Technical SEO is like the engine behind a website, ensuring everything runs smoothly so search engines can easily find and rank your content. It focuses on the behind-the-scenes aspects that make the navigation of your site easy for both users and search engines. Without a solid technical SEO foundation, even the best content might not show up where it should—on the first page of search results.
While many focus on on-page SEO or backlinks, technical SEO handles things like page speed, mobile optimisation, and crawling, making sure that your site is fully accessible to search engines.
A fast, secure, and mobile-friendly site is what Google prioritises, and that’s where technical SEO comes into play. In fact, websites that load within 5 seconds see 70% longer user sessions.
If you're aiming to boost your visibility, it’s crucial to ensure your site is optimised for technical SEO from the ground up.
In this technical SEO guide, we will discuss about:
Let’s break it down to make this approach so essential.
What is Technical SEO?
Technical SEO refers to the process of optimising a website's infrastructure to improve its crawling, indexing, and overall performance in search engine results. Unlike on-page SEO, which focuses on content quality and keyword optimisation, technical SEO deals with the backend aspects of a website that impact its ability to be discovered and ranked by search engines.
Why is Technical SEO Important?
The effectiveness of technical SEO is vital in influencing how visible your website is on search engines. Think of it as the foundation of your SEO efforts. If this foundation isn’t solid, your other SEO strategies, such as creating high-quality content or building backlinks, won’t be as effective.
Here’s why technical SEO is so important:
- Improved Search Engine Crawling and Indexing: Search engines rely on crawlers to navigate and index your site. If your website has issues like broken links, slow load times, or confusing architecture, search engines might struggle to index your pages. This can prevent your site from showing up in search results.
- Boosts User Experience: A technically sound website isn’t just important for search engines—it also directly improves user experience. Faster load times, mobile optimisation, and secure connections (HTTPS) make your website more user-friendly, which, in turn, can lead to higher rankings.
- Mobile-First Indexing: As an increasing number of users browse the internet using mobile devices, Google has shifted to prioritising mobile-first indexing. A website that is technically optimised guarantees that its mobile version operates effectively, just like the desktop version, allowing you to maintain a competitive edge in search rankings.
Core Technical SEO Factors
Several technical aspects of your website play a crucial role in how well it performs in search engine rankings. These core technical SEO ranking factors ensure that your website functions smoothly for both users and search engines, creating a seamless experience that boosts visibility.
- Website Architecture and Structure: A well-organised website with a logical hierarchy makes it easy for search engines to crawl and index your content. Clear navigation and internal linking help both users and search engines find relevant pages efficiently.
- Crawling and Indexing: Search engines use bots (crawlers) to scan your website. If your pages are properly structured and optimised, it allows these bots to index your content accurately. Errors in crawling or indexing can result in your website being partially or fully excluded from search results.
- Page Speed and Performance: A fast-loading website is a must. Slow page speeds not only frustrate users but can also negatively impact your rankings. Google considers page speed as a very important ranking factor, making it essential to optimise your site for performance.
- Mobile-First Indexing: Google has shifted to mobile-first indexing, which means it primarily uses the mobile version of your site for ranking. Ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is no longer optional—it’s essential for maintaining search visibility.
- Secure HTTPS Connections: Having an SSL certificate and using HTTPS encrypts the connection between the user and your website, ensuring data security. Google has stated that HTTPS serves as a ranking factor and enhances user trust.
Before we get into the technical SEO techniques, let's first understand some of the basics of crawlability and indexing.
Understanding Crawling & Indexing: How to Optimise for It
Crawling and indexing are the backbone processes that allow search engines to discover, understand, and rank content from across the web. For your website to be visible in search results, it must first undergo proper crawling and indexing. If either process fails, your content might not show up in search results, even if it provides immense value.
Crawling
Crawling is the process in which search engine bots, often referred to as "crawlers" or "spiders," methodically explore the web to discover new and updated content. These bots move from one page to another by following links, which can be either internal (linking to other pages within your own site) or external (linking to pages on different websites).
Key factors that affect crawling:
- Internal Linking Structure: A well-organised internal link structure ensures that crawlers can efficiently navigate your website. Pages that are deeply buried without sufficient internal links may not be discovered.
- Robots.txt File: This file instructs search engine crawlers on which parts of your website to access and which to ignore. If your robots.txt is misconfigured, you may accidentally block essential pages from being crawled.
- Sitemaps: An XML sitemap provides search engines with a direct map of your website, ensuring that all important pages are crawled and indexed.
