That\u2019s where technical SEO comes in. When you optimize your website’s tech aspects, you make it easier for search engines like Google to find, crawl, and rank it.<\/p>\n
These behind-the-scenes tweaks might not be flashy, but creating a faster, more mobile- and crawler-friendly website<\/a> can help your page rank closer to the top of the search results. Even if you have the best content in the world, if no web traffic stops by, you might as well be writing on paper and then tucking it away in a desk drawer.<\/p>\n So, if you want more eyeballs on your site, you need to do two things \u2014 create quality content and follow these technical SEO recommendations \u2014 to set your site apart from competitors.<\/p>\n First, take some time to get comfortable with using Google Search Console. It offers insights into your website\u2019s overall performance<\/a>\u2014from the keywords it\u2019s ranking for to how to fix performance issues and how it stacks up against competitors.<\/p>\n It\u2019s especially handy for SEO recommendations related to your site\u2019s Core Web Vitals, a report that uses field data\u2014aka data from real-world users\u2014to gauge the performance of various URLs on your site.<\/p>\n The report has much to do with site and page speed or how fast a page loads. According to Google<\/a>, when a site meets the Core Web Vitals threshold, users are 24%<\/strong> less likely to abandon it before it loads. (After all, it\u2019s not 1998 \u2013 we\u2019ve gotten used to our internet moving lightning fast.) Following SEO recommendations to achieve better Core Web Vitals can also lead to:<\/p>\n A faster website means a better user experience. Combine a fast site with useful, interesting content, and you can improve consumer sentiments<\/a> surrounding your brand, keep visitors on your website longer, and, ultimately, boost sales or conversions.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s where things get, well, a bit technical. However, as a marketing professional (who may have a limited understanding of coding), you can still use structured data and schema markups to your advantage.<\/p>\n Structured data<\/strong> uses a language called schema markups<\/strong> to explain the information on a webpage so search engines can easily understand it. Schema helps search engines crawl your website; it explains to Google and the other search engines what they can expect to find in the content that follows the code.<\/p>\n Basically, structured data is like adding labels to different parts of a webpage to tell search engines what each piece of information is about. For example, in a recipe, schema markups can tell Google which section contains the list of ingredients, which part contains the cooking time, and so on. Helpful, right?<\/p>\n By using structured data and schema markups, we can give search engines more context about a website\u2019s content (try saying that 10 times fast). This helps search engines display richer search results, improving the user experience and making it easier for people to find what they’re looking for online.<\/p>\n People often forget useful SEO recommendations like using Schema markups<\/a>. Fortunately, it\u2019s easier than ever to use structured data to help your website get found by search engines.<\/p>\n Even though Schema has been around for a while, it\u2019s still highly relevant to SEO recommendations. One experiment found that twice as many sites with schema markups gained rankings<\/a> in search engine results.<\/p>\n Check out Schema.org<\/a>, where you can find a list of coding terms that can help your SEO; it was founded in 2011 by Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo to provide a common language that leads to better and more consistent search results, and it has all kinds of schema types available for you to browse.<\/p>\n Pro tip: <\/strong>You can easily add schema markups to your website using WordPress plugins like Schema Pro. These plugins automate markups and can also create Custom Fields.<\/p>\n A strong internal link-building strategy is one of the basics of a good SEO strategy<\/a>. When creating a new piece of content, think about other content on your site that is valuable, relevant, and related to the piece you\u2019re writing to include as a hyperlink. For example, if you\u2019re writing about savings accounts and mention compound interest, linking to an article on the topic would help your readers understand the bigger picture.<\/p>\n Many SEO recommendations suggest five to 10 internal links<\/a> for every 2,000 words of content, which is roughly one link for every 200 words.<\/p>\n You can add links to your higher-traffic pages to support them or lower-traffic pages to boost them. But don\u2019t overdo it! Adding too many links<\/a> could distract, overwhelm or divert your reader from reaching the CTA.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth it to run a check every once in a while to make sure you\u2019re not linking to URLs that have been changed, deleted or moved. These \u201cdead links\u201d do nothing to help your search ranking and decrease readability.<\/p>\n External links\/backlinks are another matter altogether. They come in two forms:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s first talk about the ones we can control: Outbound links.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re writing about a topic, you can add links to pages that aren\u2019t part of your site. These outbound links give readers more information on the topic from an authoritative source, like a government site or scientific study. When you\u2019re linking to other sites, choose ones that:<\/p>\n If the site doesn\u2019t meet these requirements, but you still want to link to it \u2013 for instance, in the case of a sponsorship\u2014add a \u201cnofollow<\/a>\u201d link. Google won\u2019t acknowledge that you linked to the page, but your readers can find it with a click.