32 Common SEO Mistakes To Avoid (On-Page & Technical Issues)

Navigating the digital marketing maze can feel like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. When you think you’ve got one thing sorted, another pops up to trip you up. Especially when mastering the SEO conversion funnel, where every tiny detail can make or break your strategy. And let’s face it: SEO is a beast with a mind that constantly changes its rules. It’s no wonder a sea of misinformation out there can lead you astray if you’re not careful.

But don’t sweat it. We’ve got your back with a list of common SEO mistakes to avoid, no matter your conversion funnel stage.

What is Search Engine Optimization?

Man Working - Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is about making your website more visible in search engine results. When people look for something online, you want them to find your business. SEO helps you achieve that by improving your site's ranking for specific terms relevant to what you offer.
Why care? SEO is a big deal for online visibility. It helps reach people looking for your products, services, or information. Unlike paid ads, SEO traffic is sustainable over time and builds trust. High-ranking sites are seen as more credible and authoritative. In simple terms, SEO connects you with your audience.

How SEO Works: The Basics

Understanding SEO means understanding how search engines rank content and what your audience wants. It’s about aligning your site with how people search, and search engines decide what to show.

A few things are crucial here:

Keyword Research: Find the exact terms people use when searching for what you offer.
Content Creation: Produce high-quality, relevant content that answers questions or solves problems.
Technical Optimization: Ensure your site loads quickly, is mobile-friendly, and has an organized structure.
Link Building: Earn links from other trusted websites, which signals to search engines that your site is authoritative.

SEO in Action: A Real-World Example

Picture a small business that sells eco-friendly clothing. By optimizing its site with keywords like “sustainable fashion,” creating blog posts about ethical shopping, and ensuring pages load quickly, it attracts a steady stream of shoppers without paying for ads.
SEO isn’t just about search engines. It’s about understanding your audience. Whether someone starts their search on Google, TikTok, or Amazon, your goal is to meet them where they are.

16 Common SEO Mistakes To Avoid (Technical Issues)

Person Working on Laptop - Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid

These common technical SEO issues are often overlooked, yet are straightforward to fix and crucial to boosting your search visibility and SEO success.

1. No HTTPS Security

Site security with HTTPS is more important than ever. If your site is not secure, when you type your domain name into Google Chrome, it will display a gray background — or even worse, a red background with a “not secure” warning.

This could cause users to immediately navigate away from your site and back to the SERP. The first step for this quick fix is to check if your site is HTTPS. To do this, simply type your domain name into Google Chrome. Your site is secure if you see the “secure” message.

The Importance of SSL Certificates for Website Security and SEO

How to fix it:

You need an SSL certificate from a Certificate Authority to convert your site to HTTPS.
Once you purchase and install your certificate, your site will be secure.

2. The Site Isn’t Indexed Correctly

When you search for your brand name in Google, does your website appear in the search results? If the answer is no, there might be an issue with your indexation. As far as Google is concerned, if your pages aren’t indexed, they don’t exist—and they won’t be found on the search engines.

How to check:

Type the following into Google’s search bar: “site:yoursitename.com” and instantly view the count of indexed pages for your site.

Troubleshooting Website Indexing Issues for Improved SEO Performance

How to fix it:

If your site isn’t indexed, you can begin by adding your URL to Google.
If your site is indexed but has more results than expected, look deeper for either site-hacking spam or old site versions that are indexed instead of appropriate redirects in place to point to your updated site.
If your site is indexed, but you see quite a bit LESS than expected, perform an audit of the indexed content and compare it against which pages you want to rank. If you’re unsure why the content isn’t ranking, check Google’s Webmaster Guidelines to ensure your site content is compliant.
If the results are different than you expected in any way, verify that your essential website pages are not blocked by your robots.txt file. You should also verify you haven’t mistakenly implemented a NOINDEX meta tag.

3. No XML Sitemaps

XML sitemaps help Google search bots understand more about your site pages so they can crawl your site effectively and intelligently.

How to check:

Type your domain name into Google and add “/sitemap.xml” to the end. This is usually where the sitemap lives. If your website has a sitemap, you will see it.

