DEV Community: Vikash Verma

Why does technical SEO matter for rankings?

Vikash Verma — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 18:30:04 +0000

When people talk about SEO, they usually focus on keywords, content, and backlinks. These things are important, but there is another side of SEO that often gets ignored: Technical SEO.

Think of your website like a house. Great content and beautiful design are like the furniture and decoration, but technical SEO is the foundation. If the foundation is weak, even the most attractive house will struggle.

Technical SEO helps search engines understand, crawl, and index your website properly. Without it, your content may not get the visibility it deserves, no matter how valuable it is.

What Is Technical SEO?

Technical SEO refers to the process of optimizing the technical parts of a website so that search engines can easily access and understand it.

It focuses on areas like:

Website speed
Mobile-friendliness
Website structure
Crawling and indexing
Security
URL structure
XML sitemap
Schema markup
Core Web Vitals

The goal is simple: make your website easier for both search engines and users.

How Does Technical SEO Affect Rankings?

1. Helps Search Engines Crawl Your Website

Search engines like Google use bots (also called crawlers) to discover and understand web pages.

If your website has technical issues like:

Broken links
Incorrect robots.txt settings
Poor website structure
Missing sitemap
search engines may have difficulty finding important pages.

For example, you may have written a detailed blog that can answer your audience's questions, but if Google cannot properly crawl or index that page, it will not appear in search results.

Technical SEO removes these barriers and helps search engines discover your content faster.

2. Improves Website Speed and User Experience

Website speed is one of the most important factors for both users and search engines.

Nobody likes waiting for a slow website. If a page takes too long to load, visitors often leave and search for another option.

A slow website can lead to:

Higher bounce rates
Lower engagement
Poor user experience

Google wants to show websites that provide a good experience. That is why factors like loading speed, page stability, and responsiveness are important.

A technically optimized website loads faster, keeps visitors engaged, and sends positive signals to search engines.

3. Makes Your Website Mobile-Friendly

Today, most people browse the internet using smartphones.

If your website is difficult to use on mobile devices, users will leave quickly.

Technical SEO ensures that your website:

Adjusts properly on different screen sizes
Has easy navigation
Loads quickly on mobile
Provides a smooth experience
Since Google follows mobile-first indexing, having a mobile-friendly website is no longer optional.

4. Helps Google Understand Your Content Better

Search engines are becoming smarter, but they still need clear signals to understand your website.

Technical SEO elements like schema markup help search engines understand:

Your business information
Products
Reviews
FAQs
Articles
Events

For example, adding proper schema markup can help Google understand that a page contains a product review or a frequently asked question section.

This can improve your chances of appearing in rich search results.

5. Prevents Duplicate Content Problems

Sometimes websites accidentally create multiple versions of the same page.

For example:

HTTP and HTTPS versions
Different URL parameters
Duplicate category pages
This can confuse search engines about which page should rank.

Technical SEO helps solve these problems through methods like:

Canonical tags
Proper redirects
URL management

This allows search engines to focus on the correct pages.

6. Supports Better SEO Performance Long-Term

SEO is not a one-time activity. A website needs continuous improvement.

As websites grow, they often develop technical issues:

New broken pages
Slow loading times
Indexing problems
Poor site architecture
Regular technical SEO audits help identify and fix these problems before they affect rankings.

Technical SEO vs Content SEO: Which One Is More Important?

Many people ask whether content or technical SEO matters more.

The truth is that both work together.

Great content without technical SEO may not get discovered.

A technically perfect website without valuable content will not satisfy users.

The best SEO strategy combines:

Strong technical foundation
Helpful and original content
Quality backlinks
Good user experience
All these elements help a website build authority and improve rankings.

Final Thoughts

Technical SEO is the backbone of a successful SEO strategy. It helps search engines crawl your website, improves user experience, increases visibility, and creates a strong foundation for long-term growth.

You can create the best content in your industry, but if your website has technical problems, you may miss valuable ranking opportunities.

A website that performs well technically gives your content the best chance to reach the right audience and achieve better search rankings.

Google’s May 2026 Core Update Is Here. Here's What Website Owners Should Actually Focus On.

Vikash Verma — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:52:07 +0000

Google officially started rolling out its May 2026 Core Update on May 21, and as expected, website owners, marketers, and SEO professionals immediately started watching their analytics like hawks.

Whenever Google launches a core update, the internet fills with theories, panic posts, and people claiming they've cracked the algorithm.

The truth?

Most of us won't know the exact details behind the update because Google doesn't reveal every change it makes. What we do know is that core updates are designed to improve the quality of search results overall.

So instead of chasing rumours, let's focus on what actually matters.

First, Don't Panic

If you've noticed traffic fluctuations over the past few days, you're not alone.

Core updates often create temporary volatility while Google tests and recalibrates rankings across millions of websites. It's completely normal to see pages move up or down during this period.

One of the biggest mistakes website owners make is reacting too quickly.

I've seen businesses rewrite entire websites, delete content, change URLs, and overhaul their SEO strategy before the update is even finished rolling out.

That's rarely a good idea.

Give the data time to settle before making major decisions.

What Seems to Matter More Than Ever

While Google hasn't published a list of ranking factors for this update, industry observations point toward a few consistent themes.

1. Helpful Content Still Wins

This shouldn't be surprising.

Google continues to reward content that genuinely helps people solve a problem, answer a question, or make a decision.

Content created solely to rank for keywords is becoming easier for search engines to identify.

The question every content creator should ask is simple:

"Would someone find this useful even if search engines didn't exist?"

If the answer is no, it may be time to rethink the content.

2. Search Intent Is More Important Than Keywords

Ranking isn't just about using the right keywords anymore.

Google is getting better at understanding what users actually want.

For example, if someone searches for "best CRM software" and lands on a sales page that immediately pushes a product without providing comparisons or information, they may leave quickly.

Google pays attention to those signals.

The best-performing pages are often the ones that match the user's intent, not just the search query.

3. Trust Matters

Users want information they can trust.

That means websites should clearly show who is behind the content, why they are qualified to talk about the topic, and how visitors can verify their credibility.

Simple things like author profiles, company information, customer reviews, case studies, and transparent contact details can make a difference.

Trust isn't just important for people. It's becoming increasingly important for search visibility too.

4. AI Is Changing Search Behaviour

Search is evolving.

Users are no longer interacting with search results the same way they did a few years ago.

With AI-powered search experiences becoming more common, visibility isn't only about ranking in the top 10 blue links anymore.

Businesses should start thinking about how their content can become a trusted source that search engines and AI systems reference when answering questions.

The goal is no longer just ranking.

The goal is becoming the source.

What You Should Do Right Now

Instead of making drastic changes, focus on these practical steps:

Monitor Google Search Console regularly.
Compare traffic patterns before and after the update.
Identify pages that gained visibility and understand why.
Review underperforming content and improve its quality.
Strengthen your expertise, authority, and trust signals.
Make sure your content genuinely satisfies user intent.
Continue publishing content that provides real value.

Most importantly, stay patient.

The Bigger Picture

Every major Google update sends the same message:

Shortcuts become less effective over time.

Useful content, strong brands, and genuine expertise become more valuable.

The websites that consistently focus on helping their audience tend to recover faster, grow more steadily, and perform better in the long run.

If there's one takeaway from the May 2026 Core Update, it's this:

Stop trying to outsmart the algorithm.

Start focusing on serving the user better than anyone else.

That's the strategy that survives every update.