Technical SEO is a crucial aspect of search engine optimization that involves optimizing the technical elements of a website in order to improve its search engine rankings.
In this blog, we will delve into what a technical SEO consultant does, the skills and experience required to be a successful technical SEO consultant, and the importance of technical SEO in driving traffic and improving the user experience.
We will also cover the key components of technical SEO, the difference between technical SEO and on-page SEO, and how to hire a technical SEO consultant.
38% of online shoppers will not return to a website after a single poor user experience, according to a study by Radware. This highlights the importance of technical SEO in providing a good user experience and ensuring that people come back to your website.
Finally, we will provide some tips for finding and hiring a technical SEO consultant and some stats that highlight the importance of technical SEO.
By understanding the role of a technical SEO consultant and the importance of technical SEO, you can make informed decisions about how to improve your website’s search engine performance.
What Is A Technical SEO Consultant?
A technical SEO consultant is a professional who specializes in optimizing the technical aspects of a website in order to improve its search engine rankings.
Technical SEO involves optimizing a website’s infrastructure, content, and other technical elements for search engines. This includes things like improving website speed and performance, conducting website audits to identify and fix issues, optimizing website structure and navigation, and implementing technical SEO best practices.
Technical SEO consultants work with web developers, content creators, and digital marketing professionals to ensure that a website is optimized for search engines and meets all of the latest technical SEO best practices.
Their main goal is to help businesses improve their online presence and visibility through the optimization of their website’s technical elements.
Google uses over 200 ranking factors when determining the search engine rankings of a website. Many of these ranking factors are technical in nature, including website speed and performance, mobile optimization, and the use of HTTPS.
What Does a Technical SEO consultant Do?
A technical SEO consultant is responsible for optimizing the technical aspects of a website in order to improve its search engine rankings.
This includes a variety of tasks such as:
- Conducting website audits: Analyzing a website’s structure, content, and other technical elements to identify any issues that may be impacting its search engine rankings. This includes checking for broken links, duplicate content, crawl errors, and other common SEO pitfalls.
- Optimizing website structure and navigation: Working with web developers to ensure that a website’s structure and navigation are optimized for search engines. This includes creating a clear hierarchy of pages, using descriptive and keyword-rich URLs, and implementing breadcrumb navigation.
- Improving website speed and performance: Analyzing a website’s loading times and identifying any issues that may be impacting its performance. This includes optimizing images, reducing the number of redirects, and minifying CSS and JavaScript files.
- Implementing technical SEO best practices: Ensuring that a website is following all of the latest technical SEO best practices, including using HTTPS, implementing structured data, and setting up Google Search Console and Google Analytics.
- Monitoring and analyzing website traffic: Using tools like Google Analytics to monitor a website’s traffic and identify any trends or patterns. Analyzing this data and making recommendations for improvement.
Overall, the main role of a technical SEO consultant is to help businesses improve their online presence and visibility through the optimization of their website’s technical elements. By following best practices and analyzing data, they can help a website rank higher in search engine results and drive more traffic and revenue.
The use of structured data can help improve a website’s search engine rankings, as it provides additional context for search engines to understand the content of a website. According to a study by Stone Temple Consulting, the use of structured data can increase the number of clicks on a website’s search engine results pages by 30%.
Skills Required To Be A Technical SEO Consultant
To be a successful technical SEO consultant, you will need a variety of skills, including:
- In-depth knowledge of technical SEO: A technical SEO consultant should have a thorough understanding of all technical SEO best practices and how to implement them on a website. This includes things like website structure and navigation, website speed and performance, and the use of structured data.
- Analytical skills: A technical SEO consultant should be able to analyze data from tools like Google Analytics and identify trends and patterns that can help improve a website’s search engine rankings.
- Problem-solving skills: A technical SEO consultant should be able to identify and troubleshoot issues that may be impacting a website’s search engine rankings, and come up with solutions to fix them.
- Communication skills: A technical SEO consultant should be able to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders in a clear and concise way, and be able to collaborate effectively with web developers and content creators.
