Technical SEO

A robust Technical SEO strategy is the foundation on which your content search engine rankings sit.

The content itself does the heavy lifting of relevance and earning link equity but without a foundation of Technical SEO work your site's search performance will be lacking.

Website Architecture impact on Technical SEO

The website architecture is like a mind map, it tells search engines what topic links to what, and what doesn't link to what. An well organised site does more than appeal visually, it guides crawlers (aka Bots) to the key pages of your content and to aid indexation.

Technical SEO Services like a Site Audit can reveal many pitfalls in this architecture. Key among these are

• orphan pages - a page that doesn't get links pointing into it
• index pages (or category pages) - these are often neglected as hubs that link to many spokes. When handle correctly they can add tremendous value
• web accessibility - can the website meet minimum expected standards?
• broken page - a link to a removed page is a waste of crawl effort by visiting search engine bots

The Role of XML Sitemaps in Content Discovery

Consider an XML sitemap to be a Technical SEO map that leads search engines, like treasure hunters, directly to your valuable content. It acts as a signpost that directs Google’s crawlers toward the most important pages on your site. By submitting a sitemap via Google Search Console, you are extending an invitation for search engines to come and index your offerings.

Caution is needed, though. Your aim should be for the xml sitemap to accurately represent all current pages of your website. Be careful not to send them orphan pages, or pages that block search engines.

Leveraging Robots Meta Tag and Robots.txt

Enter the world of robots.txt like a Technical SEO pro. This file is a gatekeeper that directs search engines to the important pages and signals what shouldn't be crawled, followed and indexed.

It’s essential to frequently update (and check) this file to prevent blocking access for search engine bots to key pages. This is a classic mistake when web designers make websites live.

Picture a big tough doorman at an exclusive venue, making choices about who’s allowed entry and who’s not based on "the list", a Technical SEO ruleset about who can see what.

Robots meta tags serve as discrete influencers on a per-page basis, guiding the actions of search engines—indicating whether they should pay attention or disregard certain content.

If you mistakenly restrict access to vital resources like CSS and JS files, you might harm how well search engines understand your website’s functionality. In Technical SEO terms, it would be equivalent to shooting yourself in the foot!

On-page elements are your chance to make a strong first impression for both users and search engines — a chance that shouldn’t be missed.

OSO - On Site Optimisation

OSO - We use the acronym "OSO" for On Site Optimisation. Clients like it, so we're using it here too.

Some basics of Technical SEO with respect to OSO.

OSO - Title Tags

Your title tags must immediately draw attention to your keywords, providing a preview of the content that follows.

Each webpage must have a unique title tag to avoid duplicate content issues and ensure it stands out.

OSO - Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions must be persuasive calls to action, alluring enough for users to want to click through. In some instances we ask our Google Ads specialists to help write these... because they're like Ads.

Short and to the point, between 150 and 160 characters. Check them in a tool like Yoast SEO (in WordPress) this ensures the full message is conveyed without being truncated in search results.

Optimising URL Structure for Clarity and Relevance

Not so much technical SEO, but good SEO Copywriting, this is an essential step as URLs serve as navigational markers on the web. They benefit visitors and search engines when they're clear and descriptive, especially when they incorporate keywords.

Implementing Structured Data for Rich Snippets

Structured data translates the content of your webpage into schema markup, this is a format that search engines can digest easily.

For e-commerce websites this translation can transform a simple listing into an eye-catching rich snippet that displays prices and star ratings, offering users visual cues of quality right there in the search results.

There is a myriad of Rich Snippets available. First step is to attain a page one ranking, second step is to monitor the results and see what snippets Google is generating, and then your Technical SEO consultant can make a play for it, based on keyword and page.

In the online world site speed is paramount, pages that load sluggishly tumble down in the search engine rankings.

This factor is crucial for holding on to visitors who would otherwise abandon a lagging webpage. Google has made its position clear—page loading speed significantly influences rankings, and their PageSpeed Insights tool acts as your guide, delivering both scores and advice to boost your website’s velocity.

By focusing on Core Web Vitals (a metric suite from Google Search Console - GSC) and stripping away unnecessary weight you don’t just expedite content delivery but also roll out a warm welcome to search engine crawlers (like GoogleBot).