Creating and Submitting Sitemaps for Better Website Crawlability and SEO

How to fix it:

If your website doesn’t have a sitemap (and you end up on a 404 page), you can create one yourself or hire a web developer to make one for you.
The easiest option is to use an XML sitemap-generating tool. If you have a WordPress site, the Yoast SEO plugin can automatically generate XML sitemaps for you.

4. Missing or Incorrect Robots.txt

A missing robots.txt file is a big red flag—but did you also know that an improperly configured robots.txt file destroys your organic site traffic?

How to check:

To determine if the robots.txt file is in error, type your website URL into your browser with a “/robots.txt” suffix. If you get a result that reads "User-agent: * Disallow: /,” you have an issue.

Optimizing Robots.txt for Proper Search Engine Crawling and Indexing

How to fix it:

If you see “Disallow: /”, immediately talk to your developer. There could be a good reason it’s set up that way, or it may be an oversight.
If your robots.txt file is complex, as many e-commerce sites do, you should review it line by line with your developer to ensure it’s correct.

5. Meta Robots NOINDEX Set

When the NOINDEX tag is appropriately configured, it signifies certain pages are less important to search bots. (For example, blog categories with multiple pages.) However, when misconfigured, NOINDEX can immensely damage your search visibility by removing all pages with a specific configuration from Google’s index. This is a massive SEO issue.

It’s common for NOINDEX to have many pages while the website is in development, but removing the NOINDEX tag is imperative once the website goes live. Do not blindly trust that it was removed; the results will destroy your site's search visibility.

How to check:

Right-click on your site’s main pages and select "View Page Source."
Use the "Find" command (Ctrl + F) to search for lines in the source code that read “NOINDEX” or “NOFOLLOW” such as:

Fixing NOINDEX and NOFOLLOW Tags to Improve SEO and Indexing

How to fix it:

If you see any “NOINDEX” or “NOFOLLOW” in your source code, check with your web developer as they may have included it for specific reasons.

If there’s no known reason, have your developer change it to read <meta name="robots" content=" INDEX, FOLLOW"> or remove the tag altogether.

Recommended Reading: The Best SEO Checklist to Boost Search Visibility and Rankings

6. Slow Page Speed

Your users will go elsewhere if your site doesn’t load quickly (typically 3 seconds or less). Page speed matters to the user experience and to Google’s algorithm. In the summer of 2021, Google announced that the page experience update (which includes metrics from Core Web Vitals) was rolling out and updated a new Page Experience report in Search Console.

How to check:

Use Google PageSpeed Insights to detect specific speed problems with your site. (Be sure to check desktop and mobile performance.)
If you don’t want to spot-check, use seoClarity's Page Speed to pull in scores monthly or bi-weekly to monitor and identify page speed issues across your site.

Boosting Website Performance with Effective Page Speed Optimization Techniques

How to fix it:

The solution to slow page load can vary from simple to complex. Standard solutions to increase page speed include image optimization/compression, browser caching improvement, server response time improvement, and JavaScript minifying.
Speak with your web developer to ensure the best solution for your site's page speed issues.

7. Multiple Versions of the Homepage

Remember when you discovered “yourwebsite.com” and “www.yourwebsite.com” go to the same place? While this is convenient, it also means Google may be indexing multiple URL versions, which dilutes your site's visibility in search.

Even worse, multiple versions of a live page may confuse users and Google's indexing algorithm, preventing your site from being indexed properly.

Managing URL Canonicalization and Redirects for SEO Consistency

How to fix it:

First, check if different versions of your URL successfully flow to one standard URL. This can include HTTPS and HTTP versions, such as “www.yourwebsite.com/home.html.” Check each possible combination. Another way is to use your “site:yoursitename.com” to determine which pages are indexed and if they stem from multiple URL versions.
If you discover multiple indexed versions, you’ll need to set up 301 redirects or have your developer set them up for you. You should also set your canonical domain in Google Search Console.

8. Incorrect Rel=Canonical

Rel=canonical is particularly important for all sites with duplicate or very similar content (especially ecommerce sites). Dynamically rendered pages (like a category page of blog posts or products) can look duplicative to Google search bots.

The rel=canonical tag tells search engines which “original” page is of primary importance (hence: canonical) — similar to URL canonicalization.

