Restrictions on outdoor interaction means that people are more glued to their devices than ever. Online competition for businesses has never been tighter. So, what can you do to remain a cut above the rest?
Technical SEO is tapping you on the shoulder. In a 2019 survey, 70% of marketers cited SEO as being more important for sales growth than pay-per-click (PPC). 93% of online experiences are also said to begin via a search engine. Many savvy marketers are capitalising on this amazing statistic, with 94% of marketers allegedly changing their strategy in 2020 due to the pandemic. Technical SEO is tapping you on the shoulder for a good reason.
What is technical SEO?
Technical SEO allows search engine spiders to crawl and index your website. Spiders crawl web pages, follow internal links, view more content, and then add to the index. When your website is indexed, it has a better chance of appearing on the first page of Google (when the relevant search query is typed). Technical SEO is an organic marketing tactic used to increase search traffic. It is very cost-effective in comparison to other methods as it doesn’t require paid advertising. This makes it a great solution for small to medium businesses wanting to strengthen online presence on a tight budget.
The three main elements of technical SEO are:
- performance – encapsulates things like site speed, security, compatibility for mobile devices, and most importantly, user experience
- crawlability – refers to Google’s ability to read and discern what your site is about
- indexation – ultimately determines whether your site deserves a favourable position in SERPs (search engine results pages).
It’s not enough to only rely on the creation of stellar content. Good content should be worked on in tandem with technical SEO. Given that technical SEO forms the structure of your website, it’s the backbone of your online efforts. The best content in the world can’t compensate for an ineffective structure. At Elite Words, we understand the challenges businesses have in establishing an online presence.
That’s why we’ve put together our top picks for why technical SEO helps you on the flight to greatness!
Website speed – because a fast game’s a good game
Website speed is imperative in ensuring a positive user experience and customer retention. Because SEO is ultimately about user experience, search engines prefer websites that load quickly. Studies show that 53% of people abandon a web page if it takes longer than three seconds to load. It’s also been found that conversion rates can decrease by 20% for every wasted second. Luckily, there are tools that can help you analyse the load speed of your web pages.
To ensure optimal load speed:
- keep your website simple with fewer plugins and scripts
- compress your files prior to uploading them onto your website
- run compression audits for your website.
When a website loads quickly, people are more likely to revisit, refer, purchase, and subscribe – all the things that keep your business turning!
Website security for the win
HTTPS sites account for 93% of Google owned traffic. When purchasing a domain name for your website, you can create your URL with one of these prefixes:
- HTTP – indicates a non-secure website. HTTP allows hackers to easily access the data submitted through a web browser. Upon accessing a site with a HTTP prefix, visitors see a “site not secure” warning.
- HTTPS – indicates a secure website. HTTPS makes it harder for hackers to access the data being submitted. Websites with this certificate have a green padlock beside the URL.
Online security is a huge concern for users. So, ensuring your website protects your data is critical. Visitors who feel safe visiting your site have greater confidence in requesting your product or service.
Optimise for mobiles – it’s not like we all don’t use them
In Australia, mobile devices reportedly constitute 51.98% of web page views on the internet. Customers won’t explore your site if it’s too large or small for the screen. Given the ubiquity of mobile usage, you’re missing out on a plethora of opportunities if you forget to optimise web content for mobiles. Enabling accelerated mobile pages (AMP) on your website improves organic ranking and website speed.
XML site map – Help search engines navigate your website
You might be the most innovative thought leader in your industry, but people won’t know that if search engines can’t read your site. An XML site map assists search engines in understanding your website. When search engines have a clear understanding of your site, they can readily display your web pages in search results. An XML site map also reveals when pages were last updated, and how frequently they’re viewed by site visitors. This analysis helps you to identity pages that can be optimised for better results. Some CMS automatically generate an XML sitemap. But you can also create one using a sitemap generator tool.
Technical SEO is a job that’s never finished
Technical SEO is not a one-time fix. Google’s algorithm is constantly changing to best serve user experience. As a result, SEO is a task that requires constant revisiting. Sound like a headache? Luckily, the rewards are worth it. Experts believe that reworking content can increase organic traffic by 106%! It’s also important to remain active on your content distribution channels. Websites with an active blog have been found to generate 67% more leads and 434% more indexed pages than those who don’t.
Technical SEO revisions include:
- removing spam links
- obliterating duplicate content
- assessing web page speed
- checking website security
- optimising content for both desktops and mobiles.
Technical SEO is not the only ingredient in online success. But it’s one that can’t be left out.
Unsure how to hit the ground running with technical SEO? Contact us for expert advice. We help people fly by guiding them with their communication strategies. It’s our passion!
