Technical SEO

Class 4: Technical SEO.

This class is a bit more technical – literally. Some of the information that we’ll be going through continues from the previous class– so if you haven’t watched it, check it out to ensure you are up to speed.

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With that said, let's begin.

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Technical SEO refers to the optimization of a website's infrastructure and backend to improve its visibility and ranking in search engines. This includes things like optimizing the website's code, improving the site's load speed, and making sure that it is mobile-friendly. It also involves making sure that the website is crawlable by search engines, and that it doesn't have any broken links or other technical issues that could negatively impact its ranking.

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Mobile optimisation

• Mobile optimisation refers to the ability of a website to be easily used on a mobile device. It is important for SEO because more and more people are using their phones to search the internet, and Google has stated that it favours mobile-friendly websites in its search rankings.

• Mobile optimization includes several different elements, such as:

o Responsive design:

 This means that the website's layout automatically adjusts to fit the screen size of the device being used to view it. This is important because it ensures that the site is easy to navigate and read on a small screen.

o Fast loading speed:

 Mobile users are often on the go and may be using a slower mobile network, so it's important that the website loads quickly on a mobile device. This can be achieved by optimizing images and other elements on the site to reduce the amount of data that needs to be loaded.

o Touch-friendly elements:

 Buttons, links, and other interactive elements on the site should be large enough to be easily tapped with a finger. This makes it easy for users to navigate the site and complete tasks like filling out forms.

o Metatags:

 The meta tags, such as viewport, must be set correctly. This ensures that the website is properly scaled for mobile devices and that users don't have to zoom in to read the content.

o Mobile-specific content:

 Some businesses may choose to create separate mobile versions of their website, which feature a streamlined design and content that is optimized for mobile users.

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Page speed

Page speed refers to how quickly a website loads and responds to user input. It is important for SEO because faster page speeds can improve the user experience and can also help to improve rankings.

• Optimize images:

o Large images can significantly slow down a page's load time, so it's important to compress and optimize images before uploading them to your site. You can use tools like Photoshop or online image compression tools like TinyPNG or Kraken.io to reduce the file size of your images without losing quality.

• Minify code:

o Minifying code involves removing unnecessary characters and white space from your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files. This can reduce the size of your files and improve load times.

• Use browser caching:

o Browser caching allows a browser to store certain elements of a page, such as images and scripts, on a user's computer. This means that when a user visits the same page again, the browser doesn't have to re-download those elements, which can significantly improve load times.

• Reduce the number of HTTP requests:

o Each time a browser requests a file from a server, it creates an HTTP request. Reducing the number of files that need to be loaded on a page can help to speed up the load time. You can do this by combining multiple CSS or JavaScript files into one, and by using CSS sprites to combine multiple images into a single file.

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HTTPS

HTTPS is a protocol for secure communication over the internet that uses an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security) certificate to encrypt data being sent between a website and a user's browser. This encryption helps to protect sensitive information, such as login credentials and credit card information, from being intercepted by third parties.

Google has stated that it favours websites that use HTTPS in its search rankings. This is because HTTPS provides an added layer of security for users and can also help to prevent certain types of attacks, such as man-in-the-middle attacks. In addition, HTTPS can also improve the speed of your website by enabling HTTP/2 protocol.

Implementing HTTPS on your website involves obtaining an SSL or TLS certificate from a trusted certificate authority and configuring your server to use the certificate. The process of installing and configuring an SSL or TLS certificate can be complex and may require the help of a web developer or system administrator.

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XML sitemaps

An XML sitemap is a file in XML format that lists all the pages on your website and provides additional information about each page to search engines. This information can include the date the page was last modified, how frequently the page is updated, and the priority of the page relative to other pages on the site.

XML sitemaps are important for SEO because they help search engines crawl and index your website more efficiently. By providing search engines with a comprehensive list of all the pages on your site, an XML sitemap makes it easier for them to discover new pages and understand the structure of your site. This can help to improve the visibility of your site in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Creating an XML sitemap is relatively simple and can be done using a variety of online tools or by manually creating the file. Once your sitemap is created, you can submit it to search engines through Search Console. This will help search engines find and crawl your sitemap and the pages it contains.

It's important to note that XML sitemaps are not a substitute for good website structure and navigation. A well-structured site with a clear hierarchy and logical links between pages is still the most important factor for search engines to understand the structure of a site. But XML sitemaps can be useful for sites with many pages or for sites with dynamic content that is frequently updated.

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Now, let’s walk through the process of performing technical SEO step-by-step:

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Naturally, we begin with Step 1:

• Start by performing a technical SEO audit of your website. This will involve crawling your website to identify any technical issues that may be hindering your search engine rankings. During the audit, you should look for issues such as crawl errors, broken links, duplicate content, and slow loading speeds. Additionally, you can use tools such as A-H-Refs or SEMRush to audit your website for you, saving you the time of crawling each element individually.

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Step 2:

• Fix any crawl errors or broken links that you discover during the audit. Crawl errors can prevent search engines from fully indexing your website, while broken links can make it difficult for users to navigate your site. To fix crawl errors, you will need to identify the cause of the error and correct it. This may involve updating or deleting pages, redirecting old URLs to new ones, or fixing server errors. To fix broken links, you will need to locate the broken links and either remove them or replace them with working links.

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Step 3:

• Improve the website's loading speed. A slow-loading website can be a major hindrance to your search engine rankings, as well as to the user experience. Use tools like Page Speed Insights and GTmetrix to identify areas where you can optimize your website's loading speed. This may include optimizing images, minifying code, and enabling compression.

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Step 4:

• Make sure that your website is mobile-friendly. More and more users are accessing the web from their smartphones, so your website must be optimized for mobile. Use tools like Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly. This may involve making your website responsive so that it adjusts to fit the screen size of different devices or creating a separate mobile version of your website.

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Step 5:

• Optimize your website's content for both users and search engines. This includes using keywords in your headlines, subheadings, and body copy, as well as optimizing your website's images and videos with descriptive file names and alt tags. Using keywords in a natural, relevant way can help improve your search engine rankings and make your website more attractive to users.

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Step 6:

• Use header tags appropriately to indicate the hierarchy of your content. H1 tags should be used for main headings, while H2 tags can be used for subheadings and H3 tags for sub-subheadings, and so on. This helps search engines understand the structure of your content and makes it easier for users to scan and navigate your page.

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Step 7:

• Create a sitemap and submit it to Google Search Console. A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website, making it easier for search engines to crawl and index your content. You can create a sitemap using a tool like XML Sitemaps or by manually creating a list of all your website's URLs. Once you have created your sitemap, you will need to submit it to Google Search Console, which is a free tool that allows you to monitor and maintain your website's presence in Google search results.

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Finally, Step 8:

• Monitor your website's performance on an ongoing basis. Use tools like Google Search Console and Analytics to track your search engine rankings and identify any areas where you may need to make further optimizations. Regularly reviewing your website's performance will help you stay on top of any technical issues and ensure that your website is always performing at its best.

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