Implementing Rel=Canonical Tags to Prevent Duplicate Content Issues

How to fix it:

This one also requires you to spot-check your source code. Fixes vary depending on your content structure and web platform. (Here’s Google’s Guide to Rel=Canonical.)
If you need assistance, reach out to your web developer.

9. Duplicate Content

With more and more brands using dynamically created websites, content management systems, and practicing global SEO, the problem of duplicate content plagues many websites.

It may “confuse” search engine crawlers and prevent the correct content from serving your target audience. Unlike content issues like too little or “thin” content where you don’t have enough content on a page (at least 300 words).

Duplicate content can occur for many reasons:

Ecommerce site store items appear on multiple versions of the same URL.
Printer-only web pages repeat content on the main page.
The same content appears in multiple languages on an international site.

Resolving Duplicate Content Issues with Canonical Tags, Hreflang, and Redirects

How to fix it:

Each of these three issues can be resolved with the following:some text
- Proper rel=canonical.
- Proper configuration.
- Correct implementation of hreflang tags.

Google’s support page offers other ideas to help limit duplicate content, such as some text
- Using 301 redirects
- Top-level domains
- Boilerplate content

10. Missing Alt Tags

Broken images and those missing alt tags are missed SEO opportunities. The image alt tag attribute helps search engines index a page by telling the bot what the image is about. It’s a simple way to boost the SEO value of your page via the image content that enhances your site's experience.

Improving SEO with Proper Image Alt Tags and Regular Site Audits

How to fix it:

Most SEO site audits will identify broken images and missing alt tags.
Running regular site audits to monitor your image content as part of your SEO standard operating procedures makes it easier to manage and stay current with image alt tags across your website.

11. Broken Links

Good internal and external links show users and search crawlers that you have high-quality content. Over time, content changes, and once-great links break. Broken links interrupt the searcher's journey and reflect lower-quality content, a factor that can affect page ranking.

Maintaining SEO Health with Internal and External Link Monitoring

How to fix it:

While internal links should be confirmed every time a page is removed, changed, or a redirect is implemented, the value of external links requires regular monitoring.
The best and most scalable way to address broken links is to run regular site audits.
An internal link analysis will help digital marketers and SEOs find the pages where these links exist so they can fix them by replacing the broken link with the correct/new page.
Find all external links that are broken.
From there, you can reach out to the sites with broken links and provide them with the correct link or new page.

12. Not Enough Use of Structured Data

Google defines structured data as a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content.

Structured data is a simple way to help Google search crawlers understand a page's content and data. For example, if your page contains a recipe, an ingredient list would be an ideal type of content to feature in a structured data format.

Address information, like this example from Google, is another type of data perfect for a structured data format:

<script type="application/ld+json">

{

"@context": "https://schema.org",

"@type": "Organization",

"url": "http://www.example.com",

"name": "Unlimited Ball Bearings Corp.",

"contactPoint": {

"@type": "ContactPoint",

"telephone": "+1-401-555-1212",

"contactType": "Customer service"

}

</script>

These structured data can then appear on the SERPs as a rich snippet, which gives your SERP listing a visual appeal.

Enhancing SEO with Structured Data and Effective Collaboration

How to fix it:

As you roll out new content, identify opportunities to include structured data in the page and coordinate the process between content creators and your SEO team.
Better use of structured data may help improve CTR and rank position in the SERP.
Once you implement structured data, review your GSC report regularly to ensure that Google is not reporting any issue with your structured data markup.

13. Mobile Device Optimization

In December 2018, Google announced that mobile-first indexing now accounts for more than half of the websites appearing in search results. Google would have emailed you when (or if) your site was transitioned.

If you’re not sure if your site has undergone the transition, you can also use Google URL Inspection Tool. Whether or not Google has transitioned you to mobile-first indexing, you must guarantee your site is mobile-friendly to ensure an exceptional mobile user experience. Anyone using responsive website design is in good shape.

If you run a “.m” mobile site, you must ensure you have the proper implementation on your m-dot site so you don’t lose your search visibility in a mobile-first world.

Optimizing Mobile SEO: Hreflang, Metadata, and Structured Data Implementation

How to fix it:

As your mobile site will be indexed, you must do the following for all “.m” web pages:

Guarantee the appropriate and correct hreflang code and links.
Update all metadata on your mobile site. Meta descriptions should be equivalent on both mobile and desktop sites.
Add structured data to your mobile pages and make sure the URLs are updated to mobile URLs.

