What is ROBOTS.TXT used for?
A small text file that tells search engine bots what parts of your website they are allowed or not allowed to visit
- But at the same time it doesn’t prevent pages from being indexed
Write Instructions
User-agent: *
Disallow:
That means:All search engines (*) are allowed to crawl everything
(empty Disallow).
Always located at yourwebsite.com/robots.txt, it does not prevent pages from being indexed.
How do you create a ROBOTS.TXT file?
Save the file as robots.txt (exactly that name, all lowercase)
ie: yourwebsite.com/robots.txt
Write instructions like ‘User-agent: *’ and ‘Disallow:’ to allow all search engines to crawl everything.
What mistake should you avoid when configuring ROBOTS.TXT?
- Blocking everything by accident
- Typographical errors
- Blocking CSS or JS files
Think of blocking and getting the crawlers to focus
Example: ‘User-agent: * Disallow: /’ blocks everything.
What is a CANONICAL TAG?
Tells search engines which version of a page is the main one when multiple similar or duplicate pages exist
Solution: Use self-reference canonical tags
Canonicalize your homepage
Audit your tags
Most CMS already do this
Use self-reference canonical tags and audit your tags.
What does SSL stand for?
Secure Sockets Layer
- is like asecure, sealed envelopefor mail sent between your computer and a website
Google likes it— Sites with SSL often rank slightly higher than sites without it
The web address starts with https://(theSstands for Secure) instead of http://
It provides a secure connection for data sent between a computer and a website, indicated by ‘https://’.
PAGE PERFORMANCE/WEBSITE OPTIMIZATION
What are Core Web Vitals used for?
To analyze speed, responsiveness, and visual stability of a website
Use Google page speed Insight. Write down your mobile score and Desktop score
Compress them with a free tool like:
TinyPNG, CompressJPEG, Squoosh
Use Google Page Speed Insight to check scores.
What is the ideal size for images on a website?
Under 200 KB and in modern format (WEBP if possible)
Reduce image dimensions Full-width banner: ~1280–1600px, and Blog post images: 800px
Use tools like TinyPNG or CompressJPEG to compress images.
What should you use to test mobile optimization?
(what do you have to use)
What is the General Goal
How to Actually Resize Images
- Google Mobile Friendly Test
Understand the Big Goal
- You want three things:
- Site looks good on phones
Mobile version matches desktop
- Images aren’t ridiculously large
Reduce image dimensions Full-width banner: ~1280–1600px, and Blog post images: 800px
- Use a RESPONSIVE DESIGN (MOST IMPORTANT)
- You could do that through: WordPress → Choose a responsive theme (most modern ones are)
- Wix / Squarespace / Shopify → Already responsive
- Custom HTML/CSS → Use CSS media queries
- this means in real life:
Text resizes
Images resize
Columns stack vertically on phones
Nothing gets cut off - Make mobile similar to Desktop
- Full-Width Banner Images
Good → 1400px wide
Overkill → 5000px wide - How to Actually Resize Images
Easy ways:
✔ Canva → Resize → Set width
✔ Photoshop / Photopea → Image Size
✔ Online tools → “Resize image online”
For blog images:
Set width = 800px
For banners:
Set width = 1280 – 1600px - Height adjusts automatically.
Step 7: Test Your Site Like a Marketer
Never assume. Check.
Open your site on:
✔ Your phone
✔ Different screen sizes (browser resize)
✔ Google Mobile-Friendly Test
Ensure the mobile version is similar to the desktop version.
What is responsive design?
Design that ensures buttons are in the right place and text fits the screen
Image dimensions should be reduced, e.g., full-width banners ~1280–1600px.
What is the purpose of browser caching?
To speed up website loading times by storing frequently accessed files
Wordpress (or something like it), install the Cache plugin, WP Super Cache (simple), W3 Total Cache (advanced),
WP Rocket (paid but amazing)
The hosting website usually has a caching option. Turn on “Browser Cache” or “Static File Caching”
Use caching plugins like WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache.
What should you do to minify CSS, HTML, and JavaScript?
Turn on ‘Minify CSS,’ ‘Minify JS,’ and ‘Minify HTML’ in your caching plugin
Minify CSS, HTML, and JavaScript
If you use WordPress: (a CMS)
Use the same caching plugin
Turn on “Minify CSS,” “Minify JS,” and “Minify HTML”
If NOT on WordPress:
Many website builders do minification automatically (Wix, Shopify, Squarespace)
Look for a setting called “Performance,” “Optimize,” or “Minify”
Many website builders do minification automatically.
What should you do with unnecessary plugins and apps?
Remove plugins you don’t use and keep only essential apps
Remove duplicate plugins or more than one plugin that does the same thing
Keep only essential apps not ones that are like a one and done
Update ALL plugins to latest versions
It’s enabled but not configured or integrated anywhere on the site
Update all plugins to the latest versions.
What are some recommended fast hosting providers?
