What Is Technical SEO and How Do I Fix Website Errors?

Technical SEO is the work of making sure search engines and visitors can access, understand, crawl, index, and use your website properly. It includes website speed, mobile usability, HTTPS, broken links, redirects, XML sitemaps, duplicate pages, indexing settings, structured navigation, and other technical foundations.

Technical SEO does not replace helpful content, keyword research, product reviews, or marketing. Instead, it supports them. A great article cannot perform well in search if it is blocked from indexing, returns an error, loads poorly on mobile, redirects incorrectly, or is difficult for search engines to understand.

Google explains that crawling and indexing are essential processes that help it discover, process, and potentially show website content in Search. Not every page is crawled or indexed, and technical issues can affect those processes. [737]

Who Is This Topic For?

This guide is for WordPress users, bloggers, affiliate marketers, small businesses, local businesses, freelancers, consultants, eCommerce owners, content creators, and website owners who want to identify and fix common technical SEO problems.

Technical SEO Is Important If You Want To:

• Make sure Google can find your website pages
• Fix indexing problems
• Improve website speed and mobile usability
• Fix broken links and broken pages
• Set up XML sitemaps
• Improve WordPress website health
• Prevent duplicate-content problems
• Manage redirects correctly
• Protect website visitors with HTTPS
• Improve the overall user experience

What Is Technical SEO?

Technical SEO refers to the behind-the-scenes website setup that helps search engines crawl, understand, index, and display your pages. It also includes improvements that make the website more secure, faster, easier to navigate, and more usable for visitors.

Technical SEO Areas Include:

• Website crawling
• Indexing settings
• XML sitemaps
• Robots.txt files
• HTTPS and SSL certificates
• Mobile responsiveness
• Page loading performance
• Broken links
• 404 error pages
• Redirects
• Canonical tags
• Duplicate pages
• Structured navigation
• Image optimization
• Structured data where appropriate
• Website security and updates

Simple Example

You publish a detailed article about WordPress hosting, but the page has an accidental “noindex” setting. Google may be unable to include the page in its index, which means the article is unlikely to appear in Google Search even if the content is useful.

Why Technical SEO Matters

It Helps Search Engines Access Your Pages

Search engines need to be able to discover and crawl important pages. Problems with robots.txt, noindex tags, broken links, server errors, or poor site structure can make discovery and indexing more difficult.

It Helps Visitors Use Your Website

Technical SEO also improves real user experience. A fast, secure, mobile-friendly site with working links and clear navigation is easier for people to use.

It Protects Your Content Investment

Writing articles, creating product reviews, building landing pages, and producing helpful resources takes time. Technical SEO helps make sure that work is accessible and not undermined by preventable errors.

It Can Improve Conversions

Visitors are less likely to submit a form, book a call, purchase a product, or join an email list if pages are slow, broken, insecure, or difficult to use on a phone.

It Supports Long-Term Website Growth

As your website grows, technical organization becomes more important. A clear structure, working internal links, consistent URLs, and a healthy sitemap make future growth easier to manage.

Risks and Limitations

Technical SEO Does Not Guarantee Rankings

Fixing technical problems can make pages more accessible and usable, but it does not guarantee first-page rankings. Content quality, search intent, competition, relevance, backlinks, and visitor needs still matter.

Major Changes Can Break a Website

Editing robots.txt files, redirect rules, theme files, databases, plugins, DNS settings, or server configurations can cause problems. Always back up your website before major changes.

Tools Can Show Too Many Warnings

SEO audit tools may identify hundreds of warnings. Not every warning is urgent or meaningful. Prioritize errors affecting important pages, crawling, indexing, security, mobile usability, and conversion paths.

Some Issues Require Technical Help

Server errors, JavaScript rendering issues, complex redirects, hacked websites, database problems, custom code, and eCommerce platform errors may require a qualified developer, host, or SEO professional.

Do Not Fix Problems Blindly

Do not change settings simply because a tool suggests it. Understand what an issue means, check whether it affects an important page, and test after making changes.

Common Technical SEO Errors

Pages Not Indexed

A page may not appear in Google because it is new, blocked by a noindex setting, blocked by robots.txt, redirected, duplicated, unavailable, or considered low value. Check Google Search Console before assuming there is a problem.

