What is Technical SEO?
Technical SEO involves the technical elements of your website such as its structure, loading speed, and mobile responsiveness to boost its position in search engine results.
This process guarantees that search engines can effectively crawl, index, and display the your site, resulting in improved visibility and user experience.
Introduction
Mastering Technical SEO: Top Tips for Female Entrepreneurs to Boost Online Presence
As a woman in business, you need to get good at technical SEO because it is the backbone of a successful online plan.
This helps your website to be well-structured, easily crawled and indexed by search engines.
Here are essential tips for you as a female entrepreneurs for your website’s SEO and online presence.
Mobile-Friendly Site
The first thing we need to look at is whether your site is mobile friendly. A site that reaches and engages your audience effectively.
Better website experience for mobile users is beneficial and essential for your business’s online success.
Implement Responsive Design
Responsive design ensures your website provides an optimal viewing experience across a wide range of devices, from desktop computers to smartphones.
- Fluid Layouts: Use fluid grid layouts that adapt to the screen size, making your website look great regardless of the device.
- Flexible Images: Images and media files needs to automatically resize without losing clarity to fit the screen they’re being viewed on.
- Media Queries: Use of CSS media queries to apply different styling rules based on device characteristics, for a better user’s experience no matter their device.
Test and Improve Mobile Usability
Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool is an invaluable resource for checking how well your site performs on mobile devices and identifying areas for improvement.
- Run the Mobile-Friendly Test: Input your website’s URL into the tool to assess its mobile usability. The tool provides a report detailing any issues found, such as text that’s too small to read, use of incompatible plugins, or content wider than the screen.
- Address Usability Issues: Based on the test results, make necessary adjustments to improve your site’s mobile usability. This might involve increasing font sizes, ensuring all content fits within the viewport without horizontal scrolling, and removing or replacing content that isn’t supported on mobile devices.
Prioritise Mobile User Experience
A positive experience for mobile users goes beyond having a site that simply ‘works’ on mobile devices. It’s about a seamless experience that encourages interaction and conversion.
- Simplify Navigation: Opt for a streamlined, easy-to-use navigation menu that allows mobile users to find what they need without hassle.
- Touch-friendly Elements: Design your website with touch in mind. Make buttons and links large enough to be easily tapped, and ensure there’s enough space between them to avoid accidental clicks.
- Fast Loading Speed: Mobile users expect quick loading times. Speed up your site speed by compressing images, minifying code, and browser caching to keep loading times to a minimum.
A mobile-friendly site is no longer just an option—it’s a necessity.
Responsive design, good mobile usability, and mobile user experience helps your site reaches a wider audience.
This provides a positive experience that converts visitors into customers.
Your website’s effectiveness on mobile devices can significantly impact your business’s online success.
Site Speed for Enhanced User Experience
A quick-loading website keeps your audience engaged and satisfied, and helps in search engine results.
You need a seamless experience for your visitors.
Compress Images for Faster Loading
Large, high-resolution images can significantly slow down your website. Compress these images to speed up page load times.
- Use Compression Tools: Tools like TinyPNG or JPEGmini can dramatically reduce image file sizes without compromising on visual quality.
- Choose Appropriate Formats: Select the most efficient image format. JPEG is suitable for photographs, while PNG is better for graphics with fewer colours or transparent backgrounds.
Minimal Code to Boost Speed
Excess or bulky code can hinder your website’s loading speed. Clean site’s code can lead to faster performance.
- Clean Up HTML, CSS, and JavaScript: Use tools to minify your code by removing unnecessary characters, spaces, and comments.
- Combine Files: Where possible, combine multiple CSS or JavaScript files into one. This reduces the number of HTTP requests needed to load the page.
Browser Caching
Browser caching saves parts of your site on a visitor’s device on their first visit, making subsequent visits load faster.
- Enable Caching: Configure your server settings to allow browsers to store certain parts of your site, like images or CSS files, for a set period.
- Specify Expiry Times: Set appropriate expiry times for cached resources. Static elements can have longer expiry times, while dynamic content should be cached for shorter periods.
