How to perform Technical SEO?
Technical SEO is the process of optimising your website for the crawling and indexing of search engine spiders. It includes various technical aspects of your website that need to be optimised for better search engine visibility. A Technical SEO audit is a comprehensive review of your website to identify the issues and errors that affect your website’s performance in search engine rankings. In this blog post, we will discuss how to perform a technical SEO audit and improve your website’s performance.
- Site Structure
Site structure is the foundation of a website, and it is essential for better search engine visibility. A well-structured website is easy to navigate and understand by both users and search engines. A technical SEO audit should check your website’s structure and ensure that it is organised logically and intuitively.
One of the critical factors in site structure is creating a sitemap.xml file. It is a file that contains a list of all the pages on your website, making it easier for search engine crawlers to discover and index them. You can use tools like XML Sitemap Generator to create and submit your sitemap.xml file to Google Search Console.
Another important aspect of site structure is having a clear hierarchy of pages. You can organise your pages into categories and subcategories, making it easier for users to navigate your website. It is crucial to have an intuitive menu structure that allows users to find what they are looking for quickly.
- Website Speed
Website speed is crucial for user experience and search engine rankings. A technical SEO audit should check the website speed and identify any factors that are slowing it down.
One of the most common factors that affect website speed is hosting. If your website is hosted on a slow server, it will affect the website’s speed. You can switch to a faster hosting provider to improve website speed.
Another important factor that affects website speed is image optimization. Images are usually the largest files on a webpage, and if they are not optimised, they can slow down your website. You can use tools like TinyPNG to compress your images without losing quality.
Code optimization is also a critical factor in website speed. If your website’s code is bloated and not optimised, it can slow down your website. You can use tools like GTmetrix to evaluate your website’s code and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Mobile Responsiveness
Mobile responsiveness is an essential factor for search engine rankings since Google prioritises mobile-friendly websites. A technical SEO audit should check your website’s mobile responsiveness and ensure that it is optimised for mobile devices.
One of the best ways to optimise your website for mobile devices is to use a responsive design. A responsive design adapts to the screen size of the device and provides an optimal viewing experience for users. Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test is a great tool to evaluate your website’s mobile responsiveness and identify opportunities for improvement.
- Site Errors
Site errors such as broken links, missing alt tags, and 404 errors can hurt your website’s search engine rankings. A technical SEO audit should check for these errors and address them promptly.
One of the best tools to identify site errors is Google Search Console. It provides a comprehensive report on your website’s errors and issues, including crawl errors, security issues, and mobile usability issues. You can use this information to fix errors and improve your website’s performance.
- Meta Data
Meta data such as page titles, descriptions, and headers are essential for search engine rankings. A technical SEO audit should check your website’s meta data and ensure that it is optimised for keywords and user experience.
Page titles should be descriptive and contain relevant keywords. They should also be unique for each page, making it easier for search engines to understand the content of the page. Meta descriptions should be engaging and descriptive, providing a summary of the page’s content. Headers should also be used to structure the page’s content and help search engines understand the hierarchy of the information on the page.
- Keyword Optimization
Keyword optimization is another critical factor for search engine rankings. A technical SEO audit should check the use of keywords on your website and ensure that they are used appropriately.
Keyword stuffing, the practice of overusing keywords on a page, can harm your website’s rankings. You should use keywords in a natural way that provides value to the user. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find relevant keywords for your website and use them in your content and meta data.
- Internal and External Links
Internal and external links are essential for search engine rankings and user experience. A technical SEO audit should check the links on your website and ensure that they are optimised for both search engines and users.
Internal links help users navigate your website and provide additional information on a topic. They also help search engines understand the structure of your website and the importance of pages. External links, also known as backlinks, are links from other websites that point to your website. They can increase your website’s authority and improve search engine rankings.
Conclusion about Technical SEO Audit
A technical SEO audit is essential for improving your website’s performance in search engine rankings. It helps identify issues and errors that affect your website’s visibility and provides opportunities for improvement. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can perform a comprehensive technical SEO audit and optimise your website for better search engine visibility and user experience. Remember to focus on site structure, website speed, mobile responsiveness, site errors, meta data, keyword optimization, and internal and external links.
