Optimizing Your Site

- Technical SEO Basics

pasted image

Content plays a natural major role in search engine optimisation. But there are still more intricate processes you may want to consider to improve how search engines index and rank your pages.

No matter how excellent and easy-to-understand your content is, if even a small error disables Google to index it properly, you won’t rank anyway.

That’s why you need to put an effort into ensuring that you have excellent technical SEO.

What is Technical SEO?

Technical SEO refers to optimisations done to your website and server so that it becomes easier for search engine spiders to crawl and index your site.

The optimisations can also help improve how your content ranks on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Technical SEO essentially aims to make a website faster, easier to crawl and more understandable toGoogle. 

Technical SEO vs. On-Page vs. Off-Page SEO

Aspects of Seo

Technical SEO doesn’t directly involve optimising content. It mainly involves deeper manipulation of your website or server settings and features.

On the other hand, on-page SEO involves optimisations of the various elements on your site that are displayed to users, i.e. content. It mainly involves ensuring the correct use of keywords and optimising text and image usage.

Another category is off-page or off-site SEO which covers strategies you would do outside your website to benefit your website SEO-wise. This process mainly involves getting backlinks, which, is a process all by itself

The Basics of Technical SEO

Now that we have defined clearly what technical SEO is, here are the essential steps you need to take to complete the job correctly.

Consider this as a checklist that you can use to optimise your website. Bookmark it for later.

You can also download a more detailed checklist here FOR FREE, created by our KAMG SEO team of experts.

  • Ensure to use SSL.

SSL is a security technology that establishes an encrypted link between a web server and a browser.

You can tell if a website is using SSL by its URL, which begins with https://. See below example.

SSL

Google announced in 2014 that they wanted to see ‘HTTPS everywhere,’ and that secure HTTPS websites would be prioritised over non-secure ones in search results. 

As a result, it makes sense to ensure your site is secure whenever possible.

You can do this by installing an SSL certificate on your website, though most top website builders now include SSL by default.

  • See to it that your website is mobile-friendly.
pasted image

Google is unequivocal in its assertion that having a responsive website is a significant ranking signal for its algorithms. And, with Google’s mobile-first approach to indexing content, a responsive website is now more important than ever.

So you have to make sure that your website and its pages are responsive, including for mobile devices. This means that the layout of your pages should adjust to match any device display including for PCs, mobile phones or tablets.

Your content should be in the best possible format for desktop, mobile and tablet users.

You can check your pages’ mobile-friendliness with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test

And here’s a guide from Google about getting started with mobile-friendliness.

increase page speed
  • Increase your pages’ loading speed.

Page speed is a considerably vital ranking factor as search engines prefer sites that load more quickly than slower loading ones.

And you can ensure a fast site loading speed by doing the following.

  • Ensure you have a fast hosting service.
  • See to it that you have a fast domain name system (DNS) provider.
  • Reduce your HTTP requests by keeping your script and plugin usage to a minimum.
  • Do not use multiple CSS stylesheets – stick to only one.

Your CSS stylesheet is the code used to tell the browser how your website should be displayed. If you have more than one of it, there will be extra time used to load your page.

  • Make sure to use small image file sizes. But also see to it that your preferred image quality is at standard.
  • Optimise the code of your website pages.

Remove all unnecessary spaces, indentations and line breaks in your HTML, CSS and Javascript.

You can use Google’s resource page for help with minifying your code.

Remember that faster loading speeds, directly and indirectly, improve your SEO. At a minimum, users will appreciate it and potentially use your site more partly because of its fast loading speed.

Ideally, you want your website to load within 3 seconds, or 2 seconds if it’s an eCommerce store. This is because 40% of consumers will wait no more than 3 seconds before leaving or abandoning a site.

You can use the PageSpeed Insights speed testing tool to see how your website loads.

  • Resolve duplicate content issues.

Duplicate content on a website can be confusing for users and search engine algorithms as well. Also, some SEO specialists undertake blackhat strategies of purposively duplicating content to manipulate search rankings or gain more traffic. 

