WordPress is one of the most widely used Content Management Systems (CMS) worldwide and powering millions of websites.
And that’s why bloggers, businesses and developers make it their favorite because of its flexibility and user-friendly interface.
WordPress websites may however experience technical SEO problems that affect search engine rankings, just like the other platforms.
To keep the website healthy and search engine friendly, the common technical SEO issues with the WordPress websites must be identified and resolved.
This article reveals the answer for “What are some common Technical SEO issues with WordPress websites?” and its Causes in detail.
1.Slow Loading Speed
Slow loading speed is a common problem for the WordPress website impacting the user experience, SEO rankings and overall Performance.
The Slow Loading Speed is due to,
Large Image Files – Uploading high-quality images to the website without optimizing them can severely slow down the website.
Images can be compressed with tools like Smush and Short Pixel without sacrificing quality.
Overuse of Plugins – Installing too many plugins, especially poorly coded ones can cause the site to load slower by lengthening the server’s response time.
Unoptimized Code – Unnecessary code bloat can be introduced by themes and plugins with code that is not optimized for performance.
No Caching – Every request to the website is handled in real-time without caching, which is slower.
By serving cached copies of pages, caching plugins like W3 Total Cache and WP Super Cache can greatly reduce load times.
2.Problems with Mobile Responsiveness
Google now indexes mobile sites first, so not optimizing the website for mobile devices can negatively affect its rankings.
The Problems with Mobile Responsiveness is due to,
Non-Responsive Themes – User experience and search engine rankings may suffer from themes that do not adjust to different screen sizes. Make sure the theme is responsive.
View Port Configuration – The website may not display well on mobile devices if the viewport meta tag is missing or incorrectly set. The mobile browser layout is managed by this tag.
3.Duplicate Content
Duplicate Content has several negative effects on the performance of WordPress websites.
Duplicate Content Issue is due to,
Category and Tag Archives – WordPress generates archive pages for tags and categories which lead to duplicate content if not managed properly.
Attachment Pages – WordPress creates thin content pages by default because it makes a separate page for every media file.
Using plugins like Yoast SEO, attachment pages can be redirected to their parent post to handle this.
4.Incorrect Permalink
Permalink plays a crucial role for WordPress websites to be both SEO-friendly and user-friendly.
They can cause a number of problems when configured improperly, which can impact user experience and search engine rankings.
The causes of Incorrect Permalink Issues are,
Default Permalink Structure – Not customizing permalinks during platform migration or initial setup.
WordPress uses a permalink structure by default that contains dates and post IDs, which is not SEO friendly.
Non-Descriptive URLs – Choosing on a generic permalink structure or neglecting to optimize permalink for SEO.
This leads to Permalinks that do not include keywords or relevant information about the content.
Changing Permalink Settings – Not understanding the effects of changes or managing permalink settings inconsistently.
For eg. After content is published, changing the permalink settings can cause 404 errors and broken links.
Incorrect Structure – Malformed permalinks due to plugin conflicts or customization errors which is permalinks using unnecessary parameters or symbols in their URLs and not adhering to SEO best practices.
5.Broken Internal and External Links
Broken Internal and External Links is one of the most common Technical SEO problems with WordPress websites that harm the user experience and SEO and leads to decline in rankings.
The Broken Links is caused by,
Changing URLs – Changing URLs without properly configuring 301 redirects can result in 404 errors, which negatively impacts SEO and user experience.
Deleted Content – Broken links may result from removing pages or posts without redirects. To control and monitor redirects, use the Redirection plugin.
6.Canonicalization Issues
Canonicalization issues are a common technical SEO problem that can affect WordPress websites.
The Causes of Canonicalization Issues in WordPress are,
Duplicate Content – WordPress has the ability to create multiple URLs for the same content such as with pagination, tags, categories and archives.
Different URLs pointing to the same content can be generated by parameters such as tracking codes or session IDs.
Trailing Slashes – Duplication problems may arise if URLs with and without trailing slashes are interpreted as different pages.
For Example: https://example.com/about/ with a trailing slash at the end is the preferred version and https://example.com/about without trailing slash at the end treated as a separate page while both serve the same content.
WWW vs Non-WWW and HTTP vs Non-HTTPS – Canonicalization issues may arise from inconsistent use of the “www vs non-www” and “http vs https” versions of URLs.
7.Website not Secured (HTTPS)
WordPress websites that are not secured can face various issues that affect both their security and overall performance.
The causes of Website not secured are,
Lack of HTTPS Encryption – Failure to set up HTTPS correctly or install an SSL/TLS certificate on the server.
Outdated Software and Plugins – Utilizing unsupported plugins and themes or Failing to update software on a regular basis.
Utilizing out-of-date WordPress core, theme and plugin versions that may have known security vulnerabilities.
Insufficient Backup and Recovery Plans – Relying on shaky backup options or undervaluing the significance of data backup.
Not maintaining consistent website data backups or a solid recovery strategy in the event of security breaches.
8.Improper Use of Schema Markup
Schema Markup when implemented incorrectly on WordPress websites can lead to various challenges that affect SEO performance and user experience.
The causes of Improper use of schema markup are,
Incorrect Implementation – Manual Errors during implementation or by using plugins that generate incorrect schema markup.
Utilizing incorrect schema types or formatting schema markup within the HTML of web pages.
Overuse or Spammy Markup – Incorrect SEO tactics or trying to obtain rich snippets for content that does not qualify.
Using schema markup excessively on irrelevant content or manipulating search engine rankings with markup
Outdated or Unsupported Plugins – Not updating existing plugins on a regular basis or using deprecated plugins.
Depending on plugins that do not update schema markup to match current standards or guidelines.
Conclusion
When concerning Technical SEO, WordPress websites require constant attention to detail and optimization for Maintenance.
The website’s performance, user experience and search engine rankings can be enhanced by addressing these common technical SEO problems.
Sustaining the optimum functioning of the WordPress website and making sure it stays competitive in search engine results requires regular audits and updates.
