What is technical SEO?
Where on-page SEO is all the search engine optimisation users can see, technical SEO is all the work users don't see. But Google does!
If you picture a website as a house, technical SEO is the foundation that keeps the house firmly planted and stops it from swaying. Without a solid foundation, you can build something as impressive as you like, but the result will often be mediocre.
Technical SEO is therefore an important element if you want a website that's firmly positioned in Google's algorithms.
Areas of work in technical SEO
The areas of work within technical SEO are broad, and they include, among other things:
- URL structure: Optimise the URL structure so it's logical, clear and relevant for both users and search engines. Remember your canonical tags where relevant.
- Sitemap: Create and update your sitemap to give search engines information about your content and which pages should be indexed.
- Fast loading time: Optimise the page's loading time to improve the user experience and search engine rankings.
- Responsive design: Make sure your website works optimally on all devices, including desktop, tablet and mobile.
- HTTPS: Use a secure HTTPS connection to protect user data and improve search engines' trust in your website.
- Image optimisation: Optimise the images on your website to improve loading time and search engines' understanding of your content.
- Troubleshooting: Run regular troubleshooting tests to detect and fix technical errors and issues on your website.
- Indexing: To rank highly for keywords, you need to make sure your pages are indexed. If this doesn't happen automatically, you'll need to submit your pages for indexing.
- Redirects: Avoid “dead links” and error pages by redirecting pages whose URL structure has changed.
Good tools for technical SEO
There's often disagreement among SEO specialists when the conversation turns to the best SEO tools. There's a sea of options (and most of them do exactly the same thing), so experiment and find your own “go-to” tools.
Examples of tools you should try:
If you want to know more about good tools you can use in your SEO strategy, it's well worth reading my colleague's post “Seven cool SEO tools, the webmaster's most important tools”. Several of the tools listed are covered in more detail in the post.
Does your website have toxic backlinks?
It's never been more important to have control of your website's backlink profile. In December 2022, Google rolled out its “link spam update”, which means your rankings can really be penalised if your website gets links from other harmful websites.
Facts about the “December 2022 Google Link Spam Update”
- The update aims to combat spam and low-quality links that affect the search results.
- The update focuses particularly on links created for the purpose of manipulating rankings in the search results.
- Google says that websites with poor content or poor link practices can expect to see a decline in their visibility in the search results.
Want to know more about toxic links? Then you can read more in my colleague's blog post “Toxic backlinks, poison for your website's SEO”. He goes into depth on what they are, how they can affect your SEO, and not least how to get rid of them.
Get help from a specialist
If getting started with technical SEO seems like a slightly too extensive project, you can always get help from Webamp. We have all the necessary tools and knowledge to give your website the best possible chance of reaching the top of Google.
Contact me or one of my colleagues on 70 60 50 28, info@webamp.dk or by filling in our contact form.
