One of the most critical aspects of your website’s success is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Without proper SEO, your website risks getting lost in the vast ocean of the internet. So, why invest thousands of dollars into a beautifully designed website if your target audience can’t find it? Many businesses overlook this crucial step, but at Uplancer, we ensure our clients don’t make that mistake as part of our web design and development services. Let’s dive into some key SEO checks that can help your search rankings and online visibility.
Is Your Search Rank Climbing?
If you’re consistently publishing high-quality content but aren’t seeing improvements in your search rankings, you’re not alone. Many businesses struggle to gain traction despite these efforts. The first step is to analyze your trends in Google Search Console – though no single metric determines success, tracking your ranking trends can provide valuable insights. If you notice stagnation or a drop in visibility, it’s time to diagnose the root problem and see if you’re facing the issues below.
Critical SEO Issues to Address
SEO improvements take time – weeks to months – but addressing major technical SEO issues can set your site on the right path. Here are some of the most impactful SEO fixes we’ve implemented for our client partners:
1. Duplicate Websites: The Silent SEO Killer
The Problem:
Your site may have duplicate versions floating around, such as a staging environment or an IP-based instance. If search engines see multiple versions, it can dilute your ranking power. One way to identify this problem is through your Google Search Console. Check for duplicate links in the “Top linking sites” that appear for your staging or original instance. Note that this problem can be challenging to identify if you’ve lost track of your different environments, have few web pages to index, or face major website indexing issues.
The Fix:
- Ensure your staging site has a “noindex tag” to prevent it from being crawled.
- Redirect your original instance/IP to your main business domain.
The Result:
Fixing this issue alone can boost impressions by 150%+ within a few months.
2. Pages Not Indexing: Are Your Core Service and Product Pages Invisible?
The Problem:
If your core website pages aren’t indexed, they won’t appear in search results, making them virtually useless. Often times, customers will look you up after speaking to you only to find that nothing exists about your business online!
The Fix:
Check the Google Search Console Pages report to identify indexing issues. Here’s how to fix common problems:
- Redirect error: If you’ve changed domains, confirm the canonical URL is properly indexed.
- Crawled – Currently Not Indexed: Update your content, enhance internal linking, and monitor results.
- Duplicate, Google Chose a Different Canonical: Review URL structures and ensure proper canonicalization.
- Page with Redirect: If a deprecated page has a valid redirect, no further action is needed.
- Excluded by ‘noindex’ Tag: If unintentional, remove the noindex tag and request re-crawling.
- Alternate page with proper canonical tag: Confirm whether the listed pages have queries attached. If not, reassign canonical tags.
- Blocked due to other 4xx issue: Look for routing issues related to the URLs.
- Not Found (404): Set up 301 redirects for any pages that no longer still exist.
- Discovered – Currently Not Indexed: If content is user-generated (not AI-generated), be patient—Google will likely index it over time.
The Result:
Proper indexing is the backbone of SEO. We’ve helped clients increase impressions by 300%+ just by resolving the above indexing issues.
Avoid SEO Pitfalls: Focus on What Matters
Many businesses chase SEO “hacks” while ignoring the basics: ensuring their pages are properly indexed. Pumping out content is meaningless if search engines don’t recognize it. We’ve seen companies waste valuable resources on content creation, only to realize later that their indexing issues were the true bottleneck for improving SEO.
The Key Takeaway?
Fix indexing issues first, then move on to advanced SEO strategies to outpace your competitors.
The Bottom Line: Take Control of Your SEO
Your website’s success depends on search engines properly indexing your content. If your business pages aren’t appearing in search results, check Google Search Console to diagnose and fix duplicate content and indexing issues.
At Uplancer, we’ve tackled SEO challenges across industries. If you’re struggling with rankings, don’t wait! Contact us today for a free consultation and take your website’s SEO to the next level.
