Why Is Technical SEO Important for Your Website's Success

Technical SEO is the backbone of a successful website. It's what ensures your site is crawlable, indexable, and accessible to both users and search engines.

A well-optimized website can boost your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site. This is because search engines like Google prioritize websites with good technical SEO, as they are more likely to provide a better user experience.

A slow website can lead to a significant loss of traffic and conversions. According to a study, a one-second delay in page loading time can result in a 7% reduction in conversions.

Technical SEO is crucial for your website's visibility and success. If pages on your site aren't accessible to search engines, they won't appear in search results, no matter how valuable your content is.

A website's speed and mobile-friendliness are confirmed ranking factors. If your pages load slowly, users may get annoyed and leave your site, which can signal to search engines that your site doesn't create a positive user experience.

To ensure your website is optimized for search engines, you need to focus on crawling and indexing. But what does that mean? Crawling refers to the process of search engines scanning and exploring your website's content, while indexing is the process of organizing and storing that content in a massive database.

To improve your website's speed, you should aim for the following Core Web Vitals scores:

You can check your website's performance for the Core Web Vitals metrics in Google Search Console or use tools like Semrush to get a detailed report.

Technical SEO is crucial for your website's performance, as it directly affects how search engines crawl and index your pages.

If pages on your site aren't accessible to search engines, they won't appear in search results, no matter how valuable your content is.

A well-structured website allows users to explore your website easily, increasing user engagement and boosting conversions.

Your website's speed and mobile-friendliness are confirmed ranking factors, so make sure your pages load quickly and are easily accessible on mobile devices.

Search engines like Google use specialized robots called web crawlers to explore the internet and discover new pages, which means you should link to other pages when you write your content.

Technical SEO is crucial for your website's visibility and performance. It ensures that your pages are accessible to search engines, which is essential for ranking in search results.

Page speed is a confirmed ranking factor, both on mobile and desktop devices. This means that if your site loads slowly, users may get annoyed and leave your site, which can negatively impact your ranking.

To understand technical SEO better, we need to discuss two important processes: crawling and indexing. But let's start with the basics.

Here are the Core Web Vitals metrics that Google uses to measure user experience:

You can check your website's performance for the Core Web Vitals metrics in Google Search Console or use tools like Semrush to get a detailed report.

A well-structured website is essential for both users and search engines. Site architecture is a structured organization of all the web pages on a website, describing how connected one page is to another and the order in which the pages are ranked.

A good site architecture helps users navigate your website easily, increasing user engagement and boosting conversions. It also allows search engines like Google to crawl your site easily, which is vital for prioritizing and ranking different pages.

A large part of technical SEO is to facilitate Google's work in tracking, and one way to do this is to show the bot the paths to follow within your site to understand the hierarchies between pages and the connections between internal links. For that, you need to have a well-thought-out architecture, based on a logic of hierarchization and categorization of pages.

A well-structured website allows users to explore your website easily, with pages well interlinked and users able to easily navigate from one web page to another. This structured architecture increases user engagement and boosts conversions.

Here are some key factors to consider when creating a site architecture:

A site depth of 1 to 3 is recommended, as web pages at deeper site depth are usually associated with poorer SEO performance due to the difficulty of being crawled by search engines.

Canonicalization is a crucial aspect of technical SEO that helps Google understand which version of a page to index and rank. It's like telling Google which page is the original and which ones are duplicates.

Google uses various signals to select the canonical URL, including canonical tags, duplicate pages, internal links, redirects, and sitemap URLs. This process is called canonicalization, and it's essential to get it right to avoid duplicate content issues.

A canonical tag (rel="canonical") identifies a link as the original version, telling Google which page to index and rank. It's been a ranking signal since 2014.

If you have multiple versions of the same page, Google will select one to store in its index. You can use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to see how Google has indexed a page and find the Google-selected canonical URL.

To see if you have duplicate content issues, you can use tools like Semrush's Site Audit tool. It will show you the error if you have duplicate content and offer advice on how to address it.

Having duplicate content on your website can negatively affect your performance in Google, so it's essential to eliminate it. You can use the canonical tag to signal the preferred page to index and rank.

