SEO is short form for Search Engine Optimization which is a process of optimizing your website so that it comes to the top in search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc, thereby increasing the number of visitors to your websites since they need the relevant topics or products. Some activities in SEO include optimizing content with the relevant keywords and fast loading times on your site, making it mobile-friendly, and earning backlinks from other sites. In this way, you can increase the chances of your website being favored by search engines for better rankings and greater user experience with visitors.
1. What is SEO, Exactly?
Search engine optimization is the process of getting your website to be more appealing to different kinds of search engines and not just Google. Other well-known search engines are Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo. The possibility that these would suggest your site is higher if people search for contents that are related to your topics. Eventually, you want to appear on top of the search results since most only look on the first page.
For beginners looking to go deeper, our guide to on-page SEO strategies for 2024 explains how elements like keywords, site structure, and content alignment influence rankings.
How Does It Work?
The way that all of the search engines index and crawl your site is with “bots.” They assess all kinds of stuff about you from keywords, site speed, mobile-friendliness, and the overall quality of your content. Using all of these signals, they decide how to rank your website. More rankings mean more impressions and organic traffic. All of this means that tweaking your website is just a matter of checking these boxes.
For more insight into how search engines index and prioritize websites, read our article on Advanced Technical SEO: The Hidden Ranking Factors You’re Ignoring, which delves into some overlooked factors that can impact rankings.
2. Keywords: Your SEO Best Friend
Keywords are the words or phrases people would input into the search engine. When you are a rookie, think of keywords as a connection between what people are going to look for and your content. Take this example: you happen to own a bakery sitting in New York; keywords such as “best cupcakes NYC” or “gluten-free bakery Manhattan” are your bread butter.
How to Choose the Right Keywords?
- Think Like Your Audience: Ask yourself, “What would I search for?”
- Use Tools: Tools such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush , Ubersuggest or Ahrefs to find keywords that people frequently look for
- Long-Tail Keywords: longer phrases like “affordable vegan cupcakes in Brooklyn.” Less competitive and easier to rank for.
Understanding how to balance popular and niche keywords is essential. Our guide to long-tail keywords for SEO dives into maximizing these opportunities.
3. On-Page SEO: The Basics
Now that you’ve locked in those keywords, it is now time to bring out the shine on your site! On-page SEO is the art of tailoring each page so it fits perfectly with your chosen keywords. Let’s break down the basics and see how you can get those keywords to do their job!
Actionable On-Page SEO Tips
- Title Tags:
This is like a headline that is within the search results. Make sure to include that main keyword, but keep it to less than 55-60 characters.
- Meta Descriptions:
A summary (under 155- 160 characters) of what your page is about. Make it catchy and keyword-rich.
- Headers (H1, H2, H3):
Broken up pieces of content, using headers. Use your main keyword in the H1, and variations in the H2s and H3s.
- Internal Links:
Linking to other relevant pages on your website not only helps with navigation but also strengthens your SEO. For instance, if you discuss different digital marketing strategies, it could be helpful to mention Social Media Marketing in a Post-Cookie World, which examines how marketing techniques are evolving as cookies phase out. This link could guide readers interested in marketing into other SEO-related strategies that can complement their efforts.
4. Off-Page SEO:
Off-page SEO is basically a sort of popularity contest for your website. That’s what it really is – building up your reputation outside of your own site, basically equivalent to the internet version of word of mouth. Links from other sites so users on those sites can access yours, too. Backlinks act as a kind of recommendation from search engines; your content shows up because it’s important and worth much. The more significant the number of high-quality backlinks, the more they imply that your website is likely to rank high.
How to Get Backlinks?
- Write Great Content:
Make it so good that others want to share or reference it!
- Guest Blogging:
Write articles for other sites in your niche. You can usually include a link back to your site in return.
- Social Networking:
While social media links are not direct ranking signals, they boost traffic and visibility, indirectly enhancing SEO. Learn more about social media’s indirect role in SEO
5. Technical SEO?
Technical SEO is not that complicated as it sounds. It’s just ensuring your website is running smoothly so that search engines can easily access through it, thus understanding the webpage better.
Some Simple Tips to Improve Technical SEO
- Speed Up Your Site:
People (and search engines) love fast-loading sites. Compress images, use a lightweight theme, and choose a reliable hosting provider.
- Mobile-friendliness:
Google mobile-first indexing; your website should look great on a mobile. The best way to determine if your website will be a mess on various devices is by testing its responsiveness.
- HTTPS:
A protocol that provides safety to site visitors. Most hosting providers will offer this free of charge.
- XML Sitemap:
This will serve as a ‘map’ for the search engine, giving them an idea of the structure of your website. Plugins like Yoast SEO WordPress make this quite easy.
For advanced tips on boosting technical SEO, read guide to optimizing site speed for better performance
6. Content is King: Write for Humans, Not Robots
No SEO guide is complete without talking about content. Search engines consider those websites with valuable, engaging, and relevant content. So, regardless of whether you are blogging about travel tips or writing product descriptions, make sure quality is your top priority.
How to Create SEO-Friendly Content?
- Know Your Audience:
Know who you are writing for; solve their problems.
- Use Keywords Naturally:
Avoid keyword stuffing (it’s a no-no). Place them naturally in the intro, headers, and throughout the text.
- Update Old Content:
Freshen up old posts by adding new information and optimizing them for new keywords.
For more, check out our article on writing SEO-friendly content that resonates with readers.
7. Track Your Progress: SEO Tools to Know
How do you know if your SEO efforts are paying off? That’s where SEO tools come in. Even beginners can benefit from these:
- Google Analytics:
This is able to track traffic, know which pages work best, and identify where visitors come from.
- Google Search Console:
This will allow you to know how your website is doing in Google search, and know when any technical problems arise
- Yoast SEO (WordPress Plugin:
User-friendly plugin for support of on-page SEO, readability, and more.
Tracking progress and adjusting strategies is essential for effective SEO. For a comparison of top SEO tools, explore our guide to SEO tools for 2024.
Conclusion:
SEO is not a one-off activity-it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It may seem an intimidating task to start with, but begin small: one page at a time, choose the right keywords and track your progress. A willing mind and the right tools will make your site shoot up through search rankings.
