Technical SEO: what it is and why it's important in web development

The construction of a website is not only about having a good design and seamless functionality, as success also depends on a crucial aspect: technical SEO.

This essential component makes a difference between being visible on search engines or remaining hidden in the depths of Google results.

Although technical SEO may seem complicated, its purpose is to make a website easy to crawl and understandable for the bots of major search engines, which is essential if a business wants to improve its online presence.

Furthermore, by optimizing this component, higher levels of user experience are also achieved, aiding in retaining visitors and converting them into customers.

In this article, we will explore what technical SEO is, its importance, and the factors to consider when building a website. All of this is to ensure that a company adds another point to achieve success.

What is Technical SEO?

Technical SEO comprises actions implemented to verify if a site is indexed and properly crawled by Google bots, and it helps to ensure compliance with search engine standards for ranking.

It is part of a review that should be taken into consideration along with on-page and off-page SEO, constituting the pillars of any website.

On-page SEO focuses on all elements directly on the site, such as content, keywords, image optimization, meta tags, and user-friendly URLs.

It also concerns itself with user experience, ensuring the site is easy to navigate, has an attractive design, and loads quickly.

In contrast, off-page SEO and technical SEO address aspects outside the site and the infrastructure, respectively.

Off-page SEO includes actions like link building, social media promotion, and reputation management, all of which help improve the site's presence and authority on the web.

Technical SEO, on the other hand, focuses on the efficiency and security of the website, working on aspects like page speed, responsive design, indexing, security certificates, canonicalization, and structured data.

Initially, technical SEO may seem challenging; fortunately, there are various tools available to quickly resolve such issues.

Moreover, if a website operates within a system like HubSpot, dealing with these reviews becomes much easier, as they also have their own options to streamline processes.

Why is Technical SEO Important?

For something as simple as having relevant and highly attractive content, you might not be appearing in the top Google results due to difficulties with search engines crawling and indexing your site.

Its role is crucial because it helps ensure your page is accessible. In this regard, factors like structure and loading speed also come into play, impacting the ranking.

Moreover, technical SEO focuses on providing an optimal user experience. Following this line, the website should be easy to navigate to avoid the bounce rate and have a better chance of retaining and converting users into customers.

Finally, under the mobile-first indexing scheme, technical SEO becomes even more relevant because it is crucial to ensure that everything is optimized for mobile devices, as this is what Google prioritizes when ranking.

Best Practices for Technical SEO

Now, it's time to review the most important aspects that should be considered. We've provided you with a list of some, and now let's describe them to better understand everything that technical SEO encompasses.

Website Speed

One of the most critical aspects that Google considers is how fast a website loads for the user, as this affects the visitor's experience and, consequently, the ranking.

Imagine an online clothing store. If its homepage takes 10 seconds to load, visitors might feel frustrated and abandon the page before even seeing the products.

By optimizing images, reducing unnecessary code, and using a Content Delivery Network (CDN), the page could load in just 2 seconds, enhancing the user experience and potentially improving its position on the web.

Website Structure

Technical SEO reviews to ensure that a site's structure is clear and logical, making it easier for search engines to crawl.

Moreover, it should have a user-friendly navigation system because everything counts on the journey towards successful positioning.

For example, consider a cooking blog with a clear and logical structure, with categories like "Appetizers," "Main Dishes," "Desserts," and "Drinks."

Within each category, there are subcategories like "Vegetarian," "Meats," "Fish," etc. This well-organized structure helps search engines understand the site's content and allows users to quickly find what they are looking for, contributing to SEO.

Indexing with Sitemap

A sitemap is like a map that a site uses to inform search engines about its content, indicating what should be indexed.

It's a way of telling Google's robots that we want certain pages to appear in search results, so having an updated sitemap can improve visibility.

It's crucial to note that before the sitemap, indexing must be done on Google, and this process is carried out through Google Search Console. If a site is not indexed, it will never get traffic because it's as if it doesn't exist.

Example: A news portal wants all its articles to be easily found on search engines. Therefore, it creates a sitemap listing all news pages, categories, and tags.

Robots.txt

This is a file that instructs search engines on which parts of your site to crawl and which not to.

Proper configuration can help optimize this action, increasing traffic naturally. However, it's essential to consider that a faulty file can generate problems and reduce visibility.

