Looking at building your first website or perhaps you need to develop your existing website to try to attract more potential clients? Then you may have heard the term SEO being tossed around. But what is SEO you may cry? Never fear, check out our beginners’ guide to SEO and get started on making your website work for you and your business.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization. It is the process of improving the ranking of your website or web page in search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO can be done on-page, off-page, or through technical improvements.
- On-page SEO refers to the optimization of the content and code of a website or web page. This includes things like using the right keywords, creating high-quality content, and having a well-structured website.
- Off-page SEO refers to the optimization of a website or web page’s backlink profile. This includes things like getting links from other websites, building relationships with other website owners, and participating in online communities.
- Technical SEO is anything behind the scenes such as site speed, mobile optimisation and site architecture.
SEO is important because it can help you attract more visitors to your website. When your website ranks higher in SERPs, more people will see it and click on it. This can lead to more leads, sales, and website traffic.Think it like this, we’ve talked before about how Google crawls your page and tries to figure you out. Working on your SEO, helps Google ensure that your page is showing up in the results of the right searches. This could be the sort of searches which are specifically looking at the buying stage – such as ‘the cheapest carpet cleaners in Wolverhampton’ OR perhaps in searches related to your field. So, for example Google may rank your site for something like ‘how do I transport my dogs to dog shows?’ when you’re a dog walker.
How to do SEO
There are many different things you can do to improve your website’s SEO. Here are a few tips:
- Do keyword research to find the right keywords for your website. Are you including the right words and phrases associated with your business?
- Create high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience. Don’t simply sell sell sell. You can also do things like write blogs about interesting new products in your field.
- Optimize your website’s code for search engines. This is one for your website developer, this is when it’s best to outsource your website development to someone like us at Digital Paw or hire yourself a web developer.
- Get links from other websites. These are called backlinks. Backlinks can come from blogging on other business sites or mentions in forums. Links in social media websites like Facebook and LinkedIn count as backlinks, so setting up an account and making sure you post regularly definitely helps.
- Build relationships with other website owners. You likely have suppliers, get to know them and get them mentioning you on their website. You can do the same for them too.
You can find a quick guide to our 7 helpful tips to improve SEO here.
The importance of content
Content is king when it comes to SEO. The better your content is, the higher your website will rank in SERPs. When creating content, focus on creating content that is:
- Relevant to your target audience
- Informative and helpful
- Well-written and engaging
- Unique and original
The importance of links
Links are another important factor in SEO. The more links your website has, the higher it will rank in SERPs. When building links, focus on getting links from high-quality websites that are relevant to your niche. You should also link to other places in your website, this is also a great way of keeping people on your site and lowering bounce rate.
The importance of technical SEO
Technical SEO refers to the technical aspects of your website that affect its SEO. This includes things like your website’s speed, mobile-friendliness, and security. Make sure your website is optimised for technical SEO to improve its ranking in SERPs. The techy side of your site can seem a little like wizardry if you don’t know about how to do it, but it is more than a magical sideshow. Make sure you speak to your current website designer to ensure everything is running well, or contact us and we can see how we can help.
The importance of user experience
User experience (UX) is also an important factor in SEO. Google wants to rank websites that provide a good user experience. Make sure your website is easy to use and navigate, and that your content is easy to read and understand. Again, this is where your website designer can be so important in the success of your business.
SEO is an ongoing process
SEO is an ongoing process. You need to constantly monitor your website’s performance and make changes as needed. This includes things like updating your content, improving your website’s speed, and building new links. Be proactive! Your business is your baby, get on your site and make sure you keep it as fresh as possible.
SEO is not a quick fix
SEO takes time and effort. Don’t expect to see results overnight. It takes months or even years of consistent work to see significant results from SEO. Building up your ranking in SERPs can take a long time. And you don’t have set dates and lengths of time for Google to push you up, but bear with it and SEO will become a relatively cheap way of ensuring your marketing is working for you.
Hiring an SEO expert
If you don’t have the time or expertise to do SEO yourself, you can hire an SEO expert to help you. An SEO expert can help you with all aspects of SEO, from keyword research to link building.
It’s a complex and ever-changing field. However, by following the tips in this guide, you can improve your website’s SEO and attract more visitors.
Start on your own with an SEO checklist from semrush – click here.