Additional Strategies
Beyond image compression, code minimisation, and caching, there are other strategies to consider for improving site speed.
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): CDNs distribute your content across multiple servers worldwide, reducing the distance data needs to travel to reach your users.
- Optimise Server Response Time: Choose a reliable hosting solution and regularly monitor your server’s performance to ensure quick response times.
Regularly test your website’s speed and make necessary adjustments to keep it competitive and smoothly for all users.
Website Security with SSL Encryption
Securing your website with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption is a necessity.
SSL encryption safeguards the data exchanged between your website and its visitors, enhancing user trust and contributing positively to your technical SEO efforts.
HTTPS for a Secure Connection
Switching your website from HTTP to HTTPS is a crucial step in protecting your site and its users.
- What is HTTPS?: HTTPS stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure. It encrypts data transferred between a user’s browser and your website, protecting it from eavesdroppers.
- Obtain an SSL Certificate: To enable HTTPS, you need an SSL certificate. You can obtain one from a Certificate Authority (CA). Many web hosting services offer SSL certificates as part of their packages, sometimes for free.
- Activate and Install Your SSL Certificate: Once you’ve obtained your certificate, you’ll need to activate and install it on your web server. This process varies depending on your hosting provider, who often provides guidance or support to help you.
The Benefits of SSL Encryption
Adopting HTTPS not only secures your website but also has several additional advantages.
- Boosts SEO Rankings: Google has confirmed that HTTPS is a ranking signal. Websites with SSL encryption are favoured in search results, giving them an edge over non-secure sites.
- Increases User Trust: A visible padlock icon in the address bar and the ‘https://’ prefix signal to users that your site is secure. This can increase trust and confidence, encouraging more interactions and transactions.
- Protects Sensitive Information: SSL encryption is essential for any site that handles sensitive information, such as personal details, login credentials, or payment information, protecting against data breaches and cyber threats.
SSL Status
Once you’ve switched to HTTPS, regular monitoring ensures your SSL certificate remains valid and your website stays secure.
- Keep Your SSL Certificate Up to Date: SSL certificates have expiration dates. Set reminders to renew your certificate before it expires to avoid security warnings that can deter visitors.
- Check for Mixed Content Issues: After switching to HTTPS, ensure all resources on your site (like images and scripts) are also loaded over HTTPS to prevent mixed content warnings.
Using SSL encryption by switching to HTTPS is a critical step for any website today.
It secures the data exchange between your site and its visitors, enhances trust, improves user experience, and boosts your SEO rankings.
Having HTTPS shows your commitment to security and privacy, essential qualities for building a reputable online presence.
Create and Submit an XML Sitemap
An XML sitemap is a must component for SEO, acting as a roadmap for search engines to find and understand your website’s content.
Here’s how to create and submit an XML sitemap, ensuring your website’s pages are efficiently crawled and indexed.
What is an XML Sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a file that lists all important pages of your website, making it easier for search engines to crawl it.
It provides search engines with the structure of your site and the content you deem most important.
Your XML Sitemap
Creating an XML sitemap doesn’t have to be complicated. There are several ways to generate one, depending on your website’s platform.
- Use Sitemap Generators: Tools like Screaming Frog or XML-Sitemaps.com can crawl your site and automatically generate an XML sitemap.
- CMS Plugins: If you use a content management system (CMS) like WordPress, plugins like Yoast SEO can create and update your sitemap automatically.
Submitting Your Sitemap to Search Engines
Once your sitemap is ready, submission to search engines is a straightforward process that helps ensure your site is properly crawled and indexed.
- Google Search Console: Sign in to Google Search Console, select your website, go to ‘Sitemaps’ under the ‘Index’ section, and enter the URL of your sitemap to submit it.
- Bing Webmaster Tools: Similarly, you can submit your sitemap to Bing via its Webmaster Tools by adding your sitemap’s URL in the ‘Sitemaps’ section.
Why Your Sitemap is Important for Technical SEO
Submitting your XML sitemap to search engines has several key benefits for your website.
