In 2018, the landscape of technical SEO continued to evolve, driven by increasing competition, algorithm updates, and the growing importance of user experience. Technical SEO is a critical component of digital marketing, focusing on the backend of a website to ensure it is optimized for both search engines and users. This article explores the core principles, tools, and strategies that defined technical SEO in 2018, offering actionable insights to improve site performance, crawlability, and indexation.
The year 2018 marked a turning point in the emphasis on secure and fast websites. Google and other search engines began to prioritize HTTPS sites, penalizing HTTP sites by labeling them as “Not Secure.” Additionally, page speed became a more significant ranking factor than ever before, with search engines placing a premium on websites that load quickly and provide a seamless user experience. As businesses adapted to these changes, the role of technical SEO in maintaining and improving search visibility became more crucial than ever.
This guide will walk you through the essential elements of technical SEO from 2018, covering everything from site architecture and schema markup to performance optimization and secure hosting. Whether you are managing a small business website or a large-scale digital platform, understanding these fundamentals can help you build a stronger online presence.
The Core Elements of Technical SEO in 2018
Technical SEO in 2018 was built on several foundational elements that, when implemented correctly, could significantly enhance a website's visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). These elements included performance optimization, crawlability, indexation, and security. Each played a unique role in ensuring that a website was not only accessible to search engine bots but also provided a positive experience for end users.
Performance Optimization
Performance optimization in 2018 was a top priority for technical SEO. Search engines like Google and Bing began to place increasing importance on page speed as a ranking factor. A slow-loading website could lead to high bounce rates and a poor user experience, both of which could negatively impact search rankings.
One of the key aspects of performance optimization was minimizing the size of images and other media. Large, unoptimized images could significantly slow down a website, especially for users on mobile devices or with limited bandwidth. Tools like Google's PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix were commonly used to analyze a website's performance and identify areas for improvement.
Another critical factor was the use of caching. Caching allowed a website to store frequently accessed data in a user's browser or on a server, reducing the need to load content from scratch with every visit. This could drastically improve load times and enhance user experience.
Additionally, the adoption of content delivery networks (CDNs) helped websites serve content more quickly by storing copies of web pages on servers located around the world. This reduced latency and ensured that users could access a website faster, regardless of their geographic location.
Crawlability and Indexation
Crawlability and indexation were essential for ensuring that search engines could access and understand a website's content. In 2018, the importance of proper URL structure, sitemaps, and robots.txt files became even more apparent. These tools helped search engines navigate a website efficiently and determine which pages should be indexed.
A well-structured URL helped both users and search engines understand the content of a page. For example, a URL like https://www.example.com/blog/seo-tips was more informative and SEO-friendly than a generic URL like https://www.example.com/p=123.
XML sitemaps were another crucial tool for improving crawlability. These sitemaps provided a list of all the important pages on a website, making it easier for search engines to discover and index them. In 2018, it was recommended that every website have an updated and accurate sitemap that was submitted to Google Search Console and other search engines.
Robots.txt files were used to control which parts of a website should be crawled by search engines. While it was important to use this file to block sensitive or duplicate content, it was equally important to avoid overusing it and accidentally blocking valuable pages from being indexed.
Security and HTTPS
In 2018, website security became a major focus for both users and search engines. Google began to prioritize HTTPS sites, rewarding them with higher rankings and labeling HTTP sites as "Not Secure" in the Chrome browser. This shift encouraged website owners to adopt SSL certificates and transition their sites to HTTPS.
An SSL certificate encrypted data transmitted between a user's browser and a website's server, ensuring that sensitive information like login credentials and payment details remained secure. For e-commerce sites and other platforms that handled user data, the switch to HTTPS was essential for both SEO and user trust.
In addition to SEO benefits, HTTPS also improved user experience by providing a sense of security. Users were more likely to trust and engage with a website that displayed the green padlock in the address bar, which became a standard visual indicator of a secure site.
Content Hierarchy and Accessibility
The structure of a website's content also played a significant role in technical SEO in 2018. A well-organized content hierarchy helped both users and search engines navigate a website more easily. There were two main types of content hierarchy: flat and deep.
A flat hierarchy allowed users to access most pages on a website in just a few clicks, making it ideal for large websites with a lot of content. In contrast, a deep hierarchy required users to take more steps to reach a specific page, which could make it harder for them to find what they were looking for.
Website owners were encouraged to use a flat hierarchy when possible, as it improved user experience and helped search engines index content more efficiently. However, for websites with a large number of pages, a deep hierarchy might be necessary to maintain organization and avoid clutter.
Accessibility was another important consideration in 2018. Websites needed to be accessible to users with disabilities, following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This included features like alt text for images, proper heading structure, and keyboard navigation.