Broken Links

Broken links lead visitors to pages that no longer exist or return errors. These can create a poor experience and make it harder for users and search engines to navigate your website.

404 Errors

A 404 error means the requested page cannot be found. Some 404 pages are normal, but important deleted or moved pages may need redirects.

Redirect Chains

A redirect chain happens when one URL redirects to another, then another, and possibly another. Too many redirects can slow page loading and create unnecessary complexity.

Missing HTTPS

HTTPS encrypts data between visitors and your website. It is especially important for login pages, contact forms, checkout pages, memberships, and any site collecting personal information.

Slow Pages

Large images, too many plugins, poor hosting, unused scripts, heavy themes, excessive ads, and unoptimized files can slow down pages and frustrate visitors.

Mobile Usability Problems

Text that is too small, buttons that are difficult to tap, content that overflows the screen, pop-ups that block content, and slow mobile loading can hurt the visitor experience.

Duplicate Content

Duplicate pages can make it unclear which version you want search engines to show. Common causes include URL parameters, HTTP and HTTPS versions, www and non-www versions, printer pages, tag archives, and copied product descriptions.

Missing or Incorrect Canonical Tags

A canonical tag tells search engines which version of similar pages is the preferred version. Incorrect canonical settings can cause important pages to be ignored or treated as duplicates.

Poor Internal Linking

Pages that receive no internal links may be difficult for visitors and search engines to find. Important pages should be linked from relevant content on your website.

Step-by-Step Technical SEO Process

Step 1: Back Up Your Website

Before changing plugins, themes, redirects, SEO settings, robots.txt, or code, create a complete backup.

Back Up:

• Website files
• WordPress database
• Media uploads
• Theme settings
• Plugin settings where possible
• Important forms and customer information

Keep at least one secure offsite backup and confirm that you know how to restore it if needed.

Step 2: Set Up Google Search Console

Google Search Console is one of the best free tools for identifying technical SEO problems. It can show indexing issues, sitemap errors, manual actions, security problems, and individual URL information.

Use Search Console To:

• Verify website ownership
• Submit an XML sitemap
• Inspect individual URLs
• Review indexing reports
• Check crawl and page errors
• Monitor security issues
• Review mobile usability information
• Check Core Web Vitals reports
• Review manual actions

Google Search Console can help website owners monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot their presence in Google Search, including indexing and technical issues. [473]

Step 3: Check Whether Important Pages Are Indexed

Start with your most important pages: homepage, service pages, product pages, pillar articles, key blog posts, and lead-generation pages.

How to Check Indexing

1. Open Google Search Console
2. Use the URL Inspection tool
3. Enter the full page URL
4. Review whether the page is indexed
5. Review the reason if it is not indexed
6. Check the live URL if necessary
7. Fix technical issues before requesting indexing

Common Indexing Reasons

• Page is new and has not been crawled yet
• Page has a noindex directive
• Page is blocked by robots.txt
• Page redirects to another URL
• Page has a server error
• Google selected another canonical page
• Page is a duplicate of another page
• Page has limited or low-value content

Do not request indexing repeatedly without fixing the issue first.

Step 4: Create and Submit an XML Sitemap

An XML sitemap is a file that lists important website URLs and helps search engines discover your pages. Most WordPress SEO plugins can generate one automatically.

WordPress Sitemap Options

• WordPress built-in sitemap functionality
• Yoast SEO XML sitemap
• Rank Math XML sitemap
• All in One SEO XML sitemap
• Other reputable sitemap plugins

Sitemap Best Practices

• Include important pages you want indexed
• Do not include noindex pages
• Do not include broken URLs
• Do not include redirecting URLs
• Use canonical URLs
• Submit the sitemap in Search Console
• Check periodically for errors

Common Sitemap URL

https://yourdomain.com/sitemap_index.xml

Your exact sitemap URL depends on your WordPress setup and SEO plugin.

Step 5: Review Robots.txt Carefully

The robots.txt file provides instructions for search crawlers about which parts of a website they should or should not crawl. An incorrect robots.txt rule can accidentally block important content.

