December 23, 2024
Technical SEO: Why You Can't Afford To Ignore It
Table of Contents
Abbie
Founder + Director
In this episode of Marketing vs The World, we dive into the fascinating world of technical SEO with Paulo Andraus, a tech SEO expert and the creator of the SEO Game Show. Technical SEO often gets overlooked in the marketing mix, but as Paulo explains, it’s absolutely vital to any successful digital strategy. We explore what technical SEO is, why it matters and how businesses can start prioritising it. Plus, we hear about Paulo’s journey as a working immigrant and his advice for thriving in a global workplace.
Keep reading for some of the highlights from our conversation and be sure to listen to the full episode for all the in-depth insights!
What Is Technical SEO and Why Does It Matter?
If you’ve ever wondered what technical SEO is, Paulo’s simple explanation is a great place to start:
“It’s about building a good relationship with Google’s robots—the technology that helps Google understand what your website is about and what it should rank for.”
Technical SEO ensures that your website’s infrastructure—like its code, links and navigation—is optimised so that search engines can efficiently crawl and index your content. Without it, even the best-written content can go unnoticed.
The Three Pillars of SEO
SEO can be broken into three main components:
On-page SEO: Content and keywords optimised for search engines.
Off-page SEO: Building authority through backlinks and reputation.
Technical SEO: The foundation that ensures your website can be crawled, indexed and understood by search engines.
Paulo emphasises that technical SEO is often misunderstood or neglected because it can be, well, technical. But ignoring it can lead to disastrous results, like a nosedive in rankings or a drop in organic traffic.
Want to hear more about why technical SEO is so important? Listen to the full episode using the links below.
Why Businesses Can’t Ignore Technical SEO
During our chat, Paulo shared some eye-opening examples of what happens when businesses overlook technical SEO.
Crawling Issues: Websites can block Google from crawling important pages by misconfiguring files like robots.txt. Paulo mentioned clients who unknowingly blocked their entire website from search engines—while still spending tens of thousands on Google Ads!
Stagnant Traffic: Without proper technical SEO, businesses often rely on creating more and more content to maintain traffic. This is inefficient and leads to diminishing returns.
Paulo explains that technical SEO acts as the bridge between web developers and SEO strategists, ensuring all elements of a website work together to maximise performance.
Building a Strong Technical SEO Foundation
If you’re unsure where to start, Paulo shared actionable advice for businesses of all sizes:
Install Google Search Console: It’s free and provides valuable insights into how Google views and indexes your site.
Conduct Regular Checks: For smaller businesses, dedicate a day each month to reviewing your site’s technical health using tools like Google Search Console or Screaming Frog.
Invest in Expertise: As your business grows, consider hiring a dedicated technical SEO specialist or partnering with an agency. Larger companies may need entire teams to manage technical SEO, especially if they’re producing lots of content.
Want to learn more about building a strong foundation in technical SEO? Listen to the full episode using the links below.
Staying Ahead with Google's AI Search Updates
With Google’s new AI-driven search generative experience (SGE), Paulo stresses the importance of adapting your technical SEO strategies:
Decide How Your Content Is Used: You can block Google from using your content in AI summaries by adding specific tags to your site.
Optimise for Direct Answers: Structure your content to provide clear answers to user queries. While this might reduce traffic from simple queries, it positions your brand as an authority and builds trust for future conversions.
Leverage Schema Markup: This code helps Google better understand your content, improving how it’s displayed in search results.
Paulo admits that Google’s AI advancements are making it harder for websites to retain traffic from basic queries. However, he believes schema markup remains crucial, especially in competitive industries.
Creative Problem-Solving in Technical SEO
One of the standout moments in our chat was Paulo’s unique perspective on technical SEO as a creative field.
“You don’t need to follow Google blindly. Be creative and find innovative solutions for complex problems,” Paulo says.
He shared an example of Reddit blocking all crawlers except Google’s, an unconventional yet effective strategy to reduce server strain while maintaining search visibility.
Listen to what else Paulo had to say in the full episode using the links below.
Paulo's Journey
Beyond SEO, Paulo shared his personal journey from Brazil to Canada, then Germany and back to Canada. As a working immigrant, he’s experienced the challenges of adapting to new cultures and work environments.
Cultural Differences in the Workplace
Paulo highlights how diverse work cultures can lead to valuable innovations:
Different Problem-Solving Approaches: In one role, an Iranian colleague’s detailed, multi-option proposals inspired Paulo’s team to adopt a more thoughtful, strategic approach to decision-making.
Collaboration Across Cultures: By recognising and embracing cultural differences, teams can create stronger, more inclusive workplaces.
Paulo’s Advice for Immigrant Professionals
For those considering working abroad or adapting to a new culture, Paulo suggests:
Clarify Expectations: Always ask what’s expected, whether it’s the format of a report or the timeline for a task.
Stay Curious: Treat cultural differences as opportunities to learn and grow.
Leverage Diversity: Recognise how unique perspectives can enhance team performance.
Final Thought from Paulo
Before wrapping up, Paulo left us with this thought:
“Technical SEO can be creative. You don’t have to follow Google blindly. Think outside the box and find innovative solutions to complex problems.”
Listen Now
This blog covers just a fraction of our conversation with Paulo. To hear more about technical SEO, cultural insights and Paulo’s brilliant SEO Game Show, listen to the full episode of Marketing vs The World!
Connect With Us
To learn more about technical SEO, you can connect with Paulo on LinkedIn. For more insights and updates on the world of marketing, follow Abbie Dando and Monday Clicks.
DISCLAIMER
This article has been created using various AI tools, which transcribe raw audio and transform the content into a blog post. This helps us ensure each Marketing vs The World episode is released as quickly as possible. Monday Clicks does not use AI for any client content creation.
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