Accessible websites not only improved user experience but also performed better in search rankings. Search engines could more easily understand and index content that was properly structured and accessible, making it a win-win for both users and website owners.
The Role of Schema Markup in Technical SEO
Schema markup played a crucial role in technical SEO in 2018 by helping search engines understand the content of a website more effectively. This structured data provided additional context about a website's content, allowing search engines to display rich snippets in search results.
Rich snippets were enhanced search results that included additional information like star ratings, pricing, and event dates. These snippets helped websites stand out in search results and increase click-through rates.
In 2018, schema markup was particularly important for local businesses. Local SEO strategies often included schema markup for business information like address, phone number, and business hours. This helped search engines display local business listings more effectively, making it easier for users to find the information they needed.
Review schema was another key type of schema markup in 2018. Websites that collected customer reviews could use schema to display star ratings and review counts in search results. This not only improved click-through rates but also increased user trust, as potential customers could see what others had to say about a product or service.
Types of Schema Markup
There were several types of schema markup that were commonly used in 2018, including:
- Local Business Schema: This schema provided information about a local business, including its name, address, phone number, and business hours.
- Review Schema: This schema allowed websites to display star ratings and review counts in search results.
- Article Schema: This schema was used to provide additional information about articles, including author, date published, and word count.
- Product Schema: This schema was used for e-commerce websites to display product pricing, availability, and other details in search results.
Implementing schema markup required some technical expertise, but there were tools available to simplify the process. Google's Structured Data Markup Helper and other schema generators made it easier for website owners to add schema to their sites.
Benefits of Schema Markup
The benefits of schema markup in 2018 were significant. By providing additional context about a website's content, schema markup helped search engines display more relevant and informative search results. This not only improved click-through rates but also increased user engagement.
In addition to improving search visibility, schema markup also helped websites stand out from their competitors. Websites that used schema markup were more likely to appear in rich snippets, which were more eye-catching and informative than standard search results.
Challenges of Schema Markup
While schema markup offered many benefits, it also presented some challenges. One of the main challenges was ensuring that the markup was implemented correctly. Even a small mistake in the markup could prevent a website from displaying rich snippets in search results.
Another challenge was keeping the schema markup up to date. As search engines updated their algorithms and requirements, website owners needed to ensure that their schema markup remained compatible with the latest standards.
Despite these challenges, the benefits of schema markup made it a valuable tool for technical SEO in 2018. By investing time and resources into implementing and maintaining schema markup, website owners could improve their visibility in search results and provide a better experience for users.
SSL Security and HTTPS in 2018
In 2018, SSL security and HTTPS became a critical focus for technical SEO. Google's decision to prioritize HTTPS sites and label HTTP sites as "Not Secure" in the Chrome browser had a significant impact on website rankings and user trust. This shift encouraged website owners to adopt SSL certificates and transition their sites to HTTPS.
Why HTTPS Matters for SEO
HTTPS provided several benefits for SEO. First, it improved user trust by ensuring that data transmitted between a user's browser and a website's server was encrypted. This was especially important for e-commerce sites and other platforms that handled sensitive information like login credentials and payment details.
Second, HTTPS improved search rankings. Google began to prioritize HTTPS sites, rewarding them with higher rankings and labeling HTTP sites as "Not Secure." This made it more important than ever for website owners to adopt SSL certificates and transition their sites to HTTPS.
Third, HTTPS improved user experience by providing a sense of security. Users were more likely to trust and engage with a website that displayed the green padlock in the address bar, which became a standard visual indicator of a secure site.
Implementing HTTPS
Implementing HTTPS required several steps. First, website owners needed to obtain an SSL certificate from a trusted certificate authority. There were several types of SSL certificates available, including domain-validated (DV), organization-validated (OV), and extended validation (EV) certificates.
Once an SSL certificate was obtained, website owners needed to install it on their server. This process varied depending on the server type and hosting provider. Some hosting providers offered automated SSL installation, while others required manual configuration.
After the SSL certificate was installed, website owners needed to update their site's URLs from HTTP to HTTPS. This included updating internal links, redirects, and any hardcoded HTTP links in the site's code. Failure to update these links could result in broken links and a poor user experience.
Website owners also needed to update their site's canonical tags and sitemaps to reflect the HTTPS version of their site. This ensured that search engines indexed the correct version of the site and avoided duplicate content issues.
Challenges of Implementing HTTPS
While the benefits of HTTPS were clear, there were also some challenges to implementing it. One of the main challenges was ensuring that the transition to HTTPS was smooth and did not cause any issues with site functionality. Website owners needed to test their site thoroughly after implementing HTTPS to ensure that all features worked correctly.