Use Robots.txt Carefully

• Do not block important pages or folders by mistake
• Do not use robots.txt as a way to hide private information
• Use password protection for truly private content
• Check robots.txt after changing SEO plugins or site settings
• Test important URLs in Search Console

Important Note

Robots.txt controls crawling behavior. It does not reliably keep a URL out of search results if other websites link to it. Use noindex settings, authentication, or other appropriate methods when you need to prevent indexing.

Step 6: Check for Accidental Noindex Settings

A noindex directive tells search engines not to include a page in search results. It can be useful for thank-you pages, private pages, duplicate pages, internal search pages, and some archive pages—but it should not be applied to important articles or service pages accidentally.

Check Noindex Settings In:

• WordPress Settings → Reading
• Your SEO plugin page settings
• Theme or custom code settings
• WordPress staging site settings
• Page-level robots meta settings

Common WordPress Mistake

During website development, a site owner selects “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” and forgets to remove the setting after launch.

Step 7: Fix Broken Links

Broken links hurt user experience and can prevent visitors from reaching important resources. Review both internal and external links.

How to Fix Broken Links

1. Run a site audit or broken link scan
2. Identify the source page containing the broken link
3. Find the intended destination if it still exists
4. Update the link to the correct URL
5. Remove the link if no relevant replacement exists
6. Set up a redirect if an important page was moved
7. Test the updated link

Internal Link Example

An older blog post links to /best-hosting-2023/, but that page no longer exists. Update the link to your current hosting guide or set up a redirect from the old page to the most relevant replacement.

Step 8: Fix Important 404 Errors

A 404 error means a page cannot be found. Not every 404 needs a redirect, but important old URLs that have backlinks, traffic, or relevant replacements should usually be handled carefully.

When to Create a Redirect

• The old page has a direct updated replacement
• The old URL receives traffic
• The old page has backlinks
• The topic moved to a newer page
• The old page was merged into a more comprehensive article

When Not to Redirect

• There is no relevant replacement page
• The old page was spam or accidental content
• The redirect would send visitors to an unrelated page
• The page was never important and has no useful destination

A redirect should help the visitor find the closest relevant replacement—not simply send every missing page to the homepage.

Step 9: Use Proper 301 Redirects

A 301 redirect is commonly used when a page has permanently moved to a new URL. It helps send visitors and search engines from the old page to the new page.

Use 301 Redirects When:

• You change a URL permanently
• You merge two similar articles
• You move a page to a new category or structure
• You update an old product page to a new replacement
• You change a domain or move to HTTPS

Redirect Best Practices

• Redirect old URLs to the most relevant new page
• Avoid redirect chains
• Update internal links to point directly to the final URL
• Test redirects after publishing them
• Keep a spreadsheet of major URL changes
• Do not redirect unrelated pages to the homepage

Step 10: Choose One Preferred Website Version

Your site should use one consistent preferred version, such as HTTPS and either www or non-www URLs.

Examples

• https://example.com
• https://www.example.com

Choose one version, then redirect the alternatives to that preferred version. This can reduce duplicate versions of the same content and create a more consistent website structure.

Step 11: Check Canonical Tags

Canonical tags help tell search engines which version of a page is the preferred version when similar or duplicate pages exist.

Canonical Tag Example

<link rel=”canonical” href=”https://example.com/wordpress-hosting-guide/”>

Canonical Best Practices

• Use self-referencing canonicals on important pages
• Use canonical tags for duplicate or near-duplicate pages when appropriate
• Do not point unrelated pages to one canonical URL
• Make sure canonical URLs load correctly
• Use HTTPS canonical URLs
• Do not mix conflicting noindex, canonical, and redirect signals without understanding the effects

Most WordPress SEO plugins can generate canonical tags automatically, but you should review important pages after major site changes.

Step 12: Improve Mobile Usability

Many visitors use phones. Test your most important pages on a real mobile device.

