How to Find Technical Issues Holding Your Website Back
Your website may look fine and still be hard for Google to read.
In this post you will learn how to spot the technical problems that stop search engines from reading your site, and how to check them yourself.
What a technical issue actually is
Think of your website as a shop in a market lane. Good products and a nice board do not help if the door is locked or the lane is blocked. Technical issues are the locked doors of a website.
Search engines use programs called crawlers. A crawler visits your pages, follows the links and reads what it finds. It then decides which pages to store in its list, called the index. A page that is not in the index cannot appear in search results.
This gives us two kinds of problems:
- Crawl barriers: the crawler cannot reach or read the page.
- Structural errors: the crawler can reach the page, but the site is organised in a confusing way.
Content quality still matters. But if the technical base is weak, even good content may never be seen.
Crawl barriers: how to spot them
Start with barriers, because they decide whether a page can be found at all.
A blocking rule in robots.txt. Every site can have a small file called robots.txt. It tells crawlers which parts of the site they may visit. Sometimes a rule that blocks the whole site is added while the site is being built, and nobody removes it later. Then crawlers stay away. To check, type your domain name in the browser, followed by /robots.txt. If you see a line that blocks everything, ask your developer why it is there.
A noindex tag on a page. A noindex tag is a hidden note in the page code. It tells search engines to keep that page out of the index. It is useful for a thank-you page. It is harmful on your services page. Designers sometimes switch it on during development and forget it afterwards.
Broken links. A broken link leads to a page that no longer exists. The visitor sees an error page, and the crawler also hits a dead end. Click through your menu, your footer and your most important pages. Note every link that shows an error.
Long chains of redirects. A redirect sends a visitor from an old address to a new one. That is fine. A problem starts when address A sends to B, B sends to C, and C sends to D. Each extra step slows the page and can confuse crawlers. One clean jump from the old address to the final one is the aim.
Pages nobody links to. A crawler finds pages by following links. If no other page links to a page, it may be missed. Such a page is called an orphan page. Make sure every important page is reachable from your menu or from another page.
Structural errors: how to spot them
Structure is about how clearly your site explains itself to a machine and to a person.
- Missing or repeated page titles. Each page needs its own title and its own short description. If several pages share the same title, search engines cannot tell them apart.
- Messy headings. A page should have one main heading, then smaller headings under it in order. Do not use a heading only to make text look big.
- Duplicate pages. The same content may open on two addresses, such as one with www and one without. Pick one version and send the other to it.
- No sitemap. A sitemap is a list of your important pages, written for crawlers. It helps them find pages faster.
- No secure connection. If your address starts with http and not https, browsers may warn visitors that the site is not secure.
- Poor display on phones. Many customers of small businesses browse on a phone. If text is tiny or buttons overlap, visitors leave.
A quick guide: symptom, cause and first step
Use this table when something looks wrong. It will not diagnose everything, but it shows you where to look first.
| What you notice | Likely cause | First step |
|---|---|---|
| An important page never shows in search | noindex tag or robots.txt block | Check the page code and the robots.txt file |
| Visitors see an error after clicking a link | Broken link or deleted page | Update the link or redirect it to a live page |
| An old link opens slowly | Chain of redirects | Point the old address straight to the final one |
| Search results show the same title for many pages | Repeated page titles | Write a different title for each page |
| Browser shows a not-secure warning | Site running on http | Ask your hosting provider about a secure certificate |
| Site looks cramped on a phone | Layout not built for small screens | Open the site on your own phone and list what breaks |
A short self-check you can do today
You do not need special software for a first look. Follow these steps in order.
- Search your own site. In Google, type site: followed directly by your domain name. The results show pages that Google has indexed. If your key service pages are missing, you have a lead to follow.
- Open robots.txt. Read it. Look for a rule that blocks your whole site.
- Click every menu link. Write down any error page or wrong destination.
- Read the page titles. Look at the text on each browser tab. Are they different and meaningful?
- Test on a phone. Scroll through your home page and contact page. Try to tap each button.
- Write a short list. Sort each problem into three groups: you can fix it, your developer should fix it, or you are not sure.
The not-sure group is the important one. Do not guess on those. A wrong change to robots.txt or to redirects can make things worse.
Worked example. A shop owner launches a new site. Two months later, the Services page is not showing in search. The owner searches with site: and sees every page except that one. They open the page code and find a noindex tag. The designer had added it during testing. The designer removes it, and the page can now be indexed. How soon it appears is up to the search engine, and nobody can promise a position.
When to use the Request Free Check
Self-checks catch visible problems. Some issues hide in code, server settings or the way many pages link together. If your list has several items you are unsure about, get a second pair of eyes.
GreatWeb has a Request Free Check on its site, placed under the heading Want to Know What's Holding Your Website Back? You fill in a short form with your name, business name, website address, email and WhatsApp number. You also choose your main goal. The choices include a new website, a website redesign, more Google traffic, SEO, blogging, local SEO, or not sure. A message box lets you describe what worries you.
Be specific in that message. Write what you saw, for example that your services page does not appear in Google, or that the site looks broken on a phone. A clear note helps the person reading it understand your problem faster.
A word of honesty from the owner: GreatWeb states plainly that it gives no ranking guarantees. Fixing technical issues removes obstacles. It does not buy a position on the results page. Good content, useful pages and time still matter.
GreatWeb also offers website design, SEO plans and blog content. Every package lists what is included, how many revisions you get and how long it takes. You are free to fix only what you need.
Key takeaways
- A crawl barrier stops a search engine from reaching a page. A structural error confuses it once it arrives.
- Check robots.txt, noindex tags, broken links, redirects, titles and phone display first.
- Use the site: search to see which pages are actually indexed.
- Fix what you understand. Do not guess on server or redirect settings.
- Technical fixes remove obstacles but do not guarantee rankings.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be a programmer to check my site?
No. Searching with site:, reading robots.txt, clicking links and testing on a phone need only a browser. Fixing some problems may need a developer.
What information does the Request Free Check form ask for?
It asks for your name, business name, website address, email and WhatsApp number. It also asks for your main goal and has a message box.
Will fixing technical issues put my website on the first page?
Not by itself. GreatWeb does not guarantee rankings. Fixing technical issues helps search engines reach and understand your pages, which is a necessary base.
Can GreatWeb redesign my existing website if it has many problems?
Yes. Website Redesign is one of the listed packages. It is meant for an existing site that looks dated, breaks on phones or does not convert. Its scope, revisions and timeline are shown on the pricing page.
Who will I talk to about my website?
GreatWeb is run independently, so you speak directly with the person who plans, designs, writes and optimises your project. There is no account manager relaying messages between you.
What to do next. Try it yourself on the page below.
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