Resolve duplicate content

As a result, search engines dislike duplicate content. So most search engines like Google and Bing advise that you correct any duplicate content issues you discover on your website.

You can resolve duplicate content issues by doing the following.

  • Prevent multiple versions of a page or post from being published by your content management system (CMS).
  • Disable Session IDs where they are not vital to the functionality of your website
  • Get rid of printer-friendly versions of your content.
  • Use the canonical link element to inform search engines about the location of your content’s “main” version.

Also, of course, you can avoid having duplicate content by naturally writing and building your pages with unique content. 

One thing you to take into account is that Google does not levy a duplicate content penalty. So you don’t have to make every word or every phrase on your pages unique.

But if you have pages that are confusing to differentiate, it can harm your SEO strategies.

pasted image
  • Make an XML sitemap.

An XML (Extensible Markup Language) sitemap is a file that helps search engines understand your website while crawling it. Think of it as a sort of search roadmap telling search engines where each page is.

It also includes useful information about each page on your website, such as:

  • When the last time a page was modified;
  • What priority or importance it has on your website; and
  • The frequency with which it is updated.

Your XML site is created automatically in some CRMs like BigCommerce. if you are using one that doesn’t have it built-in, you may need to use a sitemap generator to create one.

For example, if you are using WordPress, you can use the Yoast SEO plugin which can generate your XML sitemap.

See the top ten picks for sitemap generator tools by SemRush.

  • Enable AMP

Accelerated mobile pages (AMP) is a Google-backed project that aims to speed up content delivery on mobile devices by utilising a special code.

It is an open-source HTML framework developed by the AMP Open Source Project. AMP is optimised for mobile web browsing and intended to help web pages load faster.

On mobile devices, AMP versions of your web pages load extremely quickly.

They accomplish this by reducing your content and code to their bare essentials, retaining text, images, and video but disabling scripts, comments, and forms.

All you need to do is to install the AMP plugin and enable it on your website.

  • Add structured data markup.

Structured data markup is code that you can add to your website to help search engines understand the content. This information can assist search engines in indexing your site more effectively and providing more relevant results.

Furthermore, structured data improves search results by adding rich snippets. For example, you can use structured data to add star ratings to reviews, prices to products, images, inclusion on special SERP layouts (like carousel display) or reviewer information to reviews like in the example below.

pasted image

These enhanced results can improve your click-through rate (CTR) and generate additional traffic to your site because they are more visually appealing and highlight immediately useful information to searchers. 

Because sites with higher CTRs are generally preferred by search engines, it is worthwhile to make the effort to add structured data to your site.

  • Submit your website to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools are free tools from Google and Microsoft respectively. These tools allow you to submit your website to their search engines, Google and Bing, for indexing.

When you’re ready to launch your website, submit its XML sitemap to both tools so that their search engines can crawl it and start displaying results from it in SERPs.

These services also allow you to monitor your site’s overall performance from a search engine standpoint.

Other things you can do with the tools include the following.

  • Evaluate your site’s mobile usability
  • Access search analytics
  • Check backlinks to your website
  • Eliminate spammy links

Technical SEO ensures that your website is indexed and can rank.

If you are to rank on SERPs, you need to get indexed by search engines first. So you need to do technical SEO to ensure that happens.

But of course, it would help if your content is rich and your pages are good looking. And images will help you do that.

Yet as part of your content, images also need to be optimised so they help inform search engines of your pages’ context and don’t slow down your page loading speeds. That’s what you’ll learn and more in the next part of the KAMG SEO Content Hub about optimising your images.

Champ Biala

Champ Biala

Author

CHAMP BIALA is the Head of Content for KAMG and a seasoned writer. Past experiences in education, video production and music allows him to create varied content for multiple business types. He provides content for firms across Asia, the US, the UK and Canada when he is not organising beach festivals in the Philippines.

We can help you with

Digital marketing can be difficult and the competition is harsh. Hand the work to the experts.

