page ends up competing with itself.

Common causes:

• Same page with different URLs like /page, /page/, or /page?ref=x.
• Canonical tags are missing or used the wrong way
• Both www and non-www versions of the site are live
• Both HTTP and HTTPS versions are showing in search
• Google is indexing your test or staging site
• Print-friendly pages show up as separate indexed pages

How to check for problems:

• Use Semrush’s Site Audit to check for “Duplicate Content” and “Canonical Tags”
• In Google Search Console, go to Pages > Excluded > look for “Duplicate, submitted URL not selected as canonical”
• Use Google search with site:yourdomain.com inurl: to check which pages are live
• Compare different versions of the same page in Google’s index>

How to fix:

• Set rules to keep URLs consistent, like using lowercase and trailing slashes
• Use canonical tags the right way—point to the main version of the page
• Remove or combine extra versions of the same page
• Don’t point all product versions to one URL unless they’re exactly the same
• Use hreflang tags for pages in other languages
• Keep staging sites private with a password
• Set clear URL rules on the server for how links should work

7. Mobile-Only Problems That Don’t Show on Desktop:

Some problems only show up when users visit your site on a phone. Since Google now uses mobile-first indexing, these problems can seriously hurt rankings.

Common causes:

• Text is too small to read
• Buttons are hard to tap or overlap each other
• Pop-ups cover the main content
• Pages take a long time to become clickable
• Menus work differently on phones
• Hidden content (like accordion menus) doesn’t open
• Forms are hard to fill out on small screens

How to check for problems:

• Go to Google Search Console > Mobile Usability
• Test your site on different phones—try both Android and iPhone
• In Chrome DevTools, turn on device emulation and slow network speeds
• Run Lighthouse mobile audits with CPU slowdown
• Check your site on many screen sizes, not just common ones

How to fix:

• Use flexible sizes like %, em, or vw instead of fixed pixels
• Follow Google’s rules for pop-ups, which can affect rankings
• Make buttons and form fields big enough and spaced out
• Design for touch—mobile users don’t use a mouse
• Make sure buttons and other clickable areas are at least 44×44 pixels
• Test all forms on real phones to make sure they work
• Make sure hidden content like dropdowns or accordions opens properly and is seen by Google

Advanced Technical SEO techniques

For teams with experience in SEO, these tips can help turn a good site into one that gets a lot more traffic from search engines.

Crawl Budget Tips:
Big websites with many pages need to manage how often search engines visit them. We can help search engines focus on the pages that matter most.

What we can do:

• Watch server logs to see how search engines crawl the site
• Add strong internal links to the most important pages
• Use smart sitemaps that show which pages are updated often
• Create real-time sitemaps with cloud tools
• Use special caching to help bots find what matters faster

SEO at the Edge (CDN Level)

Modern CDNs (like Cloudflare) let us make SEO changes without editing the main website. This helps when using a CMS or when developers are busy.

How we do it:

• Change HTML on the fly using CDN tools
• Show content quickly for JavaScript-heavy pages
• Add smart rules for choosing the main version of a page (canonical tags)
• Insert language tags (hreflang) for different countries
• Add rich data using API info

This means we can make powerful changes without needing to write complex code.

Better Pagination and Filters:

Online stores and large sites often use pages with filters or product lists. These need special care to work well for both users and search engines.

Smart solutions:

• Make “View All” pages with proper tags
• Decide which filtered pages should be shown in search
• Use filters that load with AJAX but still let bots read the page
• Use rel=”next” and rel=”prev” to help on search engines like Bing
• Mix server-side and client-side code for faster load times

Using AI for Technical SEO

Big websites need smart tools to catch problems before they hurt traffic. We can use machine learning to do this.

How we use AI:

• Spot patterns in server logs
• Predict problems before they happen
• Watch for strange changes with automated alerts
• Test for issues before publishing changes
• Build smart tools trained on how our site works

With these tools, we stay ahead and fix things fast, sometimes before anyone notices.

Dealing with JavaScript at Scale

Many sites use JavaScript, which can confuse search engines. We use special tricks to make sure search engines still understand the content.

What we do:

• Show a static version for search engines and a dynamic one for users
• Set up fallbacks if bots can’t read the JavaScript
• Load parts of a page only when needed, based on the visitor
• Use caching for small page parts (components)
• Set up service workers that behave differently for bots and users

In 2025, JavaScript still causes problems for SEO. But if we solve those problems, we can win more traffic than our competitors.

How Technical SEO Connects With Content and Authority

Ask any SEO expert who lost rankings after a site redesign or saw a popular blog drop from page one without warning — technical SEO issues quietly kill content performance.

