Rules & evidence
Every rule that fired in this run, with full playbook and affected URLs. Use this as a reference when defending or revising a finding.
CRITICAL
Redirect Chain
redirect-chain · 1 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
Accessing this URL requires going through 4 or more redirects before reaching the final page. Each redirect adds latency and dilutes the SEO "link juice" passed through the chain.
Why it matters
Google follows redirect chains but recommends keeping them to 1–3 hops maximum. Longer chains slow down indexing, reduce ranking signals transferred, and can cause Googlebot to give up before reaching the final URL.
Business impact
Redirect chains slow page loading (each redirect adds 100–500ms of latency) and reduce the organic authority that reaches the final URL. This matters most for high-value pages like article landing pages.
How to fix
1. Ask the developer to update the redirect at the start of the chain to point directly to the final destination URL, cutting out the intermediate hops. 2. Update all internal links, sitemap entries, and external links to point to the final URL directly. 3. Inform the SEO team about the chain so they can also update any external link profiles.
Who to involve
Developer + SEO Team · Effort: Medium · Urgency: This week
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows all redirect chains are 3 hops or fewer.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 1 | New | today | › |
HIGH
Missing Social Image
missing-og-image · 7 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
This page has no Open Graph image — the picture that appears when someone shares this link on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, or other social networks.
Why it matters
When people share articles on social media, the image is the single biggest factor in whether others click. Pages without an og:image either show no image at all or pull an irrelevant image from the page.
Business impact
Articles shared without images receive on average 3–5x fewer clicks from social media. For a news publisher where social sharing is a major traffic source, this directly affects referral traffic and brand perception.
How to fix
1. Ask content managers to add a featured image to every article in the CMS. 2. Ask the developer to make sure the CMS automatically outputs the og:image tag using the featured/hero image. 3. For template pages, a default branded image should be set as a fallback.
Who to involve
Content Manager + Developer · Effort: Low · Urgency: This week
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows all indexed article and section pages have a valid og:image tag.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 7 | New | today | › |
HIGH
Missing Social Title
missing-og-title · 5 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
This page is missing an Open Graph title — the headline shown when someone shares the link on social networks. Without it, social networks either show no title or pick one unpredictably from the page.
Why it matters
Social platforms use og:title as the primary text in link previews. A missing or wrong title makes shares look broken and reduces click-through from social.
Business impact
Poor social previews reduce the effectiveness of every article share on Facebook, Twitter, and messaging apps. This impacts both organic social reach and any paid social campaigns using these URLs.
How to fix
1. Ask the developer to add og:title to the page template, ideally using the same value as the <title> tag. 2. For CMS-driven sites, this is usually a one-time template fix that resolves the issue for all pages at once.
Who to involve
Developer · Effort: Low · Urgency: This week
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows all pages have a non-empty og:title meta tag.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 5 | New | today | › |
HIGH
Missing Canonical
missing-canonical · 2 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
This page is missing a canonical link — a tag that tells Google which version of the URL is the "official" one. Without it, Google may treat multiple similar URLs as separate, competing pages.
Why it matters
Google uses canonicals to consolidate ranking signals. When multiple URLs serve the same or similar content without a canonical, Google splits the ranking power between them, weakening all of them.
Business impact
Duplicate or near-duplicate pages without canonicals can cause a ranking drop as Google dilutes the authority across multiple URLs instead of concentrating it on one. Articles are especially affected because they compete with their own gallery, tag, and paginated versions.
How to fix
1. Ask the developer to add a <link rel="canonical" href="[self URL]"> tag in the <head> of every page. 2. For articles, the canonical should point to the article's own URL. 3. For gallery pages that accompany an article, the canonical should point to the article. 4. Use the SEO rules questionnaire to confirm the canonical strategy for each segment.
Who to involve
Developer + SEO Team · Effort: Low · Urgency: This week
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows every indexable page has a canonical link tag.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 2 | New | today | › |
MEDIUM
Invalid Schema Syntax
invalid-schema-syntax · 3 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
This page has a JSON-LD schema block (structured data that helps Google understand page content for rich results), but the schema contains syntax errors that prevent it from being read.
Why it matters
Invalid JSON-LD is silently ignored by Google. The page misses out on rich result eligibility (star ratings, article cards in Google News) without any warning.
