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Fixing Common Issues

Fixing Common WordPress
SEO Issues
Issues
Even if you’ve installed the best SEO plugin and written great content, WordPress websites can still suffer from a range of technical issues that hurt visibility. Luckily, most problems have quick fixes—once you know where to look.

This page will help you identify and fix the most common WordPress SEO problems, even if you’re not a tech expert.

Fixing Common WordPress SEO Issues

🚫 Problem 1: Google Isn’t Indexing My Site

Symptoms: Your site or pages aren’t showing up in search results.

Fix:

  • Go to Settings > Reading and make sure “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” is unticked.
  • Check your SEO plugin’s settings (like Yoast or Rank Math) to ensure you haven’t set key pages to noindex.
  • Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console.

🐢 Problem 2: My Website Loads Too Slowly

Symptoms: Poor scores in PageSpeed Insights, high bounce rates.

Fix:

  • Compress images before uploading (use TinyPNG).
  • Install a caching plugin like WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, or WP Super Cache.
  • Switch to a faster, SEO-friendly theme like Astra or GeneratePress.

🔗 Problem 3: Broken Links or 404 Errors

Symptoms: Users or Google find pages that no longer exist.

Fix:

  • Use a plugin like Broken Link Checker.
  • Redirect broken URLs using your SEO plugin or a redirect manager.
  • Keep your internal links updated as you revise content.

🔁 Problem 4: Duplicate Content

Symptoms: Google can’t decide which version of a page to index.

Fix:

  • Set canonical URLs in your SEO plugin.
  • Avoid publishing the same content under multiple tags or categories.
  • Use the “noindex” setting for archive/tag pages if needed.

📉 Problem 5: No Traffic Despite Good Rankings

Symptoms: You appear on page 1, but no one’s clicking.

Fix:

  • Improve your meta titles and descriptions—make them more compelling.
  • Add schema markup for reviews, FAQs, or products to enhance your appearance in search results.
  • Ensure your content matches the intent behind the keywords.

✅ Quick Recap

  • 🕵️ Always double-check index settings in both WordPress and your SEO plugin
  • ⚡ Speed and mobile-friendliness impact rankings more than ever
  • 🔁 Broken links, duplicate content, and weak metadata can all hurt SEO

🔧 Final Thoughts

SEO issues are inevitable—but manageable when you know how to diagnose and prioritise. Start by linking your site to Google Search Console and running a crawl with a tool like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to uncover broken links, 404 errors, redirect loops and duplicate content. Audit meta tags for missing or duplicate titles and descriptions, and check HTTP status codes to resolve chains and loops.

WordPress SEO issue

Fix these high-impact problems first to free up crawl budget and ensure both users and bots have a seamless experience. Also address technical warnings like mixed-content issues, insecure HTTP pages or blocked resources in robots.txt—each one chips away at your site’s authority and visibility.

Once the major blockers are cleared, pivot to user-focused fixes: resolve mobile-usability errors, optimise Core Web Vitals, and improve any thin or low-value pages by consolidating or expanding content. Use canonical tags to manage duplicate URLs, implement hreflang for international audiences and refine your XML sitemap so it lists only indexable, high-quality pages.

Validate structured data to prevent rich-snippet errors and monitor Search Console’s Enhancement reports. Make auditing a regular habit—schedule monthly reviews of crawl reports, performance metrics and analytics to track the impact of each fix. Consistent maintenance keeps your site healthy, search-friendly and primed for lasting growth alongside your on-page and off-page strategies.

📝 Recap and Clarify: Page-Specific FAQs

What are the most common SEO issues on websites?

Common SEO issues include slow loading speeds, missing meta tags, poor mobile usability, broken links, duplicate content, noindex tags on key pages, and poor internal linking.

How do I check if my site has technical SEO issues?

Use tools like Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, or Sitebulb to identify crawling errors, noindex tags, missing metadata, slow pages, and other SEO problems.

Why aren’t my pages being indexed by Google?

This could be due to noindex tags, blocked robots.txt rules, poor internal linking, or thin content. Use the URL Inspection Tool in Search Console to diagnose the problem.

What should I do if my site loads slowly?

Optimise images, enable caching, reduce server response time, remove bloated plugins, and use a fast, lightweight theme or CDN to improve performance.

How can I fix duplicate content issues?

Use canonical tags, consolidate similar pages, rewrite or remove redundant content, and avoid indexing paginated or tag pages unless necessary.

What’s the best way to improve internal linking?

Link related pages naturally using descriptive anchor text, add links from high-authority pages to underperforming ones, and avoid orphan pages entirely.

Can bad plugins harm my SEO?

Yes. Outdated or poorly coded plugins can slow down your site, cause crawl errors, or accidentally add noindex tags. Always audit and update plugins regularly.

What’s the impact of broken links on SEO?

Broken links hurt user experience and can lead to crawl errors. Regularly audit your site to identify and fix 404s or outdated URLs using tools like Ahrefs or Screaming Frog.

How do I fix poor mobile usability?

Ensure your site uses a responsive design, avoids tiny fonts or tap targets, and loads quickly on mobile. Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can help you identify issues.

What’s the easiest fix that improves SEO fast?

Removing accidental noindex tags or disallow rules in robots.txt often leads to quick SEO gains. These settings can block key pages from appearing in search results entirely.

🔁 Up Next!

Content & Keywords – If you want to rank in Google, content and keywords are where it all begins. They’re the backbone of any SEO strategy—and getting them right means attracting the right visitors, answering their questions, and giving search engines exactly what they’re looking for.