14. Missing or Non-Optimized Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are short, up to 160-character blurbs that describe a web page’s content. These little snippets help search engines index your page, and a well-written meta description can stimulate audience interest in the page.

It’s a simple SEO feature, but many pages miss this important content. You might not see this content on your page, but it’s an important feature that helps the user decide whether to click on your result after they make their query.

Like your page content, meta descriptions should be optimized to match what the user will read, so try to include relevant keywords in the copy.

How to fix it:

There are a couple of ways to address this issue:

For pages missing meta descriptions, run an SEO site audit to find all pages missing meta descriptions. Then, determine the page’s value and prioritize accordingly.
Evaluate pages with meta descriptions based on performance and value to the organization. An audit can identify pages with meta description errors.
High-value pages that are almost ranking where you want should be optimized first. Any page that undergoes an edit, update, or change should also have the meta description updated at the time of the change. It's essential to ensure that meta descriptions are unique to a page.

15. Users Sent to Pages with Wrong Language

In 2011, Google introduced the hreflang tag for brands engaged in global SEO to improve user experience. Hreflang tags signal to Google the correct web page to serve to a user based on language or location of search. It’s also called rel="alternate" hreflang="x".

The code looks like this:

<link rel="alternate" href="http://example.com" hreflang="en-us" />

Hreflang is one of several international SEO best practices, including hosting sites on local IPs and connecting with local search engines. However, the benefits of serving locally customized content to users in their native language cannot be understated.

Using hreflang tags requires a fair amount of detail work to ensure all pages have the appropriate code and links, and errors are common.

Fixing Hreflang Errors for International SEO: Tools and Best Practices

How to fix it:

Google provides a free International Targeting Tool, and digital marketers can use a variety of third-party tools. For instance, with our site audits, you can run an in-depth hreflang audit and verify your implementation with cross-checks of referenced URLs.

Fixing hreflang errors effectively involves two steps:

Guaranteeing the code is correct. A tool like Aleyda Solis’ hreflang Tags Generator Tool can simplify the effort.
When updating a page or creating a redirect, update the code on all pages that refer/link to it.

16. Messy code

Messy or unnecessary code on your website makes it harder for search engines to analyze and index it. It also increases the likelihood of coding errors and may slow down your site’s loading time.

Cleaning Up HTML Code for Better SEO: Best Practices and Tools

How to fix it:

Every tag should serve a purpose. Try using indentations for every new tag or tag group to keep your code easy to read.
HTML validation tools, such as the W3C Markup Validator, can help you find errors and junk code on your pages.
If you’re unsure how to fix technical SEO issues like these, turn to a web developer or professional SEO agency for technical SEO help.

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16 Common SEO Mistakes To Avoid (On-Page Issues)

Person Typing - Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid

1. Craft Unique Content, Avoid Duplicates

Unique, high-quality content forms the bedrock of successful on-page SEO. Poorly written or duplicate content can damage your site’s reputation and rankings. Search engines prefer original content that delivers value.

Audit your website regularly to remove duplicates and focus on crafting engaging material that addresses your audience’s needs. A content calendar can help keep your site fresh and relevant.

2. Use Heading Tags Properly

Heading tags structure your content, making it readable for users and search engines. Misusing them—like having multiple H1 tags or skipping levels—can confuse search engines. Each page should have one H1, with H2 and H3 tags logically breaking down content.

Proper organization improves SEO and enhances user experience by making content easy to find and understand.

3. Optimize Your Images

Large image files slow your site, hurting user experience and SEO. Compress images without losing quality, use descriptive file names, and include keywords in the alt text. Use appropriate file formats and implement lazy loading to improve load times. Optimized images enhance page speed, user experience, and SEO performance.

4. Speed Up Your Pages

Page speed is crucial for rankings and user experience. Slow pages lead to higher bounce rates and lower engagement. To improve speed:

Optimize images
Use browser caching
Minimize HTTP requests

Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help you monitor and maintain performance. Fast pages improve SEO and user satisfaction.

5. Implement Canonical Tags Correctly

Canonical tags prevent duplicate content issues by indicating the preferred page version. Without them, search engines may index multiple versions, diluting SEO efforts. Add the rel="canonical" link element to the HTML head of the preferred page version. Regularly review tags to ensure they print correctly, helping consolidate link equity and improve indexing.

