Getting the SEO basics right is very important for any business looking to get discovered in the organic search listings.
What is SEO and Why is it Important?
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving your website so that it ranks higher on search engine results pages.
The idea being that when people search for products or services you offer online, they are more likely to click on your website when it appears at the top of the search results.
While there is a lot of debate about the best way to achieve this, for example the recent Google algorithm leak has created a lot of conversation around ranking factors, there’s always value in getting the basics right.
If you’re just getting started with SEO or looking at how well your current website is performing, here’s where to start!
Keyword Research
Start with thorough keyword research to identify the terms your potential customers are using to search for products or services similar to yours.
Tools like Ahrefs and SEMRush can help you find relevant keywords with good search volume and low competition. Use these keywords strategically in your website content, meta descriptions, and titles.
Remember, while some keywords might look good on paper, in reality they might not match what your users are likely to go for so always keep your audience in mind when putting together a keyword target list.
Quality Content
Creating high-quality, informative content that answers your customers’ questions and showcases what you do and sell is key to successful SEO.
If you don’t make it clear who you are, what you do and why someone would choose you. Why would your website appear for related search terms and queries?
Keep your website up to date with content that will help your customers make a purchase, learn more about a service or answer their questions to get started.
On-Page Optimisation
At the end of the day, search engines like Bing and Google are machines. They approach you website in a mechanical way to crawl and understand who you are and what you do.
To give your website the best change of ranking, there are some on page improvements you need to do.
This includes using your chosen keywords in your titles, headings, and content, optimising images with alt text, and ensuring your site’s metadata is accurate and descriptive.
Don’t forget to make sure your website mobile-friendly, as more and more users are accessing the internet via their smartphones and search engines want to provide users with a good experience.
Technical SEO
Following on from this you need to pay attention to the technical elements of your website using technical SEO techniques.
Technical SEO focuses on the backend health and structure of your website.
To get started with the basics ensure your site is fast and secure, with a clean and organised structure.
Use tools like Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools to monitor your site’s performance and identify any issues that could affect your rankings.
Fix broken links, improve site speed, and ensure your website is easily crawlable by search engines.
Local SEO
When you do a search for ‘restaurants near me’ or ‘chemist preston’ you’ll see a list of local businesses that are near to you. To improve the chances of a website appearing for these types of searches, a service called local SEO is used.
Search engines determine if your website is relevant for a local keyword by looking at the proximity of your business to the customer making the search and the relevance of your business to the search term.
This is so users only see relevant businesses to them that are near to them, giving them a good user experience.
To improve your chances of appearing for this type of search terms, make sure your business information is consistent across all online platforms.
Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile and your Bing Places for Business listing, and encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews.
These might seem obvious for people with experience in SEO or business owners that have used platforms like Shopify and Wix, because they encourage you to complete these tasks. They’re obvious for a reason, they’re tried and true and can have a big improvement on your organic visibility.
If you’re interested I seeing how we can help you master the SEO basics, speak to a member of our team today.
Fri, 31 May 2024