Discover the impact of DNS resolution errors on your website's search engine ranking and learn actionable steps to improve crawlability and optimize your SEO.

DNS resolution errors are a common but often overlooked technical SEO issue that can significantly impact your website's visibility in search results.

These errors can prevent search engine crawlers from accessing your website, leading to poor indexing and reduced traffic.

Fortunately, there are effective solutions to fix DNS resolution errors and ensure that your site is easily crawled and indexed by Google.

"DNS resolution describes whether Google encountered DNS issues when crawling your site. DNS error rates are problematic if they exceed a baseline value for that day. -Google Search Console

In this post, we'll provide a step-by-step guide to identify, diagnose, and resolve DNS resolution problems, empowering you to optimize your website's crawlability and boost your SEO.

You're right, DNS resolution errors can significantly impact search engine crawlability. Here's a breakdown of acceptable ratios, causes, and solutions:

Acceptable DNS Resolution Error Rate:
There's no single magic number, but generally:

Less than 1% is considered excellent.
1-5% is acceptable, but you should investigate potential causes.
The above 5% is concerning and can significantly hinder crawling.
Causes of DNS Resolution Errors:

Incorrect DNS Configuration: Double-check that your domain name is correctly pointed to your web server's IP address.
DNS Server Issues: Your DNS provider might be experiencing outages or slowness.

DNS Cache Poisoning: Malicious actors can interfere with DNS resolution, especially outdated DNS records.

Firewall or Security Settings: Your firewall or security software might block DNS requests from Google's crawlers.

Incorrect Time Zone Settings: If your server's time zone is incorrect, it can disrupt DNS resolution.

CNAME Chaining (Deep Nesting): Excessive CNAME nesting can slow down DNS resolution.

Fix DNS Resolution Errors and Improve Website's Crawlability
How to Overcome DNS Resolution Problems for Efficient Search Crawlability:

• Verify DNS Configuration:
• Use a DNS Lookup Tool: Tools like DNS or MXToolbox can help you verify your DNS settings are correct.
• Check Your Registrar: Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.) and double-check that your DNS records pointed to the right IP address.
• Check for DNS Server Issues:
• Contact Your DNS Provider: Reach out to your DNS provider (Cloudflare, Google Domains, etc.) to see if they're experiencing any outages or performance issues.
• Consider a Different DNS Provider: If you're consistently experiencing issues, it might be time to switch to a more reliable provider.
• Secure Your DNS:
• Enable DNSSEC: DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) help to prevent DNS cache poisoning.
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): CDNs can help to improve DNS performance and reliability by caching your website's content closer to users.
• Review Firewall/Security Settings:
• Whitelist Google's IP Addresses: Ensure Google's crawler IPs (available on their website) are allowed through your firewall or security software.
• Correct Time Zone Settings:
• Configure Your Server Time Zone: Make sure your server's time zone is correctly set to avoid inconsistencies.
• Minimize CNAME Chaining: Use A Records Where Possible, Read more- Fix DNS Resolution Errors