- Improved Indexing: It helps search engines find and index your pages more effectively, especially new or updated content that might not yet be linked from other sites.
- Better Crawling: With a sitemap, search engines will easily understand the structure of your site and crawl important pages.
- Insights and Errors: Search engine webmaster tools provide feedback on your sitemap, including any errors or issues with your site’s pages that could affect indexing.
Update Your XML Sitemap
Regular maintenance of your XML sitemap ensures it remains effective over time.
- Update Regularly: Keep your sitemap updated with new pages or changes to your site. Automatic sitemap generators or CMS plugins can help with this.
- Review for Errors: Check for errors in Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools and address any issues that could impact indexing.
An XML sitemap is a vital tool for ensuring search engines can efficiently crawl and index your website.
Create and submit your sitemap to search engine webmaster tools for site’s visibility. This in turn improves indexing of your content, and gains valuable insights into how search engines view your site.
Regular updates and maintenance of your sitemap will support your ongoing technical SEO efforts, helping your site rank higher and attract more visitors.
Site Architecture for Technical SEO
A well-planned site architecture is not just for your users but also for search engines.
It ensures that your website is easily navigable, making it simpler for search engines to crawl and index your content, and for users to find the information they need.
Here’s how to optimise your site’s architecture effectively for technical SEO.
Creating a Logical Structure
The way your website is organised should make sense intuitively, allowing both users and search engines to navigate through your content without confusion.
- Use a Clear Site Structure: Organise your content, starting with the most general information at the top level and getting more specific as you drill down. This could mean having main categories with subcategories beneath them.
- Simplify Navigation: Your website’s navigation menu should reflect this structure, making it easy for users to understand how your site is organised and to find what they’re looking for quickly.
Effective Internal Linking
Internal linking refers to the practice of linking to other pages within your own website. An element for SEO and user experience.
- Connect Related Content: Link related pages together to help users discover more relevant information. This also allows search engines to find new pages and understand their context within your site.
- Use Descriptive Anchor Text: The clickable text in a link (anchor text) should clearly describe what the linked page is about. This helps search engines and users understand the link’s relevance and value.
- Spread Page Authority: Internal links distribute authority (link equity) throughout your site. Pages with more internal links pointing to them are seen as more important by search engines.
Benefits of Optimised Site Architecture
Site’s architecture has several key benefits, both for SEO and a better user experience.
- Improved SEO: A logical site structure and effective internal linking can enhance your site’s visibility in search engine results by making it easier for search engines to crawl and index your content.
- Enhanced Usability: Users are more likely to stay on a site that’s easy to navigate. An intuitive structure helps decrease bounce rates and encourages visitors to explore more of your content.
- Increased Conversions: When you guide visitors smoothly through your website to the information or products they’re interested in, you’re more likely to convert those visits into actions, whether that’s sales, sign-ups, or enquiries.
Site architecture is a foundational aspect of technical SEO that benefits both your search engine ranking and your users’ experience.
When you establish a logical structure and implement thoughtful internal linking, you can make your site more navigable.
Doing this will ensure that search engines can easily understand and index your content, and guide visitors to the information they seek.
A well-organised website is easier to manage and scale as your content grows and evolves.
Structured Data for Enhanced Technical SEO
Structured data, often referred to as schema markup, is a powerful SEO tool that communicates the context of your website’s content to search engines more effectively.
Embedding this code in your web pages will help search engines crawl and display your content in a more appealing and informative way.
Potentially boosting your visibility in search results.
Understanding Structured Data and Schema Markup
Structured data is a standardised format that provides information about a page and classifying the page content.
- What is Schema Markup?: Schema markup is one form of structured data recognised by major search engines including Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Yandex. It helps these search engines understand your content better, which can influence how your website is represented in search results.
Benefits of Using Schema Markup
Schema markup can enhance your website’s search results through rich snippets, which are enhanced search listings featuring additional information like ratings, images, and more.
- Rich Snippets: These enhanced search results can significantly improve click-through rates by making your listing more attractive and informative to potential visitors.
- Increased Visibility: Providing search engines with detailed information about your content, you’re more likely to rank for relevant queries.
