If Google can’t see your website, then what is all for? Without technical SEO, you might as well be invisible. The process of impacting and improving the rankings comes later, first your webpages need to be indexed and crawled. Continue reading this blog to find out more about Technical SEO best practises and tips.
What is Technical SEO?
Technical SEO refers to the process of optimising the technical aspects of a website to improve its visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).
It focuses on enhancing the website’s infrastructure and foundation to make it easier for search engines to crawl, understand, and index your content effectively.
In simple words, technical SEO is about making your website more accessible and understandable to search engines, which in turn helps improve your site’s visibility and performance in search results.
Technical SEO vs On-Page SEO vs Off-Page SEO
While technical SEO, on-page SEO, and off-Page SEO are all crucial components of a comprehensive SEO strategy, they focus on different aspects of website optimisation:
- Technical SEO: Deals with the backend structure and performance of your website, including site speed, mobile-friendliness, crawlability, and indexability.
- On-page SEO: Focuses on optimising individual web pages’ content and HTML source code, including title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and internal linking.
- Off-Page SEO: Involves activities performed outside the boundaries of your website to improve its search engine rankings. This includes building backlinks, social media marketing, guest blogging, influencer outreach, and online reputation management.
To learn more about on-page SEO, you can visit our detailed guide on what is on-page optimisation in SEO.
The Role of a Technical SEO Expert
A technical SEO expert plays a crucial role in optimising a website’s performance and visibility in search engine results. Their responsibilities include:
- Conducting technical SEO audits to identify issues and opportunities for improvement
- Implementing strategies to enhance website speed and performance
- Ensuring proper website structure and crawlability
- Optimising mobile-friendliness and responsiveness
- Implementing schema markup and structured data
- Monitoring and resolving indexing issues
- Improving site security and SSL implementation
- Analysing and optimising Core Web Vitals
Essential Technical SEO Basics and Best Practices
Let’s explore some of the key areas of technical SEO and best practices to implement:
1. Website Crawlability and Indexability
Ensuring that search engines can easily crawl and index your website is fundamental to technical SEO. Best practices include:
- Creating and submitting an XML sitemap
- Optimising robots.txt file
- Implementing proper URL structure
- Using canonical tags to avoid duplicate content issues
2. Site Speed Optimisation
Page speed is a crucial ranking factor and directly impacts user experience. To improve site speed:
- Optimise images and use appropriate formats
- Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
- Leverage browser caching
- Implement content delivery networks (CDNs)
3. Mobile-Friendliness
With the increasing prevalence of mobile devices, having a mobile-friendly website is essential. Best practices include:
- Implementing responsive design
- Optimising for mobile-first indexing
- Ensuring fast loading times on mobile devices
- Avoiding intrusive interstitials
4. HTTPS Implementation
Secure websites are favoured by both users and search engines. Implementing HTTPS:
- Builds trust with users
- Protects sensitive user data
- Provides a ranking boost in search results
5. Structured Data and Schema Markup
Implementing structured data helps search engines understand your content better and can lead to rich snippets in search results. Best practices include:
- Using schema.org vocabulary
- Implementing JSON-LD format
- Testing structured data using Google’s Rich Results Test
6. Core Web Vitals Optimisation
Core Web Vitals are a set of metrics that measure user experience on web pages. Key areas to focus on include:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
- First Input Delay (FID)
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
7. XML Sitemaps
XML sitemaps help search engines discover and understand the structure of your website. Best practices include:
- Creating comprehensive XML sitemaps
- Submitting sitemaps to search engines
- Regularly updating sitemaps as your site changes
8. Internal Linking Structure
A well-organised internal linking structure helps both users and search engines navigate your site effectively. Best practices include:
- Creating a logical site hierarchy
- Using descriptive anchor text
- Implementing breadcrumb navigation
9. Handling Duplicate Content
Duplicate content can confuse search engines and dilute your site’s ranking power. To address this:
- Use canonical tags to indicate preferred versions of pages
- Implement proper URL parameters
- Avoid publishing similar content across multiple pages
10. International SEO Considerations
For websites targeting multiple countries or languages, international SEO is crucial. Best practices include:
- Implementing hreflang tags
- Using country-specific domains or subdomains
- Creating localised content for different markets
Final words
Technical SEO is a fundamental aspect of any successful SEO strategy. By focusing on these essential basics and best practices, you can significantly improve your website’s performance, visibility, and user experience. Remember that technical SEO is an ongoing process, and staying up-to-date with the latest trends and algorithm changes is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge in search results.
To learn more about the benefits of implementing a robust technical SEO strategy, check out our article on the benefits of technical SEO.
FAQs
1. Is technical SEO complicated?
2. Does Technical SEO require coding?
Technical SEO requires some coding knowledge. You don’t need to be an expert, but understanding and working with code can greatly improve your technical SEO efforts.
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