- Missing or Duplicate Meta Titles and Descriptions
Why it matters:
Search engines rely on meta tags to understand what your pages are about. Missing or duplicate tags can confuse both search engines and users, leading to poor click-through rates.
How to quickly check/fix it:
Download and install Screaming Frog SEO Spider.
Review each page’s title and meta description using tools like Screaming Frog or Yoast SEO. Tools like Yoast SEO (WordPress) can help you optimize as you go.
- Broken Links and 404 Errors
Why it matters:
Impact: A high number of broken links can give search engines the impression that your site is poorly maintained, which may negatively affect your search rankings.
How to quickly check/fix it:
Tool: Try Broken Link Checker (for WordPress) or run a crawl with Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Search Console.
Fix: Update the broken link with the correct URL or redirect it to a relevant, working page (preferably with a 301 redirect).
- Slow Page Load Speed
Why it matters:
Page speed is a confirmed ranking factor—and users hate slow websites.
How to quickly check/fix it:
Tool: Use Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
Fix: Compress images, enable browser caching, minify CSS/JS files, and consider using a CDN like Cloudflare.
- Missing Header Tags (H1, H2, etc.)
Why it matters:
Header tags help structure your content for both users and search engines. Missing or misused headers can make your content hard to read—and hard to rank.
How to quickly check/fix it:
Tool: Use Screaming Frog or browser extensions like SEO Meta in 1 Click.
Fix: Ensure each page has one clear H1 tag and uses H2/H3 tags to break up content logically.
- Unoptimized Images
Why it matters:
Large images slow down your site, and missing alt text means lost SEO opportunities.
How to quickly check/fix it:
Tool: Run a speed test with PageSpeed Insights to find heavy images.
Fix: Compress images using tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim, and add relevant, descriptive alt text.
- No Mobile Optimization
Why it matters:
Google uses mobile-first indexing. If your site doesn’t work well on phones, you’ll lose rankings—period.
How to quickly check/fix it:
Tool: Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
Fix: Use responsive design, ensure buttons and text are sized properly, and avoid pop-ups that block content.
- Keyword Cannibalization
Why it matters:
Why it matters: When several pages on your site target the same keyword, they end up competing for search engine rankings instead of complementing each other.
How to quickly check/fix it:
Tool: Use Google Search Console or SEO tools like Ahrefs to see which pages rank for the same keyword.
Fix: Consolidate similar content into one strong page, or re-target one of the pages with a different keyword.
- Thin or Outdated Content
Why it matters:
Why it matters: Content that is irrelevant, thin, or no longer accurate can lower the perceived value of your site in the eyes of both users and search engines.
How to quickly check/fix it:
Tool: Identify underperforming pages using Google Analytics or Search Console.
Fix: Add depth to thin content, update outdated stats, and make it more useful or engaging for users.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to be an SEO expert to spot and fix common issues. By running a quick SEO audit and knowing how to quickly check/fix it, you can make meaningful improvements to your site’s performance in less than an afternoon.