How to Implement Schema Markup on Your Website
Adding schema markup to your website involves a few steps but can lead to substantial benefits in how your site is represented in search results.
- Identify Relevant Schemas: Depending on the nature of your business and website content, different types of schema (e.g., LocalBusiness, Product, Article) might be applicable.
- Use Schema.org: Visit Schema.org to find the specific markup you need. This website provides a comprehensive list of schemas supported by major search engines.
- Generate and Embed the Code: You can manually create the schema markup code or use tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper. Once generated, this code needs to be added to the HTML of your web pages.
- Test Your Markup: After schema markup, use Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool to ensure it’s correctly recognised and there are no errors.
Impact of Schema Markup
After adding structured data to your site, monitor its impact on your search performance.
- Search Console Reports: Google Search Console provides reports on how your site’s structured data affects its search results and identifies any issues with your markup.
- Analyse Click-Through Rates: Keep an eye on how enriched search listings affect your website’s click-through rates and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Structured data through schema markup is an advanced technical SEO strategy that determines how your website appears in search results.
When search engines have detailed insights into the content and context of your pages, it could improve visibility, increase click-through rates, and offer a better search experience for users.
Updating and testing your structured data ensures it remains effective and continues to contribute positively to your SEO efforts.
Monitor and Fix Crawl Errors for Optimal Website Health
You need to know search engines can properly crawl and index your website for technical SEO success.
Crawl errors can hinder your site’s visibility and affect user experience. Here’s how to effectively monitor and address these issues.
Use Google Search Console for Crawl Error Monitoring
Google Search Console (GSC) is an invaluable tool for identifying and fixing crawl errors. It provides detailed insights into how Google views your site and highlights any issues that could impact indexing.
- Setting Up Google Search Console: If you haven’t already, verify your website with GSC. This process typically involves adding a small piece of code to your site or uploading a file to your server.
- Navigating to the Coverage Report: Within GSC, the Coverage report will show you the status of indexed pages and highlight any errors or warnings affecting your site’s crawlability.
Types of Crawl Errors to Look Out For
Crawl errors can vary, but addressing them promptly ensures your site remains fully accessible to search engines.
- 404 Not Found: This error occurs when a page cannot be found. It might be due to a deleted page or a mistyped URL.
- Server Errors (5xx): These errors happen when your server fails to provide the requested page due to a timeout or overload.
- Blocked by robots.txt: Ensure your robots.txt file isn’t accidentally blocking search engines from crawling important pages.
Corrective Action to Resolve Crawl Errors
Once you’ve identified crawl errors, taking swift action can help restore your site’s health and search engine visibility.
- Fixing 404 Errors: For deleted content that’s still receiving traffic, consider creating a redirect to a relevant page. If the page was removed in error, restore it.
- Resolving Server Errors: Check with your hosting provider to resolve any server-side issues that might be causing downtime or slow response times.
- Adjusting robots.txt: Review and update your robots.txt file if it’s incorrectly blocking essential pages from being crawled.
Regular Checks for a Healthy Website
Consistently check your website’s health to help catch and fix issues before they significantly impact your SEO.
- Schedule Regular Checks: Make it a routine to check Google Search Console for any new crawl errors or warnings.
- Stay Informed: GSC can send you email alerts when new issues are detected, ensuring you’re always up-to-date on your site’s status.
Using tools like Google Search Console, will help to stay on top of issues that might prevent your site from being properly indexed.
Taking prompt corrective action aids in recovering from these errors and the overall user experience. A positive signal to your technical SEO efforts.
Conclusion
Female entrepreneurs, its time to thrive and excel in technical SEO.
Make sure your site is mobile-friendly, fast, secure, and well-structured, to significantly improve your online visibility and attract more visitors.
Review and change these aspects of your website to increase your search engine rankings for overall experience for your users.
For more SEO tips and tricks have a look at our SEO article.
Thanks for reading
Please share and forward to any other female entrepreneur’s in your circles and let’s spread the good news to each other. If you have any new tips don’t hesitate to comment below.
