Schema markup is a type of code you add to your website to help search engines understand your content better. It tells search engines what your data means, not just what it says.

Think of your website as a city and search engines (Google) as tourists. Without schema markup, the city has streets and attractions, but no signs or maps, so tourists have to wander around to find what they're looking for. With schema markup, it’s like having a detailed map with clear labels for all the attractions, helping tourists (Google) find their destinations quickly.

By helping Google find this information about your business, not only does it help them understand your business better but it also gives you the chance to appear in rich results. Here is an example of rich results from Schema Markup.

Here is the link to look at all the structured data features on Google (link) (Only a few featured in image below)

Schema markup helps your website rank better for all kinds of content types. It is used to signal to search engines the content of your website and enhance the display of search results, increasing the chances of your website being chosen from the crowd.

Select the most appropriate schema types for your content.

Common types include:

Organization, LocalBusiness, Person, Product, Review, Recipe, Event, Article, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList, VideoObject, Breadcrumb, WebSite.

List of all variations and tutorials on how to set them up (link)

Using a relevant schema ensures the right information is highlighted in search results.

Implement schema markup using JSON-LD, the recommended format by Google. It’s easier to add and maintain, as it does not mix with the user-facing HTML. Schema Markup Generator Tool (link)

Google Search Central details and recommendations (link)

Use tools like Google's Structured Data Testing Tool (link) or the Rich Results Test (link) to validate your schema markup. Ensure there are no errors and that Google can correctly parse the data.

Fill out every schema with all the information you can about your business. The more information you give usually the better for Google.

Consider that people might see your schemas when searching on Google, so make sure they are written and presented in a way that is readable and productive for the user.

The robots.txt file is like a set of rules for search engines. It tells them which parts of your website they are allowed to visit and which parts they should avoid. You put this file in your website's main folder so search engines can find it easily and follow your instructions.

The robots.txt file is important because it helps you control how search engines explore your website. By telling them to avoid certain parts, you make sure only the important and useful parts are looked at and shown in search results. This keeps private areas safe and can help improve your site's search rankings by focusing on the best content.

Google ranks your website in part as an average. And so, if you have bad performing or non necessary pages on your website.

Here are the different ways you can educate Google on how and how not to crawl and visit your site.

Use Disallow: to block search engines from looking at certain parts of your website. Use Allow: to make exceptions and let them see specific parts you want them to access. This way, you control which areas search engines can and cannot visit.

Use the Crawl-delay: command to control how fast search engines visit your pages. This helps prevent your website from getting overwhelmed by too many visits at once. It also ensures that search engines focus on your most important pages first.

Add the location of your sitemap file in the robots.txt file. This helps search engines find and visit all the important pages on your site, making sure they are properly indexed.

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital certificate that secures the connection between your website and your visitors' browsers. It’s crucial for protecting sensitive data in transit. Most website hosting platforms though, will include the certification to your site automatically.

SSL certificates are crucial for keeping your website safe and trustworthy. They protect any data sent between your site and its visitors, like personal details and credit card information, so hackers can't steal it. Having an SSL certificate also helps your site rank higher on search engines and makes visitors more confident in using your site.

An XML Sitemap is a file that lists all the important pages on your website. It helps search engines like Google find and explore your site easily. Think of it like a roadmap that shows search engines where to go to see all your important pages.

XML Sitemaps are important because they help search engines quickly find and list all the pages on your website. This is especially useful for large or complex websites where some pages might be hard to find through regular links. Here's a link to Google's sitemap guide (link).

Hreflang tags tell search engines which language and country your webpage is for. They help Google show the right version of your content to people based on their language and location.

They allow users to get the proper versions of your site, without them having to search for it. Allowing them to get a smoother experience of your site.

Determine the languages and regions your website targets and integrate the tags for each.

You have three options for adding hreflang attributes, choose the one that suits you best:

Here is an in depth guide on how to set them up (link)

Ensure each page references itself and all other language or regional versions.

Update hreflang tags whenever you add or modify content to keep search engines informed of the correct language and regional versions.

Each page should have a self-referencing hreflang tag to indicate its own language and region.

Always use full URLs (e.g., https://yourwebsite.com/en) instead of relative URLs to avoid confusion for search engines.

Use the x-default attribute to provide a fallback URL for users whose language or region is not explicitly covered by your hreflang tags. This should be connected to your main page in your main language.

Use tools like Google Search Console (link) or Semrush to identify and fix common hreflang errors, such as incorrect language codes or missing reciprocal tags.

Breadcrumb navigation is a secondary navigation system that shows the user’s location on a website and the path they’ve taken to get there.

Breadcrumb navigation improves user experience by making it easier for users to navigate through a website’s hierarchy. It also enhances SEO by providing search engines with additional context about the structure of your site.

Breadcrumbs should reflect the hierarchical structure of your website, like this:

Use an ordered list (<ol>) with list items (<li>) for your breadcrumbs:

In theory, you want to always redirect pages from 404 Errors to live pages with 301 redirects. But in the case you have not updated your whole site, or some mistake happens. Here is how you set up 404 Error pages.

A 404 page is a webpage displayed when a user tries to access a non-existent or broken link on your website. It informs users that the requested page cannot be found.

A well-designed 404 page improves user experience by guiding users back to useful content on your site instead of leaving them frustrated and potentially driving them away.

Clearly inform users that the page they are looking for cannot be found.

Help users find what they are looking for by including a search bar.

Provide links to popular pages such as the homepage, contact page, or other key sections of your site.

Use language that is friendly and encourages users to stay on your site.

Encourage users to take an action, like returning to the homepage or contacting support.

By following these best practices, you can create an effective 404 page that helps users navigate your site, improving their experience and retaining their interest.

A great example that ticks off almost all the boxes is on Alex Hormozi's site.

A 301 redirect is a way to permanently send visitors and search engines from one web address to another. It tells them that the page has moved to a new location for good. Usually done after a website redesign or a page is removed.

301 redirects help keep your SEO strong by passing the search engine ranking power from the old URL to the new one. This way, you don't lose the value and ranking your old page had, and it helps your new page maintain good search engine positions.

301 redirects transfer PageRank from the old URL to the new URL. Before 2016, there was a 15% loss of PageRank, but now Google states there is no loss, making 301 redirects useful for maintaining SEO value.

Here is an in depth guide on how to set up and organize 301 redirects across your site (link)