Technical SEO
With a technical SEO analysis, you ensure your pages are accessible and properly indexed by search engines, giving your content the best chance to rank highly.
Villiam Karasti
SEO Consultant, Pardott
What is Technical SEO?
Technical SEO is about optimizing the technical aspects of your website to ensure search engines can effectively read, understand, and index your content. It includes various measures, from improving internal link structure and mobile optimization to configuring structured data and sitemaps.
A well-optimized technical SEO ensures search engine crawlers can easily navigate and understand your website's content, increasing the chances of it being indexed correctly and ranking well in search results.
Why is Technical SEO Important?
Technical SEO is crucial for your website to achieve and maintain good visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).
To rank organically, your website needs to meet specific criteria. If search engines can't read your pages, all the hard work you put into content won't matter – it won't generate traffic.
Your website's technical SEO needs can be visualized as a hierarchy. If the needs at the lower levels of the hierarchy are not met, it becomes difficult to satisfy the needs at the next level. These needs can be divided into: crawlability, indexability, accessibility, and rankability.
What is Included in a Technical SEO Audit?
A technical SEO audit examines a website's crawlability, indexability, and accessibility to identify problems and areas for improvement. This information is then organized and prioritized in a shareable document to facilitate collaborative goal setting and progress tracking.
Here are five key areas Pardott focuses on during a technical SEO analysis:
Sitemap
A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website that you want indexed. It helps search engines understand your website's structure and acts as a map, making it easier for them to find and index all relevant pages.
A correctly formatted sitemap ensures that no important page is overlooked. This is particularly crucial for websites with complex link structures or JavaScript-based navigation. In these cases, a sitemap can act as a lifeline if search engine bots can't access a page through internal linking.
Your sitemap should always be linked through your robots.txt file in the format "Sitemap: [URL]". If you have multiple sitemaps, you can list them all or use a sitemap index that links to each individual file.
In conclusion, an updated and well-structured sitemap is a fundamental part of technical SEO. It helps search engines discover and index your website's pages efficiently.
Robots.txt
Robots.txt is a file that instructs search engine crawlers on which parts of your website to avoid and which to prioritize. For example, it's common to block administrative areas, development environments, and various URL parameters.
This file should always be placed in the root directory of your website so search engines can easily find it. You can validate its accessibility by typing "[yourwebsitename.com]/robots.txt" in your browser's address bar. However, be cautious when making changes to your robots.txt file, as incorrect settings can severely impact your website's visibility.
It's important to understand the distinction between robots.txt and the noindex tag. Robots.txt prevents search engines from crawling a page altogether, while noindex allows crawlers to read the page but instructs them not to include it in search results.
By correctly configuring robots.txt, you can effectively manage your crawl budget. This ensures that the most important pages on your website are crawled and indexed regularly, potentially improving your visibility and rankings in search results.
Page Speed
Website speed, or page speed, plays a role in both user experience and SEO. A fast website provides visitors with a better experience and reduces the likelihood of them leaving before the page even finishes loading. Google has also stated that page speed is a ranking factor, measured through Core Web Vitals.
In my experience, while optimizing load times can have a positive impact on rankings, it often requires significant improvements to be truly noticeable in search results. If your website is already faster than average (2.5 seconds for mobile) and doesn't suffer from noticeable responsiveness issues, you can allocate resources to improve other essential SEO areas.
Of course, having a super-fast website is always beneficial. However, the most substantial ranking gains come from addressing actual problems, not making minor tweaks.
Internal Links
Internal links are a powerful yet often underestimated element of a brand's SEO strategy. By strategically linking between pages on your website, you guide users while helping search engines understand context and hierarchy. In my projects, I've consistently observed a correlation between internal linking and improved rankings.
Similar to external link building, the key is to create relevant and contextual links. However, with internal links, you have complete control over placement and anchor text. Choosing relevant anchor text allows you to clearly signal the topic of linked pages to search engines, facilitating better understanding and ultimately improving ranking in search results.
