When to Hire a Technical SEO Specialist

Welcome to the complete guide to hiring a technical SEO specialist in 2026.

We are Matter Solutions, a Brisbane-based digital marketing agency with a straightforward approach: search thinking drives everything we do. People use search engines to find what you offer, and we use data to fix, improve, and optimise your website so it connects with those people.

Our Technical SEO Consultant – Ben Maden, has worked with businesses across Brisbane to diagnose and resolve the technical SEO issues that can silently damage rankings. You’re getting advice from someone who’s done this work hands-on, not theory from a textbook.

In this guide, you’ll learn when to hire a technical SEO agency, what to expect from their work, and how specialists improve your SEO strategy. We’ll cover proven approaches that work because we stick to the plan and focus on methodical execution.

Ready? Let’s get to it.

What Does a Technical SEO Specialist Actually Do?

A technical SEO specialist fixes the behind-the-scenes problems that stop search engines from ranking your site properly. They basically handle the technical side of SEO, so your content and marketing efforts actually deliver results.

Now, we’ll walk you through what that work looks like in practice.

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Auditing Your Site Structure and Performance

They crawl your website to find broken links, duplicate content, and indexing issues like noindex tags or blocked pages that hurt rankings. The specialist reviews your site architecture to ensure search engines can navigate and understand your pages without hitting dead ends.

We’ve found through hands-on work that most sites have performance bottlenecks like slow loading times. These issues damage user experience and push visitors away before they even see your content.

Fixing Issues Search Engines Can’t Ignore

Here’s the thing: technical issues don’t fix themselves. Specialists resolve crawl errors, redirect chains, and XML sitemap problems that block Google from indexing pages.

They also implement structured data markup so search engines can display rich snippets in search results. Rich snippets give you more visibility by showing star ratings, pricing, or FAQs directly in Google. What’s more, mobile friendliness gets sorted because sites that don’t work on phones simply won’t rank in mobile search results anymore.

Staying Current With Search Engine Guidelines

Algorithm updates roll out here and there throughout the year. For this reason, specialists monitor these changes to adjust your technical SEO strategy accordingly.

They make sure your site meets Core Web Vitals standards for page experience and the website’s performance. Staying current with technical requirements means your site doesn’t get penalised or drop off search engine rankings when Google decides to shake things up.

Signs Your Website Needs Technical SEO Experts

If your site feels slow, Google Search Console looks like a mess, or rankings dropped overnight, you’re looking at technical problems. Think about it this way: these issues don’t announce themselves with a clear warning label.

Your traffic dropped suddenly after a Google update, and you can’t pinpoint the cause. This happens more often than you’d think, especially when Core Web Vitals or mobile usability standards shift. Pages that take longer than three seconds to load drive visitors away before they see your content. Well, that’s pretty much killing conversions before they start.

Google Search Console shows crawl errors, indexing issues, or security warnings you don’t understand. Look, we get it. Technical issues like broken internal links, slow page speed, or duplicate content create problems that hurt your site’s performance across the board. If any of this sounds familiar, technical SEO experts can diagnose what’s wrong and fix it before you lose more ground.

Growing Traffic but Rankings Won’t Budge?

The frustrating part about technical issues is that they silently sabotage your content and link-building efforts while you wonder why nothing’s working. You’re doing everything right on the surface, but organic traffic stays flat, and Google rankings refuse to move.

Since this scenario plays out more often than most business owners realise, let’s break down the warning signs that technical problems are the real culprit.

• Publishing quality content without first-page results: You’ve written 20 blog posts targeting specific keywords, yet you’re stuck on page three or four of search results. In our experience with Brisbane businesses, this usually points to technical barriers like poor site architecture, missing structured data, or crawl budget issues stopping search engines from properly indexing your pages.
• Weaker competitors outranking you consistently: Your competitor’s blog post has 500 words and basic information, but it ranks above your detailed 2,000-word guide. Down the track, technical problems like slow page speed, broken internal links, or mobile usability issues compound and make it harder to recover lost ground in search engine rankings.
• High bounce rates despite solid content: Your analytics show 70% of visitors leave within five seconds, even though your content answers their questions. When users land on your site and leave immediately, it signals to Google that something’s not right with your site performance, whether that’s slow load times, poor mobile friendliness, or confusing site structure.
• Traffic from irrelevant keywords instead of target terms: You’re ranking for “cheap Brisbane plumber” when you’re a premium service targeting “emergency plumbing Brisbane CBD.” This means search engines aren’t understanding what your pages are actually about, which stems from technical SEO problems like missing schema markup, duplicate content, or weak internal linking strategies.

Pro tip: If you’re ticking two or more of these boxes, a comprehensive technical SEO audit will likely uncover issues you didn’t know existed. The sooner you address them, the faster your SEO strategy starts delivering actual results.

