Technical SEO refers to the behind-the-scenes website improvements that help search engines crawl, index, and rank your site more effectively. It's the essential groundwork that needs to be done before you even think about your blog posts or product descriptions. Without a solid technical foundation, it's like having a fantastic store in a location that no one can find.

Essentially, technical SEO ensures your site is fast, works perfectly on phones, is secure, and provides a clear roadmap for search engine "spiders" to explore.

Key components of technical SEO

Here's what makes up a good technical SEO foundation:

• Website speed – Faster load times = better user experience and also higher rankings. Google favors fast-loading sites, especially on mobile.
• Mobile-friendliness – Your website should look and work well on all screen sizes. Responsive design comes in handy here.
• Secure connection (HTTPS) – Search engines expect SSL certificates to be used by websites. It's a trust signal for users too.
• XML sitemaps – A map that helps search engines locate and index the pages of your website.
• Robots.txt – Tells search engines what to crawl and what not to.
• Clean URL structure – Short, descriptive URLs are easier for users and search engines to comprehend.
• No broken links – Broken internal links are detrimental to SEO and offer a terrible user experience.
• Proper indexing – You want your important pages to be indexed – and low-value or duplicate content excluded.

How technical SEO works with website builders

Modern website builders often handle a lot of technical SEO tasks for you. For example:

• Pages are mobile-responsive by default
• Clean, crawlable code is generated behind the scenes
• HTTPS is enabled by default
• Sitemaps and schema data can be configured automatically
• SEO-friendly URL structures are used

Examples of technical SEO in action

• A lawyer’s website that loads under 2 seconds, includes schema markup for local SEO, and correct heading structures
• An HTTPS online portfolio with zero 404 errors and a robots.txt file that keeps draft content out of search results
• A mobile-friendly consultant landing page with an XML sitemap that's search-optimized

How to check your website’s technical SEO health

Not sure if your site is following technical SEO best practices? Do the following:

• Run a free SEO audit using tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or Screaming Frog
• Test your site on Google PageSpeed Insights
• Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test
• Make sure your site is HTTPS-secured
• Make sure search engines can crawl important pages (no-index directives can inadvertently block content)

FAQs about technical SEO

Why is technical SEO important for websites?

Without it, search engines may not be able to crawl or understand your website – harming your rankings, visibility, and traffic. A technically optimized site loads fast, works on all devices, and is easier for users to navigate.

How is technical SEO different from on-page SEO?

On-page SEO deals with content optimization (headings, keywords, and images, for example). Technical SEO deals with infrastructure – code, site speed, crawlability, and structure. You'll need both for a successful website.

Do I need to hire a developer for technical SEO?

Not necessarily. Website builders handle many technical aspects for you, so you can launch an SEO-friendly site without touching code.

What are common technical SEO issues?

Slow page speed, broken links, missing sitemaps, duplicate content, no HTTPS, poor mobile design, or crawl errors are some common culprits.

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