To illustrate, let's think about a company with a site section dedicated to internal and confidential information for employees. They don't want this section to appear in search results, so they use a robots.txt file to block search engines from crawling and indexing those pages. This way, they control which parts of their site are accessible to the public through search engines.

Responsive Design

Technical SEO also ensures that the site design is responsive, meaning it adapts to any type of device seamlessly.

Furthermore, everything should be oriented towards mobile optimization, as the majority of traffic comes from mobile devices.

Imagine a restaurant that wants to ensure its menu and contact details are easily accessible on both desktop computers and mobile devices. They implement a responsive design that adjusts the content presentation based on the device screen size. Visitors can easily navigate the site, whether on their phone, tablet, or computer.

Canonicalization

It refers to the process of selecting the best URL when multiple options are available, typically for pages with duplicate or very similar content on a website.

Canonicalization helps avoid problems where search engines might get confused and negatively affect a site's ranking in search results.

For example, suppose you have the same article on your website available at several different URLs, such as:

• http://www.example.com/product
• http://example.com/product
• http://www.example.com/product?ref=store

Although the content is the same, these different URLs might be treated as separate pages by search engines, diluting the authority and relevance of the page. To resolve this issue, you can use a canonical tag to indicate which URL is the "official" or "preferred" one for that page. By doing this, you're telling search engines that the other URLs are copies of the canonical URL and should consider it as the primary authority.

SSL Certificate

Search engines prefer secure websites, and the way to demonstrate this is through an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate, which protects user data and gives you an advantage in search engine ranking.

Imagine you have an online store where customers enter sensitive information like addresses and credit card details. If your site doesn't have an SSL certificate, this data can be intercepted by malicious third parties. By installing an SSL certificate, the information becomes encrypted, making it much more challenging to intercept.

Structured Data

Structured data is a way of organizing information so that Google can better understand it. This can improve your site's visibility in search results, such as featured snippets.

Suppose you own a movie review website. By using structured data, you can mark key information like the movie title, director, rating, and release date in a format that Google can easily understand. This could lead to your review appearing as a featured snippet in search results, with rating stars and other details visible directly in the results.

Common Errors in Technical SEO

As expected, errors occur when the factors we've mentioned are not taken into account, and even with good intentions, it's easy to make mistakes in technical SEO. Here are some common ones and how to resolve them:

• Slow Website Loading Speed: Ensure that images, videos, or digital files are optimized, minimize the code, and utilize caching technologies.
• Complicated Structure and URLs: Use clear and descriptive URLs and a navigable site structure for easy indexing by Google.
• Outdated Sitemap: Regularly update the sitemap, especially if you're making changes to your website.
• Incorrect robots.txt Configuration: Review and ensure that you're allowing access to relevant areas and blocking unnecessary ones for indexing.
• Not Optimized for Mobile Devices: Test your site to confirm it is friendly and functional on all devices to avoid losing traffic.
• Lack of SSL Certificate: Obtain an SSL certificate, either free or paid, ensuring it has credible accreditation to provide users with a secure connection.
• Content Duplication: Implement canonical URLs to prevent content duplication issues and potential penalties from Google.
• Linking Errors: Check that all links are contextualized and not repeated, as linking is a critical part of content.

While the task of technical SEO may seem complex, it's necessary for visibility. Fortunately, there are tools that streamline the process, and one such tool is Ocean Theme by HubSpot, designed to provide the best website creation service in the market.

SEO Technical Friendly with Ocean Theme

Ocean Theme is a Media Source solution that empowers marketing and design teams to create stunning websites without the need for coding.

After the review we've conducted, you can understand how Ocean can assist you in implementing parameters that are optimal for technical SEO from the start.

As a powerful tool, it's evident that Ocean offers the following options:

• Ocean Pro Theme: Designed for high performance, focusing on accelerating site loading speed with its provided elements.
• Over 45 Templates and 48 Customizable Modules: To design a clear and easy-to-navigate structure, enhancing the user experience.
• Fully Optimized for Mobile Devices: Ensuring a seamless experience across different devices.
• Integrated with HubSpot: Living in HubSpot provides a secure and reliable space, giving you an advantage in search engine rankings.
• 100% Customizable Without Code: Allowing for complete customization without the need for coding knowledge, simplifying the entire design process.

If you're interested in learning more about how Ocean Theme can assist you in managing technical SEO and improving your business's online presence, we're here to answer your questions.

Feel free to reach out to us for more information or to request a free demonstration.