Technical SEO is the backbone of your pest control website’s performance. If your site has technical issues, it won’t rank well—no matter how great your content is. In this phase, we’ll check your site’s loading speed, mobile responsiveness, and URL structure. Fixing these will help search engines quickly crawl, understand, and rank your pages.
CMS Analysis
Step 1: Verify URL Variants (HTTP, HTTPS, www, non-www)
Tool to use: https://httpstatus.io/
Open a browser and use a URL Status Code Checker tool (such as HTTP Status Code Checker or a similar tool).
Test the following URL variants of your business domain:
- http://pestcontroldomain.com
- https://pestcontroldomain.com
- http://www.pestcontroldomain.com
- https://www.pestcontroldomain.com
Check that all these variants redirect to the correct version of the site (usually the https://www. or https:// version). If any versions return a 404 error or do not redirect properly, you must set up 301 redirects to the main domain variant.
Step 2: Check URL Slugs for Descriptiveness and Keywords
Screaming Frog SEO spider: Internal -> HTML:
Review the URLs of the website’s main pages, especially service pages and blog posts.
Make sure each URL slug is descriptive and includes relevant keywords. For example, a “Termite Control in Boston” page should have a URL like pestcontroldomain.com/termite-control-boston instead of something generic like pestcontroldomain.com/service1.
The URL slugs should be concise and accurately reflect the page content, incorporating the primary keywords for SEO purposes.
Step 3: Verify Hyphen Use and Character Formatting
In Screaming Frog SEO spider:
- URL -> Non-ASCII Characters
- URL -> Underscores
- URL -> Uppercase
- URL -> Parameters
Check that all URLs use hyphens (-) to separate words in the slugs, not underscores (_). Hyphens are SEO-friendly and preferred by search engines.
Verify that no URLs contain non-ASCII characters (such as special symbols or accented letters). All characters should be standard and in lowercase.
Validate that none of the URLs include uppercase letters. URLs are case-sensitive, and using uppercase can cause duplicate content issues.
XML Sitemap Review
Step 4: Confirm the XML Sitemap Lists All Critical Pages
Locate the XML Sitemap: First, find the website’s XML sitemap by visiting pestcontroldomain.com/sitemap.xml. If you’re unsure where the sitemap is, you can find it in the robots.txt file (pestcontroldomain/robots.txt) or Google Search Console.
Open the Sitemap: Open the sitemap in your browser or use a Screaming Frog SEO Spider to view all the URLs listed.
Review for Critical Pages: Verify that all relevant pages are in the sitemap list, including the following pages:
- Homepage
- Service pages (e.g., termite control, mosquito control, etc.)
- Contact page
- Blog posts or resources
- About Us or Team pages
You must update the sitemap to include any missing critical pages.
Step 5: Check That the Sitemap Doesn’t Contain Unnecessary or Technical Pages
Review Sitemap Entries: Go through the sitemap to verify it doesn’t include unnecessary pages such as:
- Test or staging pages
- Duplicate or outdated pages
Remove Unwanted Pages: If you find any unnecessary or technical pages in the sitemap, remove them to avoid confusing search engines or wasting the crawl budget.
Robots.txt File Review
Step 6: Check the robots.txt File Links to the XML Sitemap
Access the Robots.txt File: Open your browser and navigate to pestcontroldomain.com/robots.txt. The file should be publicly accessible.
Check for XML Sitemap Link: Scroll through the robots.txt file and look for a line that links to the XML sitemap. It should look like this:
Sitemap: https://pestcontroldomain.com/sitemap.xml
If the sitemap link is missing, it needs to be added. The sitemap line helps search engines easily find and crawl all the essential pages in the XML sitemap.
Verify the Link is Correct: Make sure the sitemap URL is accurate and points to the correct location of the XML sitemap (e.g., https://pestcontroldomain.com/sitemap.xml).
