What Is Technical SEO?
Technical SEO focuses on improving how websites function behind the scenes. It ensures search engines such as Google can find, understand, and display webpages correctly in search results. Technical SEO ranking factors are important for optimizing the website’s infrastructure for search engines, ensuring they can easily crawl, index, and understand the content. This involves enhancing structure, speed, accessibility, and other backend elements.
Optimized technical foundations help search engines move through pages without obstacles. Without this structure, content may go unseen—regardless of quality.
Why Technical SEO Affects Rankings
Search engines reward sites offering efficient, fast, and secure experiences. A poorly built site may have content that deserves to rank but doesn’t. Pages with crawl issues, slow loading times, or broken links can drop in rankings or get excluded from search results.
For growing digital markets like Nepal, having a properly optimized technical base can make a massive difference. Businesses can stand out in competitive niches by fixing hidden site-level issues that many overlook.
How This Guide Supports Beginners
This guide outlines each of the top technical SEO ranking factors in a clear, simple way. Beginners, learners, and SEO professionals will gain a practical understanding of what matters most. Each section includes easy steps, real examples, and action tips designed to deliver measurable improvements. Top 20 technical SEO ranking factors are:
1. Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly
Google uses mobile-first indexing. Pages viewed on phones are now the default version used for ranking. Without mobile responsiveness, a site risks lower visibility—even with strong content. It is one of the technical SEO ranking factors.
Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check your design. Websites should resize properly on small screens, load quickly over mobile networks, and have clickable elements spaced well.
Example: A fashion store in Kathmandu saw bounce rates drop by 45% after switching to a responsive design and simplifying their mobile navigation.
2. Secure Your Site with HTTPS
Sites using HTTPS are encrypted, protecting users’ data. Google considers HTTPS a ranking signal and browsers now flag non-secure sites as unsafe.
Install an SSL certificate through your host or a provider like Let’s Encrypt. Once installed, redirect all HTTP pages to their HTTPS versions.
Pro Tip: Ensure all internal links use the HTTPS version of the URL to avoid mixed content errors.
3. Ensure Google Can Crawl Your Site
Search engines crawl your site using bots. If bots hit roadblocks, like blocked pages in the robots.txt file or incorrect meta tags, rankings suffer.
Audit your robots.txt to ensure vital sections—such as your blog or service pages—are not restricted. Tools like Screaming Frog simulate crawls and highlight issues.
Example: One local education site in Pokhara unknowingly blocked its blog section in robots.txt. Removing the block led to a 65% increase in indexed content within two weeks.
4. Submit an XML Sitemap
Sitemaps help bots discover important URLs. XML sitemaps list available pages, images, and even videos—guiding search engines through your digital structure.
Plugins like Rank Math and Yoast SEO create sitemaps automatically. Once ready, submit it through Google Search Console.
Tip: Update the sitemap whenever new content gets published or deleted. This ensures that search engines always have the most accurate map of your website.
5. Confirm Your Pages Are Indexable
Search engines only rank pages that are indexed. Some get excluded due to “noindex” tags or crawl blocks.
Use Google Search Console’s “URL Inspection Tool” to check whether important pages are eligible for indexing. If a valuable page isn’t showing up in results, check the meta tags and crawl settings.
Example: A travel agency’s booking page wasn’t indexed because of a misplaced “noindex” tag. Once removed, rankings started improving within days.
6. Use Canonical Tags to Prevent Duplicates
Duplicate content confuses search engines. Canonical tags declare which version of a page is the original. This helps preserve link authority and prevents dilution across similar URLs.
Add a <link rel=”canonical” href=”https://yourdomain.com/preferred-page”> in your HTML header.
Example: Product pages with multiple filters can generate many URLs with the same content. Canonicalization keeps search engines focused on the main product page.
7. Fix Broken Links and Redirects
Broken links frustrate users and waste crawl resources. Redirecting expired pages or moved URLs using 301 redirects keeps both visitors and bots moving in the right direction.
Use tools like Ahrefs, Screaming Frog, or Broken Link Checker to locate 404 errors. Prioritize fixing links pointing to outdated or missing pages.
Tip: Set up custom 404 pages that guide users to helpful resources instead of dead ends.
8. Boost Your Page Speed
Fast-loading pages improve user experience and directly influence rankings. Sluggish performance increases bounce rates and leads to lost opportunities.
Check your site speed using PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix. Optimize CSS and JavaScript files, enable compression, and reduce server response times.
Example: A Nepali online store increased conversions by 30% after shaving three seconds off page load time.
9. Improve Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals focus on how real users experience loading, interactivity, and visual stability:
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Time to show main content
- FID (First Input Delay): Response time after first click
- CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Avoiding sudden page movements
Improve these metrics by reducing image sizes, deferring unused scripts, and stabilizing layout design.
Tool: Use Lighthouse or Search Console’s “Core Web Vitals” report for real insights.
10. Optimise Image Sizes
Heavy image files slow down performance. Resize and compress images before uploading. Use formats like WebP for lightweight visuals without losing quality.
Tools: TinyPNG, ImageOptim, or ShortPixel for batch compression.
Example: A photography blog cut homepage load time in half by switching all .png images to WebP format.
11. Add Schema Markup
Schema markup provides extra context to search engines about content types—products, reviews, FAQs, etc. Structured data can improve visibility through rich snippets.
Add schema using plugins or generators and validate it with Google’s Rich Results Test.
Example: FAQ schema on a Nepali health blog increased click-through rates by 20% after adding visible dropdown answers in search results.
