How to Fix Website Errors That Hurt Rankings

In today’s competitive digital landscape, website performance is critical to your online success. If your website is plagued with errors, not only does it hurt the user experience, but it also negatively impacts your search engine rankings. Search engines like Google prioritize fast, error-free websites with a smooth user experience. As a result, knowing how to identify and fix website errors is essential for maintaining or improving your SEO rankings.

This detailed guide will cover common website errors that hurt rankings and provide actionable steps to fix them. Let’s dive into the key issues that could be damaging your SEO efforts and how you can address them effectively.

1. Fixing 404 Errors (Page Not Found)

One of the most common errors that websites face is the 404 error, which occurs when a user tries to access a page that doesn’t exist. While one or two 404 errors won’t significantly hurt your SEO, an excessive number can create a negative user experience and signal to search engines that your site isn’t well-maintained.

How 404 Errors Affect SEO:

User frustration: When users land on a 404 page, they may leave your site entirely, increasing your bounce rate.
Crawl inefficiency: Search engine bots may waste valuable crawl budgets on broken links, preventing other important pages from being indexed.

How to Fix Website Errors Related to 404 Pages:

Regularly check for broken links: Use tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Ahrefs to identify any broken links on your website.
Redirect to relevant pages: If the content has been removed, use a 301 redirect to send users to a similar, relevant page.
Create a custom 404 page: A well-designed 404 page can provide helpful information or links to guide users back to useful content on your site, reducing bounce rates.

2. Fixing Slow Page Load Speed

Website speed is a major factor in both user experience and search engine rankings. A slow-loading website can lead to higher bounce rates, lower engagement, and a poor user experience, which signals to search engines that your site may not be worth ranking highly.

How Page Load Speed Affects SEO:

User engagement: Slow load times frustrate users and cause them to leave your site, which increases your bounce rate and lowers engagement metrics.
Google’s ranking factor: Since 2010, page speed has been a ranking factor for desktop searches, and in 2018, it became a ranking factor for mobile searches as well.

How to Fix Website Errors Related to Slow Page Load Speed:

Optimize images: Compress large image files using tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim without sacrificing quality.
Leverage browser caching: Enable caching so returning visitors don’t have to download the entire page every time they visit.
Minimize HTTP requests: Reduce the number of files that need to be loaded by combining CSS and JavaScript files and using lazy loading for images and videos.
Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): CDNs distribute your website content across various servers, reducing latency for users who are geographically distant from your primary server.

3. Fixing Mobile Usability Issues

With more than half of global web traffic coming from mobile devices, optimizing your website for mobile users is no longer optional. Mobile usability is also a key factor in Google’s ranking algorithm, especially since the shift to mobile-first indexing.

How Mobile Usability Affects SEO:

Mobile-first indexing: Google primarily uses the mobile version of your site to determine rankings, so poor mobile usability can significantly hurt your SEO.
User experience: If your site is difficult to navigate on mobile devices, users will leave, increasing bounce rates and lowering overall engagement.

How to Fix Website Errors Related to Mobile Usability:

Responsive design: Ensure your website automatically adjusts to fit any screen size, whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or desktop.
Simplify navigation: Mobile users need a simple and easy-to-use navigation structure. Avoid complicated menus and ensure buttons and links are large enough to click.
Optimize fonts and images: Make sure fonts are legible on smaller screens and images are appropriately scaled for mobile devices.
Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test: This tool helps identify specific issues related to mobile usability, allowing you to fix them quickly.

4. Fixing Duplicate Content Issues

Duplicate content is a common SEO issue where the same content appears on multiple pages within your website or across different websites. While it doesn’t usually result in a direct penalty, it can confuse search engines about which page to rank, potentially leading to lower rankings for both pages.

How Duplicate Content Affects SEO:

Ranking dilution: Search engines may struggle to determine which page is the original or most relevant, spreading ranking power across multiple pages instead of focusing on one.
Crawling inefficiency: Search engines waste time crawling duplicate pages, which can prevent other, more valuable pages from being indexed.

How to Fix Website Errors Related to Duplicate Content:

Use canonical tags: If you have similar content across different pages, use canonical tags to indicate the preferred version for search engines.
301 redirects: For pages with duplicate content that no longer need to exist, use 301 redirects to guide users and search engines to the most relevant version of the page.
Consolidate content: If multiple pages cover the same topic, consider merging them into one comprehensive page, which is more valuable for users and easier for search engines to index.

