Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide

Welcome to your beginner’s guide to SEO basics! You will learn the fundamentals of search engine optimization, or SEO.

You will discover how search engines and SEO work, as well as how to get started with SEO. 

By the end of this guide, you will have a solid understanding of the key concepts and techniques involved in optimizing your website for search engines. 

Let’s get started with SEO 101!

What Is SEO and Why Is it Important?

SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of growing organic search traffic of the website. Every search query represents an opportunity for your website to connect with potential customers. 

However, without a well-executed SEO strategy, you risk being overshadowed by competitors who have invested in optimizing their online presence. SEO isn’t just about driving traffic; it’s about attracting the right kind of traffic – individuals actively seeking the products, services, or information you provide.

Why SEO is important for business? SEO is essential for several reasons.

Firstly, it helps websites improve their online visibility without the cost of pay-per-click (PPC) or social media advertising. With that kind of visibility, websites can reach their target audience at the perfect moment, as they search for products or services they offer. Secondly, SEO is helpful because of its targeting capabilities. Whether you’re looking to reach people in a specific town or people in the awareness vs. decision stage, you can do so with SEO. Thirdly, SEO works year-round for a business and its website. People can find your business online and start their journeys to become clients, whether inside or outside your working hours. Finally, people from across industries, from business-to-business (B2B) to business-to-consumer (B2C), have seen consistent results from search engine optimization through traffic, leads, and sales.

Overall, SEO is an important strategic investment in the long-term success of your online business. With SEO you can unlock the full potential of your website, establish a strong digital footprint, and achieve sustainable growth.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is a fundamental aspect of SEO that involves identifying and analyzing the terms and phrases users enter into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. Conduct research to understand the keywords relevant to your target audience. Optimize your website’s content to attract organic traffic and improve its visibility in SERPs.

Effective keyword research involves several steps:

1. Identifying Seed Keywords: Start by brainstorming a list of broad, general keywords related to your business, industry, or niche. These are your seed keywords, which will serve as the foundation for further research;
2. Expanding Keyword List: Use keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs or SEMrush to expand your list of seed keywords. These tools provide data on search volume, competition, and related keywords, helping you discover additional terms and phrases your target audience is searching for;
3. Analyzing Competitor Keywords: Analyze the keywords your competitors are targeting to gain insights into their SEO strategies. Identify high-performing keywords they’re ranking for and consider incorporating similar terms into your own strategy;
4. Assessing Search Intent: Consider the search intent behind each keyword. Are users looking for information, making a purchase, or seeking local services? Tailor your keyword strategy to align with the intent behind each query;
5. Semantic core: Create a Google Sheets with all keywords, it would be the semantic core of your website. Semantic core refers to a combination of keywords, and phrases that embody the core essence of what a business is all about;
6. Keywords clustering: Divide keywords into groups (clusters). You can create new pages using a specific keyword cluster and add this group of keywords into your page content;
7. Prioritizing Keywords: Prioritize keywords based on relevance, search volume, competition, and commercial intent. Focus on targeting keywords that have a balance of high search volume and manageable competition, as well as keywords that align with your business goals;
8. Long-Tail Keywords: Don’t overlook long-tail keywords – longer, more specific phrases that typically have lower search volume but higher conversion rates. These keywords can help you attract highly targeted traffic and capture users further along the buying journey;
9. Refining and Iterating: Keyword research is an ongoing process. Regularly monitor keyword performance, gather and add new keywords that you will find in Google Search Console. Adjust your strategy based on changes in search trends and user behavior. Continue refining your list of target keywords over time.

Conduct thorough keyword research and strategically incorporate relevant terms into your website’s content. Enhance visibility of your website, attract qualified traffic, and improve its overall performance in organic search results.

Site Structure

Establish a clear and logical hierarchy for your website, with broad categories at the top and more specific subcategories below. This helps users navigate the site intuitively and find the information they need quickly.

Design user-friendly navigation menus that are easy to understand and use. Include clear labels and organized dropdown menus to guide users to relevant sections of the site.

