Technical SEO refers to the practice of optimizing a website’s technical elements in order to improve its visibility in search engines and improve the overall user experience. While there are many technical SEO parameters to consider, some of the most important ones for 2023 include:
#1 Page speed
Page speed is an important factor in determining a website’s ranking in search results. A slow-loading website can lead to a poor user experience and a high bounce rate, which can negatively impact its ranking.
In addition, search engines use page speed as a ranking factor when determining the order in which websites should appear in search results. This means that faster-loading pages may rank higher in search results than slower-loading pages, all other things being equal. Page speed is an important factor for mobile users, as slower loading times can lead to higher data usage and drain battery life. With the increasing use of mobile devices for browsing the web, it is important for websites to load quickly on these devices to provide a good user experience.
#2 Mobile-friendliness
Mobile-friendliness is crucial for websites in today’s digital age, as a large number of users access the internet through their mobile devices. A mobile-friendly website should be easily readable and navigable on small screens, and should be optimized for touch input. If a website is not optimized for mobile, it can result in a poor user experience, leading to a higher bounce rate and a lower search ranking. To remain competitive, it is essential for businesses to make sure that their websites can be easily accessed by customers on all types of devices.
#3 Structured data
Structured data, also known as schema markup, is a way to annotate web pages with metadata that helps search engines understand the content on the page. By using structured data, websites can provide additional context to search engines and improve their chances of appearing in rich results, such as featured snippets or knowledge panels.
Here is an example of how you can create an Article schema in JSON-LD format:
{
“@context”: “http://schema.org”,
“@type”: “Article”,
“headline”: “My Article Title”,
“author”: {
“@type”: “Person”,
“name”: “John Doe”
},
“articleBody”: “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.”,
“datePublished”: “2022-01-01”
}
This JSON-LD code specifies an Article schema with the following properties:
headline: the title of the article
author: the author of the article, including their name
articleBody: the body of the article
datePublished: the publication date of the article
#4 URL structure
A well-organized URL structure can help both users and search engines understand the hierarchy of a website’s content. URLs should be easy to read, use descriptive terms, and include relevant keywords.
Here is an example of a search engine optimized URL structure for a website about outdoor gear:
www.travel-blog.com/best-places-to-visit-in-asia
www.travel-blog.com/budget-travel-tips
www.travel-blog.com/luxury-resorts
In this example, the root domain is www.travel-blog.com, and the URLs for the individual pages use descriptive keywords separated by hyphens. Overall, the best URL structure for SEO is one that is short, simple, and descriptive, and that uses hyphens to separate words and lowercase letters.
#5 Meta tags
Meta tags are snippets of text that describe the content of a webpage. They include the title tag, which appears in the search results, and the meta description, which provides a summary of the page’s content. Properly optimized meta tags can help improve a website’s visibility in search results and attract more clicks.
<!– Title tag –>
<title>Real Estate Listings | Homes for Sale | Real Estate Company</title>
<!– Description tag –>
<meta name=”description” content=”Find your dream home with our extensive selection of real estate listings and homes for sale. Browse listings in your area and connect with top real estate agents.”>
In this example, the title includes the top keywords “real estate listings,” “homes for sale,” and the name of the company. These keywords help search engines understand the content of the webpage and improve its ranking for relevant searches.
The description meta tag provides a brief summary of the content of the webpage, including the top keywords “real estate listings” and “homes for sale.” It also highlights the main purpose of the site (i.e., helping users find their dream home) and the types of services offered (i.e., extensive selection of properties for sale and connections with top real estate agents).
#6 Internal linking
Did you know that using internal links on your website can actually help improve your search engine rankings? It’s true! By linking to other pages within your own site, you can help search engines understand the organization and structure of your website. This can be especially helpful for websites with lots of pages or complex navigation. Plus, internal linking can help search engines discover and index new pages, giving them more information about your website. So next time you’re updating your website, don’t forget to include some internal links!
Internal linking can also help users navigate your website more easily and find the content they are looking for. When used properly, internal linking can help improve the user experience and increase the amount of time users spend on your website, which can lead to higher search engine rankings and increased traffic.
By paying attention to technical SEO parameters, website owners can optimize their site for search engines and enhance the experience for their visitors, potentially driving more targeted traffic and increasing revenue.
