11 Ways to Shape SEO Success Before Going Live

Intro

Whether your website sinks or swims depends on a tight-knit partnership between web developers and SEO experts. The choices you make during the development phase can seriously mess with your site's future organic performance.

Starting with how developers whip up their code and their picks for the content management system, and moving all the way to how the site performs on mobile devices and the security measures in place, development choices really pack a punch when it comes to SEO.

Plus, the longer you put off embracing SEO-friendly development, the harder it gets to fix things up after the website goes live. A recent survey has mentioned the lack of resources as the primary hurdle in implementing SEO at all. You surely don’t want to redo anything.

So, take a closer look at this connection, and see how your development choices can either upgrade your SEO performance or drag it down.

1. Speed It Up

Speed isn't just a bonus, it's a must. If it takes forever to kick things off on the page, your audience will quit and search for a faster ride. That’s why it is one of the top positions on our SEO checklist for developers and SEO teams.

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The loading speed is a big deal when it comes to its SEO performance. Google, for example, is all about sites that load in a flash. Slowpoke sites not only irritate users but also give search engines a reason to throw shade by ranking them lower. So, make it a top priority for the devs to rev up your website's speed.

2. Follow Mobile Rules

Mobile devices matter more for many users. That's why nailing responsive mobile development is a big deal. Your website should be a shape-shifter, adjusting effortlessly to different screen sizes and orientations, so users get a stellar experience no matter what device they're on.

When your website isn't mobile-friendly, it's not just a pet peeve for users; it's a deal-breaker for search engines, too. Again Google cherishes websites that play nice with mobile devices and gives them a leg up in search rankings.

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3. Clean the Code

The code underpinning your website is like its architectural foundation. Just as a shaky building can come crashing down, a website with messy, tangled code can spell disaster for its SEO performance. Clean, efficient code is the bedrock of a successful SEO strategy.

One trick in the bag is using semantic HTML, which gives search engines a roadmap to understand a webpage's content and context. Semantic HTML uses tags that spell out the meaning of the content, like headings, paragraphs, lists, and more. Using these tags the right way can give your site's SEO performance a major advantage.

Plus, a jumbled codebase can lead to slow load times, which, as we've mentioned, is a big no-no for SEO. So, whip out your coding skills to build a fast, responsive site and make sure search engines can cruise through and index your content without a hitch.

4. Pick Your CMS Carefully

Many websites lean on content management systems (CMS) to make development and upkeep a piece of cake. But not all CMSs are cut from the same cloth when it comes to SEO performance.

Choose a CMS that's SEO-savvy. Take WordPress, for instance. It's a crowd favorite because it boasts solid SEO plugins and an SEO-friendly structure.

When picking a CMS, think about how well it pumps out clean, organized code and whether it comes with built-in SEO features. You can find many tips on setting up SEO-friendly WordPress, as well as many other popular platforms.

5. Keep an Eye on the URL Structure

Your website's URLs are like signposts on the vast internet highway, showing the way to both users and search engines. A well-structured URL will not only serve machines but the human eye, too.

SEO-friendly URLs are informative, short, and readable. Instead of tangled messes of numbers and symbols, they should sport clear, relevant keywords.

For instance, a URL like ‘https://timspark.com/services/custom-software-development-services/’ is miles better than ‘https://timspark.com/?p=12345.’

Ideally, your site should automatically generate these SEO-friendly URLs and arrange them in a logical order. This way, it's a cakewalk for search engines and users to perceive your site's layout.

6. Don't Neglect the Visuals

Visuals are engagement drivers for users. But images are a separate story when it comes to SEO. Bad images will slow down the website and give users a lousy impression.

Compress your images (but in a way that keeps the quality) and add good alt-text. This not only results in a speedier website but also makes it more accessible for visually impaired users and helps search engines make sense of your content.

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7. Avoid Duplicate Content Headaches

Duplicate content is a nightmare for organic traffic acquisition. It confuses search engines and dilutes your website's authority. To tackle this, let's talk about canonical tags.

When used correctly, canonical tags point to the preferred version of a webpage when duplicate content is in the mix. This ensures that search engines won't penalize your site for unintentional duplication and keeps your SEO effort strong.

8. Dress to Impress with Schema Markup

Boosting your website's visibility in search results isn't just about scoring a high rank. It's about standing out from the crowd. Enter schema markup, also known as structured data, which can give you a leg up.

Schema markup offers search engines extra info about what you’re talking about on the website, making it more likely to pop up as catchy snippets in search results. These rich snippets can include ratings, prices, event details, and more, which grab users' attention and can lead to more clicks.

Keep schema markup on your radar and weave it into your site's code to boost its visibility and appeal in search results.

9. Ensure Security First (HTTPS Is a Must)

Website security is the top dog in areas with loads of sensitive data. Search engines put user safety first, and secure websites play a substantial part in that.

Make sure your website uses HTTPS encryption. This not only protects user data and looks trustworthy but also shows a green flag to search engines. Google has made it clear that the lack of HTTPS is a sure reason you won’t reach ranking heights.

10. Handle the Slip-Ups

Error pages can ruffle users' feathers and throw your SEO off track. So, create custom 404 error pages that lay out clear paths for users to find their way back to the good stuff.

Additionally, implement 301 redirects to guide users and search engines to what they were looking for before landing wrong page. This prevents broken links and helps maintain your SEO credibility.

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11. Improve XML Sitemaps

XML sitemaps are a structured overview of the entire pool of website content you have. They show the collection of website pages you have and help search engines index the content painlessly.

The best approach is to set up your website to automatically generate and update XML sitemaps, and make it even easier to fetch, understand, and rank your masterpieces.

SEO Is an Ongoing Story

The work of developers doesn't end when the site launches. Regular maintenance will keep the website running smoothly and optimize its SEO performance over time. The good news is that website scanning doesn’t have to be manual. A lot of web audit tools will perform the all-encompassing website checkup in just minutes as regularly as you want.

Keep an eye on site performance, fix broken links, update plugins and CMS versions, and address any issues that pop up. An up-to-date and well-tended website not only pleases users but also keeps the SEO engines running.