Technical SEO Auditing Tips for the Modern Marketer by Melody Petulla at Merkle

Technical SEO Auditing Tips for
the Modern Marketer

© 2018 Merkle. All Rights Reserved. Confidential2
@melpetulla @Merkle
Today’s Presenter
Melody Petulla
Associate Director, SEO, Merkle
@melpetulla

@melpetulla @Merkle
Four Things to Know about Merkle’s SEO Offering
Strategic Thinking
Merkle’s team is comprised of the leading SEO experts in the space.
We take pride in leading our clients and contributing meaningfully to
the SEO industry.
Client Base
Diverse client portfolio spanning some of the largest and
most challenging sites and industries. SEO agency for Google since
2013.
Search Expertise and
Scale
Heritage dating back to 1999, built one of the largest and most
respected agencies in the industry with 600+ experts across the
Globe. We have done 500+ digital engagements and projects for
some of the world’s largest marketers.
Technical Focus +
Content Strategy
Today’s SEO is about combining expert technical knowledge with
data-driven content strategy. We continue to invest in our own SEO
technology as well as strategic partnerships to fit the data and
analytical needs of complex marketers

@melpetulla @Merkle
2017 & 2018
Search Agency of the Year
2017 & 2018 Best Large SEO Agency
2018 Best Large PPC Agency
2018 Best Use of Search, Retail
Awarded Named
Performance
Agency of the
Year 2018
Merkle placed 11th
in Econsultancy’s
Top 100 Digital
Agencies Report
2018
3rd Largest US
Search Marketing
Agency
11th Largest US
Digital Agency
Network
Named a Leader in The Forrester Wave™:
Search Marketing Agencies, Q4 2017
Merkle received the top scores in the following
criteria:
Paid search offering
Media offering
Collaboration
Market research
Revenue
Execution road map
Merkle’s Search Practice has been recognized by the Industry in multiple ways

Agenda
• Site Migrations & Replatforming
• Site Latency Auditing
• JavaScript SEO

© 2017 Merkle. All Rights Reserved. Confidential
Site Migrations 201:
Advanced Tips & Pitfalls

@melpetulla @Merkle
Site Migrations Aren’t a Big Deal, Right?
Good Migration Bad Migration
-50%
30% of attempted migrations never recover

@melpetulla @Merkle
301 Redirects: The #1 Reason for Failed Migrations
site.com/1 https://site.com/2BEST:
site.com/1 https://site.com/2https://site.com/1
MEH:
FAIL:
site.com/1 https://site.com/
1
site.com/3
site.com/2 https://site.com/
2
https://site.com/2.html

@melpetulla @Merkle
Pre-Migration: 90% of the Work
Hunt for
Corner Cases
A/BTest with
Caution
Save All URLs
& XML
Sitemaps
Crawl for
Non-Secure
Resources
Implications for Bots & Paid AdsMurphey’s Law Difficult to Get Later

@melpetulla @Merkle
Pre-Launch Re-Platforming Considerations
Review All
Templates
Check
Crawlability
Conduct a Full
SEO Audit
Pre-Launch
Consider
Testing with
SEM
Modern CMS Might Use JSHeader Structure
& Content
Re-Audit Everything For Conversion Changes

@melpetulla @Merkle
Launch
Kick Off the Migration for Bots!
1. Declare the Migration in GSC/BWT
2. Test Robots.txt in GSC
3. Inspect Primary Pages & Submit to Index
4. Submit New & Old XML Sitemaps

@melpetulla @Merkle
Post-Launch
Analyze Server Logs Analyze Crawl Data (DOM)1 2
“Do bots prioritize
my site like I do?”
“Is the site behaving
like it should?”

@melpetulla @Merkle
FAQs
How far in
advance should I
plan for a
migration?
How long until
my site bounces
back?
Can I migrate
my site in
stages?
Can I migrate
only part of my
site?
1 2 3 4
1 Month Minimum
URL Structure: ~12+
Weeks
HTTPS: 2-3 Weeks
Yes Yes

@melpetulla @Merkle
Key Takeaways
 30% of attempted migrations never recover
 #1 reason for failed migrations – Bad Redirects!
 Kick start migrations for bots with GSC tools
 Murphy’s Law - Use server logs and crawl data to find unexpected errors
Questions?

Site Latency

Does page speed really impact SEO?

