Skip to content

What is technical SEO?

Technical SEO is the work of making sure search engines can efficiently crawl, index, and render your website. It covers site speed, structure, mobile friendliness, security, and the code that helps pages be understood.

Last reviewed .

What technical SEO covers

Core areas include crawlability and indexing, XML sitemaps, robots.txt, redirects, canonical tags, and HTTPS. It also includes page speed, Core Web Vitals, mobile usability, and structured data.

Why technical SEO matters

Great content can't rank if search engines can't reach or process it. Technical problems, like blocked pages or slow loading, can quietly hold back an otherwise strong site.

Fixing them removes obstacles for both search engines and visitors.

How to find technical issues

Google Search Console shows indexing problems, Core Web Vitals, and manual actions. A site crawl with an SEO tool can uncover broken links, redirect chains, duplicate pages, and missing tags.

Common questions

What is the difference between technical SEO and on-page SEO?

Technical SEO is about how the site works and is crawled. On-page SEO is about the content and elements of individual pages.

Do I need a developer for technical SEO?

Some fixes can be made in a content management system, while others, like performance work or rendering issues, usually need a developer.

What is a technical SEO audit?

It's a review of your site's crawlability, indexing, speed, structure, and markup to find problems that limit search performance, with a list of fixes in priority order.

Is HTTPS part of technical SEO?

Yes. Serving your site over HTTPS protects visitors and is a lightweight Google ranking signal.

Want help putting this to work?

Tell us where your marketing stands today, and we'll show you what to do first.