Email Marketing

Email marketing can bring an insane average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent. We’ll handle everything from winning copy to beautiful design to precise targeting, making the most of every one of your dollars.

SEO Services

You want your website to pop up first on search engines like Google and Bing, right? Well Search Engine Optimization is the way to get that done. Page one of search is waiting for you, we’ll help you get there.

PPC Services

PPC ads are a bang-for-your-buck marketing channel because you only pay for the ads that get clicked. We’ll set you up with a winning strategy, engaging copy and beautiful design.

Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 08, 2022

This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You.

We use Your Personal data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Interpretation and Definitions

Interpretation

The words of which the initial letter is capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

  • Account means a unique account created for You to access our Service or parts of our Service.

  • Company (referred to as either “the Company”, “We”, “Us” or “Our” in this Agreement) refers to Kas Andz Marketing Group, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN.

  • Cookies are small files that are placed on Your computer, mobile device or any other device by a website, containing the details of Your browsing history on that website among its many uses.

  • Country refers to: United Kingdom

  • Device means any device that can access the Service such as a computer, a cellphone or a digital tablet.

  • Personal Data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual.

  • Service refers to the Website.

  • Service Provider means any natural or legal person who processes the data on behalf of the Company. It refers to third-party companies or individuals employed by the Company to facilitate the Service, to provide the Service on behalf of the Company, to perform services related to the Service or to assist the Company in analyzing how the Service is used.

  • Usage Data refers to data collected automatically, either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself (for example, the duration of a page visit).

  • Website refers to Kas Andz Marketing Group, accessible from kasandz.

  • You means the individual accessing or using the Service, or the company, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Service, as applicable.

Collecting and Using Your Personal Data

Types of Data Collected

Personal Data

While using Our Service, We may ask You to provide Us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify You. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:

  • Email address

  • First name and last name

  • Phone number

  • Address, State, Province, ZIP/Postal code, City

  • Usage Data

Usage Data

Usage Data is collected automatically when using the Service.

Usage Data may include information such as Your Device’s Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that You visit, the time and date of Your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

When You access the Service by or through a mobile device, We may collect certain information automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device You use, Your mobile device unique ID, the IP address of Your mobile device, Your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser You use, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

We may also collect information that Your browser sends whenever You visit our Service or when You access the Service by or through a mobile device.

Tracking Technologies and Cookies

We use Cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on Our Service and store certain information. Tracking technologies used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze Our Service. The technologies We use may include:

  • Cookies or Browser Cookies. A cookie is a small file placed on Your Device. You can instruct Your browser to refuse all Cookies or to indicate when a Cookie is being sent. However, if You do not accept Cookies, You may not be able to use some parts of our Service. Unless you have adjusted Your browser setting so that it will refuse Cookies, our Service may use Cookies.
  • Flash Cookies. Certain features of our Service may use local stored objects (or Flash Cookies) to collect and store information about Your preferences or Your activity on our Service. Flash Cookies are not managed by the same browser settings as those used for Browser Cookies. For more information on how You can delete Flash Cookies, please read “Where can I change the settings for disabling, or deleting local shared objects?” available at flash player.
  • Web Beacons. Certain sections of our Service and our emails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that permit the Company, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of a certain section and verifying system and server integrity).

Cookies can be “Persistent” or “Session” Cookies. Persistent Cookies remain on Your personal computer or mobile device when You go offline, while Session Cookies are deleted as soon as You close Your web browser. Learn more about cookies on the Free Privacy Policy website article.

We use both Session and Persistent Cookies for the purposes set out below:

  • Necessary / Essential Cookies

    Type: Session Cookies

    Administered by: Us

    Purpose: These Cookies are essential to provide You with services available through the Website and to enable You to use some of its features. They help to authenticate users and prevent fraudulent use of user accounts. Without these Cookies, the services that You have asked for cannot be provided, and We only use these Cookies to provide You with those services.