Business impact
Pages with broken schema lose eligibility for Google rich results, which can significantly reduce click-through rates. For news articles, broken NewsArticle schema can reduce Google News visibility.
How to fix
1. Ask the developer to validate the JSON-LD on the affected pages using Google's Rich Results Test tool. 2. Fix the syntax errors — common issues are unclosed brackets, missing commas, or invalid escape sequences. 3. Test again after the fix using the Google Rich Results Test.
Who to involve
Developer · Effort: Low · Urgency: This week
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows all JSON-LD blocks parse without errors.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 3 | Persistent | today | › |
MEDIUM
Multiple H1 Tags
multiple-h1 · 2 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
This page has more than one H1 heading. While not as severe as a missing H1, having multiple H1s can confuse search engines about the main topic of the page.
Why it matters
Best practice is to have exactly one H1 per page that clearly states the page's primary topic. Multiple H1s suggest unclear content hierarchy.
Business impact
The impact is relatively minor but can contribute to lower content quality signals for Google. Pages with clear content hierarchy generally perform better over time.
How to fix
1. Ask the developer to audit the page template. 2. Change secondary H1 tags to H2 or H3 as appropriate. 3. Make sure the page has exactly one H1 that matches the page's main topic.
Who to involve
Developer · Effort: Low · Urgency: This month
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows all pages have exactly one H1 heading.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 2 | New | today | › |
MEDIUM
Missing Article Schema
missing-article-schema · 2 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
This article page is missing the NewsArticle structured data schema. This is the code block that tells Google "this is a news article" and enables features like Google News Top Stories, article rich results, and improved crawler understanding.
Why it matters
NewsArticle schema is required for Google News Top Stories eligibility and significantly helps Google understand article freshness, authorship, and publication date.
Business impact
Without NewsArticle schema, articles may be excluded from Google News Top Stories and other rich result placements. For a news publisher, Top Stories visibility can drive 20–50% of article traffic for major news events.
How to fix
1. Ask the developer to add a NewsArticle JSON-LD block to the article template. 2. It should include: headline, datePublished, dateModified, author, publisher, and image. 3. Validate the schema using Google's Rich Results Test. 4. Submit to Google Search Console for re-crawling.
Who to involve
Developer + SEO Team · Effort: Medium · Urgency: This week
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows all article pages have valid NewsArticle schema.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 2 | Persistent | today | › |
INFO
Description Too Long
description-too-long · 18 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
The meta description is longer than Google typically shows in search results (around 155 characters). Google will cut it off, and the truncated text may end awkwardly.
Why it matters
Truncated descriptions lose their call-to-action and make search listings look incomplete. The key benefit message gets cut before the reader sees it.
Business impact
Overly long descriptions may reduce click-through rates from search results. The impact is moderate — this is a polish issue, not a ranking issue.
How to fix
1. Ask content managers to shorten the meta description to 120–155 characters. 2. Make sure the most important information (what the page is about, the key benefit) comes within the first 120 characters.
Who to involve
Content Manager · Effort: Low · Urgency: Nice to have
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows all flagged descriptions are 155 characters or shorter.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 18 | Improving | today | › |
INFO
Title Too Long
title-too-long · 17 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
The page title exceeds the length that Google typically displays in search results (around 600 pixels wide, roughly 60 characters). Google will cut it off with "..." making it less useful to searchers.
Why it matters
A truncated title loses its call-to-action and may confuse searchers. Google may also rewrite truncated titles, replacing yours with something less relevant.
Business impact
Truncated titles can reduce click-through rates from search results. The impact is moderate — Google still ranks the page, but the listing looks less polished.
How to fix
1. Ask content managers to shorten the affected page titles to under 60 characters (or 580 pixels) while keeping the core keyword. 2. Focus on the beginning of the title — put the most important words first. 3. Remove brand suffixes if they push the title over the limit.
Who to involve
Content Manager + SEO Team · Effort: Low · Urgency: This month
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows all flagged titles are within the pixel-width limit.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 17 | Improving | today | › |
INFO
Description Too Short
description-too-short · 11 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
The meta description is very short — fewer than 70 characters. Short descriptions miss the opportunity to communicate the page's value and entice searchers to click.
Why it matters
Meta descriptions act as advertising copy in search results. A very short description wastes this prime real estate and may signal thin content to Google.
