Common Technical SEO Problems That Hurt Local Business Rankings
Getting found online isn’t just about creating a slick website or posting on social media. For many local businesses in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, your spot on a search results page can decide whether someone picks you or a competitor. Search engine optimization, or SEO, plays a big role in making sure your site shows up when folks are looking for your services nearby.
But there’s a side to SEO that often gets overlooked: technical SEO. These are the behind-the-scenes elements that search engines use to judge your site’s health and trust. When something is off, even if your content is strong, your rankings can suffer. Here are a few common technical issues that hurt local business SEO and how to stay ahead of them.
Poor Website Structure
Think of your website like a building. If the hallways twist and turn with no clear exit, people get lost, and search engines do too. A confusing structure makes it harder for search engines to crawl your pages. Important content can be missed, which brings down your visibility.
Here are a few signs that your site structure might be creating issues:
- Important pages are more than three clicks deep from the home page
- The navigation menu is cluttered or has too many layers
- Orphan pages exist without any internal links pointing to them
- Duplicate categories or tags confuse search engines
The solution here is to simplify. Group your pages into clear categories that follow a logical, intuitive order. Use a shallow structure that keeps key pages within one or two clicks from the homepage. Internal links help guide both users and search engines from one page to another. Be thoughtful about your navigation menu and prioritize clarity over quantity.
Picture a dental clinic with pages like Cleanings, Whitening, and Crowns buried under a tangle of submenus. Instead, those pages should be right up front, easy to find, and connected to other important pages like financing or scheduling. A cleaner site not only improves rankings but makes things easier for your customers too.
Slow Page Load Speed
Nobody likes to wait for a website to load. If a page takes too long, visitors bounce. Search engines notice that poor user experience and respond by ranking it lower. Slow load times also mean search engine crawlers may miss parts of your site altogether.
Here are some causes of slowdowns:
- Oversized images
- Too many plugins or scripts
- Multiple redirects or unnecessary external calls
- Weak hosting or no caching
Start by compressing all images before uploading. Use only the plugins you need, and remove anything that’s weighing the site down. If your site has grown, it may be time to upgrade to better hosting. Caching can help return pages faster by storing copies of them to show when someone visits again.
Let’s say a landscaping business has a full gallery of high-res images on its homepage. It might look great, but it takes ages to load. By reducing image file sizes and streamlining scripts, that business keeps visitors engaged, and Google keeps sending traffic their way.
Incomplete or Incorrect Meta Tags
Meta tags help search engines understand the content on a page. They also show up on search results, giving users a quick preview of what’s on your site. When tags are missing, repeated across multiple pages, or don’t match the page’s purpose, your local visibility takes a hit.
Every page should have a unique meta title and description. They should be short, descriptive, and highlight relevant keywords such as your services and location.
Consider a clothing store in Minneapolis with a product page titled "Blue Jean Jacket," but the meta title is just "Shop Best Deals." Not helpful. A better title would be "Blue Jean Jacket for Women | Minneapolis Clothing." This way, both users and search engines know what the page is about and where the store is.
To get your meta tags in shape:
- Keep the title under 60 characters
- Include keywords naturally (product, service, location)
- Don’t copy and paste the same tags on multiple pages
- Make sure the meta description matches the page’s actual content
Think of meta tags as guideposts. Done right, they help people find exactly what they’re looking for, fast. And that builds trust.
Broken Links and 404 Errors
Broken links can frustrate users and cost you rankings. A 404 error tells both the person visiting and the search engine that something is missing or wrong. Too many of these send a signal that your site might not be reliable.
These often come from:
- Deleted pages without proper redirects
- Old links to removed blog posts or products
- Typos in URLs
- External backlinks pointing to outdated pages
You can keep your link health strong by doing regular scans. Broken link checkers are easy to use and will highlight anything that’s causing problems. If you move or remove a page, set up a 301 redirect so visitors and bots know where to go instead. Also, get in the habit of testing your most valuable pages and menus now and then.
For example, if your homepage links to a seasonal promotion that no longer exists, update the link or replace the section entirely. Broken links are like dead ends—they keep people from reaching what they’re looking for and take away trust in your brand.
Keep Your Site Working for You
Fixing technical SEO problems doesn’t feel as exciting as launching a new campaign or designing a great-looking homepage, but small issues here create big setbacks over time. A slow site, confusing structure, bad tags, or broken links quietly send people—and search engines—elsewhere.
Your website is often the first interaction folks have with your business, so it pays to keep it running right. Just like routine checkups for your car or HVAC system, regular site audits help catch what’s slowing you down before it snowballs.
Whether you’re running a neighborhood café or a dental office, focusing on technical SEO helps your business show up reliably when people in Minneapolis and Saint Paul are looking. And once they land on your site, make sure it's fast, clear, and offering a smooth experience beginning to end. Small fixes go a long way in building trust, improving rankings, and bringing in customers who are ready to take the next step.
Is your website's technical SEO holding your business back? Let Ripple Equation help you navigate the complexities of improving your site’s structure and speed for better search rankings. Our expertise in marketing technology assessment ensures that you address technical issues effectively to boost your online presence. Elevate your visibility in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and connect with more local customers today.