A Technical Specification for Website Development Is Not Just an Instruction for the Developer. When it comes to website promotion, this document must contain clearly defined SEO requirements: site structure, landing pages, technical indexing parameters, meta tag templates, CMS requirements, and responsive web design. In other words, a technical specification for SEO is part of the strategy that determines whether the site will be visible in search results, how quickly it will be indexed by Google, and whether it can effectively compete in the niche.

In practice, search engine optimization of websites is often perceived as something that comes “after launch”, but website promotion starts before a single line of code is written. At COI.UA, we are convinced: without an SEO-oriented specification, any website promotion will only work at 50% capacity — because the site will lack proper architecture, fail to meet technical standards, and key pages will not be able to reach the top.

In this article, we will examine the typical mistakes found in SEO technical specifications, explain their consequences, and show how to create a solid foundation for search engine optimization and strategic website promotion.

Mistake 1. Lack of SEO-Friendly Site Structure

What an Unstructured Site Looks Like

A site without a well-thought-out SEO structure is a chaotic collection of pages with no logic. There may be a homepage, but it does not lead consistently to categories. Landing pages are either missing or buried deep in the menu. URLs are long, filled with parameters, and lack keywords. Page titles are duplicated or lack clear topics. In such an environment, a search engine crawler cannot understand which pages are important, how they are related, or what should be indexed.

The result is poor visibility in Google, low relevance to search queries, loss of traffic, and serious obstacles for website promotion.

Why Hierarchy, Landing Pages, and Keywords Matter to Google

Google values a logical site structure that reflects user intent. This means:

• Hierarchy: homepage → categories → subcategories → products or articles.

• Landing pages: each keyword group must have a dedicated target page.

• Keywords: included in URLs, meta tags, headings, and content — they signal relevance.

Without this, search engines cannot correctly identify a page’s topic, and users will not find the site in search results. This threatens not only the search engine optimization of websites, but also the overall effectiveness of the e-commerce project.

How to Build a Structure Based on Semantic Core

The correct approach is to build the website structure based on the semantic core:

• Collect keywords: cover all queries potential clients may use.

• Group by meaning: each group becomes a future category, subcategory, or landing page.

• Build a hierarchy: from general to specific.

• Develop URLs and page templates: clean URLs with keywords, proper H1s and meta tags.

• Fix it in the technical specification: include all blocks, pages, internal links, and the keywords to be used.

This structure allows you to start website promotion right after the site launch — without rework or budget loss.

Mistake 2. Missing Technical Indexing Requirements

What Are sitemap.xml, robots.txt, and Canonical Tags

To ensure proper indexing by search engines, the technical specification must include three essential elements:

• Sitemap.xml — a site map that informs search bots about the pages on the site, which are important, and how often they are updated. Without it, Google may not find part of your content.

• Robots.txt — a file that defines which parts of the site should or should not be indexed. If it’s missing or misconfigured, Google may crawl technical or restricted pages like filters, private areas, or cart pages.

• Canonical tag — a tag that tells search engines which version of a page is the main one. This is critical when there are duplicates — for example, identical products filtered by size or color. Without canonical tags, pages compete against each other in search rankings.

Consequences of Omitting These Parameters from the Specification

If these requirements are not included in the technical specification:

• Some pages may not be indexed at all — which means they won’t appear in search results.

• Google may index service pages, lowering the site’s overall quality signal.

• Duplicate pages without canonical tags dilute page authority and reduce rankings.

• Even a well-designed SEO structure will lose effectiveness.

This is a direct path to SEO failure — and exactly the kind of mistakes we at COI marketing and software avoid from the very beginning.

Examples of Correct Technical Descriptions

Here are some sample points that should be included in the technical specification:

• “Implement automatic generation of sitemap.xml with a list of all site pages, including categories, products, and articles.”

• “The robots.txt file must disallow indexing of service pages: /cart/, /login/, /filter/. Indexing should be allowed for main categories.”

• “All product pages with parameters (e.g., size, color) must include a canonical tag: <link rel="canonical" href='...'> pointing to the main product page.”

These technical details not only protect your site from errors but also create a foundation for effective website promotion from day one after launch.

Mistake 3. Ignoring Meta Tags and Open Graph

Why You Must Define Meta Title and Description Templates

Meta tags are the first thing users see in search results. They don’t just influence your ranking — they determine whether someone will actually click your link. The technical specification must include:

• Templates for meta title and description — for categories, products, blog posts, and brand pages.

• The ability to auto-generate meta tags using dynamic variables like product name, category, brand, region, etc.

• CMS fields for manual editing of each meta tag.

Without these features, SEO optimization stalls from the start — you’ll have to rewrite code or pay developers to add them later.

How Meta Tags Affect CTR in Search Results

Even if a page ranks in the top results, that doesn’t guarantee traffic. Without optimized meta tags, Google might pull random text snippets, which can be vague or unattractive. In contrast, well-written titles with keywords and compelling descriptions boost:

• CTR (Click-Through Rate) — the percentage of users who click your link in search results;

• Behavioral signals — user engagement metrics Google uses in ranking;

• User expectations — reducing bounce rates and improving SEO rankings.

That’s why customizable meta templates should be defined from day one in the technical specification.

What Are OG Tags and How They Work on Social Media

Open Graph (OG) tags control how your links appear when shared on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms. They let you specify:

• og:title — the title that shows up in the preview;

• og:description — a short informative summary;

• og:image — a thumbnail or featured image;

• og:url and og:type — the page URL and content type.