<\/p>\n Just as you want to link to authoritative sites, you want other sites to link to your content as a helpful resource, too. Google frowns upon link trading, buying links, or other ways of securing links that do not happen organically. It considers them \u201cLink spam<\/a>\u201d; you should mark them with \u201cnofollow\u201d or risk being penalized. So keep an eye on your backlinks (using your trusty Google Search console or other tool) to make sure you\u2019re in line with Google\u2019s rules.<\/p>\n Instead, you can offer to post guest blogs on relevant sites or ask partners or influencers to link to you<\/a>. If another site references your content\u2014such as the results of a survey or study\u2014you can reach out and ask if they can add a backlink. Similarly, if someone posts a positive review of your brand on their website, ask them for a link.<\/p>\n Effective link-building is a lot of work, but it can offer a valuable boost in rankings.<\/p>\n If Google sends you a scary-looking manual action for \u201cunnatural links,\u201d you can log into Google Search Console and browse the list of sites that link to you for the offending links. You can then request that Google disregard those links. There\u2019s no guarantee that Google will do what you ask, and this may impact your search rankings\u2014for better or worse\u2014but it\u2019s better than having bad links slowly tank your rankings.<\/p>\n Following technical SEO recommendations requires patience, attention to detail, and determination\u2014especially if you have to level up your knowledge along the way. But just like any other skill, mastering it adds value and insight to your content.<\/p>\n Most people\u2019s shoulders tense up with the mention of the word \u201caudit,\u201d but in this case, it just means assessing the technical SEO methods your site already uses, how well it uses them, and what you could implement to improve it. If you feel like you might need some help along the way, there are always technical SEO consultants providing technical SEO services and plentiful online resources<\/a> to help you out.<\/p>\n If you install the correct schema markup plugins, understand how to use the Google Search Console, and develop a solid link-building strategy, you are well on your way to climbing those rankings and reaching your audience.<\/p>\n Relying solely on automated tools for technical SEO may overlook nuanced issues that require manual intervention. Content marketers should supplement automated tools with manual audits and regular checks to ensure comprehensive optimization and mitigate the risk of overlooking critical issues.<\/p>\n How does user-generated content (UGC) impact technical SEO, and what strategies can content marketers employ to leverage UGC effectively for search visibility?<\/strong><\/p>\n User-generated content can enrich websites with fresh and diverse content, potentially impacting technical SEO factors such as keyword density and content structure. Content marketers can encourage UGC through interactive features and community engagement, optimizing user-generated content for relevant keywords and ensuring proper technical implementation for search visibility.<\/p>\n Content marketers can ensure seamless user experiences across devices by implementing responsive design, optimizing page speed, and testing website performance on various mobile devices and screen sizes.<\/p>\n Content distribution channels like social media platforms can indirectly impact technical SEO through increased brand visibility and referral traffic. Content marketers can maximize visibility across these channels by optimizing content for social sharing, engaging with relevant communities, and leveraging social media analytics to refine content distribution strategies for better search visibility.<\/p>\n Looking for more information on SEO best practices? Subscribe to <\/em>The Content Strategist<\/em><\/a> and follow us on <\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Learn the basics of Technical SEO so that you can improve your website’s visibility and increase the audience for your content marketing campaigns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":530530782,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3515,14],"tags":[20,3511,446,40],"class_list":["post-530507979","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brands","category-content-marketing","tag-content-marketing-2","tag-left","tag-seo","tag-trends"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGet Cozy With Google Search Console<\/h2>\n
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Embrace Structured Data and Schema Markups<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nSchema Made Simple<\/h3>\n
Know Your Link Strategy<\/h2>\n
Understanding External Links\/Backlinks<\/h3>\n
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Outbound Links<\/h4>\n
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Inbound links<\/h4>\n
Link Disavowal<\/h4>\n
Put in the Time to Become a Technical SEO Pro<\/h2>\n
Don\u2019t Skip the Technical SEO Audit<\/h3>\n
Ask The Content Strategist: FAQS About Technical SEO<\/h2>\n
What are the potential risks of relying solely on automated tools for technical SEO, and how can content marketers mitigate these risks?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
What role does mobile optimization play in technical SEO, and how can content marketers ensure seamless user experiences across different devices?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How do content distribution channels outside of search engines, such as social media platforms, impact technical SEO efforts, and what strategies can content marketers employ to maximize visibility across these channels?<\/strong><\/h3>\n