What are crawl errors and how do they impact technical SEO?  

Crawl errors are errors that occur when search engine bots attempt to crawl and index a website. These errors can have a significant impact on technical SEO, as they can prevent search engines from properly indexing a website and negatively impact search rankings. 

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  1. Types of Crawl Errors. 

There are several types of crawl errors that can occur when search engine bots attempt to crawl a website: 

  1. a) 404 Errors: 404 errors occur when a page cannot be found. This can happen if a page has been deleted or if the URL has been changed without setting up proper redirects.
  2. b) 500 Errors: 500 errors occur when the server encounters an internal error. This can happen if there is a problem with the server configuration or if there is an issue with the website’s code.
  3. c) Redirect Errors: Redirect errors occur when a redirect is set up improperly. This can happen if the redirect is pointing to a page that no longer exists or if there is a problem with the redirect code.
  4. d) DNS Errors: DNS errors occur when there is a problem with the website’s domain name system (DNS) configuration. This can happen if the website’s DNS records are incorrect or if the website’s DNS server is down.

  1. The Impact of Crawl Errors on Technical SEO. 

Crawl errors can have a significant impact on technical SEO. When search engine bots encounter crawl errors, they may not be able to properly crawl and index a website, which can negatively impact search rankings. Crawl errors can also damage user experience, as users may encounter broken links or pages that cannot be accessed. 

  1. How to Find Crawl Errors? 

Website owners can use Google Search Console to find crawl errors on their websites. Google Search Console provides a Crawl Errors report that shows the types and number of crawl errors that search engine bots have encountered when crawling a website. 

  1. How to Fix Crawl Errors? 

Website owners can fix crawl errors by taking the following steps: 

  1. a) Fix Broken Links: Broken links can cause 404 errors. Website owners should fix broken links by redirecting them to the correct pages or removing them.
  2. b) Set Up Proper Redirects: Website owners should set up proper redirects when changing URLs or deleting pages to ensure that search engine bots and users are directed to the correct pages.
  3. c) Check Server Configuration: Website owners should check the server configuration to ensure that there are no issues that may be causing 500 errors.
  4. d) Check DNS Configuration: Website owners should check the website’s DNS configuration to ensure that there are no issues that may be causing DNS errors.
  5. e) Monitor Crawl Errors: Website owners should regularly monitor crawl errors and fix any errors that occur to ensure that search engine bots can properly crawl and index the website.

  1. Conclusion: 

Crawl errors can have a significant impact on technical SEO. When search engine bots encounter crawl errors, they may not be able to properly crawl and index a website, which can negatively impact search rankings. Website owners should regularly monitor crawl errors and fix any errors that occur to ensure that search engine bots can properly crawl and index the website. By fixing crawl errors, website owners can improve search rankings and user experience.