If OG tags are missing, social networks will display random page content — often irrelevant or visually unappealing. This hurts your brand image, clickability, and content reach.

Your technical specification must include:

• “Enable OG tag generation for all page types.”

• “Add CMS fields to edit OG title, description, and image.”

• “If no custom OG image is set, apply a default branded OG preview image.”

This block also supports SEO promotion — increasing the number of backlinks and improving engagement signals. At COI.UA, we always include well-defined meta and OG templates — without them, a site can’t compete in search or social campaigns.

Mistake 4. An Inconvenient CMS Without SEO Settings

Common Problems: No Access to Title, H1, or URL Editing

Even a well-designed website can be completely unsuitable for promotion if its CMS doesn’t support essential SEO settings. Common limitations include:

• No ability to edit the title, description, or H1 without developer assistance

• Uneditable or technical-looking URLs (e.g., /product?id=456)

• No support for canonical tags, noindex directives, Open Graph, or schema.org

• No templates for meta tags — everything must be filled manually (if at all)

These restrictions make SEO promotion of a website difficult and expensive, and outcomes become unpredictable.

How to Check If a CMS Meets SEO Standards

Before beginning website promotion, verify that the CMS allows:

• Manual editing of title, description, H1, and URL on every page

• Meta tag templates for automated generation

• Access to configure robots.txt, sitemap.xml, canonical tags, and OG meta

• Management of image alt texts, structured URLs, and microdata

• Easy integration of GA4, Meta Pixel, GTM, and custom e-commerce events

How COI.UA Implements It

At COI marketing and software, we work with WordPress (using reliable SEO plugins) and custom-built CMS platforms where all SEO capabilities are designed right into the technical specification. That’s why every project we deliver includes:

• Editable fields for title, description, H1, OG tags, and alt attributes

• Meta tag templates with variables like {{title}} | {{category}}

• Intuitive control over URL structures

• Automatic sitemap.xml generation

• A separate section for robots.txt configuration

• Full support for schema.org, breadcrumbs, and JSON-LD

We lay the technical foundation upfront so SEO promotion can begin immediately — no delays, no extra dev work, and everything ready in the admin panel.

Mistake 5. No Performance Requirements in the Specification

How PageSpeed Affects SEO

Page load speed is a direct ranking factor in Google. If a site takes more than 3 seconds to load — especially on mobile — you risk losing both positions and users. Google evaluates speed through Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS), and PageSpeed Insights is the primary tool for measuring site performance.

Poor PageSpeed results in:

• Lower CTR in search results

• Higher bounce rates

• Weaker SEO and ad campaign outcomes

Minimum Technical Requirements: Caching, Compression, WebP

To ensure optimal performance, several technical solutions must be included in the technical specification (TS) from the start:

• Page and image caching — both server-side and browser-side

• Resource compression — GZIP or Brotli

• WebP image format — lightweight and high-quality

• Minified CSS/JS and deferred or async script loading

• Lazy-load for off-screen images and blocks

• CDN usage if global traffic is expected

How to Formulate Performance Requirements in the TS

Performance expectations should be clearly stated in the TS — without vague phrasing. For example:

• “The site must score at least 90 in Google PageSpeed Insights (mobile version).”

• “All images must use the WebP format, with fallback for Safari.”

• “Static resources must be cached and compressed using gzip.”

• “All visual blocks must support lazy loading on scroll.”

How COI.UA Implements It

At COI marketing and software, performance criteria are part of every technical specification — regardless of CMS. We test design prototypes before development, optimize the frontend, and select hosting environments capable of handling e-commerce traffic from day one.

The result — a website with high PageSpeed scores, ready for SEO, ads, and high-load use cases from the first launch.

How to Avoid These Mistakes: SEO Specification Checklist

To make the technical specification a truly effective foundation for website promotion, it must contain clear SEO sections, precise technical requirements, and a logical structure. Below is a concise checklist that we at COI.UA use in every project.

SEO-Focused Technical Specification Checklist

• Site architecture based on semantic keyword research

• Defined page hierarchy, landing pages, and internal linking logic

• Technical indexing requirements: sitemap.xml, robots.txt, canonical

• Templates for meta-title, meta-description, and Open Graph tags

• CMS allows manual editing of all SEO fields

• Performance requirements: caching, WebP images, Google PageSpeed score of 90+

• Integration with GA4, Facebook Pixel, and e-commerce event tracking

• UTM tags and conversion goals included for analytics

• Structured data and technical constraints clearly defined

Who Owns Which Parts of the Specification

• Marketer: Builds SEO strategy, defines keyword structure, writes metadata, integrates analytics

• UX Specialist: Designs navigation, user flows, page layout, and CTA logic

• Technical Expert: Implements architecture, speed optimization, indexing, and CMS capabilities

This collaboration is essential. No single specialist can cover all aspects. Gaps between SEO and development always result in extra costs.

Our Process at COI.UA

At COI marketing and software, SEO is integrated into the technical specification from day one. It’s not a separate task — it’s a core part of the website development process. We:

• Analyze the niche and competitors from the start

• Build structure around the semantic core

• Prepare a full SEO-ready specification that’s clear for both developers and clients

The result — a site ready for search engine promotion before it even goes live. No rework, no budget loss, no missed opportunities.