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Technical SEO: 9 Must-Know Practices for 2024

Author

John Alewine
September 18, 2024

In the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. Today, we're diving into the 9 must-know technical SEO practices for 2024 that will help your website speak the language of search engines fluently.

1. Optimize Your Website Structure

  • Eliminate orphan pages by ensuring all pages are linked internally

  • Implement a clear content hierarchy (e.g., silo structure, hub and spoke model)

  • Avoid keyword cannibalization by organizing your content strategically

2. Enhance User-Friendly Navigation

  • Create intuitive drop-down menus for desktop users

  • Implement hamburger menus for mobile devices

  • Include a footer menu with important pages and contact information

  • Add a search function to your 404 pages for better user experience

3. Improve Indexability and Crawling

  • Regularly check Google Search Console for indexing issues

  • Ensure your robots.txt file isn't blocking important pages

  • Remove any unintended "noindex" tags

  • Use canonical URLs to manage duplicate content

4. Eliminate Duplicate Content

  • Use tools like siteliner.com to identify duplicate content

  • Implement canonical URLs for legitimate duplicate pages (e.g., product variations)

  • Use 301 redirects for low-quality pages that can be consolidated

5. Utilize XML Sitemaps

  • Create and submit XML sitemaps to search engines

  • Use separate sitemaps for different types of content (e.g., posts, pages, products)

  • Keep your sitemaps updated with the latest content changes

6. Implement Structured Data

  • Use schema markups to help search engines understand your content

  • Apply appropriate schemas based on your content type (e.g., Article, Book, Course)

  • Utilize tools like Rank Math to easily implement schema markups

7. Optimize for Mobile

  • Ensure your website is responsive and mobile-friendly

  • Use developer tools to test your site's mobile appearance

  • Utilize Bing's Mobile-Friendliness Test Tool for further optimization

8. Improve Page Speed

  • Focus on Core Web Vitals: Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, and Cumulative Layout Shift

  • Use Google PageSpeed Insights to identify optimization opportunities

  • Consider using caching plugins like WP Rocket to enhance performance

9. Enhance Website Security

  • Ensure your site uses HTTPS protocol

  • Hide information about plugins and themes from public view

  • Regularly update plugins, themes, and core WordPress files

  • Use security plugins and implement best practices to prevent unauthorized access

By implementing these technical SEO practices, you'll be well-positioned to improve your website's visibility and performance in search engine results.

Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, so stay tuned for more updates and keep optimizing!

If you need help with SEO for your business email me: [email protected]