Incorporate internal links within your content to connect related pages and establish a network of interconnected content. Internal linking improves navigation, distributes link equity, and helps search engines discover and index pages more efficiently.

Content Optimization

What Is SEO Content?

SEO Content refers to online content that is optimized for search engine optimization. Common types of SEO content include blog posts, long-form guides, interactive content, and videos. To optimize SEO content, you can use targeted keywords, optimize content structure, improve readability, and more.

Why Is SEO Content Important?

SEO Content is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, it helps search engines evaluate the usefulness of a URL. Secondly, it attracts qualified, targeted traffic to a website. Thirdly, it builds a website’s authority and trust in its online sphere. Lastly, it establishes and nurtures relationships with readers. In search engine optimization, content is non-negotiable. You need it to attract, nurture, and convert leads.

How to Do SEO Content

To get started with SEO content, begin by conducting topic research. Speak with client- or customer-facing team members, or browse online forums to understand your target audience’s needs. Then, use keyword research tools to find the best keywords to target for these topics.

Next, lean into your experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) by writing content that shares your first-hand experience and opinion, highlights your brand’s years of experience, certifications, and other trust factors.

Optimize your content’s structure by referencing the top-ranking URLs for your targeted search term. You can determine which questions to answer first, second, third, and so on based on the search intent.

Create relevant, high-quality and engaging content. Content refers to any information, media, or material presented on a website. In the context of SEO, content plays a crucial role in attracting organic traffic, engaging users, and ultimately achieving desired outcomes, such as conversions or brand awareness.

Help users navigate your content by optimizing its skimmability. Use header tags, three-line paragraphs, ordered and unordered lists, bullets, and text formatting features (like bold, underline, or italics) to help people find what they need faster.

Lastly, use free tools like Grammarly and Readability Test to proof your content. These tools can help you find grammar and spelling errors, plus opportunities for improving your content’s readability, which you should tailor to your audience.

Follow these SEO basics to create high-quality, optimized content that will improve your website’s visibility and attract a wider audience.

On-page Optimization

What Is On-page SEO?

On-page SEO refers to the optimization of on-site elements for search engine optimization. These elements include keyword research, title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, images, internal links, and URLs. Learning on-page SEO is critical as it is a cornerstone to the basics of search engine optimization.

Why Is On-page SEO Important?

On-page SEO is important because it helps search engines and users discover and understand your content. Without on-site SEO, it is difficult to rank well in search results. Optimizing your website for search engines and users is crucial for success in the digital landscape.

How to Do On-page SEO

To get started with on-page SEO, follow these basics:

Title Tag

Optimize the title tag, which appears as the clickable headline in SERPs. Include your target keyword near the beginning of the title tag and keep it around 60 characters (you can write more, to be honest), while accurately describing the page’s content.

Meta Description

Write a compelling meta description that summarizes the content of the page and entices users to click through from the search results. While meta descriptions don’t directly impact rankings, they can influence click-through rates and user engagement. Include your target keyword into meta description and keep it around 260 characters.

Header Tags

Use header tags to structure your content logically and emphasize key points. The H1 tag should contain the main headline of the page and include the primary keyword, while H2-H6 tags can be used for subheadings and additional sections.

Alt-attributes for Images

Use images, from screenshots to graphics to stock photos, to meet search intent and optimize the user experience. Add alt-text to your images including your target keyword or keyword phrase.

Compress images or change their dimensions before uploading them to your site with a free tools like Squoosh or Cloudconvert.

URL Structure

Use descriptive, keyword-rich URLs that reflect the content of each page. Keep URLs concise, avoid unnecessary parameters or session IDs, and use hyphens to separate words for readability.

Internal Links

Help search engines and users navigate your site with internal links. Add your most important URLs to your navigation and footer, and ensure every page on your website receives at least three internal links (with descriptive anchor text) from other internal URLs.

Schema Markup

Add Schema markup to your website. Implement schema markup to provide search engines with additional context about your content, such as product details, reviews, event information, and more. Schema markup can enhance rich snippets in search results and improve visibility. If you are using WordPress or Shopify, simply install the Yoast plugin and Schema will add automatically (you can edit it on each page if you want).

