Technical SEO refers to the optimization of the technical elements of the website to enhance its search engine rankings.Â
It includes a number of factors, including crawlability, indexability, mobile friendliness and site speed.Â
Technical SEO is concerned with the website’s backend structure in contrast to content SEO which is more concerned with the content’s relevance and quality.
Does Technical SEO require Coding? Is a common question that arises among the beginners and even experienced marketers.
In this article , let’s explore this topic in detail and reveal the answer for this burning query.
The Role of Coding in Technical SEO
Technical SEO involves tasks that require a certain level of coding knowledge.
While not all aspects require advanced programming knowledge, being able to understand and work with code can greatly increase the efficacy of technical SEO efforts.
How coding is vital to technical SEO is as follows:
1.HTML and CSS
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) are the fundamentals of an optimized, user-friendly and search engine-friendly website.Â
While the proper use of semantic HTML ensures that the content is well-structured and easily understood by search engines, use of efficient CSS improves user experience and site performance.
Both have a major impact on a website’s technical SEO, which helps to increase visibility and ranking in search engine results.
Here is how HTML and CSS Coding helps Technical SEO,
- Structuring content using the relevant tags (H1, H2, etc.)
- Creating and Optimizing meta tags (description, title)
- Making sure the code is clear and effective to increase site speed
2.JavaScript
A common tool for creating interactive website elements is JavaScript.
JavaScript greatly improves technical SEO by allowing dynamic content rendering, increasing site speed, improving user experience, handling structured data, and more.Â
JavaScript has many powerful features, but it must be implemented so that search engines can efficiently crawl and index the content.
SEO experts can optimize their websites for better performance and higher search engine rankings by properly utilizing JavaScript.
Technical SEO benefits greatly from knowing JavaScript because it helps in:
- Making sure dynamic content is crawlable and indexable.
- Using JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) to implement structured data
- Resolving rendering problems that might hinder search engine bots
3.Server Side Languages (PHP, Python, Ruby)
Server-side languages like PHP, Python and Ruby are the effective resources for Technical SEO.
They enable the automation of various SEO tasks, the execution of performance and security improvements & the generation of dynamic and optimized content.
By utilizing these languages, SEO professionals can make sure that the websites are well-optimized for search engines and offer a better user experience.
Knowledge of these languages helps with:
- Creating and Managing sitemaps
- Configuring and optimizing HTTP status code responses from servers
- Setting up redirects to avoid broken links and maintain link equity
4.SQL and Database Management
SQL and database management are essential for technical SEO because they help to optimize a website’s backend and ensure effective data handling, faster load times and better overall performance.
SEO professionals can guarantee their websites are technically sound and result in higher search engine rankings and an enhanced user experience by utilizing SQL and database management.
Knowledge of database administration and SQL (Structured Query Language) is helpful in:
- Database query optimization to increase website speed
- Keeping databases organized and clean to guarantee effective data retrieval
- Implementing changes efficiently that affect large sets of data.
Technical SEO Tasks that require Coding
The Important Technical SEO Tasks that necessitates coding are,
1.Implement Structured Data
Including structured data markup such as Schema.org to give search engines more context about the content (e.g., products, recipes, events).
Required Coding Ability is, Proficiency in JSON-LD, RDFa or Microdata is required in order to embed structured data directly into HTML code.
2.Handling Redirects
Consolidating content or making permanent URL changes require the setup of 301 redirects.
Required Coding Ability is, To implement redirects efficiently, knowledge of server-side redirect techniques such as using .htaccess for Apache or server configuration for Nginx is needed.
3.Optimizing Page Speed
Enhancing website performance with a variety of optimizations such as CSS/JavaScript minification, image optimization and browser caching.
Required Coding Ability is, The ability to modify server configurations, CSS and JavaScript in order to optimize code and speed up load times.
4.Fixing Crawl Errors
Locating and resolving crawl issues such as server errors or 404 errors, that are reported in Google Search Console.