Business impact
Pages with very short descriptions tend to have lower click-through rates from search results. Users see less context and are less motivated to click.
How to fix
1. Ask content managers to expand the meta description to 120–155 characters. 2. The description should summarize what the reader will learn or get from the page. 3. Use the article's first paragraph as a starting point.
Who to involve
Content Manager · Effort: Low · Urgency: Nice to have
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows all flagged descriptions meet the minimum character count.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 11 | Persistent | today | › |
INFO
Title Too Short
title-too-short · 5 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
The page title is very short — fewer characters than recommended for good SEO. Very short titles miss opportunities to include relevant keywords and context that help Google match the page to search queries.
Why it matters
Titles with fewer than 30 characters often lack enough information for Google to understand the page's topic, reducing how well it ranks for relevant searches.
Business impact
Pages with very short titles may rank lower for relevant keywords, reducing organic traffic. The impact depends on the page's importance and competitive landscape.
How to fix
1. Ask content managers to expand the page title to include more descriptive keywords (aim for 50–60 characters). 2. For article pages, the title should reflect the article's main topic clearly. 3. For section pages, include the site name or topic category.
Who to involve
Content Manager + SEO Team · Effort: Low · Urgency: Nice to have
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows all flagged titles meet the minimum character count.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 5 | New | today | › |
INFO
Title Too Wide (Pixels)
title-too-wide-pixels · 2 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
The title is within normal character limits but uses wide characters (such as Czech letters with diacritics like Š, Č, Ž) that make it visually wider than Google's display area. Google will cut it off in search results.
Why it matters
Google measures title display width in pixels, not characters. Czech text uses wider glyphs on average, so a title can appear fine in a character counter but still get truncated in search results.
Business impact
Truncated titles look unprofessional in search results and may reduce click-through rates. This is a Czech-language-specific issue requiring pixel-aware measurement.
How to fix
1. Ask content managers to shorten the affected titles, focusing on removing any less-critical words. 2. Use the title width tool (or the "title-too-wide-pixels" evidence in the finding) to see the exact pixel measurement. 3. Aim for under 580 pixels for a safe margin.
Who to involve
Content Manager + SEO Team · Effort: Low · Urgency: This month
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows all flagged titles have pixel width under the 580px threshold.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 2 | Improving | today | › |
INFO
H1 Missing
h1-missing · 1 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
This page has no H1 heading — the main headline that appears at the top of the article or page. H1 is one of the strongest signals to search engines about what the page is about.
Why it matters
Google uses the H1 heading as a primary on-page relevance signal. Missing H1s make it harder for Google to understand and rank the page for relevant queries.
Business impact
Articles without H1 headings may rank lower for their target keywords. For news articles, this can mean fewer impressions in Google News and Google Discover, significantly impacting traffic.
How to fix
1. Ask the developer to verify that the article headline is marked up as an <h1> tag in the page template. 2. If the CMS outputs the headline in a different tag (like <h2> or just a styled <div>), the developer should change it to <h1>. 3. Only one H1 per page is needed — it should be the main headline.
Who to involve
Developer · Effort: Low · Urgency: This week
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows all article pages have exactly one H1 heading.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 1 | New | today | › |
INFO
H2 Missing
h2-missing · 1 URLs affected across 1 segment
What is this
This article has more than 400 words but no H2 subheadings to break up the content. H2 tags act as section titles within an article, helping both readers and search engines understand the structure.
Why it matters
Google uses heading tags to understand what topics an article covers. Articles with clear H2 subheadings tend to rank for more keyword variations — each H2 can act as a topical signal for a sub-query.
Business impact
Well-structured articles with H2s are more readable, reducing bounce rate and increasing time-on-page. They are also more likely to be featured in Google's "People also ask" and featured snippet sections, which drive additional organic traffic.
How to fix
1. Ask content managers to review long articles that lack subheadings. 2. Break long articles into logical sections with descriptive H2 subheadings. 3. Each H2 should summarise the main idea of its section and ideally contain a relevant keyword. 4. For CMS-driven sites, the editor toolbar should support H2 tags — remind writers to use them.
Who to involve
Content Manager + SEO Team · Effort: Medium · Urgency: This month
Success criteria
Re-crawl shows all long articles (400+ words) have at least one H2 subheading.
| Segment | URLs | State | First seen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 1 | New | today | › |