Table Of Contents

• Understanding Technical SEO and Its Importance
• Identifying Technical SEO Issues
• How to Fix Crawlability and Indexability Issues
• How to Fix Site Structure and URL Issues
• How to Fix Site Speed and Performance Issues
• How to Fix Mobile Optimization Issues
• How to Fix Structured Data Issues
• How to Fix Security and HTTPS Issues
• How to Fix International SEO Issues
• Common Technical SEO Mistakes to Avoid
• Conclusion

In the competitive digital landscape, technical SEO forms the foundation of your website’s visibility and performance. Yet, even the most meticulously designed websites can suffer from technical SEO issues that silently damage rankings and user experience. These hidden problems often go undetected until they’ve already impacted your bottom line.

At Hashmeta, our team of SEO specialists has helped over 1,000 brands across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and China diagnose and fix technical SEO problems that were preventing their websites from reaching their full potential. We’ve seen firsthand how addressing these issues can dramatically improve search visibility and drive measurable business growth.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of identifying and fixing the most common technical SEO issues. From crawlability challenges to mobile optimization problems, we’ll provide actionable solutions based on our extensive experience and data-driven methodology.

Understanding Technical SEO and Its Importance

Technical SEO refers to the optimization of your website’s infrastructure to help search engines effectively crawl, index, and render your pages. Unlike on-page SEO (which focuses on content) or off-page SEO (which focuses on backlinks), technical SEO deals with the backend elements that influence how search engines interact with your site.

The importance of technical SEO cannot be overstated. Even with exceptional content and a strong backlink profile, technical issues can prevent search engines from properly understanding and ranking your site. According to our analysis at Hashmeta, websites with resolved technical SEO issues typically see ranking improvements across 60-80% of their target keywords within 30-60 days.

As search engines become more sophisticated with AI-powered algorithms, maintaining technical excellence has become increasingly crucial. Our AI SEO specialists have observed that Google’s machine learning systems are now better at identifying sites with superior technical foundations, rewarding them with improved visibility.

Identifying Technical SEO Issues

Before you can fix technical SEO issues, you need to identify them. Here are the essential tools and methods our SEO consultants use to uncover technical problems:

Comprehensive Technical SEO Audit

A technical SEO audit provides a holistic view of your website’s health. At Hashmeta, we use a combination of proprietary tools and established platforms to perform thorough audits that examine hundreds of technical factors. These audits typically include:

Crawlability assessment: Checking if search engines can efficiently access all your content

Indexability verification: Ensuring your pages can be added to search engine indexes

Site architecture analysis: Evaluating the logical structure of your website

Page speed analysis: Measuring load times across devices

Mobile responsiveness testing: Verifying optimal performance on all screen sizes

Google Search Console Insights

Google Search Console is invaluable for identifying technical issues directly reported by Google. Focus on these key areas:

Coverage reports: Identify indexed pages, excluded pages, and specific errors

Mobile usability: Find mobile-specific issues affecting user experience

Core Web Vitals: Review performance metrics like LCP, FID, and CLS

Security issues: Detect potential security vulnerabilities

Our AI marketing agency teams have developed workflows that automatically flag critical issues in Search Console, allowing for faster identification and resolution.

Log File Analysis

Server log files reveal how search engine bots interact with your website. By analyzing these logs, you can identify:

Crawl frequency: How often search engines visit your pages

Crawl depth: Which pages get crawled and which don’t

Crawl errors: Pages that return error status codes

Crawl budget allocation: How search engines distribute their crawling resources

How to Fix Crawlability and Indexability Issues

Crawlability and indexability form the foundation of technical SEO. If search engines can’t access or index your content, nothing else matters.

Resolving Robots.txt Errors

The robots.txt file instructs search engines on which parts of your site they can access. Common issues include:

Accidentally blocking important directories or pages

Using incorrect syntax that confuses crawlers

Blocking CSS or JavaScript files needed for rendering

To fix these issues:

Use Google Search Console’s robots.txt tester to validate your file

Ensure critical content directories are not disallowed

Allow access to CSS and JavaScript for proper rendering

Implement specific user-agent rules only when necessary

Fixing XML Sitemap Problems

An optimized XML sitemap helps search engines discover and understand your content structure. Common sitemap issues include:

Including non-canonical URLs

Listing pages that return error codes

Exceeding the 50,000 URL limit per sitemap

Missing important pages

To fix these issues:

