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Demystifying Technical SEO: Your Guide to Digital Domination

Greetings, fellow digital navigators! 🚀 Today, we’re setting sail into the uncharted waters of Technical SEO – where algorithms dance and websites jockey for the top spot in the digital arena. So, buckle up, as we decode the key elements of Technical SEO and unveil why they’re the unsung heroes of your SEO success.

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Contents:

1. Site Speed: The Digital Express Lane

Imagine waiting for a turtle to cross the road when you’re in a hurry. Annoying, right? Well, the same goes for websites. Site speed is the Ferrari of the digital world, ensuring your visitors don’t hit the back button out of impatience. Google loves a speedy site, and so do your users. A faster site equals happier users, and happier users often mean higher rankings.

Don’t ask what happened to the turtle.

2. Mobile-Friendliness: The Pocket-Sized Revolution

In a world where our smartphones are practically an extension of our limbs, having a mobile-friendly site is non-negotiable. Google’s Mobile-First indexing prioritises mobile-friendly sites in its rankings. So, if your website isn’t playing nice with smartphones and tablets, you might find yourself slipping down the search results ladder.

Further embrace the pocket-sized revolution and ensure your Core Web Vitals are scored well – this is basically a score that shows how well you’ve managed to maintain neat code, loading times, and overall prioritise the mobile-user experience.

3. Secure Connections (HTTPS): The Fort Knox of the Internet

Picture this: you’re sharing your deepest secrets with a friend. Would you do it in the middle of a crowded street? Probably not. The same goes for data on the internet. Secure your website with HTTPS, the digital fort knox. Google gives a virtual nod of approval to secure sites, and it’s not just for show—secure connections are vital for user trust and, you guessed it, SEO success.

Since when did Google give a spammy, insecure, untrustworthy website the position one listing?

And wtf did you search?

4. XML Sitemaps: Your Website's Treasure Map

Ever tried finding treasure without a map? It’s a wild goose chase. The same logic applies to search engines navigating your site. Enter XML sitemaps, the treasure maps of the digital world. These handy files guide search engines through the labyrinth of your website, ensuring every nook and cranny gets the attention it deserves.

Well structured sitemaps are like well kept filing cabinets.

If it’s messy, unorganised, and has old documents in it, Google may fail to understand your website structure, but will still try to read and index whatever content is available in there. You need to keep things in their respective places to ensure that they can be easily discovered by site crawlers at a convenience.

Imagine if you left some of your secret pages inside of your sitemap … Google will find them, and still index them if it feels like it.

Imagine if you redesigned your homepage, but left the old version in your sitemap so now Google thinks you want two homepages to be indexed.

Removing the old version from your sitemap is a good start, but Google may index old pages.

If you need a page totally removed from the search engine, you can request a removal within Google Search Console. Then on top of that, you can add a ‘no-index’ tag, to ensure no future indexing of that specific page.

Why don’t you go to “your domain” .com/sitemap.xml and see what you find!

5. Structured Data: The Language of Bots

In the vast expanse of the internet, bots are the explorers mapping out the terrain for search engines. Help them out by speaking their language—Structured Data. By using standardised formats like Schema Markup, you’re essentially giving search engines a manual to understand your content better. It’s the key to those eye-catching rich snippets that make your site stand out in the search results.

6. Canonicalization: Avoiding the Content Maze

Ever been stuck in a maze with multiple exits, not sure which one is the right path? Websites face a similar dilemma without canonicalization. This element of Technical SEO helps you declare the preferred version of a page when there are duplicates or variations. It’s like putting up signposts in the digital maze, guiding search engines to the right content. Duplicated or similar content face the risk of competing with one another, which can result in both pages losing out on impressions and therefore clicks, so by using canonical tags, you can direct Google to the right version of that content.

7. Internal Links: Navigating the 'Link Juice' Flow

Now, let’s talk about links. These are like secret passageways guiding users—and search engines—through your digital domain. But here’s the real magic: they carry ‘link juice’ from external sources. Think of it as the currency of the SEO world.

You obtain link juice when another website links to you. The higher domain authority they have, the more trusted they are, which means you receive more link juice as a result of them linking to you.

This improves your own website’s domain authority over time, resulting in higher ranking positions.

Now back to internal links: When one page links to another, it’s like passing valuable authority and relevance. However, tread carefully. Sending ‘link juice’ to a non-favored URL, say, the non-HTTPS version of a URL, is like handing your treasure to the ghost of your dead aunt. Be strategic in your linking, and watch the ‘link juice’ flow where it matters most. Don’t ever change your URL structures without considering your flow of link juice.

8. URL Redirects: Safeguarding the Link Highway

So, you decide to give your website a makeover, tweak some URLs for a fresh vibe… sounds great! But here’s the catch—forgetting to set up redirects is like closing off a highway without providing an alternate route. Visitors expecting a smooth journey are met with 404 roadblocks, and worse, the precious ‘link juice’ associated with those old URLs starts evaporating.

It’s not just about maintaining the user experience; it’s about safeguarding the digital pathways that search engines love to explore. Neglecting URL redirects is akin to moving house, and forgetting to tell your friends and family your new address. Then on top of that, you forgot to forward your post and inform your water provider etc. Suddenly all those visitors you once had have gone elsewhere and you’re not as popular as you used to be, despite having a shiny new home.

Conclusion: Charting Your Digital Destiny

In the realm of online supremacy, Technical SEO is your secret weapon. From the speed of your website to the language it speaks to search engines, each element plays a crucial role in your quest for digital dominance. The issue for website owners is staying on top of these things anyway, and especially when making updates or redesigns.

Don’t brush over the small things unless you know what impact it will have. Here’s to smooth sailing and conquering the SEO horizon! 🌐✨

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