Technical SEO involves optimizing the infrastructure of a website to help search engines crawl and index it more efficiently. While many website owners are aware of basic technical SEO tasks (like using sitemaps, improving page speed, and mobile optimization), several important aspects are often overlooked. Here are some examples:
1. Crawl Budget Optimization
- What it is: Crawl budget refers to the number of pages a search engine crawls and indexes on a site within a given period. This is often overlooked by larger sites with many pages.
- Why it matters: Optimizing crawl budget ensures that search engines focus on important pages rather than wasting time on duplicate content, low-value pages, or paginated content.
- How to address it:
- Ensure proper use of
robots.txtto block irrelevant pages. - Use
noindexfor low-value pages (e.g., thank-you pages, login pages). - Fix broken links and limit redirects.
- Consolidate duplicate content.
- Ensure proper use of
2. Canonicalization Errors
- What it is: Canonical tags help search engines understand which version of a page is the preferred one when multiple URLs have the same content.
- Why it matters: Incorrect or missing canonical tags can lead to duplicate content issues, splitting ranking power between duplicate pages.
- How to address it: Implement canonical tags on all pages, especially if you have multiple versions of the same content (e.g., with different URL parameters, http/https, www/non-www).
3. Structured Data / Schema Markup
- What it is: Structured data, often implemented via schema markup, helps search engines understand the context of your content better and can enhance rich snippets in search results.
- Why it matters: Without schema markup, your site may miss out on features like rich results, reviews, FAQs, etc., which can boost click-through rates.
- How to address it: Implement relevant schema (e.g., for articles, products, local businesses, FAQs). Use tools like Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to check for errors.
4. Orphan Pages
- What it is: Orphan pages are pages on your site that are not linked to from any other page.
- Why it matters: Search engines may not find or index orphan pages if there are no internal links pointing to them.
- How to address it: Use a tool like Screaming Frog to identify orphan pages and make sure they are linked to from other relevant pages.
5. XML Sitemap Optimization
- What it is: XML sitemaps help search engines discover and crawl the pages on your site.
- Why it matters: Many sites have XML sitemaps, but they may not be optimized. Overloading sitemaps with irrelevant or duplicate pages wastes crawl budget.
- How to address it:
- Include only canonical versions of URLs.
- Regularly update the sitemap to reflect recent changes.
- Exclude low-priority or “noindex” pages.
- Ensure sitemap is error-free using tools like Google Search Console.
6. Internal Link Optimization
- What it is: Internal links distribute authority (link equity) across pages and help search engines understand site hierarchy.
- Why it matters: Many websites don’t make effective use of internal links, which can prevent important pages from ranking as well as they could.
- How to address it:
- Regularly audit internal linking to ensure deep pages are getting enough link equity.
- Use descriptive anchor text for internal links to provide context for search engines.
- Avoid over-optimizing (too many internal links on a page).
7. Hreflang Tag Misconfiguration
- What it is: The hreflang tag tells search engines which language or regional version of a page to serve to users based on their location and language preferences.
- Why it matters: Misconfigured hreflang tags can cause duplicate content issues, prevent the correct version of a page from ranking, or lead to poor user experience if users are directed to the wrong language page.
- How to address it: Ensure proper implementation of hreflang tags, especially on multi-language or international websites. Use tools like Google Search Console to check for hreflang errors.
8. Pagination Issues
- What it is: Pagination is used for splitting content across multiple pages (e.g., blog archives or product categories).
- Why it matters: Improper pagination can lead to crawl inefficiencies, duplicate content, and missed opportunities for indexing important pages.
- How to address it:
- Use
rel="next"andrel="prev"tags for paginated content. - Ensure each page in a series has unique content and meta tags to avoid duplicate content issues.
- Consider using “load more” buttons or infinite scroll with appropriate SEO considerations (e.g., AJAX loading with URL changes).
- Use
9. JavaScript Rendering Issues
- What it is: JavaScript-heavy websites often require additional work for search engines to render and crawl the content.
- Why it matters: If search engines can’t crawl your JavaScript-rendered content effectively, important content may not be indexed.
- How to address it:
- Use server-side rendering (SSR) or dynamic rendering for important content.
- Ensure JavaScript content is crawlable and can be indexed by search engines.
- Test pages using tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test or Fetch as Google in Search Console to see how Google renders them.
10. Content Delivery Network (CDN) Configuration
- What it is: A CDN distributes website content across multiple servers to improve load times for users in different geographic locations.
- Why it matters: Poor CDN configuration can lead to slow-loading pages, incorrect geographic targeting, or even indexing issues.
- How to address it:
- Ensure that your CDN is properly configured to serve content from the closest location to the user.
- Make sure canonical URLs are consistent across CDN-served content.
- Check that CDN caching is correctly implemented and that it doesn’t serve outdated or incorrect content.
11. URL Parameter Handling
- What it is: URL parameters are used to pass information (e.g., tracking codes, session IDs) but can create multiple URL versions of the same content.
- Why it matters: If not managed, URL parameters can cause duplicate content issues, dilute SEO signals, and waste crawl budget.
- How to address it:
- Use Google Search Console’s URL parameter tool to define how parameters should be handled.
- Implement canonical tags to prevent duplication.
- Avoid unnecessary parameters whenever possible.
12. 404 Pages and Server Errors
- What it is: A 404 error page appears when a requested page is not found, and server errors (5xx) indicate problems with the server.
- Why it matters: Too many 404 errors and unresolved server issues can hurt user experience, affect crawl efficiency, and lead to ranking drops.
- How to address it:
- Regularly monitor and fix 404 errors using tools like Google Search Console.
- Create a user-friendly custom 404 page to guide visitors back to useful content.
- Fix recurring server errors and optimize server performance.
13. HTTPS Migration Issues
- What it is: Moving a site from HTTP to HTTPS is essential for security, but many technical issues can arise during the transition.
- Why it matters: Misconfigured redirects, mixed content issues, and inconsistent protocols can lead to indexing problems and ranking drops.
- How to address it:
- Ensure all internal links and resources use HTTPS.
- Set up 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS.
- Use a tool like Screaming Frog to check for mixed content warnings.
By addressing these often-overlooked technical SEO factors, you can significantly enhance your website’s visibility, crawlability, and overall SEO performance.