- Crawl Budget: This term indicates the quantity of pages that a search engine bot will crawl on your website during a designated period. For larger websites, optimising the crawl budget is important to ensure all critical pages are crawled frequently.
To ensure search engines correctly crawl your website, follow this checklist:
- Check Robots.txt: Ensure the file allows access to important pages.
- Create and Submit XML Sitemap: Guide crawlers to important pages.
- Optimise Internal Linking: Make sure all important pages are well-linked.
- Monitor Crawl Errors in Google Search Console: Fix any blocked pages.
- Ensure Crawl Budget is Optimised: Remove unnecessary pages from crawling (e.g., archive pages).
- Fix Broken Links: Identify and fix broken internal links that can disrupt crawling.
- Submit Changes When Needed: Submit new pages or major updates to search engines via Google Search Console.
- Use a Flat URL Structure: Avoid deep, complicated URL structures that can hinder crawling.
Indexing
After a search engine crawls a page, it determines whether to include that page in its index, a vast database that contains information about all discovered content. Pages that are indexed can be shown in search engine results, while non-indexed pages are effectively invisible to users searching on Google or other search engines.
Key factors that affect indexing:
- Content Quality: Search engines prefer indexing pages that offer unique, valuable, and relevant content. Low-quality or duplicate content may be ignored.
- Canonical Tags: These tags help prevent indexing of duplicate content by informing search engines which version of a page is the "authoritative" one. Without proper canonicalisation, search engines might index the wrong version of your content.
- Meta Robot Tags: These tags allow you to control whether a specific page should be indexed or followed by search engines. Using a “no index” tag will prevent certain pages from being added to the search engine’s database.
- Mobile and Desktop Versions: With mobile-first indexing, search engines primarily use the mobile version of your website to determine its rankings. Ensuring your mobile version is well-optimised is crucial for indexing.
To ensure search engines correctly index your website, follow this checklist:
- Verify Content Quality: Make sure all pages offer unique, high-value content.
- Use Canonical Tags: Prevent duplicate content from being indexed.
- Check Meta Robots Tags: Ensure important pages are not set to "index."
- Test Mobile Optimisation: Ensure the mobile version of your site is well-optimised.
- Check for Indexed Pages in Google Search Console: Ensure your key pages are being indexed.
- Resolve Duplicate Content Issues: Use canonical tags to consolidate duplicate pages.
- Set Up Redirects Correctly: Ensure any redirects send crawlers to the appropriate pages.
- Audit Indexed Pages: Regularly audit what is being indexed to ensure it's correct.
Following this checklist helps ensure that search engines can crawl and index your website efficiently, giving your content the best possible chance to appear in search results.
How to Do Technical SEO: Essential Techniques
Mastering technical SEO involves addressing various elements to ensure your website functions effectively for both users and search engines. Below are essential techniques that form the backbone of a solid technical SEO strategy.
1. Optimising for Crawling and Indexing
- Robots.txt File: The robots.txt file is a crucial tool for controlling how search engine crawlers interact with your website. It tells crawlers which pages to access and which ones to avoid. A properly configured robots.txt file helps ensure that important pages are indexed while preventing irrelevant or duplicate content from being crawled.
- XML Sitemap: An XML sitemap acts as a roadmap for search engines, guiding them to the most important pages on your site. It is essential to have an up-to-date XML sitemap submitted to search engines like Google and Bing. This makes it easier for crawlers to index your pages, especially for larger websites.
- Canonical Tags: Duplicate content can confuse search engines, leading them to rank the wrong page or none at all. Canonical tags help by identifying the preferred version of a webpage when there are multiple similar versions. This prevents dilution of page authority and keeps your content properly indexed.
2. Improving Site Speed and Performance
- Why Speed Matters: Site speed has a direct impact on user experience and SEO rankings. Slow-loading websites frustrate users, leading to higher bounce rates. Google has confirmed that page speed is a ranking factor, making it critical to ensure your site loads as quickly as possible.
- Ways to Improve Load Times: Compressing large images is one of the simplest ways to improve speed. Reducing the size of images without compromising quality can make a noticeable difference. Other tactics include enabling browser caching, minimising HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, and using Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to serve content faster by leveraging servers closer to the user.
- Tools to Measure Speed: Analysing your website’s speed is essential to find areas for improvement. Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and WebPageTest are reliable tools that assess your website’s performance and provide recommendations to improve loading times.
