Common Website Errors That Hurt Search Rankings

Search engines don’t care how beautiful your website looks. They care how well it works.

A fast, clear, crawlable website helps Google understand what you offer—and whether you’re the best answer for a searcher’s question. But when basic mistakes are hiding under the hood, even a professionally designed site can silently lose rankings, traffic, and leads.

The good news? You don’t need to be an SEO pro to spot the issues.
You just need to know what to look for—and how to fix it.

Let’s break down the most common website errors that hurt search rankings—and how a free SEO score checker can help you find and fix them fast.

1. Slow Page Speed
Why it’s a problem:
Google now ranks websites partly based on Core Web Vitals—a set of metrics that measure loading speed and responsiveness. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, expect higher bounce rates and lower rankings.

How to check it:
Use a SEO score checker for free and look at your Page Speed score.

Fix it:

Compress images without losing quality

Use caching and content delivery networks (CDNs)

Remove heavy scripts or unnecessary plugins

Even a 1-second improvement in load time can boost conversions by up to 20%.

2. Broken Internal or External Links
Why it’s a problem:
Broken links hurt both user experience and crawlability. Google sees them as a signal of a neglected or low-quality site.

How to check it:
Most free SEO score checker tools flag broken links in your report.

Fix it:

Update the broken links with the correct URLs

If the page no longer exists, either remove the link or redirect it

This is one of the easiest wins in SEO. No tech skills needed.

3. Missing or Duplicate Meta Tags
Why it’s a problem:
Title tags and meta descriptions help Google understand each page. Missing, duplicate, or vague tags confuse search engines—and cause cannibalization (multiple pages fighting for the same keyword).

How to check it:
Your SEO audit tool will list all pages with duplicate or missing tags.

Fix it:

Make sure every page has a unique, keyword-relevant title tag

Write meta descriptions that reflect the page content and include a clear CTA

A simple tweak here can often move you up a few spots in the rankings.

4. No HTTPS (Secure Connection)
Why it’s a problem:
Google gives ranking preference to HTTPS-secured websites. If your site is still on HTTP, it’s seen as insecure, and users may get a “Not Secure” warning in the browser.

How to check it:
If your URL doesn’t start with https://, or if your free SEO score checker flags it, it’s time to act.

Fix it:

Install an SSL certificate from your hosting provider (many offer it free)

Redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS

Secure sites not only rank better—they convert better too.

5. Mobile Usability Issues
Why it’s a problem:
Over 60% of traffic now comes from mobile. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, Google may demote you in rankings.

How to check it:
Most SEO tools will evaluate your mobile layout, load speed, and touch elements.

Fix it:

Use a responsive design

Avoid small fonts or buttons that are hard to tap

Test your site on multiple devices regularly

This is especially important for local service businesses, where most searches happen on mobile.

6. Unoptimized Images
Why it’s a problem:
Large, uncompressed images slow down load times. Missing alt tags hurt accessibility and image SEO.

How to check it:
A good SEO score checker for free will flag large files and missing alt text.

Fix it:

Compress all images using tools like TinyPNG

Add descriptive alt text with relevant keywords

Use modern formats like WebP for faster loading

7. Poor URL Structure
Why it’s a problem:
Messy URLs make it harder for search engines to understand your content hierarchy.

Bad example:
www.example.com/page?id=238947
Good example:
www.example.com/services/duct-cleaning

Fix it:

Use clean, readable URLs with keywords

Avoid underscores, random numbers, or long query strings

Keep URLs short and descriptive

Google loves clarity—and so do your visitors.

8. No Sitemap or Robots.txt File
Why it’s a problem:
Without a sitemap, Google may miss important pages. Without robots.txt, it may waste time crawling irrelevant ones.

How to check it:
Your SEO audit tool will tell you if these files are missing or broken.

Fix it:

Create an XML sitemap and submit it in Google Search Console

Use robots.txt to block pages like login portals or thank-you pages

Even small changes to crawl control can help your site get indexed faster and more accurately.

9. Crawl Errors and Redirect Loops
Why it’s a problem:
Crawl errors prevent Google from accessing your pages. Redirect loops confuse bots and visitors alike.

How to check it:
Your free SEO score checker will flag crawl errors, redirect chains, or loops.

Fix it:

Check your site’s crawl status in Google Search Console

Fix or remove unnecessary redirects

Avoid redirecting a page to itself or creating chains (A→B→C→D)

10. Outdated or Low-Value Content
Why it’s a problem:
Old, irrelevant, or thin content signals low authority. If your content doesn’t help users, Google moves on.

How to check it:
Audit pages with high bounce rates or low dwell time. Your SEO tool may also show content with poor keyword targeting.

Fix it:

Refresh outdated information

Add depth and structure (headers, FAQs, visuals)

Target the right search intent

SEO isn’t just about having content—it’s about having content that works.

Use a Free SEO Score Checker to Catch It All
If this feels like a long list—don’t worry. You don’t have to find every issue manually.

Start with a free SEO score checker, and you’ll get a complete snapshot of:

What’s broken

What’s outdated

What’s hurting your rankings right now

At Infiniti Digital Marketing Agency, we’ve helped dozens of service businesses across the U.S. turn around their rankings just by fixing technical issues and structure.

You don’t need a huge budget. You just need the clarity to start.

Final Thoughts

Great SEO starts with a strong foundation—and that means catching and fixing the silent website errors that drag you down.

Before you spend another dollar on ads or blogs, ask yourself:
Is my site healthy enough to rank?

A quick audit using a SEO score checker for free might reveal issues costing you thousands in lost traffic.

Don’t wait until your rankings drop to find out.
Run your free SEO audit today—and start moving back to the top where your business belongs.