Step 7: Confirm the Robots.txt File Blocks Unnecessary Pages from Being Crawled
Google Search Console has built-in robots TXT report:
Go to Settings -> robots.txt -> Open Report
Identify Pages that Shouldn’t Be Crawled: Review the website and identify any pages that shouldn’t be indexed by search engines, such as:
- Admin or login pages (/wp-admin/, /login/)
- Backend files or scripts (/cgi-bin/, /wp-includes/)
- Thank you or confirmation pages
- Pages marked “noindex” for SEO reasons
Check the Robots.txt File for Proper Blocking: In the robots.txt file, look for Disallow directives that block unnecessary pages from being crawled. It should look something like this:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-admin/
Disallow: /login/The User-agent: * directive applies the rules to all search engine crawlers. Each Disallow line specifies a directory or page that shouldn’t be crawled.
Verify Unwanted Pages Are Properly Blocked: Check that search engines block pages like admin panels, duplicate content, or technical pages from crawling. If any unwanted pages are missing from the robots.txt file, add them using the proper Disallow rules.
Test the File: After updating the robots.txt file, use the Robots.txt Tester to check if the file is working correctly. This tool lets you simulate how Googlebot reads your robots.txt file and verify that unwanted pages are blocked.
SSL Certificate Check
Step 8: Confirm the Website is Secure with a Valid SSL Certificate
Visit the Website: Open a browser and visit the website’s homepage. Check the URL in the address bar to see if it begins with “https://” (instead of “http://”) to indicate that the site is using SSL encryption.
Look for the Padlock Icon: In the address bar, a padlock icon should be next to the website’s URL. This symbol confirms that the connection between the user and the website is secure, meaning the site has a valid SSL certificate.
Click on the Padlock: Click on the padlock icon to view more details about the SSL certificate. Here, you can see the following information:
- The certificate’s validity period (it should not be expired).
- The name of the issuing Certificate Authority (CA).
- Confirmation that the certificate is for the correct domain.
Check for Warnings or Errors: If the address bar shows a warning symbol or a message like “Not Secure,” the SSL certificate is either missing or invalid. The warning could be due to an expired certificate, incorrect domain, or misconfigured certificate.
Test the SSL Certificate: Use SSL Checker or Qualys SSL Labs to check whether the SSL certificate is valid and correctly configured:
These tools will give you a detailed report on the SSL status, including:
- Whether the certificate is trusted by all major browsers.
- If there are any security vulnerabilities (e.g., weak encryption).
- The expiration date of the certificate.
Fix SSL Issues: If the certificate is invalid, expired, or does not cover the entire site, work with the website’s hosting provider to renew or install it correctly. If needed, see if the certificate covers all subdomains (using a wildcard SSL certificate, if applicable).
Website Theme Analysis
Step 9: Verify the Site Has a Good Lighthouse Accessibility Score and is Mobile-Responsive
Use Google Lighthouse: https://developer.chrome.com/docs/lighthouse/overview
- Open Google Lighthouse: You can access Google Lighthouse using the Chrome browser’s Developer Tools. Right-click anywhere on the website, select “Inspect,” then navigate to the Lighthouse tab.
- Run a Lighthouse Audit: Under the Lighthouse tab, select the Accessibility option and confirm the device is on mobile. Click “Generate Report” to run the audit. This will give you a detailed score based on how well the website adheres to accessibility standards.
- Review the Accessibility Score: Lighthouse will provide a score between 0 and 100 for accessibility. A good accessibility score is typically 90 or above. This score reflects how easy it is for all users, including those with disabilities, to navigate and interact with the website. If the score is below this range, click on the items in the report to see suggestions for improvement, such as adding alt text for images or improving contrast for readability.
- Check Mobile-Responsiveness: While still in the Lighthouse tool, confirm the site is mobile-responsive by reviewing the mobile display settings. Check if the site adjusts smoothly to different screen sizes without issues like overlapping elements or unreadable text.
Step 10: Check the Site Passes Google’s Mobile-Friendly Performance Test Using Google Lighthouse
- Set Device to Mobile in Lighthouse: When generating the Lighthouse report, select Mobile under the Device settings to simulate how the site performs on mobile devices.
- Run the Performance Test: Besides accessibility, check the Performance category in Lighthouse. Click Generate Report again, and this will show you how well the site performs on mobile devices, specifically focusing on load times, interactivity, and visual stability.
