A visually attractive website is not enough to rank well on Google. Search engines must also be able to crawl, understand, index, and evaluate your website correctly.
This is where technical SEO becomes important. Technical SEO focuses on improving the technical structure and performance of a website so search engines can access its pages easily and users get a faster, safer, and more convenient browsing experience.
In this guide, we'll walk through the most important technical SEO steps you should follow to improve your website visibility, search engine rankings, and overall performance.
What Is Technical SEO?
Technical SEO is the process of optimizing the technical elements of a website so search engines can crawl, understand, and index its pages properly.
It includes areas such as:
- Website speed
- Mobile responsiveness
- URL structure
- Page indexing
- XML sitemaps
- Robots.txt
- Meta tags
- Heading structure
- Schema markup
- Internal linking
- HTTPS security
- Broken links and redirects
Technical SEO does not replace good content. Instead, it creates a strong foundation that helps your content perform better in search results.
Essential Technical SEO Steps to Improve Website Visibility
1. Use SEO-Friendly URLs
Your website URLs should be simple, descriptive, and easy to understand. For better SEO and readability, use hyphens (-) instead of underscores (_).
Recommended: example.com/odoo-shipping-integration Avoid: example.com/odoo_shipping_integration
Hyphens clearly separate words and make URLs easier for both users and search engines to read.
Additional URL recommendations:
- Keep URLs short and meaningful.
- Include the main keyword naturally.
- Avoid unnecessary numbers and special characters.
- Use lowercase letters.
- Avoid repeating the same keyword.
- Don't include dates unless the content is date-specific.
- Avoid long category and folder structures.
Important: Don't change an existing indexed URL just to swap underscores for hyphens unless necessary — changing a live URL can affect rankings, backlinks, and traffic. When a URL must change, set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one.
More here: Google's URL structure recommendations
2. Improve Website Page Speed
Website speed matters for both user experience and search engine visibility. A slow website can cause visitors to leave before the page finishes loading, and it can make it harder for search engines to crawl a large number of pages efficiently.
Test your site with Google PageSpeed Insights — it analyzes both mobile and desktop performance and gives recommendations.
Common page speed improvements:
- Compress large images
- Use WebP or AVIF image formats
- Enable browser caching
- Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
- Remove unused CSS and JavaScript
- Reduce third-party scripts
- Lazy-load images and videos
- Improve server response time
- Use a CDN
- Avoid unnecessary plugins
- Optimize fonts
- Preload important resources
Also review your Core Web Vitals, which evaluate loading performance, visual stability, and page responsiveness. Don't chase a perfect score — prioritize changes that make the experience faster and more stable for real users.
3. Add a Unique Meta Title to Every Page
The meta title tells search engines and users what a page is about, and it's usually the clickable title in search results.
Example: Odoo Shipping Integration Services | Vraja Technologies
Best practices:
- Include the main keyword naturally
- Keep it clear and relevant
- Avoid keyword stuffing
- Make every page title unique
- Add the company name when appropriate
- Match the title to the actual content
- Place the important keyword near the beginning
Avoid reusing the same title (like "Home" or "Services") across multiple pages.
4. Add a Unique Meta Description to Every Page
A meta description is a short summary that can appear below the title in search results. Google may sometimes write its own, but a well-written description still gives search engines a useful summary.
Example: "Integrate FedEx, UPS, DHL, USPS, and other shipping carriers directly with Odoo. Automate rates, labels, tracking, and shipment management."
Best practices:
- Clearly explain what the page offers
- Include the main keyword naturally
- Use action-oriented language
- Make every description unique
- Don't copy descriptions across pages
- Give users a reason to click
- Keep it relevant to the page
Review titles and descriptions regularly, especially for important service, product, category, and landing pages.
5. Correct the Heading Structure
Headings help visitors scan content and help search engines understand how sections relate to each other. Each page should generally have one H1, followed by properly nested H2s and H3s:
H1: Main page title
H2: Main section
H3: Subsection
H2: Another main section
H3: Related subsection
Avoid:
- Multiple H1s without a clear reason
- Jumping from H1 straight to H4
- Using headings only to increase font size
- Repeating the same heading
- Headings that don't describe the content below them
You can inspect a page's heading structure with the Web Developer Chrome extension — open it, go to Information → View Document Outline, and check the order of your headings.
6. Add Schema Markup to Important Pages
Schema markup is structured data that helps search engines understand a page's content more accurately. It doesn't guarantee rich results, but it gives clearer signals.
Recommended schema by page type:
- Homepage → Organization or LocalBusiness
- Service page → Service
- Product page → Product
- Blog article → Article or BlogPosting
- FAQ section → FAQPage (where content meets guidelines)
- Navigation path → BreadcrumbList
- Software/app page → SoftwareApplication
How to generate it: use a tool like TechnicalSEO.com's Schema Markup Generator — pick the schema type, fill in the details, generate the JSON-LD, add it to the page, and test before publishing. Reference Schema.org for available types and properties.
