We’ve already discussed some aspects of SEO writing, but let’s have a look at the technical side of SEO website optimization.
Unfortunately, even the best-optimized content won’t rank high (or at all) in the search engine results if the technical aspects of a website are not SEO-optimized. According to Yoast, your website needs to be fast and easy to crawl. Further, search engines need to understand it, which is actually a simple process.
Remember that you need to create a site with both humans and search engine robots in mind. Google’s robots need to be able to access your website, crawl it, and assess the content. They need to be able to understand what your content is about as well. However, while optimizing the website for search engines, remember that you are primarily trying to reach out to other people.
What aspects should you pay special attention to?
How fast is your website?
People hate being stuck on a loading screen, it’s a fact. Google’s research shows people will abandon a website if it doesn’t load within three seconds on their mobile devices. Visit Google’s own pagespeed site to see how your site ranks and follow the recommendations to make things faster.
Is it optimized for mobile devices?
This affects loading times and general user experience. Consider using Google’s own AMP service to simplify your content for browsers.
Is it crawlable?
As mentioned already, search engines need to be able to crawl your website. Otherwise, they won’t be able to check out your website and assess its usefulness. You need a good internal linking structure, and you can also use Robots.txt files for that. However, be careful as this tool can also stop robots from crawling your website altogether. The number one issue? Many people click “Don’t allow search engines to crawl your site” in their CMS installation. Check to make sure that it is checked.
Does it have a lot of 404 error pages?
Robots, like people, don’t enjoy dead ends. Unfortunately, they tend to find more dead links than people do, so make sure there are none (or as few as possible) of those on your website. Try this site to check for dead links.
Do you have duplicate content?
Duplicate content confuses search engines as it’s hard to rank. Therefore, they often give it low rankings.
Is it secure?
Nowadays, it’s basically a requirement. Make sure your website is secure for both your users’ safety and the technical SEO’s sake.
While technical SEO may be annoying to deal with, it’s essential. Without following these guidelines, you might be producing fantastic content, and it might simply get lost in the search results.
Now that you’re done with the SEO website optimization, you are ready to add some content. Let us know if you need any help.