Mobile Usability Checklist

• Text is readable without zooming
• Navigation menus work
• Buttons are easy to tap
• Forms are easy to complete
• Images scale correctly
• Tables do not overflow badly
• Pop-ups do not block main content
• Videos play correctly
• Checkout pages work, if applicable
• Important calls to action remain visible

Google’s page experience guidance recommends responsive mobile design and ensuring pages provide a good overall user experience. [641]

Step 13: Improve Page Speed

Slow pages can frustrate visitors and reduce the chance that they read, subscribe, contact you, or complete a purchase.

Common Causes of Slow WordPress Sites

• Large uncompressed images
• Too many plugins
• Heavy page builders
• Low-quality hosting
• Too many third-party scripts
• Unoptimized fonts
• Excessive advertising scripts
• Autoplay videos
• Unused plugins and themes
• No caching setup

Practical Speed Improvements

• Compress images before uploading
• Use modern image formats where appropriate
• Remove unused plugins and themes
• Use a lightweight theme
• Choose reliable hosting
• Use caching where appropriate
• Limit unnecessary scripts
• Lazy-load images below the fold where appropriate
• Reduce oversized page elements
• Test major pages after changes

Prioritize real improvements for visitors, not simply chasing a perfect speed-test score.

Step 14: Use HTTPS

HTTPS protects data sent between a website and a visitor’s browser. It is especially important if you collect emails, logins, payment information, contact form details, or customer account information.

HTTPS Checklist

• Install an SSL certificate through your host
• Confirm your site loads with https://
• Redirect HTTP pages to HTTPS
• Fix mixed-content warnings
• Update WordPress site URLs if necessary
• Check contact forms and checkout pages
• Use HTTPS in canonical tags and sitemap URLs

Step 15: Improve Website Navigation

Clear navigation helps visitors find information and helps search engines understand the relationship between your pages.

Navigation Best Practices

• Use clear menu labels
• Organize articles into logical categories
• Create pillar pages for major topics
• Use internal links between related content
• Add breadcrumb navigation where appropriate
• Keep important pages within a few clicks of the homepage
• Avoid confusing or duplicated menu items
• Use a search feature on large websites

Google recommends using descriptive anchor text and linking important pages from other relevant pages on your website. [208]

Step 16: Check Image SEO Basics

Images can support SEO and user experience when they are useful, compressed, descriptive, and accessible.

Image SEO Checklist

• Use relevant images
• Compress large files
• Use descriptive filenames
• Add useful alt text
• Avoid stuffing keywords into alt text
• Use captions when they add context
• Use responsive image sizes
• Check that images load correctly on mobile

Alt Text Example

Weak alt text: SEO WordPress best website traffic SEO keyword

Better alt text: Screenshot of the Google Search Console indexing report for a WordPress website

Step 17: Fix Duplicate Content Issues

Duplicate or near-duplicate content can appear for legitimate reasons, but it can make it harder for search engines to identify the preferred version.

Common Duplicate Content Sources

• HTTP and HTTPS versions
• www and non-www versions
• URL parameters
• Category and tag archives
• Printer-friendly pages
• Product filter pages
• Copied manufacturer descriptions
• Pagination issues
• Multiple similar articles targeting the same topic

Ways to Reduce Duplicate Issues

• Choose one preferred URL version
• Use canonical tags correctly
• Redirect duplicate URL versions
• Write original product descriptions
• Merge overlapping blog posts when appropriate
• Use noindex settings carefully for low-value archives
• Review duplicate title and description reports

Step 18: Run Regular Website Audits

Technical SEO is ongoing. Run audits regularly to catch problems before they affect important pages.

Monthly Technical SEO Checklist

• Check Google Search Console indexing reports
• Review security issues and manual actions
• Check sitemap status
• Review broken links
• Review 404 errors
• Test important forms
• Check plugin and theme updates
• Review website backups
• Test important pages on mobile
• Review page-speed issues
• Check for expired SSL certificates
• Review major redirects

Technical SEO Priorities

Do not try to fix everything at once. Start with the issues that matter most.

Programs That Can Help

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is essential for checking indexing, crawling, sitemaps, security issues, manual actions, mobile usability, and page-level technical information.

Google PageSpeed Insights

Google PageSpeed Insights can help identify page performance issues and provide suggestions related to loading, rendering, images, scripts, and user experience.