- Review the Mobile Performance Score: A good mobile performance score should be 90 or above. A good score means the site loads quickly, responds well to user interactions, and doesn’t shift layout elements unexpectedly as they load. If the score is lower, Lighthouse will offer specific recommendations, like reducing image sizes or eliminating render-blocking resources.
- Fix Any Issues: If Lighthouse detects issues, work with a developer to fix them. Address mobile layout problems, optimize image sizes, and improve loading times for a better user experience.
Site Speed Audit
Step 11: Check if Crucial Content Loads Quickly and Receives a High Score in Google’s PageSpeed Insights
Navigate to: https://pagespeed.web.dev/
- Go to Google’s PageSpeed Insights Tool: Open your browser and go to Google’s PageSpeed Insights. This tool analyzes a website’s performance on mobile and desktop devices and provides suggestions for improving speed.
- Enter the Website URL: In the PageSpeed Insights tool, enter your homepage URL (e.g., pestcontroldomain.com) and click Analyze. The tool will take a few seconds to run the test and generate a detailed report.
- Review the Overall Performance Score: Once the analysis is complete, PageSpeed Insights will give an overall performance score from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better performance. You should aim for a score of 90 or above. PageSpeed Insights provides separate scores for mobile and desktop versions of the site, so be sure to check both.
Focus on Key Metrics
Pay close attention to the following key metrics in the report:
- First Contentful Paint (FCP): This measures how long it takes for the first piece of content to appear on the screen. A good FCP score should be under 2 seconds.
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): This measures how long the largest visible element (like an image or video takes) will be fully loaded. Aim for an LCP of less than 2.5 seconds.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): This measures the visual stability of your website. A good CLS score should be under 0.1, indicating that the page elements don’t shift as they load.
- Time to Interactive (TTI): This shows how long it takes for the page to become fully interactive. A good TTI score should be under 3.8 seconds.
Identify Crucial Content Load Speed
In addition to the performance score, review how quickly crucial content—such as images, videos, or interactive elements on the homepage or key service pages—loads. If these elements are slow, they could affect user experience and conversions.
Check Opportunities for Improvement
PageSpeed Insights also lists specific recommendations for improving the site’s speed. Common suggestions include:
- Optimizing images: Compressing or converting images to newer WebP format.
- Reducing server response time: Working with your hosting provider to improve server performance.
- Eliminating render-blocking resources: Deferring or asynchronously loading scripts that may delay rendering.
- Using browser caching: See that static resources are cached to load faster for returning visitors.
Make Necessary Speed Improvements
After reviewing the PageSpeed Insights suggestions, work with a web developer to address the issues slowing down the site. First, focus on optimizing critical content, such as images, scripts, and external resources that impact the load time.
Technical Accessibility Audit
Step 12: Verify the Top Menu is Clear and Easy to Navigate
- Visit the Website: Open the website in a browser and check the top menu.
- Test for User Experience: Check the top menu is simple, with intuitive navigation labels that users can easily understand (e.g., “Services,” “Contact,” “About Us”).
- Check for Accessibility: Confirm that all menu items are visible and accessible on desktop and mobile devices. Check if the dropdown or hamburger menu works smoothly and is easy to use on all screen sizes.
Step 13: Check for Unnecessary Redirects (301/302) and Broken Links Using Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Screaming Frog SEO spider -> Response Codes -> Internal -> Internal Redirection (30x):
- Review 301/302 Redirects: Click the Response Codes tab, and filter the results to show 301/302 redirects. Review whether any unnecessary redirects exist. These can slow down page loading times and confuse search engines.
- Fix Unnecessary Redirects: Remove or consolidate any redundant redirects to improve performance.
Step 14: Look for 404 Errors and Fix Any Broken Links
Screaming Frog SEO spider -> Response Codes -> Internal -> Internal Client Error (40x):
- Check for 404 Errors in Screaming Frog: Filter the results under the Response Codes tab to find 404 errors (Page Not Found).
- Identify Broken Links: Review any URLs returning a 404 error. These could be internal links pointing to deleted or moved pages.
- Fix or Redirect Broken Links: For each broken link, either update the link to the correct page or set up a 301 redirect to a relevant, active page.
Step 15: Verify the Most Important Pages Are Receiving the Most Internal Link Equity
Screaming Frog SEO spider -> Crawl Data -> HTML.
