SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is a critical part of any website. When I install a WordPress website, there are a few things I do. I make sure that the site I hand over is optimised for the business.
When it comes to learning about anything in the world of digital marketing, I find it easier to explain it in concrete terms. I also find it easier to learn in concrete terms too!
So, here’s the type of conversation I have with someone interested in search engine optimisation for their business website.
TECHNICAL SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION (SEO)
Jamie: I’ve been hearing a lot about SEO lately, especially “technical SEO.” I know it’s important for websites, but I don’t really get what it all means. Can you explain it to me?
Me: Of course! Imagine your website is like a house. You’ve got the beautiful design, furniture, and decorations—that’s your content, images, and all the fun stuff users see. But then you have things like the plumbing, wiring, and foundation—the stuff that keeps everything working properly, but people don’t really see it. That’s technical SEO. It’s all about how your site works behind the scenes to make sure it’s easy for both users and search engines to find, use, and understand your website.
Jamie: Oh, I get it! So it’s like making sure the house doesn’t have leaks or faulty wiring?
Me: Exactly! You want everything to run smoothly. The goal of technical SEO is to help search engines—like Google, Bing, or Yahoo—easily “crawl” or explore your site, understand what it’s about, and index it properly so that people searching for relevant topics can actually find it.
Jamie: Okay, but how do search engines “crawl” a site? That sounds kind of weird.
Me: Crawling is just a fancy way of saying that search engines send out robots, or “bots,” to go through your site’s pages. They check out what’s there, follow the links, and make a note of everything. But you have to make sure those bots can actually find everything! That’s where crawlability comes in.
Jamie: So, what do you do to make sure your site is crawlable?
Me: Well, first, you want to make sure you have an XML sitemap. This is like a roadmap for search engines, showing them all the important pages on your site. Then there’s the robots.txt file—this file tells the bots which pages they should or shouldn’t crawl. For instance, you might not want them crawling admin pages or sensitive info.
Jamie: Ah, so it’s like giving them directions on where they’re allowed to go?
Me: Exactly! And if you have multiple versions of a page—like one for mobile and one for desktop—you can use something called canonical tags to tell the bots which version is the “main” or most important one. That way, you avoid confusing the bots and getting penalised for duplicate content.
Jamie: Got it! So what else should I worry about? Is it just making sure bots can crawl everything?
Me: Oh, there’s a lot more! Next up is your site architecture—basically how your site is structured. Think of it like organising a filing cabinet. You want everything easy to find, both for your users and the search engines. A clean URL structure is a big part of that. Instead of a URL that looks like a jumble of numbers and symbols, you want something like “yourwebsite.com/blog/how-to-start.” It’s clear and tells both users and search engines exactly what the page is about.
Jamie: That makes sense. What about mobile? Everyone’s on their phone these days.
Me: Mobile-friendliness is HUGE now. Google even does mobile-first indexing, meaning they prioritize how your site performs on mobile when determining rankings. So your site needs to be responsive—meaning it adjusts to different screen sizes—and it needs to load quickly on mobile devices.
Jamie: Right, no one likes waiting for a page to load. Speaking of that, is speed really that important for SEO?
Me: Definitely. Page speed is crucial. If your site takes forever to load, people bounce off, and that sends a bad signal to search engines. They think, “Well, if people aren’t staying on this site, it must not be that valuable.” Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help you figure out where your site might be slowing down.
Jamie: So, how do you speed things up?
Me: There are lots of ways! First, you can optimise images—big image files are often the culprit when it comes to slow loading times. You can also minify your JavaScript and CSS files, which just means removing unnecessary code to make them faster. Plus, using browser caching and a Content Delivery Network (CDN) can help reduce load times for users all around the world.
Jamie: That sounds like a lot of technical work! Anything else I should worry about?
Me: Yeah, one thing you can’t ignore is security. Using HTTPS instead of HTTP ensures your site is secure, and search engines favour secure sites in the rankings. Plus, it builds trust with your users.
Jamie: Oh yeah, I’ve seen that little padlock icon in the browser bar before. So that’s related to SEO?