@melpetulla @Merkle
Page Speed in the Algorithm
Google Webmaster Blog
“Although speed has been used in ranking for some
time, that signal was focused on desktop searches. Today
we’re announcing that starting in July 2018, page speed will
be a ranking factor for mobile searches.
The “Speed Update,” as we’re calling it, will only affect pages
that deliver the slowest experience to users and will only
affect a small percentage of queries. It applies the same
standard to all pages, regardless of the technology used to
build the page. The intent of the search query is still a very
strong signal, so a slow page may still rank highly if it has
great, relevant content.”

Theory: As long as my page speed is not terrible, I’m in the clear.
Result: Load time should not impact the crawl for small sites.
However, slow pages will likely be crawled significantly less often on large sites.

Theory: As long as my page speed is not terrible, I’m in the clear.
Result: For large sites, pages that load in less than 3 seconds are crawled
significantly more often.
The vast majority of pages that take 3 seconds or longer to load are
crawled in fewer than 20% of Google’s crawls.

How do I audit page speed?

@melpetulla @Merkle
Start Your Audit Using A Few Tools
Using multiple tools can be useful for analyzing different things:
WebPageTest.org
Waterfall view
Google Tools
- Page Speed Insights
- Lighthouse
Specific, granular
recommendations
GTMetrix
Additional detail

@melpetulla @Merkle
Google Tools: Page Speed Insights (PSI) & Lighthouse

@melpetulla @Merkle
PSI: User Experience Data (i.e. “Field Data”)

@melpetulla @Merkle
PSI: Lab Data – Snapshot in time

@melpetulla @Merkle
PSI: Opportunities & Diagnostics

@melpetulla @Merkle
WebPageTest.org

@melpetulla @Merkle
WPT: Test Results

@melpetulla @Merkle
WPT: Waterfall View

@melpetulla @Merkle
WPT Waterfall View

@melpetulla @Merkle
WPT: Filmstrip View

@melpetulla @Merkle
WPT: Content Breakdown

@melpetulla @Merkle
GTMetrix

That’s a lot of data. How do I make this actionable?

@melpetulla @Merkle
Things to Keep In Mind While Auditing
• Audit by template. Prioritize templates based on importance to the business.
Objective: Identify the top 3 things that will have the largest on your most important pages
• Don’t rely completely on reports; also use your own perception of latency and manual
analysis.
• Watch the filmstrip view to understand the “perceived latency”
• Don’t try to fix everything at once. Prioritize based on effort and impact.
• Time to First Paint can be a good benchmarking metric for perceived latency to users.
• Work with your developers to determine the best options.

@melpetulla @Merkle
Interpreting Latency Issues
Reduce # of Requests Reduce Size of Requests Improve the Rendering Path

@melpetulla @Merkle
Reducing the Number of Requests
Common Issues & Solutions:
• Static, unchanging assets are requested in
each page load
 Cache static assets (i.e. leverage browser
caching)
Pro Tip – Not all static assets can be cached; also,
this will only improve repeat visits
Beginner
• Many requests from tracking tags
 Remove old tracking pixels
• Unused resources still appear in the code
 Delete unused resources
• Images make up a large portion of the load
 Lazy load images
Pro Tip – Add <noscript> tags for lazy loaded images
Advanced

@melpetulla @Merkle
Reducing the Size of the Requests
• Uncompressed images & text
 Enable compression in the CMS
• Un-minified JavaScript creating additional
lines and white space
 Minify JS
Beginner
• Images files are larger than necessary
 Serve scaled images instead of resizing
 Consider serving different images based
on screen size
 Consider different image formats
Advanced

@melpetulla @Merkle
Improving the Rendering Path
• JavaScript blocks visible elements from
rendering
 Split JS/CSS files into critical and non-
critical files
 Defer non-critical JS/CSS files, or make
asynch
Beginner
• Non-visible content loads before visible
content
 Reorder assets to request visible content
first
Advanced

Let’s put the pieces together with a real world example.

@melpetulla @Merkle
Audits in Action
Primary content
takes a little while
Interactivity metrics
need work

@melpetulla @Merkle
Audits in Action
Look into images
Look into JS and
CSS opportunities
Consider minifying
Look through
uncached resources

@melpetulla @Merkle
Audits in Action
Majority of requests and
bytes from Images & JS

@melpetulla @Merkle
Audits in Action
A few different JS files.
Can any be combined
or deferred?
Lots of images, multiple
image formats.
Can we change PNGs to
JPGs?
Can we lazy load below
the fold images?

@melpetulla @Merkle
Audits in Action
1. Analyze the data
2. Write down questions
3. Talk with your developers!