Ensure your sitemap only includes canonical, 200-status code URLs

Split large sitemaps into smaller ones with a sitemap index file

Update your sitemap when publishing new content

Submit your sitemap through Google Search Console

Resolving Indexation Directives

Incorrect indexation directives can prevent important pages from appearing in search results. Common issues include:

Incorrect use of noindex tags

Conflicting directives between robots meta tags and HTTP headers

Blocking pages in robots.txt that you want indexed

To fix these issues:

Audit all noindex directives to ensure they’re intentional

Check for conflicting signals in robots meta tags and HTTP headers

Remember that robots.txt blocks crawling but doesn’t guarantee non-indexation

Use Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool to understand how Google views your pages

How to Fix Site Structure and URL Issues

Resolving Duplicate Content

Duplicate content confuses search engines and dilutes ranking potential. Our content marketing specialists frequently identify these common causes:

Multiple URLs accessing the same content (e.g., with/without www, with/without trailing slashes)

Session IDs or tracking parameters creating duplicate versions

Printer-friendly versions without canonical tags

To fix duplicate content:

Implement proper canonical tags pointing to your preferred URL version

Use 301 redirects for alternate URL versions

Configure parameter handling in Google Search Console

Standardize your internal linking to preferred URL versions

Fixing Broken Links and Redirect Chains

Broken links waste crawl budget and create poor user experiences, while redirect chains slow down both users and crawlers. To fix these issues:

Regularly audit your site for 404 errors and fix or redirect them

Update internal links to point directly to final destination URLs, not through redirects

Flatten redirect chains so each old URL redirects directly to the final destination

Implement proper 301 redirects for permanently moved content

Our GEO specialists pay particular attention to redirect issues when helping businesses target multiple geographic regions.

Optimizing URL Structure

A clean, logical URL structure improves both SEO and user experience. To optimize your URLs:

Keep URLs short, descriptive, and keyword-relevant

Use hyphens to separate words, not underscores or spaces

Create a logical hierarchy that reflects your site structure

Avoid unnecessary parameters or session IDs in URLs

Remove or limit dynamic parameters when possible

How to Fix Site Speed and Performance Issues

Site speed directly impacts both rankings and conversion rates. Google’s Core Web Vitals have made performance optimization more critical than ever.

Improving Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals measure real-world user experience with three key metrics:

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): To improve loading performance:

Optimize server response times (aim for under 200ms)

Implement proper resource prioritization

Optimize and compress images

Use content delivery networks (CDNs)

First Input Delay (FID): To improve interactivity:

Minimize or defer JavaScript execution

Remove unused JavaScript

Break up long tasks into smaller ones

Use web workers for complex operations

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): To improve visual stability:

Always include size attributes for images and videos

Reserve space for ads and embeds

Avoid inserting content above existing content

Use transform animations instead of animations that trigger layout changes

Image Optimization Techniques

Images often account for the largest portion of page weight. Optimize them by:

Using modern formats like WebP or AVIF instead of JPEG/PNG where supported

Implementing responsive images with srcset and sizes attributes

Compressing images without significant quality loss

Lazy-loading images below the fold

Properly sizing images to their display dimensions

Server Optimization

Server performance forms the foundation of site speed. Our technical team recommends:

Implementing browser caching with appropriate expiry times

Enabling GZIP or Brotli compression

Using a content delivery network (CDN) for global audiences

Minimizing HTTP requests

Upgrading to PHP 8+ and MySQL 8+ for significant performance gains

How to Fix Mobile Optimization Issues

With Google’s mobile-first indexing, mobile optimization is no longer optional. Our local SEO experts see this as particularly crucial for businesses targeting on-the-go consumers.

Responsive Design Implementation

Responsive design ensures your site adapts to any screen size. To implement proper responsive design:

Use flexible grid layouts based on percentages

Implement fluid images that scale appropriately

Use CSS media queries to adjust layouts for different breakpoints

Test on actual devices, not just browser simulations

Ensure touch elements have adequate spacing (minimum 8mm x 8mm)

Mobile Rendering Issues

Common mobile rendering problems include:

Content wider than viewport causing horizontal scrolling

Font sizes too small for comfortable reading

Touch elements too close together

Unplayable content using Flash or other unsupported technologies

To fix these issues:

Set the viewport meta tag correctly

Use relative units (em, rem, %) instead of fixed units

Ensure minimum font size of 16px for body text

Test with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) Troubleshooting

If you’re using AMP, common issues include:

Validation errors preventing proper functioning

Disparity between AMP and canonical versions

Missing structured data on AMP pages

Analytics tracking problems

To fix AMP issues:

Validate AMP pages using Google’s AMP validator

Ensure content parity between AMP and non-AMP versions

Implement structured data on both versions

Configure analytics correctly for AMP pages

How to Fix Structured Data Issues

Structured data helps search engines understand your content and can lead to enhanced search results. Our AEO specialists consistently find that optimized schema markup provides a competitive advantage.