But it’s not just about avoiding problems. Technical SEO also helps make your content, brand, and links work better. Here’s how.

1. Discoverability: Great Content Can’t Rank If It’s Not Found

Imagine you publish a 3,000-word blog post. It’s well-researched, has internal links, targets a popular keyword, and looks great.

But Google never shows it in search results.

Why?

• The page has no links from other pages (orphan page)
• The URL isn’t in the sitemap
• It was accidentally set to “noindex”
• Googlebot is stuck crawling many versions of category filters

How to fix it:

• Link every new page from 1-2 clicks away on crawlable pages
• Keep your sitemap updated automatically through your CMS or deployment
• Check Google Search Console for pages “Crawled – not indexed”
• Set canonical tags and robots rules correctly

Many companies have learned this the hard way. They invest in great content but forget the technical basics. Without crawlability, content is invisible and gets no traffic, no links, and no sales.

2. Structured Data: Helping Search Engines Understand Your Content

Google now focuses on the meaning and intent behind content. Structured data (schema markup) helps by acting as a translator between your content and search engines.

What schema does:

• Makes your pages eligible for rich results like stars, images, and accordion menus
• Shows relationships between content (like Product > Review > Author)
• Helps AI systems understand your site’s topic and authority

Schema doesn’t directly boost rankings, but changes how your site looks in search, which can make a big difference.

3. Speed & User Experience: Content Only Works If It Loads Fast

A real problem: A product comparison page takes 5 seconds to load on mobile. The bounce rate is high, and rankings drop from #3 to #10.

Fixing load time with image compression and lazy loading lowers bounce by 22%, and rankings and sales improve.

The takeaway:

• Technical SEO makes sure your content works well for real users
• Metrics like INP, LCP, and CLS are about user experience, not just developer stats
• Google watches how people interact with your content, not just what’s written

Fast, stable, mobile-friendly content performs better in rankings, clicks, sales, and repeat visits.

4. Authority Is Earned, But Technical SEO Keeps It

Getting a backlink from a big site like The New York Times is valuable. But what if the page:

• Points to a different URL with a canonical tag?
• Loads too slowly?
• Does it show a 404 error after a CMS change?

That link’s value can be lost.

How technical SEO protects links:

• 301 redirects keep authority when moving or rebuilding a site
• Canonical tags combine signals from similar pages
• Checking status codes stops crawl errors and loops
• Analyzing logs makes sure bots can reach important pages

Building links is hard work. Don’t lose their value because of technical mistakes.

5. Technical Health Supports E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

Google’s quality raters and algorithms check things like:

• Is the content trustworthy and well-made?
• Does the site feel safe and professional?
• Is the layout stable and easy to use?

This affects:

• Being chosen for featured snippets
• Ranking well in AI-generated summaries
• Visibility on different Google services like News and Discover

Technical SEO is the foundation that builds trust by removing problems and confusion.

You can’t fake authority or skip relevance. But you can easily ruin both if your technical SEO isn’t solid.

Measuring Technical SEO Success: From Fixes to Results

One big challenge in technical SEO is showing its real value. Fixing things like redirect chains or schema errors is often invisible to others unless we link these fixes to actual results.

This guide explains how to track, watch, and share technical SEO wins with SEO teams, product managers, and company leaders.

1. Track How Well Google Can Crawl and Index Your Site

If Google cannot crawl your pages, it cannot index them. And if it can’t index them, your pages won’t appear in search results.

2. Watch Core Web Vitals and Connect Them to Business Impact

Core Web Vitals (CWV) are signals Google uses for ranking. They also show how users experience your site, which affects how many visitors stay and buy.

Things to report:

• The percentage of pages that pass Core Web Vitals across your site
• Pages with high traffic but poor interaction speed (INP)
• How Core Web Vitals change over time for different page types or templates

3. Track Structured Data and Rich Results

You cannot get rich search results if your schema markup is broken or missing.

Use these tools:

• Rich Results Test to check each page
• Google Search Console for sitewide tracking
• Schema.org Validator for custom schema checks

Important numbers to watch:

• Percent of pages with valid schema markup
• How errors and warnings change over time
• Click-through rate (CTR) improvements from new rich snippets

Rich snippets help your pages stand out but only when schema is correct, useful, and consistent.

4. Analyze Log Files to See Real Bot Activity

Simulated crawls are helpful, but real server logs show:

• Which bots visit your site
• Which URLs they crawl or skip
• How often are important pages crawled

Use tools like Semrush Site Audit, JetOctopus, or raw server logs to check:

• Most crawled URLs
• Pages never crawled
• Drops in bot visits, which might mean problems

Logs help prove if changes worked. For example, after improving your sitemap and internal links, did your most valuable pages get crawled more? That shows success.

