Technical SEO: How To Fix Your Website Your Own Damn Self

If your website isn’t technically set up correctly, all the viral tweets and trending keywords in the world won’t save you. It’s like trying to sell luxury skincare in a dark alley—doesn’t matter how good it is, no one’s going to find it. And Google? Google’s not sending traffic to a busted setup.

That’s why technical SEO matters. It’s the invisible structure behind your visible content. Without it, your site may look good, but it won’t perform. And performance is everything—especially when you're competing online.

A technical SEO audit is your flashlight. Your map. Your way of telling Google, “Hey, I’m serious about this site.” And guess what? You don’t need to be a developer or an SEO wizard to get the basics right. You just need a system—a simple step-by-step approach that doesn’t drown you in jargon. That’s what this guide is. It’s not the deepest, most complex audit in existence, but it’s real, actionable, and something you can do yourself.

Whether you're just starting out, can’t afford an expert yet, or just want to understand what your SEO team is talking about, this one’s for you.

1. Crawl Your Site Like Google Does

Start by crawling your site to see what Google sees. Use free or affordable tools like Screaming Frog, Google Search Console, or Ahrefs Site Audit. These tools scan your website and list common issues—like broken links, missing meta descriptions, duplicate content, and pages blocked from indexing. This is your roadmap. Once you’ve got the crawl data, start fixing the basics.

2. Check Indexability

Just because a page exists doesn’t mean Google has it indexed. Use the site:google.com search or check Google Search Console’s Coverage Report. Important pages might be missing due to incorrect robots.txt rules, noindex tags, or crawl errors. Likewise, low-quality pages may be indexed unnecessarily. Clean things up by ensuring only valuable pages are visible to search engines.

3. Fix Broken Links

404 errors aren’t just annoying for users—they're red flags for search engines. Use your crawl data to find broken internal and external links. Either update them to the correct URL or use 301 redirects to point them to a relevant working page. Avoid redirecting everything to the homepage—that’s lazy SEO and won’t help your rankings.

4. Improve Site Speed

Speed matters. If your site loads slowly, users bounce and rankings drop. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix help you test performance. Compress images, enable browser caching, minimize JavaScript, and eliminate bulky plugins. For WordPress users, tools like WP Rocket or NitroPack can help speed things up without touching code.

5. Make Sure Your Site is Mobile-Friendly

Google now uses mobile-first indexing, meaning your site’s mobile version is what counts most. Use the Mobile-Friendly Test to check how your site performs on smaller screens. Ensure text is readable, buttons are tappable, and navigation works flawlessly. If your site isn’t responsive, it's time for a redesign—period.

6. Secure Your Site with HTTPS

Security is a trust factor. If your site still runs on HTTP instead of HTTPS, Google flags it as "Not Secure." That’s a red flag for both users and search engines. Get an SSL certificate from your hosting provider—most offer them free—and redirect all traffic to the secure version of your site. This move boosts your credibility and SEO.

7. Add Structured Data (Schema Markup)

Structured data helps Google understand your content better. Whether it's an article, product, recipe, or review, adding schema markup increases the chances of showing up in rich search results. Use tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper or install plugins to apply it to your site. Then test it using the Rich Results Test.

8. Handle Duplicate Content with Canonical Tags

Duplicate content confuses search engines and can tank your rankings. If you have similar content across different URLs, use canonical tags to indicate the main version of the page. This tells Google which page to prioritize and avoids penalty. Most SEO plugins handle this automatically, but always double-check during your audit.

9. Clean Up Your XML Sitemap and Robots.txt File

Your XML sitemap helps search engines find your pages. Submit it to Google Search Console to improve crawl efficiency. Meanwhile, your robots.txt file tells bots what not to crawl—like login pages or admin areas. Make sure your sitemap is updated and your robots.txt file isn’t accidentally blocking important content.

10. Maintain Regular Technical SEO Audits

Technical SEO isn’t set-it-and-forget-it. Websites break, plugins go out of date, and new errors appear. Schedule monthly audits to monitor issues, track performance, and stay up to date. Use alerts in Google Search Console and keep tabs on site speed, mobile usability, and index coverage.

Need Help? Talk to an SEO Company UK You Can Trust

If all of this feels overwhelming or you just want it done right the first time, that’s where Unitel Direct comes in. As a leading SEO Company UK, we help businesses audit, repair, and optimize their sites for long-term growth. Whether you need a one-time fix or ongoing technical SEO support, our team has the tools and expertise to help your site rise up the rankings and stay there.

Don’t let technical problems hold your site hostage. Fix your foundation, get noticed, and let the results speak for themselves. Because if your site’s not set up right… why even bother?