Server optimisation for SEO: 10-point guide

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Server optimisation

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Le referencing also known as SEO (Search Engine Optimization), is an essential tool for improving the visibility of your website on search engines such as Googleand attract more traffic and potential customers.

While optimising content and meta tags remains essential, the importance of good server optimisation for SEO purposes should not be overlooked.

In 10 key points, find out what server optimisation for SEO is and how it can help you improve your ranking in search results.

1. Server response time

The response time of your server has a direct impact on the loading speed of your pages and, consequently, on theuser experience of your site. Search engines such as Google attach great importance to this aspect and penalise sites that are too slow.

To reduce your server's response time, you can cache data, use a dedicated server or opt for a accommodation specially optimised for performance.

2. File compression

Compressing files reduces their size and therefore speeds up loading, which is good for SEO. You can compress your HTML, CSS and JavaScript by using tools such as Gzip, or opt for minification, which makes files lighter by removing comments and unnecessary spaces.

3. Image optimisation

Ensuring that your images are compressed without loss of quality is essential for improving page loading speed and user experience. You can use free tools such as TinyPNG to reduce the size of images before integrating them into your site, or use the WebPparticularly suitable for the web.

4. Caching

Caching consists of temporarily storing a copy of pages and resources on the user's browser.to reduce the number of requests sent to the server and speed up page loading on subsequent visits. You can configure the caching of your pages and resources using technologies such as browser cache, server-side cache or Content Delivery Network (CDN).

5. Configuring language tags

To ensure good multilingual referencing, don't forget to configure the hreflang tags in the HTML code of your pages. These tags enable search engines to understand in which language(s) your content is available and to display the appropriate version depending on the user's location.

6. HTTPS protocol

Switching to protocol HTTPSSSL, which ensures a secure connection between the server and the user's browser, has become a strong recommendation from search engines to improve data security and confidentiality. If you have not yet made this migration, consider installing an SSL certificate on your server and redirecting your HTTP URLs to their HTTPS equivalents.

7. Optimising redirects

Redirects, which indicate to search engines and visitors that the URL of a resource has changed, should be used sparingly and optimised to avoid loops or excessively long strings, which are sources of slowdown and confusion for Google's algorithm. Give preference to 301 redirects (permanent redirection) when necessary and check that they are working properly on a regular basis.

8. Activation of IPv6 protocol

The growing adoption of the IPv6 protocol, particularly by search engines and Internet service providers, suggests that it could become a referencing criterion in the future. Migrating your site to IPv6 can therefore be beneficial in anticipating this trend and improving the quality of your connections with users and search bots.

9. Fast DNS server

A server DNS is essential to ensure fast response times between your domain and the web server hosting your pages. Make sure you choose a high-performance DNS service provider capable of resolving queries quickly and with a minimum number of points of failure.

10. Use of CDN

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) improve the loading speed of your pages by distributing your content across different geographically distributed servers, bringing resources closer to the end user. The use of a CDN is particularly recommended for sites with an international audience, to ensure an optimal experience for all visitors regardless of their geographical location.

By implementing these 10 server optimisation tips for SEO, you can significantly improve your website's performance with the search engines and offer your visitors a quality user experience. Don't forget, however, that SEO is a long-term process, which also requires you to pay particular attention to the content and organisation of your site. Combining these server optimisation techniques with best practice in on-page and off-page SEO will enable you to maximise your website's visibility and achieve your business objectives.