Technical SEO
Technical SEO refers to site optimizations that help search engines access, index, and better understand the content. It is the foundation upon which all other SEO tactics (on-page and off-page) are built.
Site Architecture and Friendly URLs
A clear site structure helps Google understand the hierarchy of pages and their relationships. URLs should be short, descriptive, and easy to read.
- Correct URL:
www.SneakerStore.com/shoes-sneakers/women - Unoptimized URL:
www.SneakerStore.com/index.php?id=1245
Speed and Performance (Core Web Vitals)
Google emphasizes user experience, and site speed is an important factor. Core Web Vitals measure site performance in three main areas:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) - the time it takes for the largest visible element to load.
- FID (First Input Delay) - how quickly the site responds to user interactions.
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) - the visual stability of the page during loading.
Optimizing images, reducing unnecessary code, and using caching can improve these metrics.
Mobile-First Indexing
Google prioritizes the mobile version of the site for indexing and ranking. It is essential that the site is responsive, loads quickly, and provides a good experience on mobile devices.
Sitemaps and robots.txt
- XML Sitemap - lists all important pages of the site, helping search engines discover them
faster.
- robots.txt - tells search engines which pages to avoid or not index.
- Sitemap:
www.SneakerStore.com/sitemap.xml - Robots.txt:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /admin/
Indexing Issues and Solutions (Search Console)
Google Search Console is the main tool for monitoring technical SEO. Common issues include:
- Non-indexed pages or 404 errors
- Accessibility issues for crawlers
- Incorrect redirects or duplicate content
Possible solutions:
- Submit an updated sitemap
- Fix 404 errors or redirect old pages
- Check and adjust the robots.txt file