Search engine optimisation (SEO) can seem extremely complicated, but don’t worry! As a beginner, you can get started with just six simple steps, plus one extra tip to keep in mind. By following these easy-to-implement guidelines, you can significantly improve your website’s ranking in Google search results. At the same time, it’s important to avoid common SEO mistakes that could negatively impact your site’s performance.
1. Keyword Research
Let’s start with three questions and three answers.
- What is the purpose of the website?
- To reach and convince your target audience.
- How do we reach the target audience?
- Write about what the target audience is searching for on the website.
- How can we do this?
- By first identifying the right keywords.
The first step is simple: we need to build a strong collection of keywords that our target audience is genuinely interested in. We have already created some useful material on this topic – click here for a three-part series on how to find the best keywords.
2. Using Keywords
Have you found the perfect keywords? Great! Now it’s time to use them effectively. While the content on your website remains largely static, Google’s search algorithm thrives on fresh content. This is why it’s crucial to maintain a blog and/or build a knowledge base to keep your site active and relevant.
When writing articles, ensure that your keywords appear in titles and subtitles and are used frequently throughout the text. Additionally, where possible, link to your own content when mentioning relevant keywords to strengthen your site’s internal linking.
In short, structure your post topics around the best keywords to maximise SEO impact!
3. Crafting Engaging Titles
Titles should not only align with Google’s algorithm, but also cater to people’s needs, interests, and preferences.
Your goal is to create compelling titles that not only catch the reader’s attention but also spark curiosity and encourage clicks.
However, this does not mean resorting to sensationalist or misleading headlines. Titles should always be honest and accurately reflect the content of the article.
4. User Experience
Don’t try to build the website yourself – leave it to the professionals! A well-designed user experience ensures that the website is easy to navigate and structured. Users should be able to find everything quickly, and the website must be mobile-friendly to accommodate all visitors. Achieving this level of optimisation requires professional expertise, so investing in the right support is essential.
5. Link Building
Google’s search algorithm considers many factors when ranking websites, and one of the most important is link building. This includes both internal links and external links pointing to your site. Link building is not as complicated as it may seem. The key steps are outlined in a four-part series of articles, which you can access by clicking here.
6. Fast Loading
Visitors are impatient, and it is important not only for users but also for Google Search that your website loads quickly. GTmetrix can help with this.
+1 It’s No Longer Enough to Use SEO Tricks!
A new SEO era is upon us after Google Search received the Helpful Content Update. The algorithm can now determine how useful your content is to people, regardless of the above practices!