Cover Your Technical SEO Fundamentals
When it comes down to it, technical SEO fundamentals and the rest of search engine optimization (on page and off page SEO) boil down to the same thing: a goal of good user experience.
We're concerned about the human users, trying to find the information they need thanks to sound content marketing.
And we're concerned about the robot users, who as web crawlers have to comb through the website's code to finish its search engine indexing in order to understand how it should appear on a search engine results page.
From its name, you might think Technical SEO is focused entirely on the robots. But the benefits gained from responsive web design, a clear site map, logical url addresses, and uncluttered html and javascript also give accessibility benefits to human users.
We're concerned about the human users, trying to find the information they need thanks to sound content marketing.
And we're concerned about the robot users, who as web crawlers have to comb through the website's code to finish its search engine indexing in order to understand how it should appear on a search engine results page.
From its name, you might think Technical SEO is focused entirely on the robots. But the benefits gained from responsive web design, a clear site map, logical url addresses, and uncluttered html and javascript also give accessibility benefits to human users.
Technical SEO Fundamental #1: Speed
When it's time for improving a web page's speed, it can come down to finding efficient code. When you run your page through PageSpeed Insights, the first section ("Performance") focuses on usability and page loading, on both desktop and mobile devices.
It offers diagnostics on minification, reducing CSS code, lazy loading, and other items that -- if your web hosting service lets you -- can improve web page loading.
This site is an amazing site audit tool -- but you might need a technical SEO expert to know how to resolve any rendering issues.
It offers diagnostics on minification, reducing CSS code, lazy loading, and other items that -- if your web hosting service lets you -- can improve web page loading.
This site is an amazing site audit tool -- but you might need a technical SEO expert to know how to resolve any rendering issues.
Technical SEO Fundamental #2: Functionality
Functionality can go hand in hand with good loading: is the organization of your website useful? Does the hypertext clearly identify what the user is clicking on?
Does the web page work well on a smartphone and different web browsers?
Is the menu laid out logically, and is there good architecture to your page flow?
Understanding your website's navigation and sitemap logic can help googlebots sort through your page quickly -- and improve organic search results.
It can also make for a more pleasant user experience. What is more frustrating than going to a website after a Google search and spending 10 minutes trying to find the address or a simple answer about a product. You don't want them to immediately leave and increase the bounce rate. Make the most of an FAQ and have "non-experts" review your site for their clicking habits.
You can also ask yourself a few quick questions to see if your website is one of your top marketing solutions.
Does the web page work well on a smartphone and different web browsers?
Is the menu laid out logically, and is there good architecture to your page flow?
Understanding your website's navigation and sitemap logic can help googlebots sort through your page quickly -- and improve organic search results.
It can also make for a more pleasant user experience. What is more frustrating than going to a website after a Google search and spending 10 minutes trying to find the address or a simple answer about a product. You don't want them to immediately leave and increase the bounce rate. Make the most of an FAQ and have "non-experts" review your site for their clicking habits.
You can also ask yourself a few quick questions to see if your website is one of your top marketing solutions.
Technical SEO Fundamental #3: Backups
Another feature that should be part of any technical search engine optimization service is routine website maintenance and backups. Infrastructure matters.
This is a feature that may not directly affect search results, but it's a reality of the internet you need to remember.
Things crash. Code breaks. If you don't have a backup, and Google starts to see errors on a web page, the pagerank will go down. Therefore -- maintenance DOES need to be a part of your technical search engine optimization strategy.
Your web hosting service or web server likely has some sort of routine backup. A good technical search engine optimization service will make sure those are used, there is a way to download anything necessary, and backups are made before any major website brand overall.
If your SEO expert isn't willing to provide layers of security and access, that's a red flag. I compiled a resource of a few important questions to ask your marketing strategy consultant here.
This is a feature that may not directly affect search results, but it's a reality of the internet you need to remember.
Things crash. Code breaks. If you don't have a backup, and Google starts to see errors on a web page, the pagerank will go down. Therefore -- maintenance DOES need to be a part of your technical search engine optimization strategy.
Your web hosting service or web server likely has some sort of routine backup. A good technical search engine optimization service will make sure those are used, there is a way to download anything necessary, and backups are made before any major website brand overall.
If your SEO expert isn't willing to provide layers of security and access, that's a red flag. I compiled a resource of a few important questions to ask your marketing strategy consultant here.
Maintain Your Technical SEO Fundamentals
One bright side of technical search engine optimization is that management gets easier (well, until it doesn't).
What I mean is this:
Your website may need a lot of work to improve accessibility and responsive web design. But once images are converted and the data is cleaned up, you won't have to do as much work on it -- for a while.
Updates in Wordpress and other web builders can break your code.
New algorithm from Google can change strategy (for example, the March 2024 update changed how it evaluated page speed).
User experience expectations and web traffic patterns change over time.
Which is why search engine optimization is, budget allowing, a long term process.
Your website is never "done." You are always finding better means of communication with your clients and customers.
But when you get your page to a position of strength in all aspects of search engine optimization, it is nevertheless easier to make adjustments.
If you don't know where to start, a technical SEO audit is always a good option. You can email me for more information -- email address is below!
Or return to the main SEO services page.
What I mean is this:
Your website may need a lot of work to improve accessibility and responsive web design. But once images are converted and the data is cleaned up, you won't have to do as much work on it -- for a while.
Updates in Wordpress and other web builders can break your code.
New algorithm from Google can change strategy (for example, the March 2024 update changed how it evaluated page speed).
User experience expectations and web traffic patterns change over time.
Which is why search engine optimization is, budget allowing, a long term process.
Your website is never "done." You are always finding better means of communication with your clients and customers.
But when you get your page to a position of strength in all aspects of search engine optimization, it is nevertheless easier to make adjustments.
If you don't know where to start, a technical SEO audit is always a good option. You can email me for more information -- email address is below!
Or return to the main SEO services page.