When I started working on websites, I used to think SEO (Search Engine Optimization) was something only marketers and “SEO experts” cared about. But over time, I realized that developers play a huge role in SEO success—often without even knowing it.
In this post, I’ll share why developers should learn at least the basics of SEO, and some simple tips to get started.
Why Developers & SEO Go Hand in Hand
Code Structure Matters – Search engines crawl your site just like a browser does. Clean HTML, proper heading tags (<h1>, <h2>), and semantic markup all affect how your site ranks.
Performance = Rankings– Page speed is a ranking factor. Developers who optimize CSS, scripts, and images directly boost SEO performance.
Crawling & Indexing – If your site has broken links, duplicate pages, or poor internal linking, search engines may struggle to understand your site. Developers are often the first to fix these.
Accessibility Overlaps with SEO – ARIA labels, alt tags, and mobile-friendly design not only improve usability but also help search engines understand your content.
5 Simple SEO Tips for Developers
Use Semantic HTML
Don’t just style everything with<div>. Use<header>,<article>,<nav>,<footer>so search engines know the structure.Optimize Title & Meta Tags
Every page should have a unique<title>and<meta description>. This helps both users and Google.Fix Broken Links
Use tools or a simple script to check 404s and redirects. A clean site = better SEO.Improve Page Speed
Minify JS/CSS, compress images, and use lazy loading. Faster pages = happier users + better rankings.Generate & Submit a Sitemap
Help Google discover all your important pages by generating an XML sitemap and submitting it to Google Search Console.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to become an SEO guru. But learning the basics of SEO as a developer makes you more valuable to your team, your clients, and even to your own projects.
If you’re already coding websites, you’re halfway there—just add some SEO knowledge, and you’ll create sites that not only work well but also rank well.
What do you think? Should developers spend more time learning SEO, or leave it to marketers? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear your take.
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