5. Monitor Redirect Chains, Status Codes, and Canonical Tags

These hidden problems don’t crash your site but lower trust, link value, and crawl speed. Keeping them healthy is important.

6. Set Up Dashboards and Reports

Tracking is only useful if you share the data clearly.

Recommended tools:

• Looker Studio + Google Search Console + GA4 for easy SEO dashboards
• BigQuery + CrUX + CWV API for detailed performance tracking

Key metrics to show:

• Indexed vs. non-indexed content by type
• Rich snippet eligibility over time
• Percent of site passing Core Web Vitals
• Crawl priority of top content based on logs
• The schema used by the template
• Redirect and canonical error rates

All-in-One Technical SEO Monitoring

While special tools help with specific tasks, using one platform for overall monitoring makes reporting easier and clearer.

Semrush is a strong choice because it offers:

• Site Audit with 130+ checks and issue prioritization
• Position Tracking to see how fixes affect rankings
• Log File Analyzer to study real bot behavior
• On-Page SEO Checker to find technical fixes per page
• Backlink Audit to protect link value from bad redirects

This combined approach helps us connect technical fixes to real business growth. When better performance matches higher rankings and more traffic, it builds a strong case for ongoing technical SEO work.

Build Your SEO on a Strong Foundation

There are two kinds of websites in organic search:

• Sites that do well because they are technically strong.
• Sites that survive even with technical problems.

If you are reading this, you already know that technical SEO is more than just a team’s task. It’s not only a check before launching a website. It’s not something you set once and forget. Technical SEO is like the operating system that keeps your organic growth going steadily and long-term.

Technical SEO Is a Strategy, Not Just Fixing Problems

Many businesses see technical SEO like plumbing — fixing leaks only after losing traffic or rankings. But real growth happens when technical SEO is part of your plan from the start:

• You build your site so search engines can crawl it easily
• You track how fast your pages load and how users experience them
• You connect structured data into your content system
• You keep an eye on redirects, canonical tags, and bot activities as if watching your site’s uptime

This approach helps you win and grow steadily.

Technical SEO Makes Every Dollar Work Harder

• Paid ads lead visitors to better, faster pages
• Content marketing gets more pages indexed and seen
• Link building keeps your site’s authority strong
• Your site becomes faster, more stable, and easier to use for people and search engines

No other SEO effort gives this kind of boost.

Technical SEO does not get old — it changes and improves over time. Your approach should, too.

Technical SEO Faqs:

1. What is technical SEO in simple terms?

Technical SEO means making sure search engines can find, read, and show your website correctly. Think of it like the engine of a car — users don’t see it, but without it working well, the car won’t run.

It includes:

• Making your site load fast
• Helping Google find all your pages
• Fixing broken links
• Making your site work well on phones

In short, technical SEO builds the base that lets everything else in SEO work well.

2. How Technical SEO Differs from On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is about the content users see and read.

Technical SEO covers:

• Site speed
• Mobile-friendliness
• Security (HTTPS)
• Crawlability
• Clean code

On-page SEO covers:

• Keywords
• Good content
• Meta tags
• Headings
• Internal links

Both are needed: technical SEO helps search engines find your pages, and on-page SEO helps those pages rank well.

3. Signs Your Site Has Technical SEO Problems

Your website may have issues if:

• Pages take longer than 3 seconds to load
• New content does not show in Google after weeks
• Google Search Console shows crawl errors
• Mobile users report problems
• Rankings drop suddenly after updates
• You don’t see rich results like stars or images in search

Most businesses find these issues after using special SEO audit tools.

4. Tools to Check Technical SEO

Important tools include:

• Google Search Console: Check indexing, errors, and site health
• Semrush: Complete SEO platform with site audit and tracking
• PageSpeed Insights: Test loading speed and user experience
• Screaming Frog: Scan your site for issues
• Sitebulb: See your site structure and problems visually
• Chrome DevTools: Inspect how pages load
• Schema Markup Validator: Check structured data
• Mobile-Friendly Test: See how Google views your site on phones

Using several tools gives a full view of your site’s health.

5. Is Technical SEO Hard to Learn?

Anyone can learn technical SEO by taking it step-by-step, even without a technical background. Start with basics like site structure and speed. Then move to more advanced topics like JavaScript and structured data.

A good way to learn is:

• Crawlability and Sitemaps
• Page Speed and Mobile-Friendly Design
• Structured Data
• JavaScript Rendering

It takes time, but many great tools and guides help beginners build skills. Once you know technical SEO well, you can make your on-page SEO even better.