Search Engine Optimization, denoted as SEO, is, without doubt, the lifeblood of any website, more so in this technology-oriented, fast-paced 21st century. We are living in times where most of the global operations have shifted online; from most companies tapping into a remote, worldwide workforce to things like shopping, networking, meetings, communication, dating, entertainment and so much more happening online. If for instance, you are an ecommerce entrepreneur that wants a slice of this promising digital cake, you must conform to SEO best practices to ensure that you are not left out.
SEO is a broad subject to look at, and this article will seek to shed light on the technical SEO factors that you need to keep an eye for during a site audit. We all know that building a magnificent building must start from having a strong foundation and structure in place or else your house will crumble. That is what technical SEO does. From server architecture, website architecture, programming, JavaScript, CSS, site speed, link structure and so on, these factors must be in proper alignment for you to enjoy high search engine rankings and ultimately high conversions.
Below we look at ten very sensitive Technical SEO elements that must not be left out in an SEO Audit:
Switch Your Website from HTTP To HTTPS
Any serious webmaster in the digital age must understand how important it is to take care of website security; hence, it is required to
buy SSL certificates for all websites that intend to perform well on search engines. Technology has paved the way for the rise of witty cybercriminals who will manipulate any loophole to enter your site, which can, in turn, have devastating repercussions like the breaching of private data. Therefore, Google launched its HTTPS Everywhere initiative that seeks to have all sites secured with SSL certificates. Those who comply are rewarded with higher rankings and those who do not are labelled as “Not Secure”. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) also forbids any website or ecommerce store from accepting online payments unless an SSL certificate is installed to protect client information.
Robots.txt
If you have been seemingly doing everything right, but still Google doesn’t crawl and index your site, it’s about time to check the robots.txt file because you could be instructing them to keep off from your site unknowingly. You can check this from your Google Search Console account. Any page that you want to be crawled should be set at “disallow:”. However, should you find a “disallow: /”, that is you telling search engines to keep off because the “/” is root. Form a habit of constantly checking your robots.txt file to ensure you are open for crawling and indexing.
XML Sitemaps
Trying to visit a mysterious location with no directions or maps whatsoever can be a tedious and frustrating exercise. That is why search engines allow you to show them the way around your website using XML Sitemaps. A proper sitemap is supposed to guide search engine crawlers on your site’s structure, number of pages, flow of content and so on. They are usually easy to create using free online sitemap builders. You can then submit it to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster tools. Just ensure that your sitemap is in the right format, is up to date and free from errors.
Image Optimization
One sole aim of creating a website is to attract your prospective clientele. To do so, you need more than just plain content. Adding visual aids like images helps to make your content catchy and appealing. However, there may be a downside to it, especially in the case where the image file size is heavy as this may decrease loading speed. You should ensure that all your images are properly compressed without affecting the quality. Also, be sure to include a proper image alt text that is not too long. Including the width and height of your images can also help the server load faster without having to calculate the space needed to fit the image.
Mobile Optimization
The use of mobile devices has skyrocketed in recent years to a point where now most of the online traffic comes from mobile devices compared to desktops. Back in 2018, mobile-first indexing was taking shape, but by July 2019, Google announced that mobile-first indexing would be the default for new websites. That means you must optimize your site for mobile to survive in today’s world. Ensure you have responsive pages that will adjust to any screen size or device type without affecting quality or content flow. There are many free tools that you can use to test your site’s mobile-friendliness online.
Crawl Errors
For you to appear high on search engines, Google must be able to crawl and index your site. If you find yourself sitting at the bottom of search results, this could be due to crawling errors. To fix this, you need to visit your Google Search Console account and get a crawl report. Here you might find crawl errors like duplicate content, slow page load speed, missing H1/H2 tags, 400 & 500 errors, and so on. Fix them and form a habit of checking your crawl report like monthly to be on the safe side.
Site Load Speed
One crucial factor that affects how high search engines rank your website is your site load speed. Google has placed so much emphasis on user experience, and it is a known fact that most millennials avoid slow loading websites like the plague. Factors like bounce rate and time spent on the page show Google how appealing your site is to users, and they reward or punish you accordingly.
It would help if you were very careful about the JavaScript and CSS files contained on your site because the many and heavier they are, the slower your site. Minimize them to the basic minimum. This also applies to the videos loaded on your website. Tutorials, for instance, can be long and heavy, making your site load slower. Compress them to minimal size and try to embed videos from YouTube as much as possible.
Multiple URLs
Sometimes your site may suffer a case of having multiple URLs like where they are mixed up with dashes, underscores, uppercase and lowercase letters. This can confuse search engines because they will have a scenario where different links are leading to the same single piece of content. It may also confuse your site visitors if left unfixed. The ideal solution is to consolidate all of them to one single URL and set the canonical tag for that single URL. You could also redirect all the other URLs to the original URL and set the canonical tag for that one.
Broken Links
Having broken links on your website is downright irritating. Imagine a prospective client who clicks on your link with so much expectation only to encounter a dead end. That person is not likely to visit your site again. Search engine crawlers similarly do not like being guided to a broken link and this results to lower rankings for your website. You can make use of the crawl report from Google Search Console to find and fix any broken links your site may have.
Keyword Cannibalization
Keyword cannibalization refers to a scenario where various pages on your site can rank for the same search query. This means that they are competing for the same keyword or their content is too similar. This is harmful because Google will try to pit them against each other to see which one is best, resulting in diminished authority and lower rankings and CTR for all involved pages. You can use the performance report on Google Search Console to see the pages competing for the same keyword and try to consolidate them. This will result in authoritative, higher-ranking pages.
Conclusion
To sum it all up in a few words, the above 10 Technical SEO tips are very important to implement in your SEO audit. The wisest person is the one who is armed to the teeth with the best tactics and knowledge. You should form a habit of constantly auditing your site to ensure no blind spots are left unfixed. Likewise, stay advanced with SEO best practices.