  • Cookies Policy / Notice Acceptance Cookies

    Type: Persistent Cookies

    Administered by: Us

    Purpose: These Cookies identify if users have accepted the use of cookies on the Website.

  • Functionality Cookies

    Type: Persistent Cookies

    Administered by: Us

    Purpose: These Cookies allow us to remember choices You make when You use the Website, such as remembering your login details or language preference. The purpose of these Cookies is to provide You with a more personal experience and to avoid You having to re-enter your preferences every time You use the Website.

For more information about the cookies we use and your choices regarding cookies, please visit our Cookies Policy or the Cookies section of our Privacy Policy.

Use of Your Personal Data

The Company may use Personal Data for the following purposes:

  • To provide and maintain our Service, including to monitor the usage of our Service.

  • To manage Your Account: to manage Your registration as a user of the Service. The Personal Data You provide can give You access to different functionalities of the Service that are available to You as a registered user.

  • For the performance of a contract: the development, compliance and undertaking of the purchase contract for the products, items or services You have purchased or of any other contract with Us through the Service.

  • To contact You: To contact You by email, telephone calls, SMS, or other equivalent forms of electronic communication, such as a mobile application’s push notifications regarding updates or informative communications related to the functionalities, products or contracted services, including the security updates, when necessary or reasonable for their implementation.

  • To provide You with news, special offers and general information about other goods, services and events which we offer that are similar to those that you have already purchased or enquired about unless You have opted not to receive such information.

  • To manage Your requests: To attend and manage Your requests to Us.

  • For business transfers: We may use Your information to evaluate or conduct a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of Our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which Personal Data held by Us about our Service users is among the assets transferred.

  • For other purposes: We may use Your information for other purposes, such as data analysis, identifying usage trends, determining the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns and to evaluate and improve our Service, products, services, marketing and your experience.

We may share Your personal information in the following situations:

  • With Service Providers: We may share Your personal information with Service Providers to monitor and analyze the use of our Service, to contact You.
  • For business transfers: We may share or transfer Your personal information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of Company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of Our business to another company.
  • With Affiliates: We may share Your information with Our affiliates, in which case we will require those affiliates to honor this Privacy Policy. Affiliates include Our parent company and any other subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other companies that We control or that are under common control with Us.
  • With business partners: We may share Your information with Our business partners to offer You certain products, services or promotions.
  • With other users: when You share personal information or otherwise interact in the public areas with other users, such information may be viewed by all users and may be publicly distributed outside.
  • With Your consent: We may disclose Your personal information for any other purpose with Your consent.

Retention of Your Personal Data

The Company will retain Your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use Your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

The Company will also retain Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of Our Service, or We are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.

Transfer of Your Personal Data

Your information, including Personal Data, is processed at the Company’s operating offices and in any other places where the parties involved in the processing are located. It means that this information may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of Your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from Your jurisdiction.

Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by Your submission of such information represents Your agreement to that transfer.

The Company will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of Your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of Your data and other personal information.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data

Business Transactions

If the Company is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, Your Personal Data may be transferred. We will provide notice before Your Personal Data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.

Law enforcement

Under certain circumstances, the Company may be required to disclose Your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency).

Other legal requirements

The Company may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

  • Comply with a legal obligation
  • Protect and defend the rights or property of the Company
  • Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service
  • Protect the personal safety of Users of the Service or the public
  • Protect against legal liability

Security of Your Personal Data

The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While We strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect Your Personal Data, We cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Children’s Privacy

Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 13. If You are a parent or guardian and You are aware that Your child has provided Us with Personal Data, please contact Us. If We become aware that We have collected Personal Data from anyone under the age of 13 without verification of parental consent, We take steps to remove that information from Our servers.

If We need to rely on consent as a legal basis for processing Your information and Your country requires consent from a parent, We may require Your parent’s consent before We collect and use that information.

Links to Other Websites

Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by Us. If You click on a third party link, You will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise You to review the Privacy Policy of every site You visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.

We will let You know via email and/or a prominent notice on Our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the “Last updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact us:

  • By email: team@kasandz.com