Technical SEO Audit: What to Expect

A comprehensive technical SEO audit maps every page on your site and identifies the specific problems holding back your rankings. It’s not guesswork or surface-level checks.

Here’s what a proper technical audit covers and why each part matters for your site’s technical SEO.

Comprehensive Site Crawl and Analysis

Specialists use tools like Screaming Frog to map every page on your site and identify technical errors that hurt search engine visibility. We’ve found through hands-on work that most sites have issues hidden in places owners never think to check.

They review your site’s URL structure, internal links, and navigation hierarchy for improvements that help both users and search engines move through your content efficiently. The technical audit reveals duplicate content issues, thin pages, and canonicalisation problems affecting your search rankings in ways you wouldn’t spot without the right tools.

Mobile Friendliness and Page Speed Checks

Tests show how your site performs on mobile devices, tablets, and different screen sizes, where most of your traffic actually comes from. Specialists analyse Core Web Vitals scores, including loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. It’s annoying, but necessary work that directly impacts whether Google ranks your pages or pushes them down.

They identify image compression needs, render-blocking resources, and server response time issues that slow your website speed. Speed optimisation isn’t just about user experience anymore. Google uses site speed as a direct ranking factor, so slow page speed costs you positions in search results.

Link Building and Local SEO Opportunities

Specialists review your backlink profile to spot toxic links that could trigger Google penalties and damage your site’s authority. They check local SEO elements like Google Business Profile integration and local schema markup if you serve specific geographic areas.

The audit identifies opportunities to earn quality backlinks through content gaps and competitor analysis. What’s more, they flag broken internal links that waste crawl budget and stop search engines from discovering your important pages efficiently.

Can You Handle Technical SEO In-House?

Maybe, but probably not for long. This is where most people go wrong: they assume technical SEO is just installing a WordPress plugin and checking a few boxes in Google Search Console.

Small sites with basic needs might manage with standard tools and occasional monitoring. If you’re running a five-page website with minimal traffic, you can probably handle the technical aspects yourself without much trouble.

However, growing businesses typically lack the specialised knowledge to diagnose complex indexing issues or site architecture problems. Technical issues like crawl errors, broken internal links, or missing structured data require expertise that goes beyond basic SEO knowledge.

The time investment becomes significant when you’re troubleshooting problems instead of running your business. Something most people overlook until it’s too late is that technical issues compound over time. What starts as a minor page speed problem gradually erodes your search engine rankings while you focus on content creation and other priorities.

Finding the Right SEO Specialist for Your Goals

The right specialist saves you months of trial and error by diagnosing problems quickly and implementing fixes that actually stick. Bottom line? You need someone who understands your business context, not just technical SEO theory.

You can narrow down your options fast by focusing on these four criteria when evaluating technical SEO services or a technical SEO agency.

• Proven experience with sites similar to yours: Look for specialists who’ve worked with businesses in your industry and at your scale. A technical SEO consultant who’s handled enterprise e-commerce sites might not be the best fit for a local Brisbane service business with 20 pages, and vice versa.
• Case studies showing measurable improvements: Ask for specific examples where they improved Google rankings, organic traffic, or site performance. Real results include numbers like “increased organic traffic by 40% in six months” or “reduced page load time from 8 seconds to 2 seconds,” not vague claims about “optimising websites.”
• Clear explanations without drowning you in jargon: The best technical SEO experts can explain complex issues like crawl budget optimisation or log file analysis in plain English. If they can’t make you understand what’s broken and why it matters, they’re either not as knowledgeable as they claim or they’re deliberately confusing you.
• Up-to-date knowledge of search engine guidelines: Check they stay current with algorithm updates, Core Web Vitals changes, and evolving technical requirements. Technical SEO consultants who rely on outdated tactics or haven’t adapted to mobile-first indexing will cost you more than they help.

Finding the right fit takes time, but it’s worth getting this decision right. The difference between a solid technical foundation and ongoing technical problems often comes down to choosing someone who actually knows what they’re doing.

Ready to Sort Your Site’s Foundation?

Now that you know when to hire and what they do, the question becomes whether you’re ready to fix what’s broken. Technical issues silently drain your rankings while you focus on content and link building, stealing the results your digital marketing efforts should be delivering.

A specialist spots problems you didn’t know existed and implements fixes that compound over time. They build a solid technical foundation, so your SEO strategy stops spinning its wheels and starts moving the needle on organic growth and search engine visibility.

At the end of the day, getting your technical optimisation right means your SEO campaign actually delivers the results you’re after. Your content ranks, your site performs, and quality traffic finds you instead of your competitors.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start fixing, technical SEO services give you the clarity and execution needed to make it happen.