Basic Guide to Website SEO Based on Google Search Console: From Sitemaps to Performance Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of configuring a site to rank highly by aligning with crawler algorithms. Centered on Google Search Console, it presents seven practical improvement steps, including sitemap creation, robots.txt writing, and metadata addition.

Sitemap Creation and Submission

A sitemap informs crawlers of page structure and file relationships, aiding in index generation. It is written in XML format following the sitemaps.org protocol, allowing hierarchical management of main pages and subcategories. In a Next.js environment, files can be placed in the public directory or generated dynamically using getServerSideProps. The created sitemap must be submitted to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

robots.txt and Metadata Configuration

robots.txt specifies the allow and block lists for crawler access, reducing unnecessary crawling traffic. Care must be taken not to block image access for social media bots such as Twitterbot. Metadata provides keyword information to crawlers and click-inducing information to users through title, description, Open Graph tags, etc. Next.js manages tags using next/head, while React uses react-helmet-async.

Duplicate URL Resolution and Performance Optimization

Duplicate URLs caused by trailing slashes or UTM parameters are resolved by specifying the standard URL via canonical tags to improve crawling efficiency. Additionally, 500 status code errors are resolved by removing them from the sitemap or applying noindex tags. Finally, tools like Lighthouse are used to change image formats to WebP/AVIF and improve rendering performance, thereby enhancing overall website quality.