Schema Markup Errors

Common schema implementation problems include:

Using deprecated schema types or properties

Missing required properties

Syntax errors in JSON-LD implementation

Inconsistent data between schema and visible content

To fix these issues:

Use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool or Schema Markup Validator to identify errors

Follow schema.org’s current documentation for implementation

Ensure all required properties are included

Maintain consistency between structured data and visible page content

Implementing Missing Schema Types

Many sites underutilize schema markup. Consider implementing:

Organization and LocalBusiness schema for company information

Product and Offer schema for e-commerce

Article or BlogPosting schema for content

FAQ, HowTo, or Recipe schema where applicable

BreadcrumbList schema for navigation paths

How to Fix Security and HTTPS Issues

Security is both a ranking factor and a trust signal for users. Common HTTPS issues include:

Mixed Content Warnings

Mixed content occurs when secure HTTPS pages load resources (images, scripts, stylesheets) over insecure HTTP. To fix this:

Use relative URLs for internal resources

Update hard-coded HTTP URLs to HTTPS

Check for mixed content in iframes

Use Content Security Policy headers to detect and prevent mixed content

SSL Certificate Problems

SSL certificate issues can trigger browser warnings and affect trust. To fix these:

Ensure your SSL certificate isn’t expired

Use certificates that cover all subdomains (wildcard or multi-domain certificates)

Properly configure certificate chains

Implement HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) for added security

Regularly audit security with tools like SSL Labs’ SSL Server Test

How to Fix International SEO Issues

For businesses targeting multiple countries or languages, proper international SEO is crucial. As specialists in the Asian market, our Xiaohongshu Marketing team has extensive experience with multilingual SEO challenges.

Hreflang Implementation Errors

The hreflang attribute tells search engines which language and geographic version of a page to serve. Common errors include:

Missing return references between language versions

Incorrect language or country codes

Linking to non-canonical or redirected pages

To fix hreflang issues:

Ensure all language versions reference each other

Use correct ISO language codes and optional ISO country codes

Only include canonical URLs in hreflang sets

Implement hreflang in your XML sitemap for easier maintenance

Geo-targeting Configuration

Proper geo-targeting helps search engines show the right content to the right audience. To fix geo-targeting issues:

For ccTLDs (.sg, .my, etc.), set geographic targeting in Search Console

For subdomains or subdirectories, specify targeting in Search Console

Use local server IP addresses where possible

Include local contact information and addresses on region-specific pages

Create region-specific content, not just translated versions

Common Technical SEO Mistakes to Avoid

Based on our experience with over 1,000 clients, these are the most frequent technical SEO mistakes:

Neglecting regular technical audits: Technical SEO isn’t a one-time fix. Schedule quarterly comprehensive audits to catch issues early.

Implementing changes without testing: Always test major changes in a staging environment first.

Focusing on rankings over user experience: Technical optimizations should enhance user experience, not sacrifice it.

Ignoring mobile experience: With mobile-first indexing, mobile performance is your primary SEO foundation.

Overlooking JavaScript SEO: Modern JS frameworks create unique crawling and indexing challenges that require specialized solutions.

Failing to monitor after fixes: Use monitoring tools to ensure issues don’t recur and fixes remain effective.

At Hashmeta’s AI SEO division, we’ve developed systems to automatically monitor for these common pitfalls, allowing us to take a proactive rather than reactive approach.

Conclusion

Technical SEO forms the foundation of your website’s search performance. Without a technically sound website, even the best content and strongest backlinks won’t achieve their full potential.

By systematically addressing the technical issues outlined in this guide, you can significantly improve your website’s visibility, user experience, and conversion rates. Remember that technical SEO is not a one-time project but an ongoing process that requires regular auditing and maintenance.

At Hashmeta, our team of specialists combines technical expertise with data-driven insights to identify and resolve the specific technical SEO challenges facing your website. Through our AI-powered methodology and comprehensive approach, we’ve helped businesses across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and China achieve sustainable growth in organic search visibility.

Whether you’re dealing with complex crawlability issues, site speed optimization, or international SEO configuration, our experts can develop a customized solution that addresses your unique technical challenges.