Technical SEO refers to the practice of optimizing a website’s infrastructure and architecture to improve its visibility and ranking in search engine results. It involves a range of factors, including website structure, security, accessibility, and the use of structured data and schema markup. It’s often done with the help of a consultant for technical SEO.
Conducting a technical SEO audit is an important step in the optimization process, as it allows you to identify and fix any issues that may be hindering your website’s performance. However, technical SEO can be confusing for many people, particularly those who are new to the field. Understanding the technical side of SEO requires a good understanding of web development and how search engines work, and it can be difficult to know where to start.
In this article, we will explore the key considerations for technical SEO and provide a checklist for conducting a technical SEO audit. We will also cover some common areas of confusion and offer resources for further learning. Our goal is to provide a clear and comprehensive guide to help you optimize your website and improve its ranking in search results.
1 – On-page optimization
On-page optimization refers to the practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engine results. On-page optimization can be broken down into several subcategories, including:
- Title tags and meta descriptions: These are HTML elements that provide a brief summary of a page’s content. They are displayed in the search results and can help improve the visibility and click-through rate of a page.
- Headings and subheadings: Headings and subheadings help to structure and organize a page’s content, making it easier for users to understand and for search engines to index. Using relevant and descriptive headings and subheadings can improve the usability and SEO of a page.
- Page URLs: URLs should be concise, descriptive, and easy to read. They should also include relevant keywords to help improve the page’s visibility in search results.
- Image alt text: Alt text is a attribute that is used to describe the contents of an image. It is important for accessibility, as it allows screen readers to interpret the content of an image for users who are visually impaired. Alt text is also used by search engines to understand the content of an image and can help improve the SEO of a page.
- Internal linking: Internal linking refers to the practice of linking to other pages on your own website. It helps to improve the navigation and usability of a website, and can also help to distribute link equity (the value passed through links from one page to another) and improve the ranking of individual pages.
Optimizing these elements can help improve the visibility and ranking of a website in search results, as well as the user experience for visitors.
2 – Website structure and navigation
Website structure and navigation is an important aspect of technical SEO, as it can impact both the user experience and the search engine’s ability to crawl and index a website. Here are some key considerations for website structure and navigation:
- XML sitemaps: An XML sitemap is a file that lists all of the pages on a website, along with additional metadata such as the last time the page was modified. XML sitemaps can help search engines discover and crawl new or changed pages on a website, and can also help to ensure that all pages are indexed.
- Breadcrumb navigation: Breadcrumb navigation is a type of secondary navigation that shows the user’s location within the site hierarchy. It can help to improve the user experience and make it easier for users to find their way around a website. Breadcrumb navigation can also be used to improve the SEO of a website, as it helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of a website.
- Mobile-friendliness: With the increasing number of users accessing the web from mobile devices, it is important to ensure that a website is optimized for mobile. This includes making sure that the layout and design are responsive, and that the website loads quickly on mobile devices. Google has a mobile-first index, which means that it will primarily use the mobile version of a website for ranking and indexing.
- Page loading speed: Page loading speed is an important factor for both the user experience and SEO. If a website takes too long to load, users are likely to leave before the page finishes loading, which can increase bounce rates and decrease the number of pages viewed. In addition, search engines may penalize websites that have slow loading times, as it can impact the user experience. There are various tools and techniques that can be used to improve page loading speed, such as optimizing images, minifying code, and using a content delivery network (CDN).
By optimizing these elements, you can improve the usability and search engine visibility of your website.
3 – Website security
Ensuring the security of a website is an important aspect of technical SEO, as it can impact both the user experience and the trustworthiness of a website in the eyes of search engines. Here are some key considerations for website security:
- SSL certificates: SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a security protocol that is used to encrypt data transmitted between a website and a user’s web browser. Websites that use SSL are typically identified by a green padlock icon in the address bar, and a URL that begins with “https” rather than “http”. SSL certificates can help to protect sensitive information such as passwords and credit card numbers from being intercepted by third parties. Google has stated that SSL is a ranking factor, and may give a small ranking boost to websites that use it.