5. Fixing Internal Linking Issues

Internal links help users and search engines navigate your site by connecting relevant content. However, broken or poorly executed internal links can create a poor user experience and hurt your SEO.

How Internal Linking Affects SEO:

User experience: Internal links guide users through your site, keeping them engaged and reducing bounce rates.
Crawlability: Search engines use internal links to discover new content, so broken links can prevent important pages from being indexed.

How to Fix Website Errors Related to Internal Links:

Identify broken links: Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to scan your site for broken internal links.
Update outdated links: Ensure all links point to active, relevant pages. If you’ve recently moved or deleted a page, update any internal links accordingly.
Create a logical internal linking structure: Use internal links strategically to connect related content and help both users and search engines understand the structure of your site.

6. Fixing Indexing Issues

If your site’s pages aren’t being indexed by search engines, they won’t appear in search results, no matter how well-optimized they are. Indexing issues can stem from technical problems, such as a robots.txt file that blocks crawling or missing sitemap information.

How Indexing Affects SEO:

Visibility: Pages that aren’t indexed can’t appear in search results, limiting your site’s ability to attract organic traffic.
Crawl budget: Search engines allocate a specific crawl budget to each site. If your crawl budget is used inefficiently due to errors, important pages may not be indexed.

How to Fix Website Errors Related to Indexing:

Check your robots.txt file: Ensure your robots.txt file isn’t blocking search engines from crawling important pages. Make sure to only disallow pages that you genuinely don’t want indexed.
Submit an XML sitemap: An up-to-date XML sitemap helps search engines discover and index all the important pages on your site.
Use Google Search Console: Regularly check for indexing errors in Google Search Console and request reindexing for any pages that are missing from search results.

7. Fixing HTTPS/SSL Issues

Having a secure website (HTTPS) is not only crucial for user trust but also a ranking factor for Google. SSL certificates encrypt data between your website and its visitors, protecting sensitive information.

How HTTPS/SSL Issues Affect SEO:

User trust: Websites without HTTPS are labeled as “Not Secure” in browsers, which can scare away users and harm engagement metrics.
Rankings: Google considers HTTPS a ranking signal, so failing to secure your website can hurt your SEO.

How to Fix Website Errors Related to HTTPS:

Install an SSL certificate: Ensure your website is secured with a valid SSL certificate. Most web hosting providers offer SSL certificates or you can get one from services like Let’s Encrypt.
Fix mixed content issues: After switching to HTTPS, make sure all elements on your website (like images, scripts, and stylesheets) are also served over HTTPS. Mixed content errors can weaken security and user trust.
Update internal links: Ensure all internal links, images, and files use HTTPS URLs to avoid warnings and errors.

8. Fixing Broken External Links

External links help provide additional value to users by linking to relevant, authoritative sources. However, broken external links (links that lead to non-existent or outdated pages) can frustrate users and signal that your content is outdated.

How Broken External Links Affect SEO:

User experience: Broken external links create a poor experience for users, leading to increased bounce rates.
Authority: External links to high-quality sources improve your content’s credibility. If those links are broken, it can reduce the perceived value of your content.

How to Fix Website Errors Related to External Links:

Regularly check for broken links: Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to periodically audit your site for broken external links.
Replace or remove broken links: Either update the broken link with a new, relevant source or remove it altogether if no suitable replacement exists.
Use tools like “Check My Links”: This browser extension can quickly scan your website and highlight broken external links, helping you identify and fix them in real time.

9. Fixing Structured Data Markup Errors

Structured data markup (or schema markup) helps search engines better understand your content and present rich snippets in search results. If your structured data contains errors, it can result in missed opportunities for rich snippets or even cause search engines to disregard your markup altogether.

How Structured Data Markup Errors Affect SEO:

Missed rich snippets: Rich snippets, like review stars or recipe information, can increase your click-through rates. Errors in your structured data prevent search engines from displaying these enhanced results.
Crawl inefficiency: Invalid markup can confuse search engines, preventing them from correctly understanding your content and hurting your rankings.

How to Fix Website Errors Related to Structured Data Markup:

Use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool: This tool helps you validate your structured data markup and identify errors that need fixing.
Follow schema.org guidelines: Ensure your structured data follows the guidelines provided by schema.org, which is supported by all major search engines.
Fix syntax errors: Common errors include misplaced brackets, incorrect field types, or missing properties. Correct these to ensure your structured data is properly interpreted.

10. Fixing Server Errors (5xx Errors)

Server errors (also known as 5xx errors) occur when a server fails to respond properly to a request. These errors can stem from temporary server downtime, overload, or misconfiguration, and they can have a significant impact on your site’s SEO if not addressed quickly.

