A website can have useful content and well-written pages, but technical problems may still prevent visitors and search engines from accessing it properly. Technical SEO makes it easier for search engines to find, crawl, and understand your website’s pages. 

Small businesses do not need to make complicated changes to get started. Understanding a few common technical issues can help you maintain a website that works properly for visitors and is easier for search engines to access.

When Google Cannot Find or Access Your Pages

Search engines must first discover and access your website’s pages. If important pages are blocked or difficult to reach, they may not be included in search results. 

Here are some issues worth checking:

A useful distinction: The robots.txt file controls which parts of your website search engines can crawl, while a noindex directive tells them not to include a page in search results. However, blocking a URL in robots.txt does not guarantee that it will stay out of search results. Choose the appropriate setting based on what you want search engines to do.

You can use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to examine individual URLs and identify possible crawling or indexing problems.

Why Your Website May Have Multiple URL Versions

Your website may be available in different URL formats, such as: 

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

If these versions serve the same or very similar content, search engines may need to determine which URL should represent the main page.

Choose your preferred website version and configure appropriate redirects and canonical URLs. Also, keep internal links and sitemap entries consistent with the preferred version.

Canonical tags help indicate which URL you consider the main version of a page. However, search engines may consider other signals when selecting a canonical URL, so the tag is not an absolute guarantee.

For more details, see Google’s guide to consolidating duplicate URLs.

What Happens When Visitors Find Broken Pages?

Broken links can frustrate visitors and make it harder for them to reach useful information. They may also lead to unnecessary redirects or pages that no longer exist.

Review your website for:

• Internal links pointing to deleted or moved pages.
• Outdated links to external websites.
• Incorrect URLs in navigation menus.
• Pages returning unexpected 404 errors.
• Redirects that lead to irrelevant destinations.

If a page has permanently moved, use a relevant 301 redirect to guide visitors and search engines to its new location. If the content has been permanently removed and there is no suitable replacement, returning a proper 404 or 410 response may be appropriate.

Avoid redirecting every deleted page to your homepage. Redirect visitors to a genuinely relevant replacement when one exists.

Does Your Website Work Well on Mobile Devices? 

Many visitors access business websites through smartphones. If text is difficult to read, buttons are hard to tap, or important content is missing, visitors may struggle to use your website.

Check these areas on a mobile device:

• Text should be readable without unnecessary zooming.
• Menus and buttons should be easy to use.
• Images should fit the screen properly.
• Important content should remain accessible.
• Forms should work without unnecessary difficulty.

Google mainly uses your website’s mobile version when indexing its pages. Make sure your mobile pages provide the important information available on desktop versions.

Slow Pages and Poor Website Performance

A slow website can make it harder for visitors to access information and complete actions. Large images, unnecessary scripts, excessive plugins, and poorly configured hosting can all contribute to performance problems.

Start by testing important pages with Google PageSpeed Insights.

Pay attention to:

• Image file sizes and formats.
• Unnecessary scripts and third-party resources.
• Page loading and layout stability.
• Server response and hosting performance.
• Features that may slow down mobile pages.

Google’s Core Web Vitals measure how quickly a page loads, how responsive it is, and how stable its layout remains. Use these measurements to identify areas that may need improvement rather than treating a perfect score as the only goal.

Technical SEO Checks for a Small Business Website

Not every technical issue requires a developer. Some checks can be handled through your website platform or SEO plugin, while others may need technical support.

For a more detailed review, see our technical SEO checklist for small business websites.

Useful Tools for Technical SEO Reviews

Several tools can help you find website issues and track improvements. 

• Google Search Console: Review indexing, crawling, sitemap status, and search-related reports.
• Google PageSpeed Insights: Check page performance and Core Web Vitals.
• Rich Results Test: Test your website’s structured data using Google’s Rich Results Test. 
• Your website’s SEO plugin: Review settings such as canonical URLs, robots directives, and XML sitemaps.

These tools provide useful information, but their reports may need interpretation. Start by fixing problems that affect key pages or create difficulties for visitors. 

Final Thoughts

Technical SEO helps create a reliable foundation for your website. Start by checking whether important pages are accessible, indexed where appropriate, mobile-friendly, and working correctly.

You do not need to fix every technical recommendation at once. Prioritize problems affecting important pages, address them carefully, and monitor the results through reliable tools. Regular reviews can help keep your website accessible and easier to maintain as your business grows.