- SiteGround
- WPX
- Cloudways
- Bluehost Pro
- Hostinger
If you’re on the cheapest option, upgrading usually boosts speed instantly
Upgrading to a faster hosting provider usually boosts speed instantly.
What is a CDN?
Content Delivery Network
- = a system that helps websites load faster by storing copies of their content in many locations around the world.
- A CDN creates many copies of that website
- Stores them in different cities/countries
- Sends users the closest copy to them
- someone far away can still visit your site it just may load slower
A free option is Cloudflare CDN, which helps improve website speed.
What does lazy loading mean?
Images load ONLY when someone scrolls to them
What to do:
- If using WordPress:
- Use plugin like Lazy Load by WP Rocket or Smush
- If using Shopify / Wix / Squarespace:
- Lazy loading is usually automatic
- Look in settings → Performance
Use plugins like Lazy Load by WP Rocket or Smush for WordPress.
What are render-blocking scripts?
Scripts that stop your page from loading quickly
- Heavy popup apps
- Facebook Pixel
- Old tracking scripts
- Too many fonts
How to fix:
Use your caching plugin’s setting “Defer JS” or “Load JS asynchronously”
Remove old tracking scripts you no longer use
Limit your website to 1–2 fonts max
Examples include heavy popup apps and old tracking scripts.
What practices can worsen rankings in search engines?
- Intrusive pop-ups
- Keyword stuffing
- Unnatural links: to change Google algorithms. Link buying, link exchanges, low quality links
These practices can negatively impact SEO and visibility.
Site Map (extended) Walk Through
Method 1: Use a free online tool (easiest)
Go to XML-Sitemaps.com
Enter your website URL
Click “Start”
Wait 30-60 seconds while it crawls your site
Download the generated sitemap file
Upload that file to your website’s main folder (your developer can do this)
Method 2: Use a plugin (if you use WordPress)
Install Yoast SEO or Google XML Sitemaps plugin
Activate it
The sitemap is created automatically at: yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml
Done—nothing else needed
Method 3: Manual list (for tiny sites)
Open Notepad and type:
text
https://yourwebsite.com/
https://yourwebsite.com/about
https://yourwebsite.com/contact
https://yourwebsite.com/services
Save as sitemap.txt and upload to your site.
After you have the sitemap:
Go to Google Search Console
Click “Sitemaps” in the left menu
Paste your sitemap URL (usually yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml)
Click “Submit”
That’s it. Google now knows all your pages exist.
CSS
CSS: (Cascading Style Sheets)
a language used to control the visual presentation of web pages. It handles colors, fonts, layouts, and responsive design—separating style from content.
- It’s a coding language (specifically a “stylesheet language”) that tells web browsers how to display content. You write CSS in a text file, and the browser reads it to style the webpage.
As a Marketer what do you do with CSS
- Running audits –
- Using tools like PAGE SPEED, INSIGHTS, or GTmetrix to identify CSS issues (like render-blocking code)
- Checking mobile usability – Spotting visual problems (text too small, buttons overlapping) and reporting them to devs
- Using browser tools – Right-clicking > “Inspect” to temporarily test CSS changes before asking devs to implement them
Minifying CSS
Removing all unnecessary characters from CSS code (spaces, comments, line breaks) to make the file smaller and load faster.
(e.g., style.css, main.css)
The CDN PROCESS
- Step 1
- The person in London clicks your website.
- Step 2:
- Their computer asks for the site files.
- Step 3:
- Instead of getting the images and video from Texas, the CDN says:“I already have copies in London or nearby.”
- Step 4: The CDN sends those files from the nearby location.
- Step 5: Only the things that must come from your main server come from Texas.
- Result: images load faster
- video starts faster
- the site feels smoother
- your Texas server does less work
CDN Softwares
Cloudflare CDN (very easy, widely used)
What to do:
Sign up for Cloudflare
Add your domain
Change your name servers (your hosting gives instructions)
Turn on “Speed Optimization” features
Amazon CloudFront (AWS)
Google Cloud CDN
Microsoft Azure CDN
Akamai (one of the biggest in the world)
Fastly
CDNetworks
Robots.txt file EXAMPLES
E-commerce site
Problem: Google indexing cart + checkout pages
Fix:
Disallow: /cart
Disallow: /checkout
Result: Google focuses on product pages → better SEO
- Blog with duplicate pages
Problem: tag pages + category pages clutter search
Fix:
Disallow: /tag
Disallow: /category
Result: cleaner indexing, less duplicate content
- Local service business
Problem: admin + backend showing up
Fix:
Disallow: /wp-admin
Allow: /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php
Result: backend hidden, site still works
- Test/staging pages
Problem: unfinished pages appearing on search
Fix:
Disallow: /test
Disallow: /staging
Result: only live pages show
- Image-heavy site
Problem: wants images indexed but not private files
Fix:
Allow: /images
Disallow: /private
Result: images rank, private files ignored