Here are some common examples of duplicate content:

In this case, you can use the canonical tag to tell Google which version is the original. Alternatively, you can use Redirect 301 to direct both users and bots to the main page.

By understanding and implementing canonicalization correctly, you can improve your website's visibility and ranking in Google search results.

Fixing broken pages is a crucial part of technical SEO, as it directly affects user experience.

Having broken pages on your website can lead to a loss of traffic and potential revenue. You can find broken pages by crawling your site using Semrush's Site Audit and searching for "4xx" in the "Issues" tab.

Broken pages can be fixed by reinstating pages that were accidentally deleted or redirecting old pages to other relevant pages on your site. To do this, go to the "Issues" tab and search for "4xx" to get a list of dead pages.

You'll also need to remove or update any internal links that point to your old pages. To do this, search for "internal links" in the "Issues" tab and click on the "# internal links" button to see a full list of broken pages with links pointing to them.

Here are the steps to fix broken internal links:

It's also essential to identify and fix broken links, which can be found using Site Audit in the Links report or Google Search Console.

Content Optimization is crucial for Technical SEO, as it directly impacts how search engines understand and rank your website's content. This is especially true when it comes to keyword usage, as seen in our previous section on "Keyword Research" where we discussed the importance of using relevant keywords in a way that feels natural to the reader.

Using a keyword density of 1-2% is key, as this allows search engines to understand the content's relevance without making it seem spammy. This is a delicate balance, and it's essential to monitor your keyword usage to ensure it's not too much or too little.

A well-optimized content strategy also involves optimizing images, as shown in our "Image Optimization" section, where we highlighted the importance of using descriptive alt tags and compressing images to improve page load times.

Optimizing images is crucial for improving your website's SEO performance. It can also boost your clickthrough rates and get you better ranking through featured snippets.

You should resize images to smaller sizes to increase load time. This will make your website load faster, which is essential for user experience.

Adding keyword-rich alt text is necessary for visually impaired readers and aligns with SEO best practices. This means including relevant keywords in the alt text to help search engines understand the image's content.

Naming image files with keywords rather than irrelevant numbers and symbols is a good practice. For example, use "recipe for roasted turkey" instead of "IMG 234".

Using the right image format is also important. PNG is best for images with transparent backgrounds, while JPG is preferred for large images resized to preserve quality.

Here are some image optimization tips in a nutshell:

Optimization is a crucial aspect of content optimization. It's what ensures your website's pages are accessible to search engines and users alike.

To start, you need to understand the importance of technical SEO. If your pages aren't accessible to search engines, they won't appear in search results, no matter how valuable your content is.

A website's speed and mobile-friendliness are confirmed ranking factors. If your pages load slowly, users may get annoyed and leave your site.

To optimize for user experience, you need to focus on the Core Web Vitals. These metrics include Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).

Here are the target scores for each metric:

You can check your website's performance for the Core Web Vitals metrics in Google Search Console or use tools like Semrush for a detailed report.

Optimizing images is also crucial for technical SEO. You can identify and optimize images by adding alt text, which is essential for search engines to understand the image's content.

By optimizing your website for technical SEO and user experience, you'll be well on your way to improving your content's visibility and engagement.

Page speed is a ranking factor on both mobile and desktop devices, so make sure your site loads as fast as possible. Google's PageSpeed Insights tool gives you a performance score from 0 to 100, with higher numbers indicating better performance.

The tool can also identify areas for improvement, such as compressing images with tools like ShortPixel, using a content distribution network (CDN), and minifying HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files. Compressing images can reduce file sizes and improve page load time, while a CDN can store copies of your webpages on servers around the globe, reducing the distance for requested files to travel.

Improving page speed is crucial, as a loading time of up to 5 seconds can increase the user's probability of giving up the visit by 90%. To identify areas for improvement, you can use tools like PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix, which provide a score and indicate factors you can optimize. Some technical SEO actions you can perform to improve loading time include compressing files sent by the server (Gzip), reducing the size of page images, and eliminating unnecessary characters from code (minify).

Here are some tools you can use to improve your website's loading speed:

Browser compatibility is crucial for ensuring your website loads quickly and efficiently across various devices.