Me: Yep, it’s a small ranking factor, but it also improves user experience and trust, which matters a lot. Plus, if you mix secure content (HTTPS) with insecure content (HTTP), that can cause problems. It’s called mixed content, and it can affect both your rankings and the user experience.
Jamie: Wow, I didn’t realise how deep this all goes. What’s this structured data I’ve heard about?
Me: Structured data is like giving search engines extra context about your content. It’s a way of “marking up” your pages so that search engines can display richer information in search results—like product reviews, FAQs, event dates, or recipes. This can make your site stand out more in the SERPs with rich snippets.
Jamie: So that’s how some results show star ratings or specific details right in the search results?
Me: Exactly! It’s all about using something called schema markup to help the bots understand the content better and display it in more engaging ways.
Jamie: I never thought about all these hidden layers before. Anything else I should know?
Me: Just a couple more things. 404 errors are something you need to watch out for. These happen when users click on a broken link or go to a page that no longer exists. Make sure you have custom 404 pages to gently guide users back to useful content. And if you permanently remove pages, use 301 redirects to send users to the new location.
Jamie: Oh yeah, I’ve landed on a few of those “Page Not Found” errors before. It’s annoying!
Me: Exactly. It’s frustrating for users and not great for SEO either. Also, if your site targets multiple countries or languages, you’ll want to use hreflang tags. These tags tell search engines which page to show for which audience.
Jamie: That sounds complicated, but I guess it’s important for international sites.
Me: It is! But overall, once you’ve got the basics down and do regular site audits using tools like Screaming Frog or Google Search Console, you’ll be able to catch most technical issues before they become a problem.
Jamie: So technical SEO is like making sure my website’s foundation is strong and my pipes aren’t leaking, right?
Me: Yep! And when it’s done right, it’s a big win for both your users and search engines. A fast, secure, and well-structured website is not only going to rank higher, but it’ll also keep visitors happy and coming back.
Jamie: Alright, you’ve convinced me! I’ve got some work to do. Thanks for breaking it down for me!
LOCAL SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION
Jamie: Okay, that all makes sense for big websites, but I have a small local business. Does technical SEO work differently for me?
Me: Actually, technical SEO can be even more important for a local business. That’s because your goal isn’t just online traffic—it’s getting people to walk through your door. Local businesses need to make sure their websites are set up for both online visibility and local search intent.
Jamie: Yeah, foot traffic is my goal! So how does technical SEO help with that?
Me: For starters, your website still needs to be technically sound so search engines can crawl it properly, but the local element adds a few extra layers. One big factor is something called local SEO, which overlaps with technical SEO in a few ways.
Jamie: What’s local SEO? Is it like regular SEO but for businesses in a specific area?
Me: Exactly! Local SEO is all about optimising your online presence so people nearby can find your business when they search for things like “coffee shop near me” or “best hair salon in Birmingham.” Search engines use location data to give users the most relevant results for their area. So, for a local business like yours, it’s crucial that your website is optimised to show up in those local searches.
Jamie: Got it! But how does that tie into technical SEO?
Me: Here’s where the two meet. The technical side ensures your website has a strong foundation for local SEO to work. Here are a few things you can do to improve your local SEO using technical SEO principles:
- Mobile-Friendliness: Since so many local searches happen on mobile, it’s critical that your website looks and works great on smartphones. Search engines prioritise mobile-friendly sites, especially for local searches.
- Page Speed: Local users are often looking for quick results. If your site loads slowly, they’ll leave, and Google notices that. You can check your site speed and optimise images, reduce unnecessary scripts, and use caching to speed things up.
- NAP Consistency: This stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. Make sure that your NAP info is consistent across your website and anywhere else it’s listed online, like in directories, Yelp, or your Google Business Profile. Search engines use this info to verify your business’s credibility, and inconsistencies can hurt your rankings.
- Google Business Profile: Speaking of which, do you have a Google Business Profile?
Jamie: I do! I set it up a while ago but haven’t really looked at it in months.
Me: That’s a great start, but keeping it updated is key. Your Google Business Profile is like the centerpiece of local SEO. Make sure it’s fully filled out—business hours, categories, services you offer, photos, and of course, your NAP. Reviews are also huge! Responding to reviews and encouraging happy customers to leave them boosts your visibility and credibility.
