How technical is Technical SEO?
This question is so broad, there are many answers to it because there are many dependencies, or factors to it.
From one point of view, one could say technical SEO requires the person involved with it to have a Developer background.
Or, at the very least, one needs to know how to read HTML and CSS.
Another point of view is that one only needs to know the fundamentals of tech SEO – everything else is additionals.
Others may say technical SEO isn’t technical at all, you just need to focus on your visitors –
Have your site users in mind with everything you do and you’ll be fine.
This is such a broad question that tackling it may require reframing it to address your needs.
I say this because often when I’m asked this question by Digital Marketers, in order to answer it, I end up replying with questions.
Questions that, when answered, provide insights into where the person is coming from.
This allows me to reframe the question and provide an answer that is tailored to what the person wants.
In all the times I’ve been asked the question – 100% of the time – this question is reframed as
“What do I need to know about Technical SEO?”
In other words:
“What do I need to know about Technical SEO to address the problems I face with the SEO channel?”
And the answer to this question is inevitably:
“You simply need to be aware of the technical issues affecting your website performance in organic search.”
No more. No less.
You see, here’s the thing –
The technical issues you face with SEO will, let me repeat, WILL, change over time.
This is one of the reasons why SEO is forever.
Optimisation is simply improvement.
When you optimise your site, you improve its current state so you can attain more traffic from the SERPs.
The improvements you make this year will be different to the improvements you make next year.
This is the point of improvement – you make progress, to which, there is no end.
You simply need to know the tech problem at hand and address it. Rinse, and repeat.
So, when you wonder:
“What do I need to know about technical SEO at this point to improve my website from a technical point of view in order to increase organic traffic?
There will undoubtedly be a list of issues. A list as long as your arm, probably.
You don’t need to know every single issue at all times.
Instead, focus on a few, until they are resolved. Keeping the big picture in mind, at all times.
So, what are the few issues? How do you even determine what they are?
OK, this is where knowledge gathering comes in handy.
For every technical SEO problem, you’ll want to ask key questions:
What is the issue?
Why does it matter?
What is the solution?
What are the benefits?
Once you have this, you can then prioritize and start the process of fixing them – a process that never ends, because this process is in fact technical optimisation.
You see?
Technical SEO isn’t that daunting afterall, is it?
You don’t need to get into the depth of tech SEO – that’s for the SEO guy.
With the SEO guy, you make the decision on the most important technical issue on the site to address.
You can do this on a yearly basis. Think of the big technical SEO issue you want resolved in the year.
If it’s an issue you’re already aware of, that’s great. You could possibly accomplish this quicker.
If it’s an issue you’ve not come across before, you can get familiar with it, and take the opportunity to make it known across the business.
Getting buy-in from the business may take longer, but is doable.
Have the goal of addressing this issue as early in the year as possible.
If this is accomplished early, you’ll be in the position where you can collect data throughout the rest of the year, to show results.
So, let me ask you this –
How daunting is technical SEO to you?
Have you shied away from it, thinking SEO is a channel you’d rather avoid?
Even though you can reap outstanding results with it?
You know what this channel can do for your site.
You know it’s consistently the top 3 traffic driving channels on a yearly basis.
And with improvements, can easily be the most valuable marketing channel for your site.
If you can only get past the barrier of understanding technical SEO, you can accomplish great results with it.
You find technical SEO daunting?
OK. Acknowledged.
Find out the technical issues affect the performance of your site in organic search.
Pick one.
Whichever approach you use to determine the one you pick, pick one!
Now you have it, this is your commitment.
Spend your time and energy in executing an implementation that will fix this technical issue.
Once it’s fixed, pick another technical issue. Rinse, and repeat.
Technical SEO is the foundation of SEO, and arguably the most important pillar of SEO.
Yet, it’s the most daunting to marketers. It has the connotation of being…boring.
I actually think Technical SEO is quite creative.
You don’t need to attempt to know everything there is to know about the pillar.
You simply need to know the challenges you face with it, and have a plan of action to address them, keeping the big picture in mind – improving your organic traffic with the pillar.
It’s creative! To me, it’s creative!
So, let me ask you:
How technical is technical SEO to you?
When you view it as a creative world, which welcomes you to explore and discover, it no longer seems that daunting, does it?
When you see the link between Technical SEO, Rankings and Traffic, wielding it doesn’t seem that scary, does it?
When you realise the revenue that can be generated with Technical SEO, implementing it doesn’t seem that impossible, does it?