Many users still rely on older browsers like Internet Explorer as their standard for navigation.

Each browser reads websites differently, which can hinder viewing in some cases.

Developers should consider each browser's limitations to avoid compatibility issues.

Older browsers often don't support more advanced development standards, which can slow down page loading times.

A technical SEO audit should check the compatibility of each browser to identify potential problems.

This is especially important if your audience tends to use older browsers.

Page speed is a crucial aspect of your website's performance, and it's a ranking factor on both mobile and desktop devices. Google's PageSpeed Insights tool can help you check your website's current speed and give you a performance score from 0 to 100.

A high score is essential, as it indicates that your website loads quickly. You can improve your page speed by compressing your images using tools like ShortPixel, which reduces their file sizes and makes them load faster.

Using a content distribution network (CDN) is another great way to improve your page speed. A CDN stores copies of your webpages on servers around the globe, connecting visitors to the nearest server and reducing the distance for requested files to travel.

Minifying HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files can also help improve your page speed. Minification removes unnecessary characters and whitespace from code, reducing file sizes and improving page load time.

Here are some technical SEO actions you can take to improve your page speed:

A slow-loading website can lead to a high bounce rate, which is the percentage of visitors that leave a website after viewing a page. According to Google, the bounce rate increases by 32% when the loading time exceeds two seconds.

To reduce bounce rates, ensure your website loads fast by compressing image size without compromising quality using tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim. You should also optimize web fonts to limit the number of different fonts and font weights/styles.

Mobile-friendliness is crucial for a good user experience, and Google prioritizes it in its indexing and ranking methods. Google uses mobile-first indexing, which means it looks at mobile versions of webpages to index and rank content.

To ensure your website is mobile-friendly, use the PageSpeed Insights tool to check if mobile-friendly elements like meta viewport tags, legible font sizes, and adequate spacing around buttons and clickable elements are present. This will help you identify and fix any issues.

Google's Mobile-Friendly Test is another tool you can use to check how easily a visitor can use your page on a mobile device. It identifies specific mobile-usability issues like text that's too small to read, the use of incompatible plugins, and so on.

Security is also a top priority, especially when it comes to sensitive user information like passwords and credit card details. Using HTTPS protocol helps protect this information, and you can check if your site uses HTTPS by looking for the "lock" icon. If you don't see it, you need to install a secure sockets layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) certificate.

Here are some key benefits of using HTTPS:

By prioritizing mobile-friendliness and security, you can improve your website's user experience, accessibility, and visibility, and ultimately drive more conversions and sales.

Mobile friendliness is crucial for a smooth user experience. Google's mobile-first indexing means it prioritizes mobile versions of web pages for indexing and ranking.

To check if your website is mobile-friendly, use the PageSpeed Insights tool. Navigate to the "SEO" section of the report and look for the "Passed Audits" section. If you see meta viewport tags, legible font sizes, and adequate spacing around buttons and clickable elements, your website is optimized for mobile devices.

Mobile-friendliness is about ensuring your website displays properly and is easily used by people on mobile devices. You can check the "Mobile Usability" report in Google Search Console to see if any of your pages have mobile-friendliness issues.

Google has made mobile search more efficient by prioritizing mobile experience through its mobile-first indexing method. This means that your website's mobile version is crawled, indexed, and ranked before its desktop version.

To ensure your website is responsive, add the "viewport" tag to the HTML code header. This tag guides the browser in adjusting the page dimensions and scale according to the device width.

Here are some common mobile-friendliness issues to look out for:

You can use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to identify these issues and improve your website's mobile usability.

HTTPS is a secure version of HTTP that protects sensitive user information like passwords and credit card details from being compromised.

To ensure your website is using HTTPS, check for the "lock" icon in the address bar. If you see it, you're good to go! If you see a "Not secure" warning, it's time to install a secure sockets layer (SSL) or transport layer security (TLS) certificate.

You can get an SSL/TLS certificate for free from Let's Encrypt. This will authenticate your website's identity and establish a secure connection when users access it.

HTTPS protects the communication between your browser and server from being intercepted and tampered with by attackers, providing confidentiality, integrity, and authentication to your website's traffic.