3. Mobile SEO and User Experience
- Mobile-First Indexing Explained: With the majority of users browsing the web via mobile devices, Google’s mobile-first indexing means it uses the mobile version of your site for indexing and ranking. A non-responsive site or poor mobile performance can significantly hurt your SEO efforts.
- Best Practices for Mobile Optimisation: To ensure your site ranks well in a mobile-first world, optimise for mobile by using responsive design, reducing load times, and ensuring that text, images, and buttons are properly aligned for touch screens. Also, test your website’s mobile usability regularly to spot any issues.
- Enhancing Mobile User Experience: A clean, easy-to-navigate mobile site improves user experience and SEO. Mobile visitors expect fast load times and a layout that fits smaller screens. Simplifying navigation and making content accessible can lower bounce rates, increasing the time users spend on your site—both of which can contribute to better rankings.
4. Structured Data and Schema Markup
- What is Structured Data? Structured data helps search engines understand the context of your content better, enabling them to display rich results in search engine result pages (SERPs). By adding structured data, such as schema markup, you can increase the chances of your site appearing with enhanced features like reviews, star ratings, or event listings.
- How to Implement Schema Markup: Implementing schema is as simple as adding snippets of code to your website’s HTML. There are different schema types available depending on your site’s content—such as reviews, products, and articles. Using tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper makes the process even easier.
- Popular Schema Types: Schema markup enhances how your content appears in search results. Some popular types include FAQ schema, review schema, and product schema. Implementing these types helps your site stand out by providing users with additional information directly within search results.
5. Securing Websites with HTTPS
- Importance of HTTPS: HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) encrypts data exchanged between the user and the website, ensuring a secure connection. Having an SSL certificate is not just about security; it’s also a confirmed ranking factor for Google, making it critical for SEO.
- Transitioning from HTTP to HTTPS: If your site is still running on HTTP, it’s essential to migrate to HTTPS. This process involves obtaining an SSL certificate and updating all internal links and resources to point to the HTTPS version. Ensure you submit the updated version of your site to Google Search Console for indexing.
- Best Practices for Security: Beyond HTTPS, maintaining a secure website involves regular software updates, strong password policies, and firewalls to protect against cyber threats. A secure website not only improves user trust but also reduces the risk of SEO penalties from hacked or compromised sites.
Technical SEO Checklist
A well-structured technical SEO checklist ensures that your website is primed for search engine optimisation and user experience. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you stay on top of the essential elements of technical SEO.
| Parameter |
White Hat SEO |
|
Verify Robots.txt File
|
Configure robots.txt to guide search engine crawlers to relevant pages and prevent access to unnecessary sections.
|
|
Create and Submit an XML Sitemap
|
Generate and submit a regularly updated XML sitemap to help search engines index your pages effectively.
|
|
Check for Duplicate Content
|
Use canonical tags to resolve duplicate content issues and direct search engines to the preferred version of each page.
|
|
Optimise Page Speed
|
Compress images, minimise CSS/JS files, and enable caching to improve load times and user experience.
|
|
Ensure Mobile-Friendliness
|
Test your site with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to ensure responsiveness and a good mobile user experience.
|
|
Implement Structured Data
|
Add schema markup to enhance search result visibility and feature-rich snippets like FAQs or reviews.
|
|
Use HTTPS
|
Migrate from HTTP to HTTPS for security and ranking benefits. Ensure all internal links point to the secure version.
|
|
Check for Broken Links
|
Regularly audit for broken links to prevent user frustration and ranking penalties due to 404 errors.
|
|
Monitor Site Performance Regularly
|
Use Google Search Console to monitor indexing, identify crawl errors, and resolve issues as needed.
|
|
Ensure Internal Linking is Optimised
|
Ensure proper internal linking to improve crawlability and distribute page authority efficiently across the site.
|
|
Test Website for Accessibility Issues
|
Test for accessibility issues, ensuring your site complies with WCAG standards and provides a good user experience for all.
|
|
Check Server Response Times
|
Measure server response times and resolve any hosting or server issues causing slowdowns.
|
|
Audit Redirects and Eliminate Redirect Chains
|
Check for unnecessary redirects and eliminate redirect chains that slow down page load times.
|
|
Validate Website Security with Regular Scans
|
Run regular security scans to protect against threats and ensure the site remains secure, avoiding SEO penalties.
|
Common Technical SEO Mistakes to Avoid
Even the most well-intentioned SEO efforts can go awry due to a few common technical mistakes. Avoiding these pitfalls can help your site perform better in search rankings and offer a smoother user experience.
