Technical SEO Made Simple

Technical SEO encompasses all technical aspects of a website that affect its performance in search engines. While content and backlinks are often discussed, technical factors can make the difference between page 1 and invisibility.

In this article, we explain the most important technical SEO factors in understandable terms – without unnecessary jargon.

Core Web Vitals – The User Experience Metrics

Core Web Vitals are metrics that Google uses to measure the user experience on your website. Since 2021, they've been an official ranking factor. There are three main metrics:

How to Improve Core Web Vitals

• Optimize images: Use modern formats (WebP), correct sizes, and lazy loading
• Minimize CSS and JavaScript: Only load what's actually needed
• Use browser caching: Store resources locally in the browser
• Reserve space for images: Define dimensions to prevent layout shifts
• Use a fast hosting provider: Server speed is the foundation of everything

Crawling – How Google Finds Your Pages

Crawling is the process where Google's bots (called "Googlebot") visit your website and read the content. If a page can't be crawled, it can't be indexed – and therefore can't appear in search results.

What Can Hinder Crawling?

• robots.txt blocks: This file can block access for search engines
• Server errors (5xx): If the server doesn't respond, bots can't access the page
• Slow loading times: Google has a crawl budget – slow pages use it up
• Complex JavaScript: Some bots struggle with heavily JavaScript-based content
• Broken links: Dead ends waste crawl budget

How to Optimize Crawling

• Submit an XML sitemap in Google Search Console
• Use internal linking to guide bots to important pages
• Fix broken links and redirects
• Ensure fast server response times
• Check robots.txt – is everything you want indexed accessible?

Indexing – Getting Into the Search Results

After crawling comes indexing: Google processes the page content and decides if and how it should appear in search results. Pages can be crawled but still not indexed.

Reasons for Non-Indexing

• noindex tag: Explicitly tells Google not to index the page
• Duplicate content: Very similar content to other pages
• Low quality: Too little content or no added value
• Canonical issues: The canonical tag points to a different URL
• Crawl errors: The page couldn't be successfully loaded

Structured Data – Speaking Google's Language

Structured data (Schema Markup) is a standardized format that helps search engines understand your content. It can lead to enhanced search results (Rich Snippets) – e.g., with star ratings, prices, or FAQs.

Important Schema Types

• LocalBusiness: For local businesses (address, hours, reviews)
• Product: For products (price, availability, reviews)
• FAQ: For frequently asked questions
• Article: For blog posts and news articles
• BreadcrumbList: For navigation hierarchy
• Organization: For company information

HTTPS – Security as Ranking Factor

HTTPS (the padlock icon in the browser) is no longer optional. Google has confirmed it as a ranking factor. More importantly: browsers display warnings for HTTP pages, which destroys user trust.

HTTPS Checklist

• Valid SSL certificate installed
• All pages redirect from HTTP to HTTPS
• No mixed content (HTTP elements on HTTPS pages)
• Internal links use HTTPS URLs
• Sitemap contains only HTTPS URLs

Mobile-First Indexing

Google uses the mobile version of your website for indexing and ranking. This means: if your mobile site has problems, your rankings will suffer – even on desktop.

Mobile Optimization Essentials

• Responsive design: The website adapts to all screen sizes
• Readable text: No zooming required
• Tappable elements: Buttons and links are large enough
• No horizontal scrolling: Content fits the screen
• Same content as desktop: Don't hide content on mobile

URL Structure – Clean and Logical

A good URL structure helps both users and search engines understand your content:

• Descriptive: /services/seo-audit/ instead of /page?id=123
• Logical hierarchy: Category/subcategory/page
• Hyphens, not underscores: seo-tips not seo_tips
• Lowercase: Avoid case-sensitivity issues
• Concise: As short as possible, as long as necessary

Technical SEO Audit – Where to Start

If you want to check your technical SEO, here's a prioritized approach:

1. Google Search Console: Check for errors and warnings
2. PageSpeed Insights: Analyze Core Web Vitals
3. Mobile-Friendly Test: Check mobile compatibility
4. SSL Check: Verify HTTPS configuration
5. Crawl the website: Use tools like Screaming Frog to find issues
6. Check structured data: Use Google's Rich Results Test

Conclusion: Technical SEO as Foundation

Technical SEO isn't glamorous, but it's essential. Without a solid technical foundation, even the best content can struggle to rank. The good news: once the basics are set up correctly, maintenance is relatively straightforward.

Prioritize based on impact: Core Web Vitals, mobile optimization, and indexing issues typically have the biggest effect on rankings. Address these first before diving into more advanced optimizations.