A website 404 error, just one of the checks performed by the Semrush Site Audit
A website 404 error, just one of the checks performed by the Semrush Site Audit

Common Semrush site audit errors and how to fix them

Written by Daily Fix - Published 02-Jan-2024, last updated 03-Jan-2024

The Semrush Site Audit tool performs a comprehensive analysis of your website's health, uncovering hidden issues that may be hindering your site's success. The Site Audit tool groups issues into three sections depending on severity and impact. These are errors, warnings and notices. In this blog we will look at common errors detected by the site audit and how to fix them.

Page doesn't have a title tag

This error is flagged for any page on a website that doesn't have a title tag.

A meta title tag, also commonly called just a title tag, is a snippet of text you write behind the scenes for each page on your website. It plays a crucial role in both search engine optimization (SEO) and user experience.

For search engines, the meta title tag summarises the content of your page. Search engines like Google, Bing, etc., use it to understand what your page is about and decide how to rank it in search results. It appears as the clickable headline in search engine results pages (SERPs). A well-written and informative title tag can attract more clicks to your website.

The meta title tag shows up in browser tabs. It helps users easily identify the current page and navigate between different tabs. It can also be displayed on social media shares. This gives users a glimpse of what your page is about before they click on it.

So it's important that every web page has a title tag. Here are some key points about meta title tags:

  1. Title tags should be accurate and descriptive of the page content.
  2. Ideally, title tage should be around 50-60 characters long to avoid getting truncated in search results.
  3. Include relevant keywordsin title tage to help search engines understand your page and improve ranking.
  4. Use actionable language and power words to entice users to click.
  5. Make sure each page has a unique title tag that doesn't repeat across your website.

How to fix the site audit error 'page does not have a title tag'

In your HTML add a title to the head section of the document, for example,

<title>Contact Us</title>

By optimising your meta title tags, you can improve your website's SEO, attract more clicks, and enhance user experience. So make sure that each page on your website has a title tag.

For more information on title tags, read our blog What is a meta title.

Page has no viewport tag

The viewport tag is a special meta tag in HTML that instructs browsers how to control the viewport, which is the visible area of a web page that a user sees on their device's screen. It's essential for ensuring proper rendering and optimal viewing experiences across different devices, especially in responsive web design.

The viewport meta tag is placed within the <head> section of a web page.

How to fix the 'page has no viewport tag' site audit error

To fix this site audit error you need to set the viewport meta tag for each page, and then test your website on a mobile device to make sure everything works fine.

The basic syntax of the viewport meta tag is as follows:

<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">

Page returned a 5XX status code

5xx errors are generated when a server is unable to perform the request from a user or a crawler. 5xx errors prevent users and search engine robots from accessing webpages, negatively affecting user experience and search engines' crawlability. In turn, This may lead to a drop in traffic driven to your website. So it's important to attend to reported 5xx errors as soon as possible.

What are some common 5xx server errors?

500 Internal Server Error: This is the generic "something went wrong" error message. It could be caused by anything from coding errors to database issues to overloaded servers.

500 Internal Server Error: This is the granddaddy of them all, the generic "something went wrong" message. It could be caused by anything from coding errors to database issues to overloaded servers.

502 Bad Gateway: This one means the server couldn't communicate properly with another server it needs to fulfill your request. Think of it like a broken phone line between two friends.

503 Service Unavailable: The server is having a break! It's temporarily down for maintenance or overloaded, so come back later and try again.

504 Gateway Timeout: The server waited too long for a response from another server before giving up. Imagine holding the phone until your ear goes numb, only to find out the line is dead.

509 Bandwidth Limit Exceeded: This server is a bandwidth tightwad! It ran out of data to serve requests, so you'll have to wait until it refills its metaphorical water cooler.

Page returned a 4XX status code

A 4xx error means that a webpage cannot be accessed, usually the result of broken links.

4xx errors prevent users and search engine robots from accessing your webpages, negatively affecting both user experience and search engine crawlability - This will in turn lead to a drop in traffic driven to your website.

A crawler may detect a working link as broken if a website blocks the crawler from accessing it due to things such as a DDoS protection system and Overloaded or misconfigured server.

What are some common 4xx server errors?

Some common 4xx web server errors include:

400 Bad Request: This is the most general error, indicating a problem with the syntax or structure of the request. It's like sending a poorly written letter; the server can't decipher it.

401 Unauthorised: This error means you don't have the correct permissions to access the requested resource. Think of it as trying to enter a locked room without a key. You might need to log in or provide additional authorization.

403 Forbidden: Even if you're authorised, sometimes access is still denied. This could be due to server restrictions, blocked content, or technical limitations. It's like being told "no entry" even with a key.

404 Not Found: This classic error simply means the requested resource doesn't exist. It's like asking for a book in a library that's not on the shelves. Double-check the URL or navigate to a different page.

405 Method Not Allowed: This error happens when you try to access a resource using the wrong method (e.g., trying to download a file using a GET request instead of a POST request). It's like trying to open a door with the wrong key.

429 Too Many Requests: If you're sending too many requests too quickly, the server might get overwhelmed and throw this error. Think of it as spamming a doorbell; eventually, someone will get annoyed and tell you to stop.

More Semrush site audit errors

More Semrush site audit errors and how to fix them coming soon, including:

Issues with duplicate title tags, pages with duplicate content, broken internal links, pages that cannot be crawled, broken internal images, duplicate meta descriptions and incorrect pages found in sitemap.xml