Photo by Luca Sammarco
When I first started building websites, I thought the hardest part would be writing the code. Then I published my first project, and it was quite obviously the best site in the history of forever. I sat back and waited for the inevitable flood of visitors bowing down to me like those furry guys bowed to C3PO.
What I got was crickets.
Also bupkiss, nada, and zip.
That’s when I realised there might be a little bit more to this programming thing than just creating websites. I needed to identify the problem. After some investigation, I discovered the mystical, sometimes unintuitive, though ultimately rewarding world of Search Engine Optimization. It changed the way I do things.
So I thought I’d share what I’ve learned: the stuff that confused me at first, the “aha!” moments, and the techniques I now use to ensure my sites aren’t just online… but actually get found.
SEO is the art and science of making your site attractive to search engines like Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. The goal is to get your pages to appear higher in search results so people can find you.
It’s tempting to think SEO is just for marketers. Here’s the thing though – as a web developer, you control the bones of the site – its structure, speed, and code quality – all of which search engines care a lot about.
Photo by cottonbro studio
Before we optimize anything, it helps to know how these search engines actually work:
1. Crawling – Bots (a.k.a. spiders) scan your website’s pages by following links.
2. Indexing – The pages get stored in a giant database.
3. Ranking – When someone searches, the search engine pulls from that database and sorts results by relevance, authority, and quality.
Think of it like a library: crawling is browsing the shelves, indexing is cataloguing the books, and ranking is deciding which ones to display in the Bestsellers section.
On-page SEO is everything on your actual website that you can control. This is where developers get to shine.
These are your first impression in search results.
• Title Tag → The clickable headline. Keep it under 60 characters, use keywords, and make it clear.
• Meta Description → The short blurb under the title. Not a direct ranking factor, but a good one can boost clicks.
🛠 Quick Tip:
Don’t leave these blank – search engines will grab random text if you do, and there’s a good chance the text it chooses won’t make sense.
These give your content structure and help search engines understand what’s important.
• Use only one H1 per page (your main title).
• Use H2 and H3 for logical sections and subsections.
Good: /seo-for-beginners
Bad: /page?id=1234
Search engines prefer URLs they can read. As do humans.
Google uses mobile-first indexing. If your site’s broken on mobile, your rankings will take a hit.
Responsive design isn’t optional – it’s expected.
• Compress images to speed up load times.
• Use descriptive file names (seo-basics.jpg not IMG_0023.jpg).
• Add alt text for accessibility and extra keyword context.
Point visitors to other relevant pages on your site. It helps both users and bots discover more of your content.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
This is the behind-the-scenes stuff that users don’t see, but search engines certainly do.
Slow websites = bad user experience = lower rankings.
Ways to speed things up:
• Minify CSS, JS, and HTML.
• Use a CDN.
• Enable caching.
• Optimize images and media.
• Sitemap → A list of your site’s pages in XML format for search engines.
• robots.txt → A file that tells search engines what not to crawl.
Google boosts secure sites (HTTPS as opposed to HTTP). This is not just about ranking – it builds trust.
Photo by Life Of Pix
Even perfect code won’t help you if your content is thin or irrelevant.
Find out what your audience is actually searching for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or free alternatives like Ubersuggest.
Avoid “keyword stuffing”, ie. cramming your main keyword everywhere. Google’s smart enough to spot it – and punish it!
Break content into clear sections. Use bullet points, subheadings, and visuals to make it easy to scan.
Photo by Pixabay
Keep in mind: 75% of users never scroll past the first page of Google search results. If your site’s not on there, it’s basically hiding at the back of the internet party 🎉
This is all the stuff happening outside your site that affects your ranking.
• Backlinks: Links from reputable sites to yours.
• Social Shares: Not a direct ranking factor, but can increase visibility.
• Guest Posting: Writing for other sites to earn links back to your own.
🛠 Quick Tip:
Focus on quality backlinks. One link from a trusted site is worth more than 50 spammy ones.
When I started, I made two big mistakes:
1. Ignoring SEO entirely until after launch.
2. Thinking SEO was a one-time checklist.
Now I know it’s an ongoing process.
Here’s what I do differently:
• Plan SEO into the development phase, not after.
• Monitor performance with Google Analytics and Search Console.
• Keep learning – because SEO changes constantly.
Photo by Timur Saglambilek
• Build for users first, search engines second.
• Make your site fast, secure, and easy to navigate.
• Use structured data (schema) for rich snippets in search results.
• Keep content fresh and updated.
SEO can seem overwhelming at first – there are just so many moving parts. But as a web developer, you already have the power to make huge improvements just by coding cleverly, structuring content well, and concentrating on user experience.
It’s not about gaming the system as much as it’s about helping search engines understand your content so they can connect you to the people who need it.
So start small: tweak your titles, speed up your pages, make your site mobile-friendly. Over time, these changes compound, and one day you’ll check your analytics and realize…
You’re not just online. You’re being found. 🚀
Get in touch here if you’d like to contribute content to this site.
Tech Stack
• Three.js
• React Three Fiber
• Drei
• GSAP
• Tailwind CSS
• Vite
• React 19
Features
Animated 3D models and reveal animations
Realistic lighting and shadows
GSAP-powered scroll interactions
Responsive design with Tailwind CSS and Flexbox/Grid
Micro Interactions
Multi-section layout (About, Projects, Contact)
Mobile optimized 3D experience
and many more, including code architecture and reusability
Tech Stack
• WordPress
• Blocksy
• Elementor
• Woocommerce
• Payfast
• Wordfence
• Hummingbird
Features
Industry-leading CMS -full flexibility and scalability.
Ultra-lightweight and fast with modern design controls, ensuring sleek, responsive layouts.
Pixel-perfect designs and engaging user experiences.
Robust eCommerce engine for managing products, inventory, orders, and customer journeys.
Secure, local payment gateway for effortless checkout.
Enterprise-grade protection with real-time firewall, malware scanning, and login security.
Performance enhancer with caching, compression, and speed optimization for lightning-fast load times.
Tech Stack
• WordPress
• Neve
• Elementor
• All-In-One SEO
• MonsterInsights
• Wordfence
• W3 Total Cache
Features
Lightweight modern design optimized for speed
Fully responsive mobile-first architecture
Built-in SEO toolkit with on-page optimization, schema markup, and keyword tracking
Google Analytics with real-time stats and enhanced tracking
Google tools (Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, PageSpeed Insights)
Robust security suite with firewall protection, malware scanning, and real-time threat defense
Performance optimization with caching, minification, GZIP compression, and lazy loading for fast load times
Tech Stack
• Appwrite
• React.js
• React-use
• Tailwind CSS
• Vite
• Figma
Features
Browse All Movies: Explore a wide range of movies available on the platform.
Search Movies: Easily search for specific movies using a search function.
Trending Movies Algorithm: Displays trending movies based on a dynamic algorithm.
Modern UI/UX: A sleek and user-friendly interface designed for a great experience.
Responsiveness: Fully responsive design that works seamlessly across devices.
✆ Wayne +27 79 188 7713 ✉︎ feedback@fivefiftyfive.io
We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
Just drop your email and we’ll send you the 17-page GEO Manual + Toolkit.
No spam, no fluff – just practical strategies to help AI find (and recommend) you.
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
Manage your cookie preferences below:
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
Service URL: policies.google.com
You can find more information about our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.