Don’t underestimate the power of the basics. Even seasoned SEO experts sometimes overlook simple yet crucial limits that can significantly boost your website’s ranking. In this article, we’ll explore 24 often overlooked but critically significant SEO limits that can affect your website’s performance and visibility. From technical aspects like title length and meta descriptions to Google crawl limits and beyond, we’ll cover them all.
All SEO Limits Cheat Sheet
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1. Title Length
Limit: 60-70 characters for desktop and 70-76 for mobile for full visibility in search results.
Search engines typically display only the first 60-70 characters on desktop and 70-76 characters on mobile search results. Titles that exceed the limit might be cut off in the SERP and appear incomplete, leading to decreased click-through rates. In some cases, Google might rewrite excessively long titles, altering your intended message.
Tip: Use a content editor to check how your title will appear in the SERP.
2. Number of Title and H1 Tags per Page
Limit: One title tag and one H1 heading per page.
While there are no limits to how many title and H1 tags you can add, multiple tags can confuse search engines and dilute the focus of your content. Having only one title and one H1 ensures clear signals about your page’s main topic.
Tip: Check for multiple title and H1 tags using site audit tools.
3. Meta Description Length
Limit: Under 160 characters for desktop and 120 for mobile.
Search engines commonly truncate meta descriptions beyond these limits, making your message less effective. Craft concise and descriptive meta descriptions to entice users to click.
Tip: Use relevant keywords and tools to see how your description will look in the SERP.
4. Image File Size
Limit: 200KB for faster loading speeds and a better user experience.
Large image files slow down page loading times, leading to higher bounce rates and impacting Core Web Vitals and rankings. Compress images without sacrificing quality to improve performance.
Tip: Use tools like JPEG Optimizer or TinyPNG to compress images.
5. Sitemap Size and Number of URLs
Limit: 50MB max size (uncompressed), 50,000 URLs per sitemap.
Sitemaps help search engines discover and index your website’s content effectively. Split your sitemap into multiple ones if you exceed these limits and create a sitemap index file.
Tip: Update your sitemaps whenever you add or remove important content.
6. Disavow File Size and Number of URLs
Limit: 2MB and 100,000 URLs.
A disavow file informs Google about low-quality or spammy backlinks. Large disavow files might take longer for Google to process, potentially affecting SEO performance.
Tip: Generate your disavow file only when necessary, using appropriate tools.
7. Robots.txt File Size
Limit: 500KB.
The robots.txt file instructs search engine crawlers on how to access and navigate your website. A file that’s too large may be ignored by search engines, slowing down the crawling process.
Tip: Compile your robots.txt file correctly using site audit tools.
8. Alt Text Size
Limit: 120 characters.
Alt text provides a textual description of images, crucial for accessibility and SEO. Describe the image accurately and include relevant keywords.
Tip: Check for empty alt texts to avoid missed opportunities for ranking in Google Images.
9. Anchor Text Size
Limit: 6-8 words or 55-60 characters.
Concise anchor text enhances user experience and helps search engines understand the context of linked pages.
Tip: Use tools to check anchor texts and ensure they are appropriately sized.
10. URL Length
Limit: 2,000 characters.
While there’s no strict limit, excessively long URLs can be difficult for users to read and understand. Keep URLs concise and descriptive.
Tip: Spot long URLs on your website using audit tools.
11. Redirect Hops
Limit: Ideally below five hops from the original URL.
Each redirect adds an extra HTTP request, increasing page load times and potentially causing indexing issues.
Tip: Minimize unnecessary hops to improve user experience and search engine crawling efficiency.
12. Page Load Time
Limit: 3 seconds for desktop and 2 seconds for mobile.
Fast loading times are crucial for user experience and SEO. Optimize images, minimize server response times, and use content delivery networks (CDNs) to improve speed.
Tip: Regularly audit your page load times.
13. Core Web Vitals
Limit: LCP < 2.5 seconds, FID < 100 milliseconds, CLS ≤ 0.1, INP < 200 milliseconds.
Optimizing Core Web Vitals is crucial for a better user experience, leading to increased engagement and conversions.
Tip: Use tools to check which pages fail the Core Web Vitals assessment.
14. Page Size
Limit: Under 3MB.
Large files take longer to download, leading to user frustration and increased bounce rates. Compress images, minify CSS and JavaScript, and optimize multimedia content to reduce page size.
Tip: Check page sizes in your site audit tools.
15. Click Depth
Limit: 3-4 clicks from the homepage.
Users expect to find information quickly. Excessive clicks can lead to frustration and indexing problems.
Tip: Keep important pages close to the homepage and visualize your site by click depth.
16. Keyword Density
Limit: 1-3% without keyword stuffing.
Strive for a balance to avoid penalties and ensure natural readability. Use keywords naturally and where relevant.
Tip: Check for keyword stuffing using content audit tools.
17. Content Length
Limit: >300 words.
More quality content provides greater value and avoids penalties for thin content. Focus on creating valuable and engaging content for users.
Tip: Use content editors to generate word count recommendations based on your competitors.
18. Internal Linking
Limit: 100-150 internal links per page.
Create a well-structured internal linking strategy for smooth navigation and effective PageRank distribution.
Tip: Check for internal linking issues using site audit tools.
19. Crawl Limit per Page
Limit: 15MB.
Googlebot will only process the first 15MB of a page. Minify and optimize your website’s code and compress images to reduce file size.
Tip: Regularly audit your site’s page sizes.
20. Crawl Budget
Limit: A few thousand pages per day for larger sites.
Efficiently manage your crawl budget to prioritize critical pages. Use robots.txt directives, XML sitemaps, and internal linking.
Tip: Regularly monitor and optimize your site’s crawl efficiency.
21. Google Search Console Limits
Limit: 1,000 properties, 1,000 rows, up to 500 sitemap index files, 10,000 pixels of rendering.
Prioritize essential data and manage a large number of websites efficiently.
Tip: Create separate GSC accounts or use team features to share access.
22. Google Business Profile Limits
Limit: 100 characters in a business name and other specific limits.
Prioritize providing accurate and concise information to improve discoverability.
Tip: Add relevant keywords to your business name, description, and category selection.
23. Google Analytics Limits
Limit: 10 million hits per month per property and other specific limits.
Focus on collecting and analyzing data that directly contributes to your marketing goals.
Tip: Use data sampling for high-traffic periods to gain insights without exceeding limitations.
24. Google Keyword Planner Limits
Limit: 700 keywords per search.
Research and analyze the most relevant keywords for your campaign goals within the 700 limit.
Tip: Use Keyword Planner alongside other keyword research tools to gather additional data.
Summary
While these limits may seem like small details, they can have a big impact on your website’s success. Pay attention to the details, stay up to date with the latest best practices in SEO, and watch your site climb the ranks in search engine results.
Don’t forget to download the All SEO Limits PDF file. Share it with friends and colleagues. Let’s do beautiful SEO together.