Required Coding Ability is, Able to identify and fix broken links within the HTML or server configurations of the website.
5.Robots.txt Optimization
Robots.txt file is used to control search engine crawlers accessing different parts of the website.
Required Coding Ability is, Editing and Configuring the robots.txt file to add directives that controls the behavior of Crawling and Indexing.
6.SSL Implementation
SSL certificate installation and HTTPS configuration secures website connections.
Required Coding Ability is, Making changes to server configurations such as Apache or Nginx settings in order to enforce HTTPS and manage redirects correctly.
7.Mobile Optimization
Making sure that the website is mobile-friendly and responsive across different devices and screen sizes.
Required Coding Ability is, Modifying JavaScript and CSS media queries to improve user experience and ensure mobile compatibility.
8.Optimizing HTML Tags and Canonicalization
Canonical tag implementation helps to consolidate link equity and address duplicate content issues.
Ensuring that HTML tags for heading, meta and title tags are used correctly for the best possible SEO results.
Required Coding Ability is, Editing HTML headers or implementing canonical tags programmatically to specify preferred URLs.
The ability to directly edit HTML and optimize tags for length, relevance, and keywords.
Alternatives to Coding for Technical SEO
The alternatives to some Technical SEO activities that generally require coding skills are,
1.HTML and Meta Tags Optimization
Use website builders or Content Management Systems (CMS) that provide easy-to-use interfaces for modifying HTML and meta tags.Â
Without having to write code, users of platforms like WordPress, Shopify, or Wix can manage HTML structure and meta tags using built-in editors or plugins.
2.JavaScript Optimization
Make use of pre-built JavaScript frameworks and libraries that provide SEO-optimized plugins and components.Â
These libraries have rendering and crawlability optimizations built right in, reducing the time for custom coding work.
Make sure that any JavaScript-generated dynamic content can be crawled by using tools such as Screaming Frog SEO Spider or Google’s Fetch as Google for validation.
3.Site Speed Optimization
Make use of the tools or plugins offered by hosting companies for performance optimization.Â
To speed up load times, content can be distributed geographically with the help of Content Delivery Networks or CDNs.
Use online resources or plugins to optimize images, which will automatically resize and compress them without the need for human input.
4.HTTP Status Code and Header Responses
Use CMS plugins or web hosting control panels that offer options for configuring HTTP status codes and server responses.Â
These tools frequently provide GUI-based interfaces that manage server configurations without requiring to make direct edits to server-side scripts.
5.Canonical Tags and Schema Markup
Add schema markup and canonical tags using SEO plugins or CMS platforms’ built-in features.Â
Add structured data and configure canonical URLs without writing code by using plugins like Yoast SEO for WordPress or Shopify’s built-in SEO tools.
6.URL Structure and Redirects
Make use of built-in features or CMS plugins that make managing URL structures and redirects easier.
Platforms like WordPress have plugins such as Yoast SEO or Redirection that simplify the process of setting up and managing redirects.Â
Use online generators or CMS community guides for complex redirects or.htaccess configurations.
7.XML Sitemaps
Make use of online sitemap generators or CMS plugins that generate XML sitemaps automatically from the content of the website.
When new content is added or updated, these tools can update sitemaps dynamically, eliminating the need for manual XML file coding.
8.Robots.txt File
To create and manage robots.txt files, use robots.txt online generators or CMS plugins.Â
With the help of these tools user-friendly interfaces, search engine crawlers can be instructed without having to change the file directly.
Conclusion
Although having some knowledge of coding is beneficial for technical SEO, it is not a must for every task.
With the aid of tools and plugins, many aspects can be handled making technical SEO approachable for individuals lacking a background in coding.Â
On the other hand, a fundamental knowledge of server-side languages and coding languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript can be very helpful for more sophisticated optimization.
In order to effectively optimize their websites for search engines and enhance user experience, website owners and SEO specialists should have a solid understanding of the balance between coding and non-coding tasks in technical SEO.