Jamie: I’ll definitely check that.
Me: Here’s another tip—local structured data. You remember earlier when we talked about structured data or schema markup, right? You can add specific local business schema to your website. This tells search engines things like your business type, location, hours, and more, which improves your chances of showing up in local searches and map results.
Jamie: Oh, I didn’t know that! So it’s like giving Google extra information to boost my ranking?
Me: Exactly. Structured data makes it easier for Google to understand your business and show it in rich results like Google’s local pack. That’s that map with three or four businesses that shows up at the top of search results? That’s prime real estate for foot traffic.
Jamie: Wow, that’d be amazing if my business showed up there! What else should I be focusing on?
Me: Another important factor is local backlinks. When local websites or directories link to your business, it signals to Google that your business is trusted and relevant in the local area. You could try reaching out to local news sites, bloggers, or even partnering with other small businesses for mutual promotion.
Jamie: That’s a great idea! I could definitely collaborate with other local businesses.
Me: Absolutely. And finally, don’t forget about location-specific content. Create blog posts and include content on your site that mentions your city, neighbourhood, or local events. This tells search engines that your business is active in the community. For example, a blog post about a local event or “best tips for shopping in Birmingham” helps boost your relevance in local searches.
Jamie: So, it’s not just about technical stuff but also making sure the content is locally focused?
Me: Exactly! It’s all part of the strategy. Technical SEO is the foundation—things like making sure your site is fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to crawl. Local SEO is like adding a layer on top that targets the people nearby who are most likely to become customers.
Jamie: This makes so much sense now. I feel like I’ve got a lot to do, but I’m excited! I’ll definitely work on my Google Business Profile, structured data, and maybe even start a blog about local events.
Me: Just remember, technical SEO and local SEO work hand in hand to bring both search engines and real people through your door. It’s all about making it as easy as possible for locals to find and trust your business.
Why Technical SEO Matters
Search Engine Crawling & Indexing: Technical SEO ensures search engines like Google, Bing, and others can easily discover, crawl, and index the pages on your site. Proper technical setup allows search engines to access all necessary pages, helping them understand your site’s content and structure.
Improved Search Rankings: Search engines reward fast, user-friendly, and well-optimized websites. Factors like site speed, mobile responsiveness, structured data, and security are crucial ranking signals.
User Experience: A technically sound website results in a better user experience, which can directly affect metrics like bounce rate, time on page, and conversions. Google’s Core Web Vitals are key metrics that tie user experience to ranking.
Competitiveness: In highly competitive industries, ensuring your website’s technical foundation is optimised gives you an edge. Even if your content and backlinks are top-tier, poor technical SEO can hold your site back.
Key Components of Technical SEO
1. Crawlability and Indexing
- Crawlability: Search engines need to find and “crawl” your website. A website’s crawlability is impacted by its structure, sitemap, and internal linking. You can check your crawlability through tools like Google Search Console.
- Sitemap: Ensure your XML sitemap is up-to-date and submitted to search engines. It helps search engines understand the structure of your site and discover new pages faster.
- Robots.txt: This file tells search engines which pages they can and cannot crawl. Be cautious: a wrongly configured robots.txt file can block important pages from being indexed.
- Canonical Tags: These prevent duplicate content issues by specifying the “canonical” or primary version of a page when there are multiple versions (like due to URL parameters).
2. Site Architecture and Structure
- URL Structure: Clean and descriptive URLs are crucial for SEO. They should be easy to read by both users and search engines, containing relevant keywords without unnecessary parameters or subdirectories.
- Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumb navigation enhances the user experience and provides extra structure for search engines to understand your site’s hierarchy.
- Internal Linking: Linking relevant content within your website improves navigation for users. It also helps search engines distribute “link equity” across pages.
3. Mobile-Friendliness
- Responsive Design: Since Google switched to mobile-first indexing, having a mobile-friendly site is essential. This means your site should adapt to various screen sizes and provide an optimal experience across devices.
- Mobile Speed: Mobile users expect fast load times, and Google uses mobile page speed as a ranking factor. Consider AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) or lightweight designs for mobile users.
