Introduction to SEO and Technical Skills
Google’s Martin Splitt and Gary Illyes recently addressed a common question in search marketing: how technical do SEO professionals need to be? In a Search Off the Record podcast, they offered guidance on which technical skills are helpful in SEO and discussed the long-standing friction between developers and SEO professionals. Splitt noted that understanding some characteristics of the system is necessary to optimize it, but strong coding skills aren’t a requirement for doing effective SEO work.
The Importance of Technical Understanding
Splitt, who regularly speaks at both developer and SEO events, acknowledged that the relationship between these groups can sometimes be difficult. He stated that even when discussing SEO at a developer event, it can be a strained relationship. This disconnect can cause real-world problems, such as a large agency adding a calendar plugin across multiple websites and unintentionally generating "100 million URLs," creating a major crawl budget issue.
Key Technical Skills for SEO Professionals
Rather than recommending that SEO professionals learn to code, Splitt advises understanding how web technologies function. This includes knowing what a header is, how HTTPS conceptually works, and the differences between web protocols like HTTP/2 and HTTP/1.1. Having some awareness of how JavaScript affects page rendering can also be helpful. However, SEO pros don’t need to write in programming languages like C, C++, or JavaScript.
Context Matters in SEO
Google pointed out that SEO is a broad discipline, and the amount of technical knowledge needed can vary depending on your focus. For example, international SEO specialists may not need technical expertise, but internationalization often includes technical components too. People working in more technical roles or generalist positions should aim to understand development concepts.
What This Means for SEO Professionals
Here are the key takeaways from the discussion:
- Technical understanding matters, but being able to code is not always necessary. Knowing HTTP protocols, HTML basics, and how JavaScript interacts with pages can go a long way.
- Your role defines your needs. If you’re working on content strategy or localization, deep technical knowledge might not be essential. But if you’re handling site migrations or audits, that knowledge becomes more critical.
- Context should guide your decisions. Applying advice without understanding the "why" can lead to problems. SEO isn’t one-size-fits-all.
- Cross-team collaboration is vital. Improving communication between development and marketing teams could prevent technical missteps that affect rankings.
Looking Ahead
As websites become more complex and JavaScript frameworks continue to grow, technical literacy will likely become more important. Google’s message is clear: SEOs don’t need to become developers, but having a working understanding of how websites function can make you far more effective. For companies, closing the communication gap between development and marketing remains a key area of opportunity.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while strong coding skills are not necessary for SEO professionals, having a technical understanding of how web technologies function is crucial. By knowing the key technical skills and understanding the context of their work, SEO professionals can improve their effectiveness and prevent technical missteps. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it’s essential for SEO professionals to stay up-to-date with the latest technical developments and best practices to remain competitive.