- HTTPS protocol: HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a secure version of HTTP, the protocol used to transfer data on the web. It is used to protect the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted between a website and a user’s web browser. Google has stated that it will mark websites that do not use HTTPS as “not secure” in the address bar, which may impact the trustworthiness and credibility of the website in the eyes of users.
By implementing SSL certificates and using the HTTPS protocol, you can improve the security and trustworthiness of your website, as well as potentially improve its ranking in search results.
4 – Website accessibility
Ensuring the accessibility of a website is an important aspect of technical SEO, as it can impact both the user experience and the ability of search engines to crawl and index a website. Website accessibility refers to the practice of making a website usable and accessible for users with disabilities, such as visual impairments, hearing impairments, and mobility impairments. Here are some key considerations for website accessibility:
- Web accessibility guidelines (WCAG): The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of internationally recognized standards for making web content more accessible. There are three levels of conformance (A, AA, and AAA), with level A being the minimum recommended level. Adhering to these guidelines can help to make a website more accessible for users with disabilities, and can also help to improve the SEO of a website by making it more crawlable and indexable by search engines.
- Accessibility tools and resources: There are various tools and resources available to help improve the accessibility of a website. These can include automated testing tools, manual testing tools, and guidelines and best practices for designing and developing accessible websites.
By ensuring the accessibility of a website, you can improve the user experience for a wider range of users, and also potentially improve the website’s ranking in search results.
5 – Structured data and schema markup
Structured data and schema markup are techniques used to help search engines better understand the content of a webpage. Structured data is a standardized format for providing information about a webpage and its content. It allows search engines to interpret the page in a more meaningful way and provide more relevant and useful search results.
There are various types of schema markup, including:
- Product schema markup: This is used to provide information about products, such as the name, price, and availability. It can be used to enhance the appearance of search results for product pages, including displaying ratings and reviews.
- Event schema markup: This is used to provide information about events, such as the date, location, and ticket availability. It can be used to enhance the appearance of search results for event pages, including displaying the event date and location on a map.
- Recipe schema markup: This is used to provide information about recipes, such as the ingredients, cooking time, and nutritional information. It can be used to enhance the appearance of search results for recipe pages, including displaying the recipe’s image and ratings.
There are many other types of schema markup available, and new types are constantly being added. Implementing schema markup can help to improve the visibility and relevance of a website in search results, as well as provide users with more useful and relevant information. There are various tools available for implementing schema markup, such as Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper.
By using structured data and schema markup, you can help search engines better understand the content of your website and improve its visibility and relevance in search results.
6 – Monitoring and tracking
Monitoring and tracking are important aspects of technical SEO, as they allow you to understand how your website is performing and identify any issues that may be impacting its visibility in search results. Here are some key considerations for monitoring and tracking:
- Use of Google Search Console: Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that allows you to monitor and track the performance of your website in Google search results. It provides a range of useful data and insights, including the number of impressions and clicks a website receives, the search queries that are driving traffic to the website, and any crawl errors or security issues that may be affecting the website.
- Tracking with analytics tools: Analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, allow you to track and analyze a range of website metrics, including traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. By monitoring these metrics, you can identify trends and patterns, and make informed decisions about how to optimize your website.
By monitoring and tracking the performance of your website, you can identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions about how to optimize your website for better visibility and performance in search results.
7 – Conclusion and next steps
In conclusion, technical SEO is an important aspect of search engine optimization that involves optimizing the infrastructure and architecture of a website to improve its visibility and ranking in search results. It involves a range of factors, including on-page optimization, website structure and navigation, website security, website accessibility, structured data and schema markup, and monitoring and tracking.
By following best practices and conducting regular technical SEO audits, you can identify and fix any issues that may be hindering your website’s performance, and improve its visibility and ranking in search results. However, technical SEO is an ongoing process, and it is important to continually monitor and optimize your website to ensure that it is meeting the needs of both users and search engines.