How Server Errors Affect SEO:

Downtime impact: If your site experiences frequent server errors, search engines may struggle to crawl your site, which can result in lower rankings.
User frustration: Users encountering server errors will likely leave your site, leading to higher bounce rates and lower engagement metrics.

How to Fix Website Errors Related to Server Errors:

Monitor server performance: Use monitoring tools like UptimeRobot or Pingdom to track your server’s uptime and receive alerts when downtime occurs.
Check server logs: Analyze your server logs to identify the root cause of the error. This could be due to high traffic, server overload, or configuration issues.
Upgrade hosting: If your server can’t handle the traffic your site receives, consider upgrading to a more robust hosting plan or switching to a dedicated server or VPS (Virtual Private Server).
Work with your hosting provider: If server errors persist, contact your hosting provider to investigate the cause and implement fixes, such as improving server configurations or increasing server capacity.

11. Fixing Security Issues and Malware

A website that’s vulnerable to security issues or infected with malware can be blacklisted by search engines, which will prevent it from appearing in search results. Even if your site isn’t blacklisted, security warnings from browsers will scare users away and destroy your reputation.

How Security Issues and Malware Affect SEO:

Blacklisting: Search engines like Google can blacklist websites that are infected with malware, effectively removing them from search results.
User trust: Security warnings, such as the “This site may harm your computer” alert, will prevent users from visiting your site, leading to lost traffic and conversions.

How to Fix Website Errors Related to Security Issues:

Regular security scans: Use tools like Sucuri, Wordfence, or Google Safe Browsing to scan your site regularly for malware or vulnerabilities.
Update software: Keep your website’s CMS, plugins, and themes updated to prevent hackers from exploiting known vulnerabilities.
Install security plugins: If you’re using WordPress, consider installing security plugins like Wordfence or Sucuri to monitor your site for suspicious activity.
Backup your website: Regular backups ensure you can quickly restore your site to a clean version if it’s compromised.

12. Fixing Issues with Incorrect Redirects

Redirects are an essential tool in SEO, especially when pages are moved or deleted. However, incorrect redirects—such as redirect chains or loops—can confuse both users and search engines, leading to indexing problems and poor user experience.

How Incorrect Redirects Affect SEO:

Crawl inefficiency: Redirect chains (where one redirect points to another redirect) waste the crawl budget and slow down the process of indexing your site.
User experience: Redirect loops (where a redirect points back to the original URL) can cause users to be stuck in an endless loop, resulting in frustration and high bounce rates.

How to Fix Website Errors Related to Incorrect Redirects:

Audit redirects: Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to identify redirect chains and loops.
Implement direct 301 redirects: Ensure that redirects point directly to the final destination, avoiding any unnecessary steps.
Use 302 redirects sparingly: Temporary 302 redirects should only be used for short-term changes. If the change is permanent, use a 301 redirect to pass on the SEO value to the new page.

Conclusion: Keep Your Website Error-Free for Better Rankings

In the world of SEO, fixing website errors is a continuous process that can significantly impact your search engine rankings and user experience. Common errors such as 404 pages, slow loading speeds, duplicate content, and security vulnerabilities not only harm your SEO but also frustrate users, driving them away from your site.

By regularly auditing your website for these common issues and fixing them promptly, you can improve your site’s overall performance, boost your rankings, and ensure a better experience for both users and search engine crawlers.

Here’s a quick recap of the most critical website errors to fix:

404 errors: Redirect broken links and create custom 404 pages to retain visitors.
Page speed: Optimize images, reduce HTTP requests, and use CDNs to improve load times.
Mobile usability: Ensure your site is mobile-friendly with responsive design and easy navigation.
Duplicate content: Use canonical tags and 301 redirects to consolidate content.
Internal linking: Maintain a strong internal linking structure and fix broken links.
Indexing issues: Check your robots.txt file and submit an XML sitemap to help search engines index your site.
HTTPS/SSL issues: Secure your website with SSL certificates to build trust and improve rankings.
Broken external links: Regularly check and update external links to maintain authority and user experience.
Structured data markup: Ensure your schema markup is error-free for enhanced search results.
Server errors: Monitor server performance and work with your host to prevent downtime.
Security issues: Protect your site from malware and security vulnerabilities with regular scans and updates.
Incorrect redirects: Implement proper 301 redirects to avoid redirect chains and loops.

Staying on top of these fixes ensures your website remains competitive in search rankings while offering a seamless experience for visitors.