How to validate it: Google's Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator. After implementation, monitor the Structured Data reports in Google Search Console.
Best practices:
- Only mark up information that's actually visible on the page
- Use the correct schema type
- Never add fake ratings or reviews
- Keep NAP (name, address, phone) details consistent
- Avoid irrelevant properties
- Update schema when page content changes
- Test the final live URL after publishing
7. Create and Submit an XML Sitemap
An XML sitemap lists your important URLs for search engines. It's especially useful for large sites, new sites, sites with many products/services, sites with limited internal linking, and sites that publish frequently.
Typically found at example.com/sitemap.xml. It should include only important, canonical, indexable URLs — leave out redirected URLs, error pages, duplicates, noindex pages, test pages, and admin pages.
Submit it via Google Search Console under the Sitemaps section.
8. Check the Robots.txt File
Robots.txt gives crawling instructions to search bots, usually at example.com/robots.txt. Review it to make sure important pages aren't accidentally blocked.
User-agent: *
Disallow: /admin/
Sitemap: https://example.com/sitemap.xml
Don't rely on robots.txt to remove sensitive pages from Google — a blocked page can still appear in results if other pages link to it. Use proper authentication for private content, and a noindex directive for pages that shouldn't appear in search.
9. Make Sure Important Pages Are Indexable
A page can't get organic traffic if it isn't indexed. Check for:
- Accidental noindex tags
- Canonical tags pointing elsewhere
- Robots.txt restrictions
- Login requirements
- Redirect problems
- Server errors
- Duplicate content
- Soft 404s
Use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console to check indexing status, selected canonical, crawl info, mobile usability, structured data status, and any reasons a URL isn't indexed.
10. Add Canonical Tags
Canonical tags tell search engines which version of a page is the preferred one when duplicates or near-duplicates exist.
html
Useful for URLs with tracking parameters, filtered category pages, HTTP/HTTPS variants, trailing-slash variants, printer-friendly pages, product variations, and duplicate category paths. Every indexable page should generally have a self-referencing canonical tag unless another page is intentionally the preferred version.
11. Improve Mobile Responsiveness
Your site should work properly across phones, tablets, and desktops. Check that:
- Text is readable without zooming
- Buttons are easy to tap
- Content fits the screen
- Forms work properly
- Menus are easy to use
- Images resize correctly
- Pop-ups don't block important content
- Page speed stays acceptable on mobile connections
Always review the mobile version of important pages, not just desktop.
12. Use HTTPS and Fix Security Issues
HTTPS protects data between the user's browser and your website — your whole site should use it. Check for:
- Expired SSL certificates
- HTTP pages still accessible
- HTTP resources loaded on HTTPS pages
- Mixed-content warnings
- Incorrect redirects
- Multiple versions of the same site running in parallel
All variations should redirect to one preferred version (e.g., https://www.example.com/). Don't let HTTP, HTTPS, www, and non-www versions operate as separate sites.
13. Find and Fix Broken Links
Broken links hurt user experience and can block search engines from reaching important pages. Common causes: deleted pages, incorrect URLs, old blog links, removed products, changed slugs, broken external references, and missing images/documents.
When an important page moves, add a 301 redirect to the most relevant replacement — don't redirect every deleted page to the homepage. Where no relevant replacement exists, a proper 404 or 410 may be more appropriate.
Useful tools: Screaming Frog SEO Spider, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, Google Search Console.
14. Improve Internal Linking
Internal links connect pages within your site, helping users discover related content and helping search engines understand which pages matter.
Best practices:
- Link related blogs to relevant service pages
- Link service pages to relevant case studies
- Use descriptive anchor text (not "click here")
- Keep important pages reachable within a few clicks
- Fix orphan pages with no internal links
- Add breadcrumbs on larger sites
- Don't overdo it with unnecessary links
Instead of "Click here to learn more," use something like "Learn more about our Odoo shipping integration services" — anchor text should clearly describe the destination.
*15. Optimize Images
*
Large, unoptimized images slow sites down. Before uploading:
- Resize to the required display dimensions
- Compress the file
- Use WebP or AVIF when supported
- Add descriptive file names
- Add relevant alt text
- Avoid unnecessarily large files
- Lazy-load below-the-fold images
Good file name: odoo-shipping-integration-dashboard.webp Avoid: IMG_45897.webp Good alt text: "Odoo shipping integration dashboard displaying carrier rates"
Alt text should describe the image naturally — don't stuff keywords into every image. Purely decorative images can use empty alt text.
16. Remove Duplicate and Thin Content
Search engines can struggle to pick the most relevant page when several pages say almost the same thing. Common causes: multiple service pages targeting the same keyword, product filter URLs, printer versions, HTTP/HTTPS duplicates, copied manufacturer descriptions, near-identical location pages, duplicate blog posts, and URL tracking parameters.
