With the highly competitive online market in 2025, even minor technical SEO mistakes can keep your website from realizing its potential.
While business owners pay attention to backlinks and content, they might be overlooking the technical base upon which search engines will rank your website.
If your leads are declining or traffic is slowing, you may be experiencing “invisible” SEO issues. Let’s dig up the Top 10 Technical SEO Mistakes that may be quietly dampening your business growth—and how to correct them.
1. Missing or Multiple H1 Tags
Why it’s an issue: Search engines rely on H1 tags to learn a page’s main subject. Missing or multiple H1s mislead crawlers and lower clarity.
Fix it:
- Make sure every page contains one distinct H1 tag
- Proper heading hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)
- Do not utilize headings purely for styling purposes—apply them semantically
2. Slow Page Load Speed
Why it’s bad: Google also treats site speed as a ranking signal. Slow website = high bounce rate + poorer SEO performance.
How to fix it:
- Optimize images using WebP format
- Minify CSS, JS, and HTML
- Utilize a content delivery network (CDN)
- Apply lazy loading for images and videos
Tools: Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix
3. Broken Links (Internal & External)
Why it’s a problem: Broken links damage user experience and indicate poor site maintenance to search engines.
Fix it:
- Audit your site regularly for 404 errors
- Redirect deleted content to appropriate alternatives
- Use tools such as Broken Link Checker or Ahrefs site audit
4.Duplicate Content Issues
Why it’s a problem: Duplicate content confuses search engines and divides ranking signals, diminishing visibility.
Fix it:
- Use canonical tags to indicate preferred versions
- Don’t copy meta titles and descriptions
- Audit thin or templated pages (e.g., product variations)
5. Poor Mobile Usability
Why it’s a problem: Mobile-first indexing is the default—if your mobile version is broken, your rankings are impacted.
Fix it:
- Use responsive design
- Steer clear of fixed-width layouts and huge images
- Make sure all buttons and links are tap-friendly
Tool: Google Mobile-Friendly Test
6. Improper Robots.txt or Noindex Settings
Why it’s a problem: You may be inadvertently preventing Google from crawling or indexing important pages.
Fix it:
- Check your robots.txt and don’t block important URLs
- Ensure noindex tags aren’t appearing on ranking pages
- Test using Google Search Console’s “URL Inspection” tool
7. Missing or Broken Sitemap.xml
Why it’s a problem: A sitemap informs search engines where to look and how to prioritize pages. Missing or broken ones impact crawl efficiency.
Fix it:
- Create an XML sitemap with Yoast, Rank Math, or Screaming Frog
- Publish it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools
- Make sure it’s dynamically updated as new content is published
8. Insecure Website (No HTTPS)
Why it’s a problem: Google prefers secure (HTTPS) sites. HTTP sites can show security notices to visitors.
Fix it:
- Install an SSL certificate (most hosts include free Let’s Encrypt SSL)
- Redirect to HTTPS using force HTTPS redirection
- Replace all internal links to HTTPS
9. Infinite Redirect Loops or Chains
Why it’s a problem: Too many redirects slow down your site and may confuse search engines, damaging crawlability.
Fix it:
- Use a redirect checker to identify chains
- Cut down to a single 301 redirect when URL changing
- Don’t mix 301 and 302s unnecessarily
10. Missing Structured Data (Schema Markup)
Why it’s a problem: Schema makes it easier for search engines to understand your content and can improve CTR with rich snippets.
Fix it:
- Use schema for:
- Products
- Reviews
- FAQs
- Local business info
- Add JSON-LD schema manually or through plugins
Tool: Google Rich Results Test
Final Thoughts: Fix the Foundation to Grow Faster
You can create great content and have a stunning site—but if the technical SEO is not working, your growth will plateau.
Run a complete technical SEO audit at least once every 3–6 months, or hire a consultant to do it for you. These tiny technical problems can quietly murder your traffic, leads, and sales. Solving them isn’t only about SEO—it’s about unleashing wiser digital growth.
Need assistance? Schedule a Free Website Review & Technical SEO Audit today and find out what’s stopping your business in its tracks.