Optimising speed can be one-off but is often most effective as an ongoing process with routine evaluations and tweaks. A dedication to improving performance yields rich rewards not only in terms of enhanced user experience (UX) but in turn also contributes positively toward Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

Accelerating Page Load with a Content Distribution Network

Consider your website’s content to be a worldwide envoy, connecting with users around the world through the support of Content Distribution Networks (CDNs). These networks act like a local expert or fixer for the internet.

CDNs operate out of sight to ensure that no matter where your viewers are located, your web pages continue to load at rapid speeds because they're serving assets (images and files) from a nearby computer.

Minimising Server Response Time

Every millisecond is critical when it comes to web server response time, this plays a significant role in the realm of website usability.

By optimising images and minimising redirects, you are removing valuable milliseconds from your site’s load time every time and forever, this provides users with the speed they demand and therefore improve the ranking potential of your pages.

It is imperative that your website adapts to accommodate the transition to mobile usage.

The introduction of Google’s mobile-first indexing puts your web page’s mobile version in the limelight.

A website not optimised for mobile can deter potential customers akin to a store with an unreadable sign—preventing entry before they have had a chance to experience what you offer.

Optimising your site for mobile devices isn’t merely about following rules. It’s central to engaging the ever-increasing number of users who use their smartphones and tablets as primary portals.

Mobile optimisation goes beyond being just another trend. It serves as a crucial bridge linking your website with the half of the internet traffic worldwide that originates from handheld gadgets.

Responsive Design and Mobile Usability

Responsive design means your website will act like a versatile digital entity, conforming to the myriad of display sizes that users encounter throughout their day. It ensures every element — whether it’s buttons, text, or images — resizes and repositions smoothly so as to provide a user experience equally polished on both mobile devices and desktops.

Performance optimisation works alongside responsive elements, seeking out any surplus content that might slow down a website’s performance on portable gadgets.

Adopting a mobile-first approach places priority on meeting the needs of users by designing websites that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also inherently simple to use when viewed on smaller screens.

This strategy often includes implementing features such as resizable text and menus designed for touch input which enhance usability for those accessing sites via smartphones.

Such thoughtful improvements in mobile user-friendliness make your site easier to digest by visitors and resulting in longer stays or at least more satisfying stays. Google will notice their dwell time will increase (because they track it) and the user's likelihood that they o keep searching for answers will decrease (also tracked by Google)... these factors will result in better rankings for your website.

Mobile Page Speed and User Experience

The pace of mobile pages dictates the tempo for contemporary users who insist on instant access to information.

Implementing AMP technology effectively constructs a rapid conduit for your content, delivering it swiftly to users and maintaining their engagement.

Securing a notable position in search engine rankings is akin to being in a competition where having a mobile page that loads quickly is not merely beneficial—it’s imperative.

Tools we use when diagnosing Crawl Errors and Broken Links

Errors from crawling and broken links are akin to hidden wholes in the spider-web that represents your website—they're easy to overlook but they detract from the visitor experience. These (and issues like them) are the Stumbling Blocks I referred to at the top of this page.

Technical SEO Tools we use include:

• Screaming Frog - SEO Spider - This is an awesome general purpose SEO tool, and if you're just getting started learning SEO it can be used on up to 100 urls for free.

• Ayima Redirect Path extension - This is a niche tool for finding redirect chains, a common problem on old websites that have had multiple versions over the years.

• Ahrefs - the SiteAudit crawler is an essential part of our Technical SEO audit service (see below). Aside: They also provide useful Keyword Research tools, and their Backlink Audits are first class.

• Google Search Console (GSC) - The data GSC show you about your own website, i.e. it can only be used if you can prove you're a webmaster of a website. It is excellent for understanding indexation, speed (via Core Web Vitals, mentioned above), keyword research and rankings. It is especially good at revealing (in charts) how these values have changed over time.

• GTMetrix - This is like Google's PageSpeed Insights, but we prefer it. When it comes to finding why a website's speed is lagging the "waterfall" tab here is exceptionally clear.