If your website shows a "lock" icon in the address bar, it's a good sign that it's using HTTPS. This means you've taken the first step towards protecting your users' sensitive information.

Here are some benefits of using HTTPS:

A well-structured site is key to helping search engines find your content quickly and easily. This is where site architecture comes in, organizing pages in a logical hierarchy that reduces the number of orphan pages.

Orphan pages are a major issue, as they have no internal links pointing to them, making it difficult for crawlers and users to find them. If you're a Semrush user, you can easily identify orphan pages by setting up a project in the Site Audit tool and crawling your website.

To fix the issue, simply add internal links on non-orphan pages that point to the orphan pages. This will help search engines crawl your site more efficiently and improve user experience.

Fixing broken links is a crucial step in link building and internal optimization. It's estimated that around 59 different websites have links pointing to a single broken URL, as seen in the example of 1800flowers.com.

You can use Ahrefs' Site Explorer to find opportunities to reclaim lost links by filtering for "404 not found" HTTP responses. Sorting by "Referring Domains" can help you prioritize which links to fix first.

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that can help you reclaim lost value by pointing old URLs to their current locations. This can be done using a tool like Ahrefs' Site Explorer or by manually updating your website's URL structure.

Broken links can be caused by a variety of factors, including incomplete links or links to pages that don't exist anymore. You can use the Google Search Console to generate a report about technical issues on your website, including broken links.

Here are some important tips for fixing broken links:

Site depth is the number of clicks it takes to go from the homepage to the farthest page on a website. A general SEO rule for site depth is to keep it below 4.

Web pages at deeper site depth are usually associated with poorer SEO performance due to the difficulty of being crawled by search engines. This is because search engines like Google rely on crawling to discover new pages.

To ensure that all your pages are easily accessible, crawled, and indexed, keep them between a site depth of 1 to 3. This will help search engines like Google understand the hierarchies between pages and the connections between internal links.

Here are some site depth guidelines to keep in mind:

By keeping your site depth within this range, you'll be helping search engines like Google understand your website's structure and content.

Technical SEO tools can help you improve the technical aspects of your website, making it more crawlable and indexable by search engines.

To prioritize your efforts, focus on technical SEO quick wins that have a significant impact on your rankings and traffic. These projects are often the most effective way to improve your website's visibility.

Some of the most impactful technical SEO quick wins include improving your website's loading speed, mobile responsiveness, and XML sitemap.

Prioritizing SEO efforts can be overwhelming, but focusing on quick wins can make a significant impact on your rankings and traffic.

One of the hardest things for SEOs is prioritization, but some changes will have more of an impact than others.

Some projects I'd recommend prioritizing include technical SEO quick wins.

Technical SEO quick wins can have a significant impact on your rankings and traffic.

Focusing on technical SEO quick wins can help you improve your website's crawlability and indexability.

Improving your website's crawlability and indexability can lead to more pages being crawled and indexed by search engines.

This can result in more pages appearing in search engine results pages (SERPs), which can drive more traffic to your website.

As you explore the world of SEO, you'll want to familiarize yourself with the right tools to improve your website's technical aspects.

Technical SEO tools can be a game-changer, helping you identify and fix issues that might be holding you back.

Ahrefs' SEO Toolbar is a free extension for Chrome and Firefox that provides valuable SEO data about the pages and websites you visit.

Its free features are quite impressive, including an on-page SEO report, redirect tracer with HTTP headers, broken link checker, link highlighter, and SERP positions.

Here are some of the key features of Ahrefs' SEO Toolbar:

You can also expect SEO metrics for every site and page you visit, as well as keyword metrics like search volume and Keyword Difficulty directly in the SERP.

Additionally, Ahrefs' SEO Toolbar allows you to export SERP results, giving you more flexibility with your data.

Here are the key takeaways from our discussion on tools and best practices:

If your content isn't indexed, it won't be found in search engines. This is a crucial aspect to keep in mind when optimizing your website.

Many technical projects that have the most impact are around indexing or links. This means focusing on these areas can yield significant results.

You're probably better off spending time on your content and links rather than trying to fix every broken issue that impacts search traffic.