Your pages do not have a title tag
The first technical mistake to avoid when creating your website is not using title tags. But what is a title tag exactly? It is like the official title of your web page. Made up of approximately 50 characters, this title will appear on search results. When optimized, a title tag can help search engines understand what your page is about and index it accordingly. Therefore, you must think about using the right keywords since you do not have a lot of space.
You only need to add a title tag to all your website pages to fix this mistake. Please note that you need a unique title tag for each page.
Your pages do not have a meta description
In the same vein, there are meta descriptions. As with title tags, meta descriptions are an essential technical element for search engines and your SEO. It consists of a small description, around 200 characters, that summarizes the page content. It is the same description we see under the titles in search results. Once more, we should find the most important keywords related to your website there.
Not having meta descriptions is a mistake that can harm your website. Consequently, you need to write a description for every site page. Also, it needs to be unique.
Your pages do not have a header tag
You likely already know that it is vital to structure the information we find on your website well to ensure your visitors can find what they are looking for easily. It is essential to do the same thing for search engines by using different titles, including header tags, also called H1 titles. It tells Google what the most important title of your page is, the one that best summarizes the content of this section. Then, adding H2 and H3 subtitles to structure your page is possible. Please note that there can only be one header tag per page.
If you use WebSelf for your website, you only need to click on a title to check the box stating it is the page's main title. In WebSelf Simple, you can find this option in the size option of the title.
Your pages have a small ratio of content
Among the warnings you might have during an audit, there are those linked to pages with a small content ratio. Indeed, for better results, it is recommended to have a sufficient number of words per page, especially for your homepage. You must ensure enough content to help search engines understand the main topic of your website. We then suggest to write at least 300 words per page. Indeed, it is common to see a good homepage or blog article have more than 1000 words.
But what can you do to add written content to your website? Here are some tips. First, consider answering all the questions your visitors or potential customers could ask themselves. For example, you could use a FAQ at the end of your page or article. Second, it is always possible to add texts related to the newest trends or needs from time to time.
There is duplicate content
One thing that search engines especially loathe is duplicated content. On one hand, some websites copy other sites' texts. On the other hand, there is finding the exact text at different places on a website, whether for title tags, meta descriptions, or web pages. We need to pay special attention not to having the same texts on our site or online store since it can be damaging.
If you need ideas for product or meta descriptions and are short on time, consider using AI. Indeed, tools like ChatGPT can give many options quickly. Of course, there are great chances that you need to work on them a little to ensure they summarize well what you have in mind.
Some links are broken
Another technical mistake that will likely be detected by SEO tools like Semrush is broken links, which are links that do not work correctly or lead nowhere. With time, links can change, and websites close. You must then ensure that our content is still up to date and that all links on your site are working properly. It is something that can also harm your SEO.
Therefore, how can we find and fix broken links on our website? First, you can use a tool to check your site's health and get an audit. If it is impossible, take the time to click on each link on your website or online store to ensure that they work well and fix them if needed.
In conclusion, by fixing these technical mistakes, you will likely increase the global health of your website. Start by checking if all your web pages have a title tag, meta description, and header tag, and then ensure you have enough content while avoiding duplicating your texts.
For more ideas on managing your site better and increasing your chances of success on search engines, find our New Year resolutions to follow in 2024. Good luck!