Find “Inlinks” and “Unique Inlinks” columns and sort pages by “Inlinks”:
- Review Internal Links in Screaming Frog: Check the number of internal links pointing to each page in the Internal tab.
- Verify Key Pages Get the Most Links: The homepage, service pages, and other key pages should have the most internal links. If important pages aren’t receiving many internal links, consider adding them to relevant sections of the site to improve their SEO.
Step 16: Identify Orphaned Pages that Are Not Linked to Other Pages
Go to “Crawl Analysis” -> “Start” on the top menu. And after analysis is performed.
Go to “Sitemaps” -> Orphan URLs:
- Check for Orphaned Pages in Screaming Frog: Orphaned pages don’t link from anywhere on the website. Use the Orphaned Pages report to identify any such pages.
- Link Orphaned Pages: Once orphaned pages are determined, add internal links from relevant content to these pages to improve site navigation and get crawled by search engines.
Step 17: Confirm that Important Content is Within Three Clicks from the Homepage
Screaming Frog SEO spider -> Crawl Data -> HTML.
Sort pages by the “Crawl Depth” column:
- Test Site Navigation: Navigate through the website and check that content (service pages or high-traffic blog posts) can be accessed within three clicks from the homepage.
- Reorganize if Needed: If essential content is buried deep within the site, consider restructuring the navigation or adding more internal links to improve access.
Step 18: Review for Unnatural External Links
Screaming Frog SEO spider -> Response Codes -> External -> HTML:
- Check External Links in Screaming Frog: Review all external links from the site in the External tab.
- Look for Unnatural Links: Identify links pointing to unrelated or low-quality sites. These could harm your SEO and user experience.
- Remove or Update Unnatural Links: Remove or update any external links that appear spammy, irrelevant, or broken.
Step 19: Verify Breadcrumb Navigation is Implemented Correctly
Breadcrumbs guide from Google: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/breadcrumb:
- Check for Breadcrumbs on the Website: Breadcrumbs should be visible on service pages, blog posts, and other content-rich site areas. They provide users with a trail showing how they’ve navigated through the site’s structure.
- Review Functionality: Check if breadcrumbs are clickable and lead users to higher-level pages in the site’s hierarchy (e.g., Homepage > Services > Termite Control).
- Fix Any Issues: If breadcrumbs are missing or not functioning correctly, work with a developer to implement or correct them.
Microdata Schema Audit
Step 20: Validate the Use of LocalBusiness Schema Markup Using Google’s Rich Results Test
Use a Rich Results Test tool from Google: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
- Go to Google’s Rich Results Test Tool: Open your browser and go to Google’s Rich Results Test. This tool helps you check if your website’s structured data, such as LocalBusiness schema markup, is correctly implemented and eligible for rich results in search.
- Enter Your Website URL: In the search bar, enter the page URL where LocalBusiness schema markup should be applied (usually the homepage or a location-specific page). Click “Test URL” to begin the analysis. The tool will check the schema markup for that specific page.
- Review the Test Results: Once the test is complete, check if the LocalBusiness schema is detected. The results will display whether the schema is valid and eligible for rich results in Google search.
Check for Errors or Warnings
If there are any errors or warnings related to the LocalBusiness schema, Google will highlight them in the results. Common issues include:
- Missing required fields (e.g., business name, address, phone number).
- Incorrect formatting for specific fields (e.g., phone number or opening hours).
Fix Any Issues with the Schema
If errors or warnings exist, work with your developer to correct the issues. Check that all required fields are filled out and properly formatted according to Google’s schema guidelines, including:
- Business Name: The official name of the business.
- Address: A valid physical address for the business.
- Phone Number: A formatted phone number that matches your Google Business Profile and website.
- Operating Hours: Correctly formatted business hours.
Pro tip: if you don’t have a LocalBusiness markup, use the Json Schema generator tool:
https://technicalseo.com/tools/schema-markup-generator/
Chose “LocalBusiness” and “ProfessionalService” in @type for the pest control:
Re-Test After Fixes
After making changes to the schema markup, re-run the test on Google’s Rich Results Test to ensure all errors are resolved and that the LocalBusiness schema is correctly implemented.