Technical SEO

What Is Technical SEO?

Technical SEO refers to the process of optimizing the technical elements of a website to improve its search engine ranking. These elements include page speed, page experience, responsiveness, site security, robots.txt file, sitemap files, structured data, and more. Collaboration with web developers and designers is often necessary to optimize these elements.

Why Is Technical SEO Important?

Technical SEO is crucial for beginners to improve their website’s ranking. It allows search engines to crawl and understand a URL’s context, which shapes its usability and accessibility. Optimizing technical SEO can help improve a site’s ranking and conversion rates.

How to Do Technical SEO

To get started with technical SEO, follow these steps:

Website Speed

Optimize page load times to improve user experience and search engine rankings. This includes minimizing server response times, leveraging browser caching, and optimizing image sizes and file compression.

Mobile-Friendliness

Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and responsive across various devices and screen sizes. Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in its search results, so mobile optimization is crucial for SEO success.

Crawlability and Indexing

Make sure that search engine crawlers can access and index your website’s content efficiently. Use robots.txt files to control crawler access, fix crawl errors, and submit XML sitemaps to search engines to facilitate indexing.

Off-page Optimization

What Is Off-page SEO?

Off-page optimization refers to the actions taken outside of your website to improve its search engine rankings and visibility. Unlike on-page optimization, which focuses on optimizing elements within your website, off-page optimization involves building external signals and signals that demonstrate the authority, relevance, and credibility of your website.

Why Is Off-page SEO Important?

Off-page SEO is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it helps search engines understand the online authority and reputation of your site. Secondly, it provides users with background information on your site through online reviews and local listings. Finally, it is one of the most influential ranking factors for SEO.

How to Do Off-page SEO

Link Building is the main component of off-page optimization. Acquire high-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites in your industry. Backlinks are one of the most important off-page ranking factors and signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy and credible. 

To get started with off-page SEO, follow these basic tactics:

Outreach

Reach out to publishers in your industry, such as news sites, bloggers, and influencers, through outreach. Provide value by offering an alternative to a broken link on their site or suggesting a compelling content idea that you are willing to write. Expect rejection, but keep trying.

Focus on earning natural backlinks through content marketing, online engagement, and relationship building.

Guest Posts

Contribute guest posts to relevant blogs and publications in your industry to expand your reach and build authority. Guest blogging allows you to showcase your expertise, reach new audiences, and earn backlinks to your website from reputable sources.

Participate in relevant online forums, communities, and discussion groups related to your industry or niche. Provide valuable insights, answer questions, and engage in discussions to establish yourself as an authority and build relationships with potential customers and influencers.

Press Releases

Distribute press releases and reach out to journalists, bloggers, and media outlets to promote noteworthy events, announcements, or achievements related to your business. Press coverage can generate buzz, increase brand visibility, and earn valuable backlinks to your website.

Brand Mentions is the strong component of off-page optimization. Monitor mentions of your brand, products, or services across the web, even if they don’t include a hyperlink. Brand mentions can contribute to your site’s authority and credibility, especially when they come from reputable sources. 

Engage with mentions and participate in conversations to build brand awareness and reputation.

Local Listings

Claim and optimize local SEO listings, such as Google Business Profile and Bing Places, to link to your website and demonstrate to search engines and users that your business is legitimate.

Measure SEO Results

What Is SEO Analytics?

SEO analytics is the process of tracking, measuring, and evaluating your SEO performance. It involves using tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4 to collect data on your website’s rankings, traffic, conversions, and other important SEO metrics.

Why Is SEO Analytics Important?

SEO analytics is crucial for supporting a goals-driven SEO program. By tracking and measuring your performance, you can understand your on-page, off-page, and technical SEO performance. Additionally, you can measure your return on investment (ROI) from search engine optimization and make data-driven decisions about your SEO strategy.

SEO analytics lets you find out what’s working, what isn’t, and what to do next. It helps you identify areas where you can improve your SEO efforts and achieve better results.

