Search engine requirements to ultimately get an optimized resource. Otherwise, it will be necessary to refine it already in the process of promotion, which will take time and money, and will slow down the growth of positions in the search. Below are 8 SEO-rules that must be adhered to at the site development stage.

1.Optimization of the structure.

Before the formation of the development of the site you must have a ready-made semantic core, divided into groups. Based on the semantics it will be easier to work out the structure of the resource.
First create a mental map of the site – list the categories and subcategories that you consider appropriate. This can be done on a sheet of paper, but it is more convenient to use specialized tools like Microsoft Visio.

Next, determine the names of categories and subcategories in accordance with high-frequency queries. Set the priority of their location in the menu. Try to ensure that the site has no more than 3-4 levels of nesting pages. Otherwise, there may be problems with indexing, and it will be inconvenient for visitors to wander through long navigation chains.

To transmit information about the structure of search engines, you must create a file sitemap.xml, which is placed in the root of the site.

2.The robots.txt file.

Robots.txt is a service file that is created in a text editor (notepad) and along with sitemap.xml is placed in the root of the site. Here are written directives for search robots pointing to files and folders that do not need to be indexed. Directives are advisory in nature. Therefore, if you want to hide specific pages for certain, then it is better to use the noindex meta tag (note: it only works for the Google robot, but Google ignores it):

You can check the correctness of robots.txt compilation in Google Webmaster or Google Search Console using built-in tools.

3.Configuring User Friendly URLs (NC).

CNC (friendly URL) is a URL consisting of a set of clear words, and not reflecting the file structure of the site.

CNC give several advantages:

• By the name of URL, the user can assume the page content, which reduces the bounce rate;

• Simplified site navigation;

• If the URL contains a keyword, it is highlighted in bold in the search results, which increases the click ability.

For SEO purposes, be sure to set up CNC before launching the site. Otherwise, if the pages are indexed, and then you decide to configure the CNC, you will have to use redirects from the old pages to avoid duplicates.

4.Avoid duplication of pages.

If the pages have the same content, but different URLs, then for users it’s the same pages, but for search engines it’s different with duplicate content. To promote the site is an undesirable phenomenon, especially if the doubles accumulate like a snowball. Therefore, at the development stage, measures should be taken to prevent their occurrence.

Usually duplicates arise because of the features of the CMS or errors in the web development process.

Common doubles:
• Home page with www and without www;
• Dynamic website content with identifiers Index.php, & view;
• URL with a slash at the end of the page title and without it;
• Response pages to comments, etc.

Different doubles require a different approach to elimination. Thus, the attribute rel = “canonical” indicates a page recommended for indexing. You can close individual pages from indexing with using the noindex meta tag. You can also configure 301 redirects for pages with the same content.
Another method is to manually remove duplicate pages or exclude them from the search using webmaster tools from Google. But it fits if there are not many pages. But with the help of robots.txt with duplicates should not be fought, because its directives are advisory in nature. More information about the fight with doubles can be found in our newsletter.

5. 404 error page.

It happens that the user gets on a non-existent page, as a result of which an error 404 “Page not found” is issued. The error occurs due to specifying the wrong URL or deleting the page by the administration of the resource.

Such a message signals to the uninitiated user that the site is down. It is unlikely that someone will try to “get through” to you – the user will simply go to a competitor. But if you create the correct 404 error page, the result will be completely different: the person will get to your site, where it will be described, for what reason the page is not available, alternative ways are suggested.
When making a page 404, use an interesting picture or video, allowing for a second to delay attention. Explain why an error occurred, put links to sections, to the main search line, in one word, keep the user.

6.Meta Tags Title, Description and Alt.

Meta tags convey information to search engines about the content of the pages. The title of the page is indicated in the Title, the brief description in the Description, the image description in the Alt. Search engines use information from meta tags in different ways. For example, Google uses information from Title and Description to form a snippet. But Google may or may not use it.
In any case, the text of meta tags is taken into account by all search engines when generating the issue, therefore it is important to include the main key requests from the page. How to properly arrange the meta tag Title, read in this article.

7.Micro marking.

Micromarking helps search engines navigate the page content. It is better to implement it at the site development stage. Although it does not have a direct effect on the ranking, it helps to improve the appearance of the snippet, which increases its clickability and behavioral factors.
Practical implementation of microdata is possible using schema.org dictionaries, Open Graph standard, microformats. Each search engine supports a specific set of microdata and on its basis forms a snippet. Recommendations for working with schema.org can be found in this publication.

8.Mobile adaptation

Adapting a site for viewing on mobile devices is important during the development phase. The design should initially be designed with the convenience of viewing on different screens. Such sites are ranked higher in mobile payouts, receive more traffic, search engines and users are more loyal to them. Implement adaptability in two ways: by creating a mobile version or responsive design. For search engines there is no difference – choose the option that will be more convenient for your audience.

So, now you know what aspects of SEO should be taken into account at the site development stage. Proper optimization will allow you to avoid unnecessary costs in the future, the imposition of filters by search engines and will provide an opportunity to use the full potential of the site to obtain favorable positions.