In today’s world, almost everything is online. Businesses need to make sure people can find them on the internet.
One way they do this is by improving how their websites show up on search engines like Google. This job is done by a technical SEO expert.
But what makes a technical SEO expert so special? What skills do they need to succeed? Let’s dive in and unravel the mystery!
What Is Technical SEO?
Before we dive into the skills, let’s first understand what technical SEO is. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s a way of making websites easier for search engines to find and understand.
A technical SEO expert focuses on making sure a website works properly behind the scenes. This includes things like making sure search engines can read the website, that the website loads quickly, and that it is secure for visitors.
To be good at technical SEO, a person needs to understand basic coding, like HTML and CSS. These are languages used to build websites. When a technical SEO expert understands these languages, they can fix problems that make a website slow or hard to find.
Technical SEO Expert Must Have Skills
To become the best SEO expert, it’s essential to develop skills and adapt to constant changes in search engine algorithms. Below are the key skills every technical SEO expert must have to excel in this dynamic field:
Proficiency in Website Analytics
Once a website is set up, it’s vital to watch how it’s doing. This is where analytics come in. A technical SEO expert needs to know how to use tools like Google Analytics.
These tools help track how many people visit the website, what pages they look at, and how long they stay. By looking at this information, an expert can decide what changes need to be made to improve the website.
For example, if many visitors leave a site quickly, the expert might find ways to make the website more interesting or easier to use. If people are spending a lot of time on a certain page, the expert may keep that page the way it is or add more content to make it even better.
Mastering Technical Skills
Technical skills are the most important part of being a technical SEO expert. They need to know how websites are built and how to make them work faster and better. This means understanding how servers work and how to make a website’s code clean and fast.
Top SEO experts also need to know how to work with different types of Content Management Systems like WordPress. A Freelance SEO expert often needs to adapt to various CMS platforms, making this knowledge a significant asset. Ultimately, having a multifaceted skill set makes troubleshooting more efficient and enhances collaboration with web developers.
Keeping Up With Search Engine Changes
Search engines are always changing their rules. To keep websites high in search results, one must stay updated with these changes.
For example, Google might change how it ranks websites, making page speed or mobile-friendliness more important. An expert needs to understand how these changes affect websites and make sure the websites stay in good standing.
Using Tools to Improve Websites
A technical SEO expert doesn’t work alone. They have many tools to help them. Tools like Screaming Frog and Google Search Console help experts find problems with a website.
These problems might be broken links, slow loading times, or missing information. With the right tools, an expert can spot these issues and fix them quickly, keeping the website healthy.
One tool, called Screaming Frog, helps experts “crawl” a website, which means looking at every part of it to make sure everything is working correctly. This helps experts find and fix problems like broken links or missing pages, which can make a website harder to find on search engines.
Mobile Optimization
More and more people are using their phones to search the internet, this means websites must work well on mobile devices. A local SEO expert needs to make sure websites are mobile-friendly. They need to test websites to ensure they load fast on phones and look good on smaller screens.
Google even ranks websites based on how well they work on mobile devices. That’s why, a technical SEO expert must pay special attention to this. By making websites mobile-friendly, experts can help keep people engaged.
How Content and SEO Work Together
While technical skills are important, an expert also needs to understand how content works. Content refers to the text, images, and videos on a website. A technical SEO expert needs to know how to make sure this content shows up in search engines.
One way they do this is by adding special codes called “schema markup.” This helps search engines understand what the content is about; it makes it easier for them to show it in search results. This helps websites stand out and get more visitors.
Problem-Solving Skills
Sometimes, things go wrong with a website, maybe traffic drops or a new rule from Google affects rankings. When this happens, the expert needs to have strong problem-solving skills. They need to quickly figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.
For example, if a website’s traffic drops suddenly, an expert might check for problems like broken links, slow loading times, or missing pages. They’ll test different solutions to see what works and get the website back on track.
Working With Others
A technical SEO expert doesn’t just work alone-they need to work with other people. They often collaborate with web developers, designers, and marketers. Communication is key because they need to explain their findings in simple terms that everyone can understand.
A good technical SEO expert can talk to non-technical people and explain things like why it’s important to fix a broken link or improve page speed. This helps everyone on the team understand how SEO works and why it’s important.
Becoming a Leading Technical SEO Expert
To be a successful technical SEO expert, you need to have a mix of technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, and the ability to work well with others. As the internet keeps changing, the job of a technical SEO expert will keep evolving too. By staying updated on new tools and search engine rules, a technical SEO expert can help websites improve and get noticed online.
It’s an exciting job that requires growth and learning every day. With the right skills, you can help businesses improve their websites and reach more people online.
Want to learn more? Visit our blog for more tips and advice!