Dumb SEO Questions

(Entry was posted by Neil Cheesma on this post in the Dumb SEO Questions community on Facebook, 03/17/2017).

Search Console - "temporarily unreachable"

When all seems to be working fine - how much should you worry about `partial` in the Fetch and Render - in Search Console - "temporarily unreachable"
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YOUR ANSWERS

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

  • Alan Bleiweiss: How many tests have you run over how many days? On how many pages? How many is that relative to the size of the site? One test, one time, may not be a critical problem.
  • Micah Fisher-Kirshner: Usually if there`s a green checkmark and it says partial, you`re fine. Sometimes that occurs from things outside of your control (ads for example).
  • Alan Bleiweiss: 🤔
  • Neil Cheesman: At this moment in time more of a general question... and reading up where many others have experienced the issues - seemingly with no straightforward answer - although not sure there would be `one-fits-all` answer - curious to know what any likely let`s say persistent "temporarily unreachable` issues (say css/js/jpg) might indicate... or more to the point - what this might lead to with Google...
  • Neil Cheesman: Ps... Tested outside of Wordpress with a basic html page and the exact same problem... Temporarily unreachable (temporary = all the time) 5 x CSS 4 x JS 1 x jpg
  • Neil Cheesman: Noticed that since migrating to Siteground (1 week ago) away from a very erratic hosting (in terms of site speed) - since migrating (could be a coincidence - but really don`t like those) in Search Console - the Fetch and Render always comes up with partial - whereas before it was always complete.... answers on a postcard? some sort of caching problem?
  • Doc Sheldon: Neil, I`ve seen deferred loading of large js/css files cause that. A buddy suggested that might be the issue and I removed the deferral and they rendered fine. So I re-deferred and quit worrying about it
  • Neil Cheesman: and damned annoying... Siteground (hosting company for the website) have no idea... webmaster forum Google no resolution
  • Neil Cheesman: Not the Robots.txt or the htaccess - I have read this (on Google Webmaster forum) .... and cannot get any progress with hosting company on this.. so if anyone knows anyone who could help (paid or otherwise) please let me know... "TLD Parent Check WARNING: Looks like the parent servers do not have information for your TLD when asked. This is ok but can be confusing." and rankings have dropped out of sight... or out of site - not sure which...
  • Neil Cheesman: and on the Mobile Friendly Test of Google - shows a mobile friendly BUT doesn`t show example screen with css... BUT all displays on mobile devices as okay...
  • Nick Wilsdon: Hey Neil Cheesman - just ran a test on a site held at SiteGround. Had one issue with the Sumo API tag, which I fixed, but now all the pages I tested show as "complete". The site I tested on is a WP installation, using their cache tools. Guess that indicates that SiteGround hosted sites are capable of showing "complete" but happy to discuss details further on DM.
  • Neil Cheesman: PROBLEM resolved by Nick Wilsdon >> My words not his >>> problem caused by migration of http site to Siteground as https - and then Googlebot looking for css, js resources as https (although showing as http in GSC) >>> Solution = added an https plugin to Wordpress and a few tweaks (again my words) easy when you know how - and I didn`t - MASSIVE thanks Nick!
  • Doc Sheldon: Yeah, that was what made me think about deferred calls.
  • Neil Cheesman: Thanks - I have also uploaded a basic html file with attached css (ie outside of Wordpress) - and THOSE also are not rendered... although of course there is still mention of Wordpress within the htaccess file... although Wordpress not actually being loaded
  • Doc Sheldon: Seems you`ve checked all the likely things, Neil. The only other thing I can think of would be to try deactivating all the plugins and see if the problem persists... it`s possible that one errant bit in a plugin install could be causing a hiccup. Beyond that, I`ve got nothing. :(
  • Doc Sheldon: That parent server warning is odd... what method did you use for directing the domain? DNS? MX?
  • Doc Sheldon: I`ve had a couple of odd issues pop up on a couple of my sites since I moved to SiteGround and their tech support crew have been extremely helpful, even though the issues were on my end, not theirs. I`d suggest you keep trying to enlist their aid. They have some very sharp folks on their team.
  • Neil Cheesman: Thanks.... generally they are brilliant and very helpful but they are unable to resolve this... support thread is mega long!
  • Neil Cheesman: Strange thing (or maybe not if you know about these things) the css file(s) that are Temporarily Unreachable for a page - if I then fetch and Render that css file it Fetches and renders it okay, , ,
  • Doc Sheldon: I`m betting that when you find it, it`ll be a super-simple thing, like an extra space or missing semi-colon in some code... that`ll have you head-desking (at least, that`s my typical response)
  • Neil Cheesman: My own site is on there... generally no problems..
  • Neil Cheesman: Also - there were two sites that were migrated same themes and plugins and one is fine.. one isn`t
  • Doc Sheldon: The only other thing that occurs to me would be to set up a new add-on test domain, with a new clean WP D/L and install, reinstall the plugins new (from new D/Ls), and try that one along the way... if the problem goes away, it`s like a bug in your site. Then try copying the DB over to the test bed and see if the problem recurs. If that brings the problem back, you`ll be in for some deep digging. You might also go through your wpconfig file with a fine tooth comb.
  • Doc Sheldon: Yeah, their servers are definitely good to go for fetch & render. I have 10 of my sites on there in various WP configurations, with no problems.

View original question in the Dumb SEO Questions community on Facebook, 03/17/2017).