Technical SEO and Core Web Vitals optimisation
Crawl and indexing diagnosis, performance improvements implemented in your codebase, and structured data, delivered by engineers.
- Technical audits
- Core Web Vitals
- Schema markup
- Content architecture
The challenge
Common challenges.
Well-written content can fail to rank for technical reasons: content rendered only in the browser, directives that block indexing, duplicate URLs that split ranking signals, or slow performance on mobile devices.
These issues usually originate in early engineering decisions. When content and development are handled by separate teams, technical recommendations are often delivered as reports and deprioritised against feature work.
Core Web Vitals are determined by code. Largest Contentful Paint depends on the initial server response and how images and fonts load. Interaction to Next Paint depends on how much JavaScript runs on the main thread. Cumulative Layout Shift depends on whether elements reserve their space. Each requires engineering changes.
What we deliver
Deliverables.
Everything listed below is handed over to you at the end of the engagement.
Crawl and indexing audit
Analysis of how search engines crawl and index your site, with findings mapped to specific templates and files.
Core Web Vitals improvements
LCP, INP and CLS improvements through rendering strategy, image and font loading, reduced main-thread work and stable layouts, measured with real-user data.
Structured data
Organisation, Article, Product, FAQ and Breadcrumb schema generated from your content, so it stays accurate.
Information architecture
URL structure, internal linking and canonicalisation that strengthen key pages and prevent duplicate content.
Reliable measurement
Search Console and analytics configured to attribute changes to specific releases, with performance budgets enforced in the build pipeline.
Process
Project timeline.
Typical timelines. Exact durations are confirmed during the Discover stage.
- 01
Diagnosis
2–3 weeks
Crawl, log-file, indexing, performance and competitor analysis, resulting in a list of actions prioritised by impact and effort.
- 02
Technical implementation
3–8 weeks
We implement the fixes directly or work alongside your developers and review their pull requests.
- 03
Architecture and schema
2–4 weeks
URL structure, internal linking, canonicalisation and structured data generated from your content.
- 04
Measure and improve
Ongoing
Monthly reporting against the initial baseline, with performance budgets enforced in CI.
Technology
Technology stack.
Diagnosis
- Screaming Frog
- Search Console API
- BigQuery
- CrUX
Priorities are set using real-user performance data.
Implementation
- Next.js
- Server Components
- Structured data generators
Server rendering is the foundation of most technical SEO improvements.
Monitoring
- Lighthouse CI
- Vercel Speed Insights
- Custom rank tracking
Performance budgets in the build pipeline catch regressions before release.
Understanding Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals are three metrics that make up the page experience component of search ranking. Each measures a different aspect of the user experience and has a different cause and solution.
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures how quickly the main content appears. It depends mainly on the initial server response and how the largest image or heading loads. Client-side rendering is a common cause of slow LCP, and server rendering is the most effective improvement.
Interaction to Next Paint (INP) measures how quickly the page responds to user input. It is affected by the amount of JavaScript running on the main thread, and is improved by reducing the code sent to the browser.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures unexpected movement while the page loads. It is caused by elements that do not reserve space, such as images without dimensions, late-loading fonts and injected banners.
All three are assessed using data from real visitors. Lab tools such as Lighthouse are useful for diagnosis, but field data is the measure that counts.
Engagement models
Flexible ways to work with us.
Pricing depends on scope and is provided after an initial consultation.
Fixed-scope project
A defined audit and implementation programme for an existing site.
Considerations
The fixed scope covers the agreed work. Ranking changes take time to confirm and cannot be guaranteed.
Dedicated team
Large sites where search performance is an ongoing engineering priority.
Considerations
Best suited to sites of significant scale. Most sites need focused implementation followed by monitoring.
Retainer
Ongoing technical SEO alongside a content programme.
Considerations
The largest gains usually come in the first three months. A retainer maintains and builds on them.
Questions
Frequently asked questions.
- How long before we see results?
- Technical fixes appear in crawl and indexing data within days and in performance metrics immediately. Ranking changes typically take six to twelve weeks for competitive terms, and longer for newer sites. We report progress against a baseline captured at the start.
- Do you write content as well?
- We define the content architecture, including which pages should exist, their purpose and how they link together, and we can brief and review writers. We do not offer high-volume content production.
- Our site is a React single-page app. Is that a problem?
- It is often the main constraint. Search engines render JavaScript, but with delays and inconsistently, and client-side rendering affects both crawling and Core Web Vitals. Server-side rendering can usually be introduced incrementally for the pages that matter, without a full rebuild. We scope both options with costs.
- Can you work with our existing development team?
- Yes. We diagnose the issues, specify changes at file and template level, and work alongside your engineers, reviewing their pull requests. Your team retains ownership of the codebase.
- What is the most common technical SEO issue?
- Content that only appears after JavaScript runs. It affects crawling and Core Web Vitals while appearing normal in the browser. Another common issue is uncontrolled URL variation, where filters, parameters and tracking tags create multiple addresses for the same page.
- Do you guarantee first-page rankings?
- No. Rankings depend on competitors, domain authority and search engine updates. We commit to the technical work, measured against a baseline and reported monthly.
Let’s discuss your project.
Book a free 30-minute scoping call to discuss feasibility, budget and timeline.