Technical SEO is a subfield of SEO that works on improving the infrastructure of a website so that Google’s crawlers are able to read it better.While the term technical SEO may sound like a hard-to-understand aspect of technology, in reality, it is actually quite simple. In the following blog, we will explain what is technical SEO in depth and in simple terms, covering everything from its core definition to how each part of technical SEO contributes to a website’s ranking.
What Is Technical SEO and Why Does It Matter?
Technical SEO is basically the backbone of your SEO strategy, while on-page SEO helps with content optimization to keep you relevant and engaging, technical SEO ensures that the website your content is posted on stands strong.
The primary task of technical SEO is to improve a website’s infrastructure by working on its backend. It includes fixing any page issues, improving page speed, site architecture, responsiveness, and building website authority by working on backlinks.
If the technical SEO of your website is done right and effectively, there are high chances for your website to rank on search engines, as it would be then easier for the crawler to read, understand, and rank your website.
Site Speed, Mobile Responsiveness, and Core Web Vitals
How often does it happen to you that you open a website for the first time and you decide within the first two minutes that it is not for you? The reason? Slow loading speed, or a website structure that feels like it isn’t for your device!
It has happened to all of us more times than we know of. The importance of page speed and a responsive site architecture is something that should not be ignored, and should be in its best state!
Site Speed:
Site speed is the number of seconds or minutes that a website takes to fully load. Ideally, a website should load in a maximum of 2-3 seconds; people do not stay longer than 3-4 seconds on a website for it to load, since there are hundreds of other websites that might be offering the same thing!
In technical SEO, improving site speed is a top priority, as it leads to lower bounce rates and higher conversions.
Mobile Responsiveness:
A website in 2025 should not only be built for a single screen. According to a recent survey, more than 60% of internet searches are made from mobile devices, which signifies the importance of mobile responsiveness. When making a website, ensure that it can adjust to different screen sizes so that people can access it from anywhere.
Core Web Vitals:
Oh, and let’s not forget the buzzword trio: Core Web Vitals. These metrics, Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), measure how fast your content loads, how quickly it becomes interactive, and how stable it stays during loading.
Quick Fixes:
- Compress images.
- Use lazy loading.
- Enable browser caching.
- Invest in reliable hosting.
Learning and optimizing these three aspects of what is technical SEO in your strategy can already boost your growth plan.
Crawlability And Indexing: Getting Your Page Found
So, what is technical SEO? It’s all about getting the crawler to love your website. The crawlability of a website decides whether or not your website will rank. If Google’s crawler can easily Index website content, then there is no way of stopping a website from success.
Crawlability:
Crawlability refers to how easily search engine bots can access and navigate your website. Good site architecture plays a big role here. Think of it like a well-organised filing system; if everything is logically structured and connected, search engines can glide through it without a hitch.
Here’s how to ensure the crawlability of a website:
- Interlink all the important pages of a website
- Remove or fix any orphaned pages
- Keep the redirects clean and logical
- Keep control of duplicate content
Indexing:
Once Google or other search engines have crawled your website, they store it in a searchable database. For a website to be indexed, it must be crawled first. The search engines only place indexed content available for the search results. Hence, it is important to work on a website’s crawlability as much as any other aspect.
Crawlability and indexing of a website answer what is technical SEO in simpler terms, as these are the two essential purpose of technical SEO overall.
Using Robots.txt and Sitemaps Effectively
Robots.txt and Sitemaps are essential for your technical SEO strategy as they have the ability to guide and navigate Google’s search engine crawler. Here are the functions of both the tools:
Robots.txt:
With the help of robots.txt, you can control what the search engines should not crawl. You can block the admin pages, internal search results, or other irrelevant pages that might put your website at risk.
Sitemaps.xml:
By using sitemaps.xml, you can give the search engine’s crawler a clear map of how to navigate your website, and you can place the URLS of important pages at the top priority in a structured manner.
Effectively using these tools can ensure that the crawler navigates smoothly through your website without causing any disruptions or unwanted errors.
What Is Structured Data And Schema Markup?
Schema Markup, easily and commonly understood as “structured data”, has become a core principle of content and SEO strategy of today’s internet requirements.
Structured data means that your content is clear and understandable; it not only enhances your reader’s comprehension, but Google also prioritizes schema markup in content now.
Think of it this way, you search “how to bake a chocolate cake” online, there are two web results, one explains the whole process in a single paragraph of 400 words with no specifications of measurements or baking time, while the other website has a structured layout of the recipe with clear images and instructions, ingredients listed, measurements included, and the time of how long the cake should be baked.
You would prefer the latter one, right? That is exactly how schema markup works!
Common Technical SEO Issues To Fix
Now that we have come this far, you must know what to do and what not to do in your technical SEO plan; however, here’s a quick revision to promptly fix any mistakes:
- Slow page speed
- Broken links
- Poor site architecture
- Missing or outdated sitemaps
- No structured data
- Unoptimized mobile design
- Blocked resources
Ensure you are making none of these mistakes, and you are ready to ace the technical SEO in your next strategy!
Connect with experts from California Web Coders to learn in depth about what is technical SEO, and how their SEO masters use it to brew growth and success. Even better, our digital experts implement Digital Marketing and development strategies that suit your needs for your business, so growth doesn’t leave your doorstep.
FAQs:
- How is technical SEO different from on-page SEO?
Technical SEO is a part of on-page SEO which includes optimizing sitemaps, HTML, page speed, website’s backend performance, and mobile responsiveness, etc., to improve overall user experience.
- What tools are best for technical SEO audits?
The best technical SEO audit tools include SEMrush, Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, Google Search Console, and SEOptimer.
- Does technical SEO improve rankings directly?
Yes, technical SEO can have a direct impact on a website’s ranking. By improving a website’s technical aspects, it becomes easier for Google to crawl and index a website, which makes it rank better.