@melpetulla @Merkle
Case Studies
• Optimized JS & CSS Files
• Eliminated Old Tracking Tags
• Cached Static Resources
• Minification
• Optimized Images
• Removed Unnecessary Assets
• Minification
• Consolidated Resources
Service Line 1 – 62% Faster
Lighthouse/PSI Score Increased
by 50+ points
New Score: 90+
Optimized 61 images used
frequently across the site
17% Improvement
(1 second savings)
Quick WinsTemplate OptimizationScaled Optimization

@melpetulla @Merkle

@melpetulla @Merkle
But Google can render JS now, right?
Yes, but…
Google HTML vs. JS Crawls
HTML vs. Rendered Crawls by Page (2 week period)

@melpetulla @Merkle
What are the risks of ignoring JavaScript?
Priority Risk Impact
HIGH
Bots may not see all content
on a page
- Content is one of the top 3 ranking factors.
- Rankings may be impacted.
HIGH
Some links may not be
crawlable
- Best Case Scenario: Diminished link equity.
- Worst Case Scenario: Pages unreachable.
- Rankings may be impacted.
MED
Googlebot does not render JS
in every crawl
- JS-rendered content may take longer to update
in the index
Ignoring JavaScript is High Risk!

@melpetulla @Merkle
Okay, I’m convinced. So how do I audit JS crawlability on my site?
What Can I See? What Can Bots See?
Breadcrumb H1
Hero Image
MAIN CONTENT OF THE PAGE
SUPPLEMENTARY CONTENT
Image Image Image
Top Nav Linking
LeftNavLinks
Footer
H1
SUPPLEMENTARY CONTENT
Footer
Blue Sky: Render everything to all bots in all crawls (JS and HTML)

@melpetulla @Merkle
Methods for Reviewing
Review for Non-Crawlable Elements With and Without JS Rendered
Low Effort:
Visual Review
Med Effort:
Crawl Review
High Effort:
Manual Review

@melpetulla @Merkle
Low Effort: Visual Review
Visually Review the Page via Tools vs. Live Site
• JS Disabler (e.g. Web Developer)
• Mobile Friendly Testing Tool
• Screaming Frog Screenshots
(only in JS crawls)
Review with/without JS for:
• Missing Copy
• Missing Links
• Missing Images
• Missing Supplementary Content
(reviews, widgets, etc.)
• Missing Headers
Tips
Pitfalls
Tools
• Not comprehensive
• Can be inaccurate; not source of truth
• Fast!
• Use for quick initial checks but not
source of truth
• Use to inform subsequent reviews

@melpetulla @Merkle
Medium Effort: Crawl Review
Compare Crawls with JS Rendered vs. Text Only
• Review for multiple user agents
• Dig into sources of differences
• Group issues by page type
• Crawling Tool
• TechnicalSEO.com Pre-Render Tool
Identify Differences In:
• Number of URLs Crawled
• Images Crawled
• Alt Text
• Meta Elements
• Headers
• Inlinks/Outlinks
Tips
Pitfalls
Tools
• Can’t review everything in crawl data
• Still a bit error-prone

@melpetulla @Merkle
High Effort: Manual Review of the Code
Manual Review the Code Bots Get vs. Live Site
• Mobile Friendly Testing Tool (HTML)
• Screaming Frog HTML (only in JS crawls)
• DOM (in browser)
• TechnicalSEO.com Pre-Render Tester
Review Google’s Code for:
• All Primary Content
• Supplementary Content
(reviews, widgets, etc.)
• <a href> Links
• Images & Alt Text
• Header Tags
• Schema
Tips
Pitfalls
Tools
• Time consuming; review by template
• Rabbit holes galore; stay focused on the
objective
• Mobile-Friendly Testing Tool uses new
Googlebot
• Manually check for as many content
elements as possible

@melpetulla @Merkle
So how do I fix it?
Pros:
• Fully crawlable for all bots
• No crawl budget spent on rendering
Cons:
• Can be difficult to implement; may require
third party partner
Best Option
Serve all bots fully rendered content via:
• Server side rendering
• Pre-Rendering
• Dynamic Rendering
Mediocre Option
Include all HTML content and links in
the rendered DOM without requiring
user interaction.
Pros:
• Fully crawlable for Google
• Can be easier to implement & review
Cons:
• Likely won’t work for Bing/Yahoo
• More crawl budget spent on rendering
• Rendered content not crawled every time

@melpetulla @Merkle
Case Studies: Implementing Crawlable Links

Thank you.
Melody Petulla
Associate Director, SEO
mpetulla@merkleinc.com | @melpetulla

Technical SEO Auditing Tips for the Modern Marketer by Melody Petulla at Merkle

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