How to Do SEO Analytics

To get started with SEO analytics, you can use free platforms like Google Search Console and Google Analytics 4. Google Search Console provides data on your website’s position, impressions, and clicks, while Google Analytics 4 offers traffic and user metrics like bounce rate and time on page.

When choosing metrics to measure your SEO success, it’s important to focus on the ones that are most relevant to your business. Avoid using too many vanity metrics and instead include data points that affect your business more broadly, such as the number of leads or sales from organic traffic.

Measuring SEO goals is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of your optimization efforts and determining the impact on your website’s visibility, traffic, and conversions. 

Here are key metrics and methods for measuring SEO results:

• Keyword Rankings: Monitor your website’s rankings for target keywords. Track changes in rankings over time to assess the impact of your optimization efforts;
• Organic Traffic: Analyze the amount of organic traffic your website receives from search engines. Use tools like GA4 to track organic traffic metrics such as sessions, users, pageviews, and bounce rate;
• CTR: A higher CTR indicates that your titles and meta descriptions are compelling and relevant to users’ search queries;
• Conversion Rate: Track the conversion rate of organic traffic to desired actions on your website, such as form submissions, purchases, or downloads. Analyze which keywords and landing pages drive the most conversions;
• Backlink Profile: Monitor the quantity and quality of backlinks pointing to your website. Use tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush to analyze your backlink profile, identify new backlinks, and disavow toxic or spammy links;
• Domain Rating, Page Authority and Domain Authority: Assess the authority of your website and individual pages using metrics like Ahrefs’s (DR), Moz’s (PA) and SEMrush’s (DA). Higher authority scores indicate greater trust and credibility in the eyes of search engines;
• Site Health: Regularly audit your website for technical issues that may impact SEO performance, such as crawl errors, broken links, duplicate content, or page speed issues. Addressing these issues can improve crawlability, indexability, and user experience;
• Competitor Analysis: Monitor the SEO performance of your competitors to benchmark your progress and identify areas for improvement. Analyze their keyword rankings, backlink profiles, content strategies, and overall SEO tactics.

To outline your SEO goals, you should first understand what your company’s stakeholders want from search engine optimization. Use these goals as a baseline for creating specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely goals.

Finally, set regular intervals for evaluating your SEO performance, keeping in mind that SEO can take three to six months to work. Look for trends and outliers while considering seasonal factors to brainstorm what’s working and where to improve.

SEO analytics is an essential part of any successful SEO strategy. By tracking and measuring your performance, you can make data-driven decisions that help you achieve your SEO goals.

How to Begin with SEO Basics

To get started with SEO basics, follow these simple steps:

• Read Google’s guide on how to make your website appear in search results;
• Register your website with Google Search Console and GA 4;
• Learn from reputable guides, videos, and blogs, such as Moz Academy SEO Essentials Certification;
• Put your knowledge into practice on your website and track your progress using the above tools.

Follow these steps and begin your journey to SEO success with confidence and purpose.

Start Practicing the Basics of SEO on Your Site

Now that you have learned the basics of SEO, it’s time to put that knowledge into practice on your website. Remember that SEO is a long-term strategy, and it may take three to six months or even up to a year to see significant improvements.

If you require professional assistance, contact us to find out more about how to set Smart SEO Goals, and we will be happy to help. 

Keep in mind that consistent effort and patience are key to achieving success with SEO.

Useful tips to get started with SEO include:

• Conducting keyword research to determine the most relevant and high-volume keywords for your website;
• Optimising your website’s meta tags, including title tags and meta descriptions, to improve your website’s visibility in search results;
• Creating high-quality, informative content that incorporates your target keywords;
• Building high-quality backlinks to your website from reputable sources to improve your website’s authority and ranking in search results;
• By following these basic SEO practices, you can begin to improve your website’s visibility and increase traffic from search engines.

Conclusion

SEO basics are essential for anyone looking to establish a strong online presence and drive meaningful results. You need to learn and understand the principles of on-page and off-page optimization, as well as technical aspects like site structure and performance. 

Improve your website’s visibility, attract organic traffic, and achieve your business goals!