Technical SEO for New Websites: Mobile, Structures, and Sitemaps
Tom Le
Published:
You've built your dream website, and your site has high-quality content but you still aren't getting any traffic. Why? Before you watch the customers roll in, there's one crucial step: optimizing your technical SEO. For new businesses and small websites, technical SEO might sound like daunting technical jargon. Technical SEO isn't about fancy coding or expensive tools. It's about laying the groundwork that makes your website search engine-friendly.
What is technical SEO?
Think of it as building a welcoming highway for search engine bots. Every element, from page structure to loading speed, becomes a crucial signpost, ensuring those bots can crawl, understand, and index your website efficiently. As John Mueller from Google's Search Quality team reminds us, "If we can't crawl and index your content, we can't rank it."
For new websites that want to be more SEO-friendly, technical SEO is more than just an optimization tactic; it's the lifeblood of success. Get it right, and your site can skyrocket to the top of search engine results pages (SERPs). But skimp on the technical details, and you might find yourself buried in the digital abyss, yearning for that coveted first page.
Why prioritize technical SEO?
- First Impressions Matter: Search engines favor websites that offer a smooth, effortless experience for both bots and users. Technical SEO ensures your site is fast, mobile-friendly, and error-free, making that initial crawl a walk in the park, not a frustrating obstacle course. As John Mueller, Google's Search Relations team lead, emphasizes, "A good user experience is a good signal for search engines."
- Building Trust and Visibility: Technical SEO isn't just about flashy features; it's about establishing your website as a reliable source of information. By ensuring your site adheres to best practices, you signal to search engines that your content is trustworthy and deserves to be seen. In a world overflowing with information, visibility is everything.
- Future-Proofing Your Investment: Technical SEO isn't a one-time fix; it's an ongoing commitment that protects your website from constantly evolving search engine algorithms and user expectations. By building a solid technical foundation from the get-go, you save yourself headaches and SEO woes down the line. Remember, a future-proof website is a happy website.
The essentials of technical SEO for new websites
Mobile Responsiveness
Over 58% of all web traffic comes from mobile devices, and Google, the gatekeeper of online visibility, prioritizes websites that offer a flawless mobile experience. Think of it as a velvet rope you don't want to be on the wrong side of.
So, what exactly is mobile responsiveness? It's not simply shrinking your desktop website to fit a smaller screen. It's about crafting a dynamic experience that adapts to the unique characteristics of various devices. Think flexible layouts that resize beautifully, intuitive navigation optimized for touchscreens, and content that reads flawlessly without zooming in.
Investing in mobile responsiveness isn't just about appeasing algorithms; it's about opening the door to the majority of your audience. Mobile users now account for over 58% of all web traffic, representing a vast reservoir of potential customers just waiting to be engaged. A mobile-friendly website makes it easy for them to discover your content, navigate your pages, and take action, whether making a purchase on product pages, subscribing to your newsletter, or simply learning more about what you offer.
Making your website mobile-friendly isn't a technical hurdle. Numerous user-friendly themes on WordPress and frameworks are readily available, making the process smooth and efficient. By prioritizing clear navigation, optimizing images for faster loading on mobile devices, and testing your website across various devices, you can ensure your online storefront welcomes every visitor with ease.
Mobile responsiveness isn't just a technical checkbox; it's a strategic decision that opens the door to a wider audience. By taking a mobile-first design strategy, your website will have a higher chance of climbing to the top search rank on search engines, ensuring your website thrives online.
Structuring Pages with Headings and Tags
The way you structure your website's content plays a crucial role in its success. It's not just about aesthetics; it's about providing clear pathways for both search engine bots and human users to navigate and understand your information. Think of it like building a well-organized library with shelves, labels, and indexes.
Here's where headings and tags step in, transforming chaos into clarity. Just like chapter titles in a book, headings (H1, H2, etc.) outline the content's hierarchy and highlight key points, guiding both search engines and human visitors through your information.
Search engines rely on clear signals to understand and rank your content. Headings provide those signals, outlining the page's core themes and subtopics. A well-structured page acts as a roadmap, boosting the chances of your content being discovered by the right audience.
Beyond headings, meta descriptions, and title tags play a vital role in attracting visitors. These snippets are the first impression your website makes on search engine results pages. Craft compelling and concise descriptions that accurately reflect your content, piquing user interest and encouraging them to click through.
Effective page structure isn't about rigidity; it's about creating a logical flow that informs, engages, and empowers. By strategically using headings, tags, and captivating meta descriptions, you craft a website that welcomes both search engines and human visitors, guiding them on a journey of discovery that unlocks the full potential of your content.
Working with a technical SEO expert at a digital marketing agency such as Miyabi Marketing can also help make sure your website is search-engine friendly. Digital marketing experts can help audit your website to determine any underlying problems that exist in your website.
Sitemaps and Structured Data
Don't underestimate these two powerful tools in your SEO arsenal. They work hand-in-hand to optimize your website's visibility and accessibility for search engines, ultimately impacting your organic traffic and user engagement.
Think of a sitemap as a comprehensive inventory list for your website. It details every page and resource, providing search engines with a clear roadmap to navigate your content. Submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console serves as an invitation, guiding bots to efficiently crawl through all the internal links and index every corner of your site. This ensures that valuable content doesn't get overlooked, enhancing your discoverability in search results.
While a sitemap tells search engines where your content lives, structured data tells them what it actually means. By implementing code like JSON-LD directly into your pages, you add extra layers of context, revealing the essence of your content. This allows search engines to understand the relationships between different elements on your page, like products, events, or recipes. With this deeper understanding, search engines can potentially display your content in rich snippets – those enticing, informative previews that appear in search results.
Think of rich snippets as attention-grabbing billboards on the information superhighway. They showcase key details like product ratings, event dates, or recipe ingredients, directly within the search results page. This not only boosts your click-through rates, attracting more visitors to your site but also enhances user experience by providing them with immediate, relevant information before they even click.
The clearer and more detailed the information you provide for search engines, the easier it is for them to understand and present your content to the right audience. By utilizing sitemaps and structured data effectively, you pave the way for increased organic visibility, higher click-through rates, and ultimately, a more successful online presence.
Conclusion
Technical SEO is a continuous journey, not a one-time feat. Regularly monitor your website's performance, stay updated with search engine algorithm changes, and adapt your strategies accordingly. Utilize SEO tools, and online resources, and even consult SEO experts to gain valuable insights and stay ahead of the curve. By prioritizing these key areas, you'll pave the way for your new website to climb the search ranking ladder.
If you're starting you're a small business looking for a digital marketing company in the Hamptons or your mid to large-size business is looking for a marketing consultant to improve your SEO, local digital marketing companies in the Hamptons like Miyabi Marketing can help assist you in your marketing efforts.
