If your website isn’t showing up in Google searches like it should, the problem might not be your content—it could be your website’s technical setup. That’s where Technical SEO Audits come in.
Think of a technical audit as a full checkup for your website. It looks behind the scenes to find issues that stop search engines from properly crawling, indexing, or ranking your site.
Even small problems can hurt your visibility. The good news? Most technical SEO issues are fixable once you know what to look for.
In this article, we’ll go over 5 of the most common technical SEO problems and how to solve them—step by step.
1. Slow Website Speed
Website speed plays a huge role in SEO. A slow site not only frustrates visitors but also lowers your search rankings. Google has made it clear that page speed is a ranking factor, especially on mobile.
If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, most visitors will leave before they even see your content. That means lost traffic, leads, and sales.
How to Fix It:
- Compress images: Large images take longer to load. Use tools like TinyPNG or ShortPixel to reduce file size without losing quality.
- Use caching: Browser caching saves data locally, so returning visitors don’t have to load everything again.
- Upgrade hosting: Cheap hosting often means slow performance. A reliable host can make a big difference.
- Use a CDN: A content delivery network speeds up loading for users around the world.
A good Technical SEO Audit will show which elements are slowing down your site and how to fix them quickly.
2. Mobile Usability Issues
Most people now browse the web using their phones. If your website doesn’t work properly on mobile, you’re losing a large portion of your audience—and search engines notice.
Google uses mobile-first indexing, which means it primarily looks at your mobile version to rank your site. If that version is broken or hard to use, your rankings will suffer.
How to Fix It:
- Make sure your site is responsive, meaning it adjusts to different screen sizes automatically.
- Keep text large enough to read without zooming.
- Space out buttons and links so users can tap easily.
- Test your site with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.
When you run Technical SEO Audits, always check how your site performs on mobile. Fixing even small usability issues can greatly improve user experience and SEO.
3. Broken Links and 404 Errors
Broken links are frustrating for visitors and bad for SEO. When users click on a link that leads to a “404 Not Found” page, it sends a negative signal to Google. Too many of these errors can make your site look unreliable.
Sometimes links break when pages are deleted, URLs are changed, or external sites go offline.
How to Fix It:
- Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Screaming Frog to scan for broken links.
- Set up 301 redirects from old URLs to relevant new ones.
- Regularly review your website and remove outdated or dead links.
During a Technical SEO Audit, identifying broken links is one of the easiest wins. It helps both search engines and users navigate your site smoothly.
4. Crawl and Indexing Problems
Search engines use bots (called crawlers) to read your website. If these crawlers can’t reach certain pages, those pages won’t show up in search results—no matter how good your content is.
Common crawl issues include blocked URLs, missing sitemaps, and incorrect “noindex” tags.
How to Fix It:
- Submit an updated XML sitemap in Google Search Console.
- Make sure your robots.txt file isn’t accidentally blocking important pages.
- Check that your site doesn’t use unnecessary “noindex” tags.
- Use the “Coverage” report in Search Console to spot crawl errors.
A solid Technical SEO Audit identifies these indexing issues and ensures Google can access every valuable page on your site.
5. Duplicate Content
Duplicate content confuses search engines. If multiple pages have similar or identical content, Google can’t tell which one to rank. As a result, both pages might rank lower—or not at all.
This problem often happens when websites have multiple URLs showing the same content, such as:
Each of these could be seen as separate pages.
How to Fix It:
- Use canonical tags to tell search engines which version of a page is the main one.
- Make sure your site redirects to a single preferred domain (either with or without “www”).
- Rewrite or combine pages that contain similar content.
A Technical SEO Audit helps uncover duplicate issues across your site and ensures your content is organized correctly for better rankings.
Bonus: Security and HTTPS
Google wants to protect users. That’s why it prefers websites that use HTTPS (secure connections). If your site still runs on HTTP, visitors might see a “Not Secure” warning in their browser. That can scare them away and hurt your SEO.
How to Fix It:
- Get an SSL certificate from your hosting provider.
- Update all internal links to use HTTPS instead of HTTP.
- Redirect old HTTP pages to the new secure versions.
Security isn’t just about safety—it’s also about trust and ranking. Every good Technical SEO Audit checks this first.
Why Regular Technical SEO Audits Matter
Fixing these problems once is great—but websites change all the time. New content, plugins, or updates can cause new issues to appear.
That’s why regular Technical SEO Audits are so important. They keep your site in good shape, ensure fast loading times, and help you stay competitive in search rankings.
Here’s what regular audits can do for you:
- Keep your site clean and secure
- Prevent SEO errors from piling up
- Improve your website’s user experience
- Boost your chances of ranking higher in search results
Think of it like regular maintenance for your business’s online presence.
When to Hire a Professional
You can do basic audits using free tools, but for deeper insights, it’s worth hiring experts who specialize in Technical SEO Audits. They use advanced tools, spot hidden problems, and provide detailed reports.
A professional can also explain what each issue means and guide you through the fixes step by step. That saves you time and prevents small errors from turning into big SEO headaches.
Final Thoughts
A website can only perform well when its foundation is solid. If your site loads slowly, has broken links, or isn’t mobile-friendly, no amount of great content can save it.
Technical SEO Audits help uncover these hidden barriers and give you a clear plan to fix them. Once your site is technically sound, your SEO efforts become far more effective.
So, don’t wait for your rankings to drop. Schedule a technical audit, fix the issues, and keep your website running at full speed.
FAQs
1. What is a Technical SEO Audit?
It’s a full checkup of your website that looks for technical problems affecting your search visibility, speed, and performance.
2. How often should I do a Technical SEO Audit?
At least twice a year is ideal. But for active or large websites, quarterly audits are even better.
3. Can I do a Technical SEO Audit by myself?
You can do a basic one using tools like Google Search Console, but deeper audits often require professional help.
4. What’s the main benefit of fixing technical SEO issues?
It improves your website’s performance, helps search engines crawl your site better, and boosts your overall rankings.
5. How long does a Technical SEO Audit take?
It depends on your website’s size and complexity. Small sites may take a few days, while larger ones can take a week or more.