SE Ranking

SE Ranking can run website audits that identify broken links, redirects, duplicate metadata, missing tags, crawl issues, sitemap problems, and other technical SEO concerns.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Screaming Frog can crawl websites and identify broken links, redirects, duplicate pages, missing metadata, canonical issues, and other technical problems. Its free version has crawl limits that may be sufficient for smaller websites.

WordPress Site Health

WordPress Site Health can provide information about WordPress configuration, updates, HTTPS, PHP versions, scheduled events, and other website health factors.

Rank Math and Yoast SEO

Rank Math and Yoast SEO can help manage XML sitemaps, meta tags, canonical URLs, redirects, schema settings, and noindex controls inside WordPress.

Cloudflare

Cloudflare can provide DNS management, CDN services, caching, performance tools, SSL support, and security features. Check current plan features and configure settings carefully.

Website Backup Tools

Use your hosting provider’s backup system, a WordPress backup plugin, or both. A reliable backup is essential before major technical changes.

Common Technical SEO Mistakes

Blocking the Entire Website From Search Engines

Check WordPress reading settings and SEO plugin settings after launching a new website. A noindex setting intended for development can accidentally prevent your live site from appearing in search.

Changing URLs Without Redirects

If you change a page URL, add a proper redirect to the closest relevant replacement. Update internal links so they point directly to the new URL.

Redirecting Every Missing Page to the Homepage

Do not send visitors to the homepage when a more relevant page exists. If no relevant replacement exists, a helpful 404 page may be better.

Installing Too Many Plugins

Too many plugins can affect speed, security, compatibility, and maintenance. Use only reputable plugins that solve a real need, and remove inactive ones.

Ignoring Mobile Experience

Always test pages on real phones. A desktop-friendly website may still have unreadable text, broken forms, overlapping elements, or difficult navigation on mobile.

Ignoring Broken Links

Review broken internal and external links regularly. Fixing them improves visitor experience and helps maintain a healthy content library.

Using Robots.txt to Hide Sensitive Information

Robots.txt is not a security tool. Use passwords, access controls, and secure hosting configurations for private information.

Fixing Every Audit Warning Without Prioritizing

Focus first on issues that block crawling, indexing, security, page access, mobile usability, forms, and conversions. Not every low-priority warning requires immediate action.

Not Backing Up Before Changes

Always create and verify backups before changing plugins, themes, redirects, code, DNS, servers, or major SEO settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is technical SEO?

Technical SEO is the work of improving a website’s technical foundation so search engines can crawl, understand, and index pages and visitors can use the site effectively.

Do I need technical SEO for a small website?

Yes. Even small websites need basic technical SEO, including HTTPS, mobile usability, clear navigation, working links, XML sitemaps, indexing checks, backups, and updated software.

Can technical SEO improve rankings?

Technical SEO can help remove barriers that prevent search engines and visitors from accessing your pages. It does not guarantee higher rankings, but it supports the content, user experience, and accessibility needed for sustainable SEO.

How do I know if Google indexed my page?

Use Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool. Enter the full page URL to see whether Google reports it as indexed and whether there are known issues.

What is an XML sitemap?

An XML sitemap is a file listing important URLs on your website. It can help search engines discover pages, especially on new or large sites. It does not guarantee indexing or rankings.

What is a 404 error?

A 404 error means the requested page cannot be found. Some 404 pages are normal, but important moved or deleted pages may need redirects to relevant replacements.

What is a 301 redirect?

A 301 redirect is commonly used to send visitors and search engines from an old URL to a new permanent location. Use it when content has moved or pages have been combined.

What is a canonical URL?

A canonical URL is the preferred version of a page when duplicate or similar pages exist. Canonical tags help search engines understand which version you want them to consider primary.

Should I fix every SEO audit warning?

No. Prioritize problems that affect important pages, crawling, indexing, website security, mobile usability, broken forms, page access, or conversions. Review lower-priority warnings in context before changing anything.

How often should I run a technical SEO audit?

Review Search Console regularly and run a broader technical audit monthly or quarterly, depending on website size and how often you publish or change site features. Also audit after major redesigns, migrations, plugin changes, or URL updates.