Tag Archive for: Semrush site audit tips

How to fix: Format errors in Robots.txt file

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Issue: Errors in your robots.txt file can block search engines from important pages or expose private content. Misconfigurations here can harm your search rankings and SEO efforts.

Fix: Use Google’s robots.txt Tester to find and fix errors in your robots.txt file, ensuring it’s properly configured.

Tip: A correctly set up robots.txt file helps search engines access only the pages you want them to index.

 

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How to fix: Pages returning 5XX status code

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Issue: Pages with 5xx status codes (server errors) can’t be accessed by users or search engines, hurting user experience and SEO. Prolonged issues can lead to a drop in traffic.

Fix: Identify and resolve the root causes of the server errors to restore access to the affected pages.

Recommendations

  • Check Server Logs: Review server logs to identify specific causes (e.g., high traffic, server misconfiguration, or software issues).
  • Monitor Hosting Resources: Ensure your server has enough resources (CPU, RAM) to handle traffic without crashing.
  • Fix Application Errors: If the errors are caused by website code (e.g., PHP or database issues), debug and fix the underlying problem.
  • Implement Monitoring: Use uptime monitoring tools to detect 5xx errors quickly and respond promptly.
  • Contact Hosting Support: If server issues persist, reach out to your hosting provider for assistance or consider upgrading to a more robust hosting plan.

Tip: Quick resolution of 5xx errors prevents traffic loss and ensures search engines can crawl your site effectively.

How to fix: Pages with duplicate meta descriptions

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Issue: Duplicate meta descriptions make it harder for search engines and users to distinguish your pages, wasting opportunities for relevant keywords.

Fix: Write a unique and relevant meta description for each page.

Tip: Unique meta descriptions improve SEO and help users find the right content.

How to fix: Broken internal images

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Issue: Broken internal images don’t display properly, creating a poor user experience and signaling low quality to search engines, which can hurt your rankings.

Fix: Check for any broken images and either update the URL, replace missing or damaged images, or remove unneeded ones from your code.

Recommendations:

  1. Check URLs: Ensure each image URL is correctly spelled and points to the right location.
  2. Replace or Restore Missing Images: For any missing or damaged images, upload a replacement or remove the image reference if it’s no longer needed.
  3. Use Alt Text: Add descriptive alt text to each image; it provides context to search engines and helps with accessibility.
  4. Run Image Checks Regularly: Periodically audit your site to catch any new broken images as you update or reorganize your content.

Tip: Fixing broken images improves user experience and maintains your page quality in the eyes of search engines.

 

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How to fix: Pages couldn’t be crawled (incorrect URL formats)

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Issue: Some pages couldn’t be crawled due to incorrect URL formats. This can happen if:

  • URLs are malformed (extra characters or typos)
  • The server takes too long to respond (over 5 seconds)
  • The server is blocking access

Fix: Ensure all URLs are correctly formatted, without extra characters or errors. Double-check that the server response time is optimized and access is not restricted.

Recommendations:

  1. Check URL Syntax: Make sure each URL follows a proper format (e.g., https://example.com/page) and doesn’t contain spaces, special characters, or backslashes.
  2. Test URL Accessibility: Use a browser to manually test each problematic URL to confirm it loads correctly.
  3. Optimize Server Response: If the server is slow, consider upgrading hosting or optimizing server settings to improve response time.
  4. Allow Crawler Access: Ensure that your server configuration and security settings aren’t blocking search engines or SEO tools.

Tip: Well-formatted, accessible URLs ensure better crawlability and improve site visibility in search results.

How to fix: Pages couldn’t be crawled (DNS resolution issues)

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Issue: DNS resolution errors happen when the crawler can’t find your website’s hostname, making your pages inaccessible to search engines.

Fix: Contact your web hosting provider and ask them to check and fix the DNS settings for your site.

How to Fix for Beginners

  1. Verify Your Domain: Make sure your domain name is active and correctly pointed to your hosting server.
    • Example: If your domain is “example.com,” check that it’s connected to the right IP address.
  2. Test Your Site: Use tools like “DNS Checker” to see if your website resolves correctly around the world.
    • Example: Enter your domain to confirm it shows the correct IP address everywhere.
  3. Contact Support: If issues persist, contact your hosting provider and explain the problem. Mention that search engines can’t crawl your site due to DNS resolution issues.
    • Example: “Search engines report DNS resolution errors for my site. Can you check my DNS settings?”
  4. Monitor After Fixing: Once the hosting provider resolves the issue, test your site again to confirm it’s accessible.

Tip: A properly set up DNS ensures your site is always reachable by users and search engines.

How to fix: Pages couldn’t be crawled

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Issue: Some of your pages couldn’t be accessed by the crawler. This usually happens if:

  • The server takes too long to respond (over 5 seconds)
  • The server is blocking access

Fix: Reach out to your web hosting support team to resolve the slow response or access issue.

Tip: Ensuring all pages are accessible helps search engines crawl and index your site properly.

How to fix: Broken internal links

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Issue: Broken internal images can’t display properly, making your site look unprofessional and signaling to search engines that your page might be low quality.

Fix: Locate and fix any broken images by correcting their URL, replacing them, or removing them if they’re no longer needed.

How to Fix for Beginners

  1. Check the Image URL: Verify that the image URL is correct and points to the right location.
    • Example: Instead of /images/pic.jpg, the correct path might be /assets/images/pic.jpg.
  2. Replace Missing Images: If the image file was deleted or corrupted, upload a replacement.
    • Example: If a product image is missing, re-upload it and update the link.
  3. Remove Unused Images: If an image isn’t essential, delete the <img> tag from the page’s code.
    • Example: <img src="broken-image.jpg" alt="Missing"> → Remove this line if it’s not needed.
  4. Use Alt Text: Always include a descriptive alt attribute for images to improve SEO and accessibility.
    • Example: <img src="pic.jpg" alt="A sunny beach at sunset">
  5. Test Your Fixes: Use a browser or a site audit tool to confirm all images are now displaying correctly.

Tip: Fixed and well-described images improve both user experience and your SEO rankings.

 

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How to fix: Pages with duplicate content issues

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Issue: Pages with very similar content (85% or more) are seen as duplicates, which can hurt your SEO. Google will typically only index one version, which may not be the page you want, and may penalize sites with duplicate content by lowering rankings or even banning them. Duplicate pages can also weaken your link authority.

Fix: Address duplicate content with one of these methods:

  • Add a rel="canonical"tag to one version to show Google which page to prioritize.
  • Use a 301 redirect from duplicates to the main page.
  • For paginated content, add rel="next" and rel="prev" tags.
  • In Google Search Console, set URL parameters to guide Google on how to treat similar pages.
  • Add some unique content to each page to make them distinct.

Tip: Reducing duplicate content improves SEO by helping search engines focus on your preferred pages.

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How to fix: Issues with duplicate title tags

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Issue: Duplicate <title> tags make it hard for search engines to identify which page is the most relevant for a search, lowering the chances of ranking well. They also confuse users, who may not know which page to click.

Fix: Write a unique, descriptive title for each page, including important keywords to clarify the page’s content.

Recommendations:

  1. Make Titles Unique: Avoid reusing the same title across multiple pages; each should be specific to its content.
  2. Use Key Keywords Early: Place the main keywords at the beginning of each title to maximize relevance for search engines.
  3. Keep It Concise and Informative: Aim for 50-60 characters to ensure the full title displays in search results, providing clear context to users.
  4. Monitor for Duplicates: Use SEO tools or Google Search Console to identify and resolve any new duplicate titles as your site grows.

Tip: Unique title tags boost SEO by helping search engines and users understand each page’s purpose.