9 Must-Know Technical SEO Practices for 2024

Technical SEO ensures that search engines can easily understand, crawl, and index your website. Without a strong technical foundation, even the most informative content may fail to reach its intended audience. This guide explores nine essential technical SEO practices to help you optimize your site for better rankings.

Internal Linking and Orphan Pages

Search engines rely on links to discover and index content. If a page lacks links pointing to it, it becomes an orphan page, making it difficult for search engines to locate. Identifying orphan pages involves analyzing your site's internal link structure to ensure no pages are left unlinked. To fix this, add internal links from relevant pages to these orphan pages. A proper internal linking strategy not only resolves this issue but also enhances site navigation and content discoverability.

Structuring Your Website

An organized website structure helps both users and search engines navigate your site efficiently. Several models are available:

The Silo Structure separates content into distinct categories, each representing a specific topic. For example, one silo might cover politics, another business, and a third entertainment.

The Hub and Spoke Model features a central hub page linking to related spoke pages, creating a tightly interconnected network.

The Content Library Model organizes content into comprehensive repositories, grouping all related resources together.

The Topic Gateway Model uses a primary category page to provide an overview of a subject, linking to in-depth subtopics.

Tools like Canva, Google Sheets, or Miro mind mapping can assist in visualizing and organizing your content structure, preventing issues like keyword cannibalization.

User-Friendly Navigation

A well-designed navigation menu improves user experience and helps visitors find what they need. For larger websites, dropdown menus for desktop and hamburger menus for mobile devices are essential. These menus simplify navigation by categorizing content logically. Footer menus should include important links like legal information, contact details, and key pages.

Adding a search function to 404 error pages enhances site usability. Search engines reward such user-friendly practices with higher quality ratings. Customizing these pages can elevate your site's perceived value and improve navigation for users who land on unavailable content.

Crawling and Indexability

Google Search Console is a valuable tool for diagnosing crawling and indexing issues. Under the Pages tab in the Indexing section, you can identify pages with errors preventing them from being indexed. These errors might stem from factors like blocked robots.txt files, server errors, or noindex meta tags.

To resolve these issues, inspect the problematic URL, fix the error, and resubmit the page for indexing. Setting up tools for instant indexing can expedite the process, ensuring search engines update their index quickly.

Addressing Duplicate Content

Duplicate content can harm your site's rankings. Tools like Siteliner help identify pages with high match percentages, indicating duplicate content. For pages with significant duplication, consider these actions:

• Use canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page.

• Redirect low-quality or redundant pages to higher-value pages.

• Ensure critical pages have unique and valuable content to stand out in search rankings.

XML Sitemaps

An XML sitemap serves as a roadmap for search engines, listing all available URLs on your site. It provides essential information like the date of the last modification for each page. XML sitemaps group different types of URLs for better organization. A well-maintained sitemap ensures search engines can easily navigate your site.

Implementing Schema Markups

Schema markups, or structured data, make it easier for search engines to understand your content. This is particularly important as AI becomes more integrated into search algorithms. Examples of schema types include:

• Article Schema for blog posts.

• Book Schema for content related to books.

• Course Schema for educational content.

• Review Schema for independent product or course reviews.

Implementing schema types appropriate to your content enhances visibility in search results and increases the likelihood of appearing in rich snippets.

Mobile Optimization

With over 60% of web traffic originating from mobile devices, optimizing for mobile is critical. Google also prioritizes mobile-first indexing, making mobile optimization a ranking factor. To check if your site is mobile-friendly, use developer tools or online analyzers. Common improvements include resizing page elements, adding margins between links, and ensuring all content is easily viewable on smaller screens.

Page Speed Optimization

Page speed is a crucial ranking factor. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights analyze core web vitals, including:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): The time taken to load the largest visible element.

• Interaction to Next Paint (INP): How quickly your site responds to user interactions.

• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): The visual stability of your site during loading.

Basic tips for improving page speed include:

• Using text for the largest visible elements instead of images or videos.

• Testing plugins and disabling slow-performing ones.

• Analyzing blank pages to identify default elements slowing your site.

Ensuring Site Security

HTTPS is the standard for all modern websites, protecting user data and enhancing credibility. Security measures like hiding sensitive files and updating your site regularly ensure safer browsing for users and protect against unauthorized access. Prioritizing security not only protects visitors but also positively impacts your site's search rankings.

Final Words

Technical SEO is the backbone of a successful website. By addressing orphan pages, improving navigation, resolving duplicate content, optimizing for mobile and page speed, and implementing structured data, you can enhance your site’s visibility and user experience. These practices ensure search engines can crawl, index, and rank your pages effectively, driving more traffic and improving overall performance.