With on-page elements optimised, the focus shifts to the underlying infrastructure of the website. This is the domain of Technical SEO.
The primary goal of technical SEO is to ensure a website can be crawled and indexed by search engines without any issues. It addresses the technical requirements of modern search engines to improve organic rankings.
Core Technical SEO Components
XML Sitemaps
An XML sitemap is a file that lists a website’s essential URLs. It acts as a direct guide for search engines, helping them find and understand your site’s structure and content. While most modern platforms generate this file automatically, it must be submitted to tools like Google Search Console to ensure search engines can find it.
Robots.txt
Located in the site’s root directory, robots.txt is a text file that instructs search engine crawlers which pages or sections of a site should not be crawled. This is useful for preventing access to duplicate, private, or non-essential pages, which helps conserve crawl budget for your most valuable content.
Site Speed
Page load speed is a confirmed ranking factor and is fundamental to user experience. Slow-loading pages are correlated with higher bounce rates and lower engagement. Common causes include large image files, inefficient code, and slow server response times. Performance can be measured using tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights.
Mobile-Friendliness
As the majority of web traffic originates from mobile devices, Google uses mobile-first indexing. This means the mobile version of your site is the primary version for indexing and ranking. A responsive design, which adapts seamlessly to any screen size, is the standard for ensuring mobile compatibility.
HTTPS
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the secure version of HTTP. It encrypts data exchanged between a user’s browser and the website, protecting user privacy and data integrity. Using HTTPS is a standard security practice and is recognised as a lightweight ranking signal.
The Essential Tool: Google Search Console
An indispensable tool for managing a site’s technical health is Google Search Console. This free platform provides data and alerts directly from Google regarding your site’s performance in its search results. It is used to monitor index coverage, submit sitemaps, and identify technical errors that Google’s crawlers encounter.
Next Steps
A technically sound website provides the foundation upon which to build authority and credibility. The subsequent focus is on building a site’s reputation through Off-page SEO strategies.