- Slow Page Speed: Websites that load slowly tend to have higher bounce rates, which can negatively impact rankings. Large images, excessive use of plugins, and unoptimised scripts are common culprits.
- Inadequate Mobile Optimisation: Failing to optimise your website for mobile users can severely hurt your rankings. With mobile-first indexing, Google primarily uses the mobile version of your website to determine its ranking.
- Broken Internal Links: Broken links can frustrate users and hinder the crawlability of your site. Regularly audit your site to find and fix these broken links, ensuring a seamless user experience and better search engine indexing.
- Missing or Incorrect Canonical Tags: Not using canonical tags can result in duplicate content issues, which confuse search engines and cause them to rank the wrong page—or none at all. Incorrectly set canonical tags can also lead to similar issues.
- Overlooking HTTPS Migration: Websites still running on HTTP may be seen as insecure by users and search engines alike. HTTPS is a ranking factor and is essential for protecting user data. If you haven’t migrated to HTTPS yet, it’s time to do so.
- Ignoring Structured Data: Structured data helps search engines understand your content better and can improve your chances of appearing in rich results. Not taking advantage of schema markup can lead to missed SEO opportunities.
- Redirect Chains: Having multiple redirects in a row (redirect chains) slows down page loading times and negatively impacts user experience. Always try to limit redirects to a single jump, if possible.
- Duplicate Meta Tags and Titles: Duplicate or missing meta descriptions and title tags can lead to a poor user experience and lower click-through rates. Ensure each page has a unique, well-optimised meta description and title.
By staying aware of these common mistakes and actively working to avoid them, you’ll keep your website technically sound and better equipped to compete in search rankings.
Tools for Conducting a Technical SEO Audit
Conducting a technical SEO audit is essential to ensure that your website is optimised and free of errors that could hinder search engine rankings or user experience. Below are some of the most reliable tools to help you perform a comprehensive technical SEO audit:
1. Google Search Console
This free tool from Google allows you to monitor your site’s performance in search results, identify crawl errors, submit sitemaps, and review mobile usability issues. It’s an essential tool for diagnosing indexing issues and tracking search performance.
2. Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Screaming Frog is a powerful desktop-based tool that crawls your website, providing detailed insights into broken links, redirects, missing meta tags, and other technical SEO issues. It’s invaluable for identifying common errors like duplicate content or slow-loading pages.
3. Google PageSpeed Insights
This tool assesses your site’s loading speed on both desktop and mobile devices, offering recommendations to improve performance. It also provides a detailed breakdown of factors affecting page speed, such as image sizes and server response times.
4. GTmetrix
GTmetrix provides an in-depth analysis of your website’s speed and performance, including recommendations to improve load times. It also offers historical data, allowing you to track improvements or declines over time.
5. Ahrefs Site Audit
Ahrefs offers a robust site audit tool that checks for over 100 technical SEO issues, including crawl errors, broken links, and orphaned pages. It’s also useful for identifying problems with internal linking and keyword cannibalisation.
6. Semrush Site Audit
Semrush’s site audit tool provides a comprehensive analysis of your website’s health, checking for issues related to performance, crawlability, internal linking, and security. It also prioritises errors, making it easier to focus on the most critical problems first.
7. Moz Pro Site Crawl
Moz Pro offers a site crawl feature that highlights SEO issues like duplicate content, missing alt text, and redirect chains. The tool also provides actionable recommendations to fix each issue and improve your site’s overall SEO health.
8. Lighthouse
Lighthouse is an open-source tool integrated into Google Chrome’s DevTools. It audits your website for performance, accessibility, best practices, and SEO, providing a score and recommendations for improvement. It’s particularly helpful for mobile SEO and user experience.
Regularly using these tools to audit your website ensures that any technical issues are caught early, keeping your site optimised for both search engines and users.
Conclusion
Technical SEO forms the foundation of your website’s search engine optimisation efforts. Without addressing the technical aspects like site speed, mobile optimisation, and proper indexing, even the best content or backlinks won’t help you rank as effectively. By ensuring your site is technically sound, you create a better experience for both users and search engines, leading to improved visibility and higher rankings.
From auditing tools to structured data and HTTPS migration, every step of technical SEO is a key piece of the puzzle that makes your website more search-engine-friendly. Regular maintenance and ongoing audits are essential to stay ahead as search engine algorithms and user expectations continue to evolve.
Focus on the basics, avoid common mistakes, and use the right tools to keep your site running smoothly. With a strong technical foundation, your SEO efforts will be far more impactful and long-lasting.