- Attention to detail: A technical SEO consultant should have a high level of attention to detail, as even small errors can have a big impact on a website’s search engine rankings.
- Adaptability: The world of SEO is constantly changing, so a technical SEO consultant should be able to adapt to new best practices and technologies as they emerge.
Overall, a technical SEO consultant should have a strong foundation in technical SEO and a variety of other skills that will enable them to identify and fix issues, analyze data, and communicate effectively with stakeholders.
Why Is Technical SEO Important?
Technical SEO is important because it helps search engines understand and index a website’s content. If a website has technical issues, it can be difficult for search engines to crawl and index its pages, which can negatively impact its search engine rankings.
On the other hand, if a website has a solid technical foundation and is optimized for search engines, it can improve its search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic.
Some specific reasons why technical SEO is important to include:
- Improved crawlability: If a website has technical issues that make it difficult for search engines to crawl and index its pages, it will be harder for those pages to rank in search results.
By fixing technical issues and optimizing a website’s structure and navigation, you can improve its crawlability and make it easier for search engines to find and index its pages. - Faster loading times: Search engines prefer websites that load quickly, as they provide a better user experience. If a website takes a long time to load, it can negatively impact its search engine rankings. By optimizing a website’s speed and performance, you can improve its loading times and its search engine rankings.
Websites that load in less than two seconds have a 50% higher chance of retaining visitors, according to a study by Akamai. This demonstrates the importance of technical SEO in improving website speed and performance. - Improved user experience: A website that is optimized for search engines will also be more user-friendly, as it will be easier to navigate and load quickly. This can lead to higher engagement and conversion rates, which can also impact a website’s search engine rankings.
Overall, technical SEO is important because it helps search engines understand and index a website’s content, improves crawlability and loading times and enhances the user experience.
By investing in technical SEO, businesses can improve their online presence and visibility and drive more organic traffic to their website.
Important Components Of Technical SEO
There are several important components of technical SEO that a technical SEO consultant should be aware of.
Some of the key components include:
- Website structure and navigation: A website’s structure and navigation should be optimized for search engines, with a clear hierarchy of pages and descriptive and keyword-rich URLs. This makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index the website’s pages.
- Website speed and performance: A website should load quickly and efficiently in order to provide a good user experience and improve its search engine rankings. This includes optimizing images, reducing the number of redirects, and minifying CSS and JavaScript files.
- Mobile optimization: A website should be optimized for mobile devices, as more and more people are using their phones to access the internet. This includes making sure the website is responsive and that its content is easily readable on a small screen.
- HTTPS: A website should use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) to ensure that it is secure and encrypts data between the server and the client. This is especially important for websites that handle sensitive information such as financial transactions.
- Structured data: Structured data is a way of adding additional context to a website’s content, making it easier for search engines to understand and index. By using structured data, a website can appear in rich snippets in search results, which can improve its visibility and click-through rate.
- Google Search Console and Google Analytics: These tools provide valuable insights into a website’s performance and can help identify any issues that may be impacting its search engine rankings. A technical SEO consultant should be familiar with how to use these tools and interpret the data they provide.
Overall, these are just a few of the important components of technical SEO that a technical SEO consultant should be aware of. By focusing on these areas, you can help improve a website’s search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic.
A website audit can help identify technical issues that may be impacting a website’s search engine rankings. According to a study by SEO PowerSuite, website audits can uncover an average of 52 issues per audit, including broken links, duplicate content, and crawl errors.
What Is The Difference Between Technical SEO And On-Page SEO?
Technical SEO and on-page SEO are both important aspects of search engine optimization, but they focus on different elements of a website.
Technical SEO involves optimizing the technical aspects of a website in order to improve its search engine rankings.
This includes things like improving website speed and performance, conducting website audits to identify and fix issues, optimizing website structure and navigation, and implementing technical SEO best practices. Technical SEO focuses on the underlying infrastructure of a website and how it is accessed and indexed by search engines.
On-page SEO, on the other hand, involves optimizing the content and HTML source code of individual web pages in order to improve their search engine rankings.