6. Create a Clean URL Structure

A descriptive URL structure is vital for SEO and user experience. Keep URLs short and include relevant keywords. Avoid complex strings of numbers and symbols. Consistent, logical URL structures help users and search engines navigate your content more effectively.

7. Avoid Thin Content Pages

This content could be more valuable to users and harms SEO. Focus on comprehensive, informative, and engaging content that addresses your audience’s needs. Use detailed descriptions, keywords, and multimedia to enhance value. Regularly audit and improve or remove thin pages to ensure all content is valuable and substantial.

8. Build a Strong Internal Linking Strategy

Internal linking distributes page authority and improves navigation. Poor internal linking can leave pages isolated and hard to find. Include relevant links within your content and use descriptive anchor text. Regularly update links to ensure they remain appropriate, boosting user experience and SEO.

9. Reduce High Bounce Rates

High bounce rates suggest poor user engagement or irrelevant content. Ensure your content is relevant and engaging, improve navigation, and enhance page speed. Regularly update content to keep it fresh. Lowering bounce rates can increase engagement and boost SEO performance.

10. Integrate Social Sharing

Social sharing buttons drive traffic and engagement. With them, you may get opportunities to reach a broader audience. Include buttons on your pages to encourage sharing. Monitor button performance and adjust placement or design to maximize effectiveness.

11. Avoid Keyword Stuffing

Keyword stuffing makes content unreadable and can trigger penalties. Incorporate keywords naturally, prioritizing user experience. Use variations and related terms to avoid repetition. Regularly review content to ensure keyword usage remains natural and beneficial.

12. Keep Content Fresh

Regular updates signal to crawlers that your site is active. With them, your site may appear updated, leading to higher rankings. Consistently publish new articles, update existing pages, and remove outdated information. Fresh content attracts visitors and encourages repeat visits.

13. Write Descriptive Anchor Text

Descriptive anchor text helps search engines understand the context and relevance of linked content. Use clear and concise descriptions that reflect the linked content. Avoid generic terms like “click here.” Regularly audit anchor text to ensure it remains relevant.

14. Use Alt Text for Images

Alt text is crucial for accessibility and SEO. It describes an image, helping users understand content and allowing search engines to index images correctly. Describe images clearly and include relevant keywords. Ensure each image has unique and descriptive alt text.

15. Optimize Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions entice users to visit your page. They should be unique and accurately describe page content. Use target keywords and keep descriptions under 155 characters to avoid truncation. While not a direct ranking signal, well-crafted meta descriptions can improve click-through rates and indirectly boost SEO.

16. Avoid Mixing Keywords

Use targeted keywords (and their variations) on one page only. Mixing keywords confuses search engines and can sabotage rankings. Edit content to stick with synonyms and rewordings of your target keyword. This approach helps cover different search queries without overloading content.

AI And SEO - What’s Coming?

Artificial intelligence is already used to optimize many areas of SEO. From using tools to help with keyword research and content generation to getting AI-driven insights and user intent intel.

Watch Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE)

Think of SGE as featured snippets on steroids. This AI-driven tool generates detailed results to give users exactly what they are searching for. It includes not only a detailed generative answer, similar to ChatGPT, but also an image carousel with suggested questions and suggestions. You’ll want to keep an eye on how SGE grows in importance within the world of search.

Use AI for Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics allows you to predict changes in search algorithms and adapt your strategy accordingly. Platforms like RankSense, Ahrefs, and CognitiveSEO examine historical data and current trends to forecast what’s coming next.

Optimize AI in Local SEO

Artificial intelligence can optimize content according to regional preferences or factors. Tools that help are Moz Local and BrightSpark.

Answer Engine Optimization

AI is changing how users search for and find information, so optimizing for answer engines’s a good idea. ChatGPT and Google SGE can help with that.

Don’t Sleep on Video SEO

People love video content, so you must optimize your videos for SEO, on YouTube or elsewhere.

Pay Attention to Core Web Vitals (CWV)

The CWV consists of three user experience metrics that measure a webpage's loading, interactivity, and visual stability. These metrics affect both page speed and SEO ranking.

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