Setup the basic SEO technical foundations for your blog

This guide equips you to establish a comprehensive technical SEO foundation for your website, encompassing crucial elements like URL structure, meta tags, robots.txt, sitemaps, content optimization, essential tools, data collection, and more.

What you’ll need:

While the guide utilizes WordPress for demonstration purposes, similar steps can be applied to most Content Management Systems (CMS).

Why it matters:

A well-structured website with the right tools in place significantly improves your search engine ranking potential. Conversely, technical shortcomings can hinder your website’s visibility.

Maintenance schedule:

This process is typically a one-time setup per website or domain. However, revisiting specific sections every 6 months is recommended to ensure optimal performance.

Who should do this?

The individual responsible for SEO should handle this task.

The Steps:

Step 1- Optimize WordPress for SEO:

Install and configure the Yoast SEO plugin. This will guide you in establishing ideal permalink and homepage structures for your website.

Step 2- Connect with Google Search Console:

Verify your website ownership within Google Search Console. This powerful tool provides valuable insights into your website’s search engine performance.

Step 3- Craft a Robots.txt File:

Create and implement a well-structured robots.txt file on your website. Once added, validate it within Google Search Console.

Step 4- Generate and Submit an XML Sitemap:

Ensure your website has a properly structured XML sitemap. After creation, submit it to Google Search Console to improve search engine crawlability.

Step 5- Automate Google Search Console Data Backup:

Set up an automated system to back up your Google Search Console data. This can involve creating a Google Sheet that automatically receives updates on a monthly basis, providing a historical record of the past two months’ data.