12. Use Breadcrumb Navigation
Breadcrumbs create a logical path for both users and search engines. Implement breadcrumb schema to improve navigation structure and visibility.
Tip: Display breadcrumbs on each page near the top, especially for content-heavy or multi-level websites.
13. Optimize for Social Sharing
Open Graph (Facebook) and Twitter Cards control how your content appears when shared. Clean, compelling previews increase engagement.
Add meta tags in the site header with the title, image, and description of each page.
Tool: Use Yoast’s Social tab or Facebook’s Sharing Debugger to preview.
14. Create a Strong Internal Linking Strategy
Internal links distribute authority and help bots navigate efficiently. Every key page should be reachable through multiple paths.
Tip: Use descriptive anchor text related to the target page’s keywords.
Example: Link blog posts to service pages using context-relevant phrases like “our Kathmandu SEO services”.
15. Use Clean, Keyword-Friendly URLs
URLs should be easy to read and describe what the page is about. Avoid special characters, long IDs, or dates.
Good: yourdomain.com/seo-tips
Avoid: yourdomain.com/page.php?id=9345
16. Implement Breadcrumb URLs
Breadcrumb-style URLs reflect structure and improve scanning by search engines.
Format Example: Home > Services > SEO > Technical SEO
Add breadcrumb schema for better interpretation by bots.
17. Avoid Duplicate Content Issues
Check for similar content across multiple URLs. Canonical tags, consistent URL formats, and proper redirects keep duplication in check.
Tip: Use a single version of every page (e.g., always use trailing slash OR not, but never both).
18. Scan for and Fix Broken Links
Regularly scan the site for broken internal or outbound links. Even reputable external sources can vanish.
Set up scheduled crawls with Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to catch these issues early.
19. Run Regular SEO Audits
SEO audits reveal hidden problems before search engines do. Identify slow pages, blocked assets, missing titles, and thin content.
Checklist Tip: Create a monthly or quarterly audit routine that includes speed tests, crawl tests, and on-page reviews.
20. Monitor with Google Search Console
Search Console offers direct insights into indexing, errors, Core Web Vitals, and search performance. Set up alerts to stay informed about critical issues.
Key Sections to Monitor:
- Index Coverage
- Core Web Vitals
- Mobile Usability
- Performance (CTR, Impressions, Clicks)
Final Thoughts & Next Steps
Strong technical SEO builds a solid platform for growth. Every one of the factors listed above helps create a fast, accessible, and visible site—things search engines reward. These are the top 20 technical SEO ranking factors which are valuable and important for website growth.
Whether you’re optimizing a small blog or managing a growing eCommerce platform in Nepal, start with core fixes like site speed, mobile design, and crawlability. From there, expand into structured data, URL optimization, and performance monitoring.
Stay updated, monitor progress regularly, and focus on improvements that serve both users and bots.
FAQ
1. What Are the Most Important Technical SEO Factors for Ranking?
Several technical SEO factors influence how well your site ranks. These include fast page loading speed, mobile-friendliness, using HTTPS for security, clear site structure for easy crawling, and adding structured data to help search engines understand your content better. Together, these basics help search engines find, read, and rank your pages.
2. How Does Website Speed Affect SEO Rankings?
Slow websites frustrate visitors and cause them to leave quickly. Search engines notice this and may rank slow pages lower. Improving speed by compressing images, enabling caching, and reducing unnecessary code helps pages load faster, keeping users happy and boosting rankings.
3. Why Is Mobile-Friendliness Critical for SEO?
Most people use phones to browse the internet. Google now ranks sites based on how well they work on mobile devices first. A mobile-friendly website adjusts to different screen sizes, making it easier to read and navigate. Without this, your site may lose valuable traffic.
4. How Can I Ensure Search Engines Crawl and Index My Site Properly?
Make sure your website has an XML sitemap that lists all important pages and a correctly set up robots.txt file that guides search engines. Avoid accidentally blocking pages with “noindex” tags. Use Google Search Console to check how your pages are indexed and fix any errors you find.
5. What Role Does HTTPS Play in SEO Rankings?
HTTPS keeps user data secure and builds trust. Google prefers secure sites and gives them a small ranking boost. Switching from HTTP to HTTPS is simple today, often free, and shows visitors your site is safe to use.
6. How Important Is Structured Data (Schema Markup) for SEO?
Structured data is special code added to your pages that helps search engines understand what the content means. For example, it can show star ratings or event dates right in search results. Using schema can make your listings stand out and attract more clicks.
7. What Are Common Technical SEO Mistakes to Avoid?
Common mistakes include blocking important pages from being crawled, ignoring mobile optimisation, having slow-loading pages, broken redirects, and duplicate content. Regular site audits using tools like Screaming Frog can help spot and fix these issues early.
8. How Do Redirects Affect SEO Rankings?
Redirects send users and search engines from one URL to another. Using the right type—usually a 301 permanent redirect—passes ranking power correctly. Too many redirects or loops confuse search engines and can hurt your SEO.
9. How Can I Improve My Site’s Crawl Budget?
Crawl budget means how many pages search engines crawl on your site in a given time. Focus this budget on your best pages by removing low-quality or duplicate content, fixing broken links, and having a clear site structure. This helps search engines find and rank your most important pages faster.
10. Are Meta Tags Still Relevant for Technical SEO?
Meta titles and descriptions don’t directly affect rankings much but are still important for attracting clicks in search results. Make sure each page has unique, clear, and relevant meta tags to help users understand what your page offers before clicking.