This includes things like using keywords in the page title and headings, optimizing the page’s meta description and URL, and using alt tags for images. On-page SEO focuses on the content and structure of individual web pages and how they are presented to users and search engines.
While technical SEO and on-page SEO are both important, they work together to help improve a website’s search engine rankings. A website with strong technical SEO will be easier for search engines to crawl and index, while on-page SEO helps ensure that the content on those pages is relevant and high-quality.
By focusing on both technical SEO and on-page SEO, you can help improve a website’s overall search engine performance
Check out our other blog where we compare technical SEO and content SEO in detail. This blog covers the key differences between these two important aspects of SEO and how they work together to improve a website’s search engine performance.
Whether you are a business owner or a digital marketer, this blog is a valuable resource for understanding the role of technical SEO and content SEO in search engine optimization.
How To Hire A Technical SEO Consultant?
Here are some ways to hire a technical SEO consultant:
- Reach out to SEO agencies: Many SEO agencies have technical SEO consultants on staff who can help with your website’s technical optimization. You can reach out to agencies in your area or search online for agencies that specialize in technical SEO.
- Use freelancer websites: There are many freelancer websites where you can find technical SEO consultants who can work with you on a project basis. These websites often have ratings and reviews from past clients, which can help you find a consultant with a proven track record.
- Ask for referrals: If you know someone who has used a technical SEO consultant in the past and had a positive experience, ask for a referral. Personal referrals can be a good way to find a consultant who is a good fit for your business.
- Post a job listing: If you are looking for a technical SEO consultant to work with your business on an ongoing basis, consider posting a job listing. This can help you find a consultant who is a good fit for your company’s needs and culture.
- Use LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a great resource for finding technical SEO consultants, as you can search for professionals with specific skills and experience. You can also reach out to consultants directly through LinkedIn to inquire about their services.
- Join industry forums or groups: There are many online forums and groups for SEO professionals where you can connect with technical SEO consultants. You can ask for recommendations or post a job listing to find a consultant who can help with your website’s technical optimization.
- Use social media: Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook can be useful for finding technical SEO consultants. You can search for relevant hashtags or post a job listing on your company’s social media pages to find a consultant who can help with your website’s technical optimization.
Overall, there are many ways to find and hire a technical SEO consultant. By doing your research and taking the time to find the right fit for your business, you can find a consultant who can help improve your website’s search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic.
Questions To Ask When Hiring A Technical SEO Consultant?
When hiring a technical SEO consultant, it’s important to ask the right questions to ensure that you find someone who is a good fit for your business.
Some questions to consider asking include:
- What is your experience in technical SEO? Look for a consultant with a strong background in technical SEO and experience working with a variety of clients.
- Can you provide references or case studies? Ask for references or case studies that demonstrate the consultant’s success in improving a website’s search engine rankings. This will give you a sense of their capabilities and whether they are a good fit for your business.
- How do you approach website audits? Find out how the consultant approaches website audits and what tools they use. This will give you an idea of their process and whether it aligns with your needs.
- What technical SEO best practices do you follow? Make sure the consultant is familiar with the latest technical SEO best practices and how to implement them on a website.
- How do you communicate with clients? Communication is key when working with a technical SEO consultant, so it’s important to find someone who is able to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders in a clear and concise way.
- What are your fees and terms? Make sure you understand the fees and terms of any contract with a technical SEO consultant. Be clear about your budget and any timelines or deadlines that need to be met.
Overall, by asking the right questions, you can find a technical SEO consultant who has the experience and expertise to help improve your website’s search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic.
Conclusion
In conclusion, technical SEO is an important aspect of search engine optimization that involves optimizing the technical elements of a website in order to improve its search engine rankings.
Technical SEO consultants are professionals who specialize in this area and work with businesses to improve their online presence and visibility through the optimization of their website’s technical elements.
Hiring a technical SEO consultant can help your business improve its search engine rankings, drive more organic traffic, and improve the user experience.
When hiring a technical SEO consultant, it’s important to consider their experience, expertise, and communication skills, and to understand the fees and terms of any contract.
By investing in technical SEO, you can help your business succeed online and reach its full potential.
