One constant in search engine optimization (SEO) is the significance of technical SEO. Recently, Google’s John Mueller, who advocates for Google Search, debunked rumors that technical SEO is becoming less important. Technical SEO remains crucial for websites as it is the foundation of all open web architectures. The importance of technical SEO for achieving high rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs) is still hotly debated, and we’ll delve into that here.
The Debate
In a recent X (previously Twitter) post, Yiit Konur asserted that technical SEO is becoming less and less significant over time, which brought the topic into the spotlight. According to Konur, some people overcomplicate technical SEO because they believe the myths that circulate about it. Unless major technical issues arise, he argues, attention should be redirected to content creation and optimization.
In response to Konur’s claim, John Mueller defended technical SEO’s continued relevance. A larger conversation within the SEO community is highlighted by Mueller’s statement, which has gained traction since Google updated its ranking systems documentation.
Google Ranking and Technical SEO
Google has updated its documentation on how it determines search engine rankings, taking out references to technical SEO metrics like HTTPS and Core Web Vitals. Google, however, was quick to point out that these details still matter greatly. Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan emphasized that signals like Core Web Vitals and mobile-friendliness were not being abandoned or ignored by the update. Instead, you should focus on these things if you want to do well in Google Search’s primary ranking systems.
As Sullivan described it, the change consisted of labeling some aspects of the page’s user experience as “signals” rather than “systems.” This modification does not devalue them, but rather acknowledges them as signals employed by other systems.
Websites’ Reliance on Technical SEO
While the SEO landscape is always changing, technical SEO will always be the backbone of top-notch website performance. It includes a wide range of technical factors that improve a website’s rank in search results and user friendliness. First, let’s talk about why technical SEO is so important:
1. Quickness and Efficiency of Websites
Google’s ranking algorithms place a premium on how quickly and efficiently a website loads. If your website takes too long to load, your visitors will have a bad experience and likely not return. To ensure websites load quickly, technical SEO employs methods like reducing server response time, compressing files, and making use of browser caching.
2. Support for mobile devices
Google gives mobile-friendly websites a boost in search results because mobile devices are used by the vast majority of internet users. Through technical SEO, you can rest assured that your site will adapt to any screen size and look great on any device. The site’s layout, content, and images must all be adjusted so that they display properly on mobile devices.
3. Crawling and indexing
Search engines must index your site before it will appear in search results. To improve a site’s search engine rankings, technical SEO professionals will work to enhance the site’s architecture, navigation, and internal linking. XML sitemaps, optimized robots.txt files, and crawl error fixes are all part of this process.
4. Site Map and URL Organization
Sites that are organized and easy to navigate are more enjoyable for visitors and more easily indexed by search engines. In order to facilitate search engine crawling and indexing, technical SEO prioritizes the development of a well-organized site architecture and the optimization of the URL structure. Implementing breadcrumb navigation and using URLs that are both descriptive and keyword-rich are two ways to achieve this goal.
5. Page-specific Technical Components
The term “technical SEO” refers to the process of improving a website’s search engine rankings by adjusting various aspects of the page itself. Title tags, meta descriptions, heading tags, and image alt attributes can all be improved. Websites can increase their chances of ranking highly in search results by providing search engines with useful information about their content through the optimization of these elements.
6. Schema Markup
Schema markup is a type of structured data that helps search engines better understand the content of a webpage. Websites can improve their rank in search results and increase their chances of being featured in rich snippets and knowledge panels by using schema markup. As part of technical SEO, appropriate schema markup is incorporated to better assist search engines in understanding and displaying website content.
Technical SEO’s Future
Search engine algorithms are constantly changing, but technical SEO will always be important. While user experience and content quality have received more attention of late, it is technical SEO that lays the groundwork for their success. Technical SEO will continue to develop to keep up with the changing needs of search engines as AI and machine learning algorithms advance.
Technical SEO, in other words, is not going away any time soon. John Mueller’s reaffirmation of its significance highlights its role as the foundation of all open web architectures. Search engine optimization (SEO) success can be established with a focus on site speed and performance, mobile friendliness, indexing and crawling, site architecture and URL structure, on-page technical elements, and schema markup. Keeping up with the latest technical SEO best practices is crucial for maintaining a high position in search engine results pages and increasing organic website traffic as the SEO landscape continues to change.
See first source: Search Engine Journal
FAQ
Q1: Is technical SEO still important in 2023?
A: Yes, technical SEO remains critically important in 2023. It serves as the foundation of all open web architectures and plays a pivotal role in improving a website’s search engine rankings and user experience.
Q2: What sparked the recent debate about the importance of technical SEO?
A: The debate started when Yiit Konur suggested that technical SEO is becoming less significant over time. He argued that unless major technical issues arise, more attention should be directed toward content creation and optimization.
Q3: How did Google respond to claims that technical SEO is becoming less important?
A: Google’s John Mueller defended the continued relevance of technical SEO. Google Search Liaison Danny Sullivan emphasized that technical SEO metrics like Core Web Vitals and mobile-friendliness are still crucial for ranking well in Google Search.
Q4: Is technical SEO future-proof?
A: Yes, technical SEO will remain essential as search engine algorithms evolve. It adapts to the changing needs of search engines as AI and machine learning algorithms advance. Keeping up with the latest best practices is crucial for maintaining high search engine rankings and increasing organic website traffic.
Featured Image Credit: Hanna Morris; Unsplash – Thank you!
