The most common technical SEO mistakes in online stores and how to avoid them

Technical SEO plays a significant role in online store promotion on search engines. Incorrect site setup can lead to a serious decline in its position, which will affect the number of visitors and, consequently, sales. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically conduct a technical SEO audit of the online store to identify errors on the site and eliminate them promptly. 

What errors can show technical SEO audit 

1. Incorrect configuration of robots.txt. The robots.txt file is used to control the access of search engines to the pages of the site. Incorrect configuration of this file can lead to blocking many pages, among which may be product catalog pages or sections with information about shipping and payment. In this case, search engines will not be able to index these pages, which will negatively affect the SEO of the online store.
   Customize the robots.txt file to allow indexing of all key pages of the site, denying access to technical pages that should not be displayed in search results (for example, pages with sorting parameters or shopping carts).
2. Duplicate content. Duplicate content occurs when several pages of a site contain the same or very similar texts, for example, when the same product is presented in different categories and under several different URLs. Search engines may consider such pages as duplicates, which reduces their value in the eyes of ranking algorithms.
   Use canonical tags that point to the main version of the page to avoid duplicate content issues.
3. Slow loading of pages. Most users simply leave slow-loading sites, which leads to a higher bounce rate, and search engines take loading speed into account when ranking sites. Therefore, it is necessary to perform an SEO analysis of the site and work on loading speed.
   Optimizing images (reducing their size and choosing appropriate formats), using browser caching, and minimizing and combining JavaScript and CSS files will help speed up page loading.
4. Incorrect use of hreflang. The hreflang tag is used to specify the language and regionalization of a page on multilingual sites. If these tags are not configured correctly, pages will be displayed in the wrong regions, resulting in a drop in traffic.
   Correctly configure hreflang tags for each version of the page, taking into account both language and region. It will help search engines correctly determine which version of the page to show to users from different countries.
5. Lack of mobile adaptation. With the growing number of mobile users, the site must be adapted for viewing on mobile devices; otherwise, it will not display well on smartphones and tablets, which will degrade the user experience and lead to a drop in rankings.
   Implement responsive design so that the site automatically adjusts to screen sizes. Test the site for compatibility with mobile devices, and make sure navigation and functionality work correctly.

   

6. Problems with internal linking. Internal linking is important for SEO because it allows you to evenly distribute link weight across pages, helps search engines better understand the structure, and improves site navigation. The lack of linking can leave important pages unindexed and make it harder for users to find products.Create an internal linking strategy that includes linking to key pages, breadcrumbs, and a logical site structure. It will help improve indexing and ranking.
7. Incorrect redirects. Redirects are used to redirect users and search engines from one page to another. Using them incorrectly, such as using temporary 302 redirects instead of permanent 301 redirects, can cause pages to lose weight and confuse search engines.
   Set up redirects correctly by using 301 redirects for permanent redirects and avoiding creating cyclic redirects that redirect to the same page.

SEO in Lanet CLICK 

Technical SEO is the basis for the successful promotion of an online store in search engines. Is there no time for painstaking work on the site? Contact our digital agency, Lanet CLICK, and we will conduct a comprehensive SEO audit of the site, help correct technical errors, improve positions in the search engine, and increase organic traffic.