The Website SEO checklist all web developers must consider
As businesses use the online route to reach out to their audience, the need for website developers increases manifold. There is a need to use the latest web design best practices to ensure more visitors are there on the website. As the website becomes the primary channel for bringing in more prospects and enhancing the pipeline, web developers must also understand search engine optimisation best practices so that the website ranks high during a keyword search.
The web developers must double up as SEO experts to allow small and medium businesses to save on their website budget. It is easier said than done. Website designers must consider several factors while creating the website. We will discuss these factors in detail in this article.
Creating a responsive website
As a first step to developing the website, developers must keep in mind that most visitors will be using their smartphones to visit the site. Statista forecasts that there would be around 7.1 billion mobile users globally. A small percentage of this number is also a sizeable audience for your website. Moreover, the latest search parameters of the search engines also mention that the sites must be responsive. You must also be informed that using a separate mobile site can make SEO even more complicated. You can use standard web development techniques with a responsive CSS style sheet. As a result, you need not inform the search engines about a separate web property making SEO more challenging.
Checking for structured data
Web developers must keep in mind that structured data makes it easier for search engines. Anything otherwise will make the site be at the mercy of search engines as they may get confused. The designers can check the code using the Google Schema.org and check if the code adheres to the best practices for structured data. Most errors will be caught through this exercise. However, it is better to do a manual check to ensure that the code is structured correctly. There could be some contextual coding data that can vary according to the requirements of each industry. The designer must understand each industry’s needs, and the outreach strategy must be clear to them.
URL structure and images
It is necessary to check the URL structure as visitors will understand that page’s content. It also helps search engines to understand the relevance during search rankings. They should be short and descriptive enough for any layman to know what content they can find inside. It is necessary to use redirects to land on the right pages that will help you in SEO activities. Outdated URLs must be removed, and the new pages must be redirected. The images must also be optimised so that they are of the ideal size. Heavy images can increase the page loading time that will make many visitors bounce off from your website.
Are there coding errors?
You must check for any coding errors. For instance, are there any staging site sub-domains? There could be a chance of the site going live with such error, and it can be referenced all over the site. The developer must check all such instances and make the necessary changes. You can use a relative URL during the development instead of an absolute URL.
Also, check if there are HTML errors that could lead to faulty rendering on different platforms. It can lead to many visitors dropping off the site and increasing the bounce rate. The validity of W3C can help in reducing the site speed through better coding methods and optimised layouts. An optimised coding technique can help search engines understand your site better.
Are you aware of Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)? It can help you site gain brownie points for SEO. Always check if there any errors on AMP before rolling out the site. An AMP web validator can help you study for any errors on the site too.
Check the server too!
There could be some bottlenecks due to faulty server configurations that can increase the site speed too. A GZip configuration can compress files so that it can allow the site to load faster. You can test the reason for slow loading using webpagetest.org. Developers must check if the first byte is taking a long time to load. It could hinder the site, and musty be looked into when the site is being developed. If there is an issue, it must be fixed before the site goes live. It is also necessary to undergo periodic checks to check the loading speed of the website in general. GTMetrix is an excellent option for you.
Conclusion
Your website is your mouthpiece to increase brand awareness. Your website development agency in dubai must ensure no errors on the site that may affect the site rankings. They must keep a few essential factors in mind when developing the site. An in-depth analysis of the site can help you keep it free from errors.