Another challenge was ensuring that the site's performance was not negatively impacted by the transition to HTTPS. While HTTPS could improve performance in some cases, it could also introduce additional overhead due to the encryption process. Website owners needed to optimize their site's performance to ensure that it remained fast and responsive after implementing HTTPS.
Despite these challenges, the benefits of HTTPS made it a worthwhile investment for website owners in 2018. By adopting SSL certificates and transitioning their sites to HTTPS, website owners could improve their search rankings, user trust, and overall user experience.
Technical SEO Checklist for 2018
Creating a technical SEO checklist was essential for ensuring that a website was optimized for search engines in 2018. This checklist helped website owners identify and address any issues that could be affecting their site's performance, crawlability, and indexation.
1. Evaluate Your Sitemap
A sitemap was a crucial tool for helping search engines discover and index a website's content. In 2018, it was recommended that every website had an updated and accurate sitemap that was submitted to Google Search Console and other search engines.
2. Benchmark Indexing
Benchmarking indexing was an important step in tracking a website's SEO progress over time. This involved checking how many of a website's pages were indexed by search engines and identifying any issues that could be preventing pages from being indexed.
3. Check on the Robots
Ensuring that a website was easily accessible to crawlers was essential for technical SEO in 2018. Website owners needed to make sure that their robots.txt file was properly configured and that it did not accidentally block important pages from being indexed.
4. Remove Content That Isn't Essential
Removing unnecessary content from a website could improve its performance and make it easier for search engines to crawl and index important pages. This was especially important for websites with a large amount of outdated or low-quality content.
5. Optimize for Mobile
With the growing importance of mobile search, optimizing a website for mobile devices was essential in 2018. This included ensuring that the site was responsive, loaded quickly, and provided a seamless user experience on mobile devices.
6. Use Schema Markup
As discussed earlier, schema markup played a crucial role in technical SEO in 2018. Website owners were encouraged to use schema markup to provide additional context about their site's content and improve their visibility in search results.
7. Ensure HTTPS
As Google began to prioritize HTTPS sites, ensuring that a website was secure was essential for technical SEO in 2018. Website owners needed to obtain and install an SSL certificate and transition their site to HTTPS.
8. Improve Page Speed
Page speed was a key ranking factor in 2018, so website owners needed to take steps to improve their site's performance. This included optimizing images, using caching, and leveraging CDNs to reduce load times.
9. Fix Broken Links
Broken links could negatively impact a website's user experience and search rankings. Website owners needed to use tools like Google Search Console and broken link checkers to identify and fix any broken links on their site.
10. Monitor and Analyze
Finally, monitoring and analyzing a website's performance was essential for technical SEO in 2018. This involved using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track key metrics like traffic, bounce rate, and conversion rate.
By following this technical SEO checklist, website owners could ensure that their site was optimized for search engines and provided a positive experience for users.
The Future of Technical SEO
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the role of technical SEO will remain crucial in maintaining and improving a website's visibility in search results. While the specific strategies and tools used in 2018 may change, the core principles of technical SEO—performance optimization, crawlability, indexation, and security—will remain relevant.
One of the key trends in technical SEO is the increasing importance of AI and machine learning. As search engines become more advanced, they will be able to understand and interpret content more effectively. This will require website owners to focus on creating high-quality, well-structured content that is easy for both users and search engines to understand.
Another important trend is the growing emphasis on user experience. As users become more discerning, they will expect websites to load quickly, be accessible on all devices, and provide a seamless experience. This will require website owners to prioritize technical SEO and ensure that their sites are optimized for both performance and usability.
Finally, the role of technical SEO will continue to expand as new technologies emerge. Features like service workers, AI-driven content, and enhanced security protocols will play an increasingly important role in technical SEO. By staying up to date with these trends and adapting their strategies accordingly, website owners can ensure that their sites remain competitive in the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization.
Final Thoughts
Technical SEO in 2018 was a multifaceted discipline that required a deep understanding of both the technical and strategic aspects of digital marketing. From optimizing site performance to ensuring secure hosting, every element played a role in improving a website's visibility and user experience. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the principles of technical SEO will remain essential for maintaining a strong online presence.
By implementing the strategies and tools discussed in this guide, website owners can ensure that their sites are optimized for search engines and provide a positive experience for users. Whether it's improving page speed, implementing schema markup, or transitioning to HTTPS, each step contributes to a stronger, more effective SEO strategy.
Ultimately, technical SEO is not just about improving search rankings—it's about creating a website that is fast, secure, and user-friendly. By prioritizing technical SEO and staying up to date with the latest trends and best practices, website owners can ensure that their sites remain competitive in the ever-evolving world of digital marketing.