4. Page Speed & Core Web Vitals
- Page Speed: Fast loading times are critical for both user experience and SEO rankings. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to measure performance.
- Reduce JavaScript/CSS: Minify and defer JavaScript to improve performance.
- Optimise Images: Compress images without losing quality.
- Caching: Enable browser caching and use CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) to reduce load times globally.
- Core Web Vitals: Google’s set of user-centric metrics to measure page performance. The three key metrics are:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures loading performance (should occur within 2.5 seconds).
- First Input Delay (FID): Measures interactivity (should be less than 100 ms).
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures visual stability (should maintain a score of less than 0.1).
5. HTTPS and Security
- HTTPS: Security is a ranking factor. Ensure your website has an SSL certificate and serves content over HTTPS rather than HTTP.
- Mixed Content: Avoid mixed content issues, where some elements (like images or scripts) are loaded over HTTP on a HTTPS site. This can create security risks and negatively affect your rankings.
6. Structured Data & Schema Markup
- Schema Markup: Schema is a standardised vocabulary that helps search engines understand the content of your pages in more detail. Implementing structured data can enhance your SERP appearance (rich snippets) by showing product reviews, FAQs, event information, etc.
- Knowledge Graph: Adding structured data can help Google create knowledge panels for entities, improving visibility and click-through rates.
7. Duplicate Content
- Canonicalization: Use canonical tags to show the preferred version of a page to avoid duplicate content penalties.
- URL Parameters: Properly manage URL parameters using canonical tags or through Google Search Console to avoid creating multiple versions of the same content.
8. Error Handling
- 404 Pages: Make sure your site handles 404 errors (page not found) gracefully. Use custom error pages that guide users back to useful content.
- 301 Redirects: Use 301 redirects to permanently direct old or removed pages to new content. This preserves the link equity of the old page.
9. International SEO (if applicable)
- Hreflang Tags: If your site has content for multiple languages or regions, use hreflang tags. They tell search engines which version of the page to display to users in different countries or languages.
- Geotargeting: Set up proper country-specific targeting using Google Search Console and domain structure (ccTLDs, subdomains, or subdirectories).
3. Tools for Technical SEO
- Google Search Console: Vital for monitoring and optimizing crawlability, indexing issues, and search performance.
- Google PageSpeed Insights: Measures page performance and offers suggestions for improvement.
- Screaming Frog: A comprehensive site audit tool for identifying crawl issues, broken links, duplicate content, and more.
- SEMrush/Ahrefs: These offer in-depth technical SEO audits alongside keyword tracking and backlink analysis.
- Lighthouse: An open-source tool built into Chrome that helps measure and improve the performance, accessibility, and SEO of web pages.
4. Best Practices for Technical SEO
- Keep the Site Structure Flat: A flat structure is easier for both users and search engines to navigate. In such a structure, every page is just a few clicks away from the homepage.
- Avoid Duplicate Content: Use canonical tags, redirects, and unique content strategies to avoid duplicate content issues.
- Regular Site Audits: Perform technical audits regularly. Use tools like Screaming Frog or SEMrush. Catch and fix issues before they affect rankings.
- Monitor Core Web Vitals: Keep an eye on your Core Web Vitals in Google Search Console. This ensures your site meets performance standards.
5. Website Performance
Website performance directly impacts your SEO and user experience. A slow website can lead to high bounce rates, lower dwell times, and missed conversion opportunities, which indirectly affects rankings.
- Better User Engagement: Faster websites lead to lower bounce rates, longer session durations, and more conversions.
- Mobile Optimisation: As mobile traffic dominates, optimising for mobile users (speed, responsiveness) becomes more critical.
- Reduced Server Load: Performance optimisations like caching and image optimisation reduce server strain. They help your site handle more traffic efficiently.
- Impact on Revenue: Faster websites directly correlate with higher e-commerce sales and better customer retention rates.
By understanding technical SEO and focusing on optimising performance, you will have a website that ranks better in search engines. It will also deliver a fast, engaging experience for users. Both of these factors lead to long-term growth and success for your website.