Furthermore, internal links enhance user experience by making it easier for visitors to find related content. This can increase time spent on your website, sending positive signals to search engines.
Canonicals
Canonical tags are a vital tool in technical SEO, helping you manage duplicate content issues. By using the canonical tag, you tell search engines which version of a page is the primary or "canonical" version. This avoids multiple pages with similar or identical content competing with each other in search results.
A common example is when your website offers products that can be filtered in various ways, potentially generating many pages with essentially the same content. If canonicals aren't used correctly, search engines may struggle to determine which page to prioritize, leading to keyword cannibalization. This means the pages compete against each other, reducing their chances of ranking well.
By clearly indicating the canonical version of a page, you consolidate link equity and ensure search engines focus on ranking the correct page. Proper use of canonical tags improves your website's SEO and gives your most important content the best chance of ranking highly.
Benefits of Technical SEO
Organic Visibility
Core Web Vitals are a confirmed ranking factor, directly impacting your search engine rankings. Optimizing for CWV can lead to increased traffic and revenue from organic search.
User Experience (UX)
Optimizing technical aspects ensures a smooth and enjoyable experience for visitors. This encourages return visits and deeper engagement with your content.
Accessibility
Prioritizing accessibility and adhering to WCAG guidelines makes your website usable for everyone, regardless of disabilities, devices, internet speed, or browser.
Conversion
Removing technical obstacles makes it easier for visitors to take desired actions on your website. This could include filling out forms, making purchases, or subscribing to newsletters.
Security
A secure website builds trust. Implementing security measures like HTTPS protects sensitive information, inspiring confidence in both users and search engines.
Future-proofing
Technical SEO prepares your website for future algorithm updates and evolving technical requirements. By staying technically updated, you can avoid ranking drops when new standards are introduced.
Pardott’s process
A process that ensures your website not only performs optimally today but also remains resilient in the future.
1.
Technical SEO Audit
The process begins with a comprehensive technical analysis of your website to identify existing issues and uncover opportunities for improvement.
2.
Prioritization
Recommendations are prioritized based on required resources and anticipated return on investment (ROI). This guarantees that the most impactful and value-driven improvements are addressed first.
3.
Implementation
Working closely with your development team, the process ensures a seamless and correct implementation of all technical improvements.
4.
Continuous Optimization
A website is dynamic and needs to be monitored. Through continuous monitoring and optimization, you can ensure that your website remains technically healthy.
5.
Reporting
Regular updates and reports on the implementation and the website's technical status are provided.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my website needs technical SEO?
If you've noticed a decline in your website's visibility without content changes, or if your site is slow or struggles to get pages indexed, it's a good idea to review the technical aspects. A technical SEO audit is an excellent first step to understand the situation.
How long does it take to see results from technical SEO?
Technical SEO can yield both short-term and long-term results. Some improvements, like changes to robots.txt to control search engine access, can have an immediate positive impact. Others, such as restructuring internal linking, typically take a few months to show noticeable results.
Can I handle technical SEO myself, or do I need to hire a consultant?
Yes, it's possible to manage technical SEO yourself, but it requires a certain level of technical knowledge and understanding of SEO. However, it can be advantageous to have someone with deep SEO expertise who can communicate directly with developers, ensuring implementation is done correctly and efficiently.
How much does a technical SEO analysis cost?
The cost of a technical SEO audit can vary depending on the size and complexity of the website, as well as the depth of the analysis. Generally, prices can range from 1000 SEK for smaller projects to 50,000 SEK for larger, more complex websites. It's always best to request a quote for a more accurate price estimate.
How often should I conduct a technical SEO analysis?
A thorough technical SEO analysis should be performed at least once a year. This ensures your website is optimized for current search engine algorithms and technical requirements. In addition, basic checks should be conducted weekly to identify and address minor issues before they impact your website's performance and visibility.
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