Foundation for success: how technical SEO succeeds

Apart from the right framework conditions for a high-performance website, technical SEO is also about the basic structure of the content. Because: Google loves structured data. A standardised structure is helpful so that search robots can optimally search and index websites. However, the aspect of user experience is also increasingly taking centre stage in the ranking factors. Fast loading times and a clearly organised site are therefore important criteria.

 

What added value technical SEO has for
users and the ranking

There are often fundamental errors in the structure of a website. These can be, for example, heading tags that are not used sensibly. An H1 heading defines the following content and should therefore only be used once. Search engines are particularly focussed on this heading. Other subsequent headings - for example H2, H3, H4 and so on - may be used several times, but should follow their inherent syntax. None should be skipped and content of equal importance should be given a heading of the same rank. This not only helps search robots, but users also stay on a page longer if the content is clearly structured and easy to understand.

 

In addition to on-page content measures, there are also more in-depth optimisation options. HTTP codes can be used to identify errors and problems - from broken links and server utilisation to missing redirects. These should be rectified, even if it is, for example, a link to an external website that no longer works. After all, it is unpleasant for both users and Google algorithms to encounter errors when visiting a website.

How websites appear correctly in the search results

Another common mistake is forgotten or suboptimal title tags and meta descriptions. However, these are important ranking factors and even appear directly on the search results page. If no title tag is set, which defines the page title for display in search engines, it is generated automatically. This can lead to problems if, for example, the title is too long. Important information may then be cut off.

 

The situation is similar with the meta description. If this summary is not defined, it is generated by search engines themselves. These may then be the first sentences of a text, which may not attract the desired attention.

 

It is therefore advisable to check a website yourself to ensure that the correct information is provided everywhere and that it is also displayed correctly on Google and other search engines. The Google Search Console, which can be used to find errors on the crawled pages, helps with this. There are also numerous browser plug-ins for Google Chrome, for example, which can be used to check sites for potential vulnerabilities.

 

Technical SEO also helps when it comes to major restructuring of a website. If individual pages have to be moved or content has to appear twice, it helps to mark the original content with a canonical tag. Finally, each URL should have its own unique content. However, this is sometimes difficult to realise for web shops and international companies, as similar articles or country-specific pages with the same content can affect the ranking.

Putting user experience centre stage: page speed as a ranking factor

Since the mobile-first approach became established, website loading times have become an indispensable factor. The longer a page takes to load, the higher the probability that users will not wait and switch to another website.

 

Images play a particularly important role here. Large, high-resolution headers are attractive. But if every graphic element used is several megabytes in size, the loading time can quickly become unbearably long. This is a particularly important factor for users surfing with a mobile device.

 

The problem can be avoided by reducing images to a usable size, for example by reducing them to the dimensions actually required. Responsive designs should be kept in mind here: Not everything that looks good on a smartphone also looks convincing on a desktop monitor. Apart from the pure pixels, various file formats also help to compress images. JPG and PNG are better than uncompressed formats such as bitmaps (BMP).

 

Loading times are one of Google's core web vitals. They therefore directly influence the ranking of a page. Apart from images, too many scripts and dynamic elements can also have a negative impact on the loading time of a website. It helps to take a close look at the site to identify potential for improvement. The less it has to load, the shorter the loading times.