Technical SEO
Technical SEO: Surviving in the mobile-first index will require more than a simple responsive site. However, numerous general and technical SEO aspects should be considered and implemented on the site to keep it visible on mobile SERPs. This article is dedicated to presenting to our readers the technical SEO elements that contribute to the mobile SERP.
In Technical SEO, mobile-first indexing is used.
Have you ever considered what Google means by mobile-first indexing? It does not imply that Google will create a separate website indexing for mobile searches. So, whether a site uses mobile-first indexing, Google displays it in search results via the same web index.
The only difference is that Google crawls sites for mobile users rather than desktop users.
These users indicate that it must be an Android device, so they expect websites to optimize content for mobile viewing on such devices.
Giving Users a Mobile-Friendly Experience
Regarding mobile users, elements Googlebot pays attention to based on the website’s configuration to manage mobile users. As a result, the mobile-optimized experience should provide the following benefits:
- Adaptive serving
- Unique mobile URL
- Responsive website design
- Managing On-Page SEO
On-page SEO can significantly improve a mobile website’s SERP performance. Responsive design sites would not be an issue because desktop and mobile pages would be the same. However, if your site has a distinct mobile URL or dynamic serving, you should double-check your site’s on-page SEO.
Data Structured
What exactly is structured data?
“Structured data” refers to any data organized according to criteria.
It is the foundation of all SQL-managed relational databases (Structured Query Language).
But let’s focus on what it means for websites and search engine results pages.
In the words of the all-powerful Google,
Structured data is a standardized format for providing information about a page and categorizing the page content; for example, on a recipe page, what ingredients are used, cooking time and temperature, and calories.
Your website will be easier for bots to understand with this information.
You must include proper markup in your code to make their job easier (more on that later).
The markup will include:
Make crawling your website easier, you’ll be correctly classified (and appear in search results for the right queries), and you’ll look much more appealing in the SERPs.
The kingdom of structured data is Schema.org.
Schema.org is a semi-official structured data language that is used throughout the Internet.
Their website states that
The mission of Schema.org is to create, maintain, and promote schemas for structured data on the Internet, web pages, email messages, and beyond.
All schemas are classified into types, which are further classified.
Run a restaurant website, for example. Schema.org can assist you in tagging the reservation system, menu, cuisine, ratings, and more.
The vocabulary of Schema.org works for various encodings, making developers’ (and SEOs’) jobs easier.
How does structured data alter the appearance of SERPs? Examples from real life
Okay, so we talked about structured data and how it can help your website be better classified.
Now, let’s look at how structured data affects the appearance of SERPs.
First, the terms used by SEOs to categorize the various SERP enhancements need to be more consistent. Depending on who uses them, the terms “rich results,” “rich snippets,” “SERP features,” and “featured snippets” have slightly different definitions and scopes.
So, when discussing them with your team, ensure everyone is on the same page!
What exactly is pagination?
Pagination is the process of dividing a large data set into several sub-category pages. Pagination improves website navigation by making the information relevant to their search query in a single click. Search engines use this process to produce organic results for each page on a website.
Users can also access information such as the total number of pages on a website, the page they are currently on, the history, i.e., previously opened pages, and much more through pagination. It raises user awareness by making it simple for them to navigate multiple pages based on their user journey. For example, quick control buttons on websites such as the previous page, next page, and first page can help with pagination and save users much time. It directs their journey by indicating which pages to visit next. It is a distinguishing characteristic of a refined and rewarding website user interface.
Pagination Examples
Myntra Myntra not only provides next and previous page options to their website visitors while searching for something on the page, but they also provide category pages with unique filters to ensure that users see the exact type of products they are looking for.
Journal of Search Engines (SEJ)
SEJ allows users to explore any category based on their preferences. On its blog pages, the website includes a “More Resources” section with related content for users and a “Suggested Articles” section. It gives users access to a wealth of content from a single page, which they can explore at leisure.
Slideshare is a platform that aggregates content from a wide range of categories. The best way to provide users with a consistent experience is to separate their content with pagination. The site offers users alphabetical or numerical pagination.
Internet search engines
Google implements pagination in a very simple and user-friendly manner. If users do not find relevant results on the first page, Google’s search result pages provide them with alternate search terms at the bottom of the page. It improves the user experience significantly. It makes it easier for users to find the precise results they seek.
When and Why Should You Use Pagination?
Enhanced user experience
The primary reason for using pagination on a website is to improve user experience. According to a recent survey, more than 70% of users spend their time viewing the first two folds of content on a website. You must entice users to visit your website and explore more content within that time frame. Users get that hook from pagination. You can use pagination to provide users with relevant content, allowing them to search less and spend more time on your website.
Pagination adds another layer of smooth navigation for users on any website page, even if no call to action (CTA) buttons are used. When users reach the end of a page, they are presented with a selection of items related to the page’s content or the same category. This intuitive offering gives users more reasons to stay on the website longer and explore content that interests them. Furthermore, pagination incorporates numbering, which gives users an exact idea of how many more pages they can explore. It also gives them a broad sense of how large your website’s data set on their search query is. For example, users searching for “men’s sports shoes” on Myntra can estimate how many results to expect simply by looking at the number of pages available at the end of a page. It gives them an idea of the various products available for their search.
Handling Pagination with Google
In 2019, Google announced they would no longer use rel= “next” and rel= “prev” for indexing Web pages. Websites can’t use this link element to get their pages indexed with a simple pagination process anymore. Google’s John Mueller confirmed that pagination is no longer treated differently. Each page is regarded as distinct and evaluated similarly to any other page. So, what does all of this mean? Instead of being treated as a single piece of content, pagination with multiple pages treats each page as an individual page.
This update shed light on the new SEO pagination best practices. Technical SEO services providers must now treat each page in a paginated set as a separate entity and apply the best SEO practices to each one to rank them.
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