Top 10 Common Technical SEO Issues & How to Fix Them

You want your website to rank. You want more leads from Google. Hidden problems under the hood can stop that. You should know the technical SEO issues that cause ranking drops. You should be able to fix many of them. You should also be able to ask professionals like Digital Oasis for help via a free quote if needed.

Here are the 10 most common Technical SEO Issues local business owners face. You will see what they are. You will learn why they matter. You will get clear steps to fix them.

Why Do Technical SEO Issues Matter for Local Businesses?

You build good content. You write great product or service pages. You share on social media. Yet traffic stays low. You lose leads. Often, the cause lies in unseen technical problems.

Search engines must crawl. Search engines must index. Speed, mobile usability, and security all affect visibility. Research shows that over 70% of websites have page speed or mobile usability problems. (Based on multiple audits.)

You invest time & money in content & ads. Technical SEO Issues undermine those efforts. You lose out when Google can’t access or trust your content.

You can fix many issues fast. You can check for broken links, sitemap errors, and missing SSL. You can optimize with tools. Or you can call on Digital Oasis’s SEO services. You can ask for a free quote and let experts handle the detailed work.

Which Technical SEO Issues Hurt Your Site & How to Fix Them

Below are the top 10 Technical SEO Issues common among local business websites. Each section shows the issue, why it matters, and what you should do.

1. Slow Website Speed

You lose hires, calls, and sales when pages load slowly. Users expect fast loading. Google uses Core Web Vitals as a ranking signal. Over half of the websites tested have slow pages.

How to Fix

• Use Google PageSpeed Insights. See what slows you down.
• Compress images. Use proper formats like WebP.
• Enable caching on the browser and server side.
• Minify CSS, JS, HTML. Remove unused code.
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN).

Do you use Digital Oasis’s web design and development service? Then you get help with these steps built in. Ask in your free quote about speed optimization.

2. Mobile-Friendliness Problems

You lose mobile users when the layout breaks. The fonts are too small. The buttons are too close. Navigation is hard. Google uses mobile-first indexing. Ranking suffers.

How to Fix

• Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
• Apply responsive design. Ensure content fits small screens.
• Increase touch target size. Use legible fonts.
• Avoid intrusive popups on mobile.

You can include mobile usability work in Digital Oasis’s web design service. Free quote includes mobile audit.

3. Broken Links & 404 Errors

You frustrate users with broken pages. You waste the crawl budget. Search engines see dead links as a sign of neglect. Ranking drops.

How to Fix

• Audit internal and external links using tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs.
• Fix or remove broken links.
• Use 301 redirects when you remove or rename pages.
• Create custom 404 pages with helpful navigation.

Digital Oasis SEO services can include regular broken link audits. Ask for that in your free quote.

4. Duplicate Content & Canonicalization

You confuse search engines when content appears in more than one URL. You dilute ranking signals. Duplicate content issues show up in product sites, multi-version pages, and category pages.

How to Fix

• Use canonical tags properly.
• Ensure canonical URLs are correct.
• Merge similar pages or remove duplicates.
• Redirect duplicate URLs to the preferred version.

Digital Oasis’s local business SEO service covers canonical fixes. A free quote can include a canonical audit.

5. Missing or Incorrect XML Sitemap

You need a sitemap for search engines to know your pages. You confuse crawlers with broken or old URLs in the sitemap. You waste the crawl budget.

How to Fix

• Generate an XML sitemap using SEO plugins (if WordPress) or other tools.
• Include only indexable, canonical URLs.
• Remove noindex, 404, or redirected pages from the sitemap.
• Submit sitemap via Google Search Console.

Digital Oasis SEO services help ensure your sitemap stays updated correctly. Free quote includes sitemap review.

6. Crawl Errors & Robots.txt Mistakes

You sometimes block CSS, JS, and images incorrectly. You might disable important pages from indexing via robots.txt or meta tags. Crawlers fail. Content disappears from search. 

How to Fix

• Check robots.txt for “Disallow” rules. Remove overly broad blocks.
• Use Google Search Console to test robots.txt and crawl errors.
• Remove “noindex” from pages you want indexed.

Digital Oasis SEO service includes robots.txt audits. Ask for one in a free quote.

7. Improper Use of Redirects

You use temporary (302) redirects where you need permanent (301). You create long redirect chains. You degrade link equity. Crawlers get slowed. Users see a delay. Ranking suffers. 

How to Fix

• Use 301 redirects for permanent moves.
• Audit for redirect chains. Simplify them.
• Avoid loops or too many hops.

Digital Oasis’s web design and development service can fix redirect rules. A free quote will identify these issues.

8. Missing HTTPS / Security Issues

You risk trust loss when the site is not secure. Google gives preference to HTTPS. Mixed content (secure page loading insecure elements) causes warnings. Users exit. Ranking drops. 

How to Fix

• Get an SSL certificate. Use a HTTPS site-wide.
• Redirect HTTP to HTTPS using 301 redirects.
• Fix mixed content issues (update all internal links, images, scripts).

Digital Oasis SEO service includes SSL setup and mixed content fixes. A free quote makes sure your site is secure.

9. Poor URL Structure & Site Architecture

You use messy URLs. You don’t use keywords in URLs. You have deep navigation that buries pages. Crawlers struggle. Users get lost. Value is lost.

How to Fix

• Use short, descriptive URLs. Use hyphens. Avoid unnecessary parameters.
• Maintain consistent URL version (www vs non-www, http vs https).
• Use clear navigation. Make each page reachable in 2-3 clicks.

Digital Oasis’s web design service can help you build a clean site architecture. A free quote will outline improvements.

10. Missing Structured Data (Schema Markup)

You lose rich snippets in search results. You produce plain listings. You miss chances for FAQ, local business, and review stars. Schema helps search engines understand content better. 

How to Fix

• Determine which schema fits your content (LocalBusiness, FAQ, Product, Review, Article).
• Use JSON-LD schema markup in the page head or appropriate tags.
• Test with Google’s Rich Results Test.

Digital Oasis SEO service includes schema implementation. Free quotes can audit and add structured data.

How Should You Audit Your Own Website for These Technical SEO Issues?

You can use simple tools. You can check many issues yourself before hiring help.

• Use Google Search Console. Check crawl errors, indexing, and mobile usability.
• Use Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix for speed.
• Use Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or SEMrush for broken links, duplicates, and redirect chains.
• Test mobile layout across devices.

You can do a checklist monthly. You can also request Digital Oasis SEO services to do a full audit. A free quote helps you see what needs fixing first.

When Should You Hire an Expert?

You should hire when problems seem overwhelming. You see big traffic drops. You handle many pages. You need Pro Tools and experience.

You should also hire when you want long-term improvement. When you want to focus on content and leads. You can let Digital Oasis handle technical fixes while you focus on running your business. Free quote kicks off expert work.

What Benefits Do You Get After Fixing Technical SEO Issues?

You get faster page speed. You get a better mobile experience. You get higher search visibility. You get more user trust. You get more leads.

You get improved positioning in search results. You save on ad spend when organic traffic rises. You build a foundation that supports content, ads, and local SEO.

Final Thoughts

You now know the top 10 Technical SEO Issues. You know how they harm your site. You know how to fix them. You know when to do it yourself or call professionals.

You should not let hidden errors block your growth. You should act now. Request your Free Quote from Digital Oasis. Let our SEO services audit your site. Let us fix those issues. Let your site rise in search results, bring more customers, and make more calls.