• Sitebulb - This is a great secondary tool. It reveals many of the same issues that ScreamingFrog SEO Spider and the Ahrefs SiteAudit tool identify, but it goes a little further.

  • Sitebulb prioritises issues well, certainly in-line with our views and experience in fixing Technical SEO issues, and

  • it has some great looking visualisations so you can see how the crawler gets around your website, or not!

We use these tools to review the Technical SEO issues of target websites and sweep through the architecture of the whole website right down to the structure of each individual web page so that every hyperlink connects to a relevant destination.

Semantic SEO overlap - "Relevant Destination" isn't quite Technical SEO in the sense of being programming based, it is related to semantics, an understanding of the keyword research, and the topical relevance of what is being said on each page, and the related pages, that are, or should-be, linked to (wow that was a complicated sentence, but necessary). Internal links pointing from page to page is a huge driver of what a crawling search engine can infer (understand) about each web page and its place within the internal linking structure or semantic architecture.

A thorough analysis of search queries from a Technical SEO standpoint, these SEO tools accurately identify online cul-de-sacs, thereby enabling you to repair those disruptions and preserve a flawless route for both visitors and search engine crawlers around your website.

Tending to broken internal links is comparable to fixing a roadway network—assuring seamless and continuous navigation for anyone exploring your web pages. By keeping unobstructed pathways, you signal to search engines that your domain/website is well looked after and worthy of earning visitors from search rankings.

Resolving Duplicate Content and Canonicalisation Issues

Duplicate content can confuse search engines by presenting multiple, similar pages.

Canonical tags serve as a hint for search engines. They indicate which page is the primary source of content.

The goal is to maintain one definitive version of your material for search engines, but it is easy for this to confuse, especially when a subordinate version seems like the best and (perhaps) most "linked to" version.

When implementing hreflang and canonical tags in tandem precise coordination is imperative so that they support rather than conflict with each other.

Security is a fundamental expectation.

The Impact of HTTPS on Rankings (2024)

As a minimum websites are expected to have an SSL, i.e. use HTTPS. Without it browsers will signal "not secure". You don't want to invest in a website, Technical SEO work and then see that!

ASIDE: If you're using WordPress it is wise to use a tool (or ideally a maintenance service) to scan and update your website regularly.

Addressing Security Concerns for Improved SEO

By adopting strong security protocols such as web application firewalls and implementing security headers, you can gain various advantages for your site. These include:

• Hardening your website against attackers. Be stronger than most and the next website they find will be an easier target.
• Reduce the likelihood of a security event, which would see your SEO performance take a tumble, even if it is only temporary.
• Ensuring safety of your users - especially important for ecommerce.
• Keep robust human centred security processes and policies, i.e. email security, password security etc.

Is your website trying to reach users around the world? Are you giving them, and the search engines what they need?

As your digital presence extends beyond borders into multilingual and multi-regional audiences, technical SEO services switch up to incorporate International SEO.

A core feature of International SEO are hreflang tags.

These hreflang tags aim to ensure that users around the world are presented with a version of your site that resonates with their language and location. The goal is to provide visitors with a localised experience, e.g. greet your global audience in their mother tongue and with country specific content.

Integrating these practices is not just about being inclusive; it’s about maximising your reach and ensuring that every user, no matter where they are, get what they need from your website.

Hreflang Tags - Managing Language Targeting

Hreflang tags act like multilingual business cards for your website, informing search engines about the linguistic and geographic orientation of every page, and where it should find alternative versions.

When you place these tags in the head section of your web pages, it steers visitors towards the correct version of your content in their language. Google treats these tags as "hints" like canonical tags so it can take time for it to work as desired and if anything is confusing to GoogleBot it can go awry.

We've covered a lot of ground, here's a quick wrap-up.

We’ve navigated the intricate landscape of technical SEO, uncovering the pillars that hold up a vast digital edifice: from the foundations of site architecture to the nuances of mobile optimisation.

Embrace these strategies, and you’ll not only speak the language of search engines, but also craft a user experience (UX) that resonates across borders and devices.

We hope these insights help you refine your website, enhance your rankings, earn organic traffic and captivate your audience in the ever-evolving world of search via Technical SEO.