Every important page should offer genuinely useful, original information. Thin pages should be improved, merged, redirected, deindexed, or removed depending on their purpose.
17. Add Breadcrumb Navigation
Breadcrumbs show users where they are in your site structure, e.g.:
Home > Services > Odoo Integration > Shipping Integration
They improve navigation and help search engines understand how sections relate. Pair visible breadcrumbs with BreadcrumbList schema.
18. Review Redirects and Redirect Chains
Use a 301 redirect for pages that have permanently moved. Avoid chains like Page A → Page B → Page C → Page D — redirect A straight to the final destination instead.
Also review redirect loops, HTTP-to-HTTPS redirects, www/non-www redirects, old campaign URLs, changed product URLs, and deleted category pages. Too many unnecessary redirects can slow pages down and make maintenance harder.
19. Check Website Status Codes
Key status codes to know:
200 — page working normally
301 — permanently moved
302 — temporarily moved
404 — not found
410 — permanently removed
500 — server error
503 — service temporarily unavailable
Important pages should return 200. Monitor 404, 500, and redirect errors regularly via Search Console or a crawler.
20. Optimize JavaScript-Based Content
Search engines can process JavaScript, but excessive or poorly implemented JS can create crawling, rendering, or performance issues. Make sure this is available to search engines:
- Main page content
- Product descriptions
- Internal links
- Headings
- Pricing information
- Navigation
- Canonical tags
- Meta titles and descriptions
Where possible, use server-side rendering, static rendering, or a properly optimized framework for important SEO pages.
21. Add Hreflang Tags for Multilingual Websites
If you target multiple countries or languages, hreflang tags help search engines show the right regional/language version to the right user (e.g., English for the US vs. UK, French for France, Dutch for Belgium). Each language page should reference the other available versions plus a self-reference — incorrect implementation can cause the wrong page to show up in regional results.
22. Connect Google Search Console
Search Console is one of the most important technical SEO tools. It helps you monitor search performance, indexed pages, crawl errors, sitemap status, page experience, Core Web Vitals, structured data, security issues, manual actions, mobile usability, and query/CTR data. Check it regularly — not just when traffic drops.
23. Set Up Website Analytics
Google Analytics shows how visitors actually use your site: traffic, landing pages, engagement, sources, conversions, devices, countries, and user journeys. Pair Search Console's technical data with analytics' behavioral data — rankings only matter if they turn into real enquiries, purchases, or registrations.
24. Regularly Audit Your Website
Technical SEO isn't a one-time task. Redesigns, migrations, plugin updates, and content changes all introduce new issues. A regular audit should cover indexing status, page speed, broken links, redirects, meta titles/descriptions, heading structure, schema errors, canonical tags, sitemap, robots.txt, mobile usability, duplicate content, internal links, and HTTPS/security. Small sites might need a check every few months; large or frequently updated sites need closer monitoring.
Recommended Technical SEO Tools
- Google PageSpeed Insights — speed, Core Web Vitals, performance recommendations
- Google Search Console — indexing, crawling, search performance, sitemaps, structured data
- Google Rich Results Test — structured data and rich-result eligibility
- Schema Markup Validator — validate Schema.org markup
- Schema Markup Generator — generate JSON-LD schema
- Web Developer Chrome Extension — review headings, images, links, forms
- Screaming Frog SEO Spider — crawl for broken links, missing metadata, duplicates, redirect chains
*Technical SEO Checklist
*
Before wrapping up your audit, confirm:
- Important URLs are short and readable
- Hyphens used instead of underscores in new URLs
- Every important page has a unique meta title
- Every important page has a unique meta description
- Each page has a logical heading structure
- Speed tested on mobile and desktop
- Images are compressed and properly named
- Important pages are mobile-friendly
- The site uses HTTPS
- An XML sitemap exists and is submitted
- robots.txt is configured correctly
- Important pages are indexable
- Canonical tags are implemented correctly
- Broken links and redirect chains are fixed
- Internal links connect related content
- Schema markup is added and validated
- Multilingual pages use hreflang where required
- Google Search Console is connected
- Analytics and conversions are tracked
- Technical SEO audits happen regularly
Final Thoughts
Technical SEO creates the foundation for better search engine visibility. Good content, backlinks, and keyword optimization matter, but they may not produce the results you expect if search engines can't properly crawl, render, understand, or index your website.
Start by reviewing your site's speed, URL structure, metadata, headings, schema markup, indexability, mobile performance, internal linking, and security. These improvements should also support real users — a site that's fast, easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, secure, and well organized is more likely to attract visitors, drive engagement, and convert traffic into real business enquiries.
By following this checklist and monitoring your site regularly, you can build a stronger foundation for long-term organic visibility and search performance.
Originally published on the Vraja Technologies blog. Vraja Technologies is a certified Odoo ERP implementation and integration partner.
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