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The collaboration between SEO experts and web developers has become more crucial than ever. As an SEO company expert, you often find yourself in a position where you need the support of web developers to achieve your SEO goals. However, getting developers on board with SEO priorities can be challenging, especially when they have many other tasks. In this blog post, we’ll explore the 10 essential SEO basics that web developers should be well-versed in to facilitate successful collaboration and enhance SEO performance.
10 SEO Basics:
Security
Website security is paramount for SEO success. It’s crucial to ensure that your website has an SSL certificate without errors. Beyond that, web developers should take measures to safeguard the site against vulnerabilities that could lead to security breaches. Hacked websites not only damage user trust but also negatively affect search engine rankings. Developers must also be cautious about the impact of security measures on site speed.
Response Codes
Server response codes play a vital role in SEO. SEO services experts ensure that web pages consistently return 200 server codes. Additionally, any 3xx or 4xx codes should be sourced and updated, with unnecessary redirects removed. Proper management of response codes ensures a seamless user experience and search engine indexing.
Redirects
When launching a new website or migrating from an old one, implementing redirects is essential. Every URL from the old site should have a 301 redirect to the most relevant page on the new site. This may involve a one-to-one mapping or consolidating multiple pages into one, a task many SEO services experts perform constantly. Validating the redirects with appropriate tools is crucial to avoid issues.
Robots.txt
The robots.txt file dictates how search engines crawl and index your website. SEO services experts understand its contents and do not treat it as an afterthought. Developers are constantly working to ensure that the robots.txt file strikes the right balance between openness and restrictiveness. It’s essential to avoid pushing staging files with overly restrictive settings to production.
Sitemaps
XML sitemaps are instrumental in ensuring search engines discover and index all your website’s pages. Developers look to maintain clean sitemaps, free of 404 errors, redirects, and irrelevant content. All pages listed in XML sitemaps should render a 200-server code, helping search engines efficiently navigate your site.
URLs
Well-structured URLs are crucial for SEO. Developers should create concise URLs with relevant keywords, use lowercase letters, and avoid special characters, spaces, or underscores. Aligning the URL structure with the site’s content hierarchy enhances user experience and search engine indexing.
Mobile Friendly
SEO services experts know this is a critical factor in SEO rankings, as Google prioritizes mobile-first indexing. Developers should ensure websites render well on mobile devices and pass Google’s mobile-friendly test. It’s essential to consider the mobile version’s content to ensure you get all the crucial elements that impact search engine visibility.
Site Speed
Site speed is a critical aspect of SEO. Slow-loading pages can harm user experience, conversion rates, and search engine rankings. SEO services experts often optimize site speed by keeping code lightweight, minimizing plugin usage, optimizing the hosting environment, and compressing JS and CSS. Ensuring image sizes are in check and implementing content management controls for large files is also vital.
Heading Tags
Heading tags provide context to search engines and users. Developers should use heading tags for content rather than as CSS shortcuts. Maintaining a logical hierarchy and following the order of importance enhances SEO performance. Collaboration with SEO experts can help align heading tag usage with on-page content strategy.
Content Management & Dynamic Content
Content management systems are crucial in SEO services experts website management. Developers should make informed decisions about CMS functionality, considering the impact on site speed and SEO elements. Implementing dynamic aspects like tagging, XML sitemap generation, and redirects can save time and ensure site stability.
Conclusion
Collaboration between SEO professionals and web developers is indispensable. Web developers who grasp the fundamental SEO principles can significantly contribute to successful collaboration and improved SEO performance. This knowledge not only streamlines website development but also reduces the need for SEO-specific updates and revisions. By mastering these 10 essential SEO basics, web developers can play a vital role in achieving SEO success for their clients and ensuring the long-term success of their websites. SEO services experts like ourselves at SEO Experts have in-house web developers, allowing us to organize everything efficiently. Look to the stars, and schedule your Free SEO Analysis today!
