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TL:DR
- SEO Tools available to every website owner for FREE
- Quick read “What is SEO“
What is SEO?
Definition of SEO
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility and ranking of a website in organic (not paid) search engine results pages (SERPs) through various techniques.
- SEO is a relatively low-cost and effective way to drive organic search traffic to a website or on line content.
- It involves understanding how search engines work, what your target audience search for, and the keywords and phrases they use.
- To all intents and purposes we are going to refer to Google almost exclusively, other search engines work in a very similar way and unless you are selling or targeting customers outside the UK, Europe or USA you will probably be working with Google.
- If you want to target other countries apply these general rules and update according to the search engine you are targeting.
What is the difference between Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search engine optimisation
Using relevant keywords in content is just one of the ways to achieve SEO success, search engine optimisation is how you try to get your content in front of your target audience when they use the keyword research you want your content to appear in.
Search engine marketing
Search engine marketing (SEM) also target keywords but rather than content on your website looks at the results delivered in search engine results pages (SERP’s) and trys to appear in these additional locations with content. (Local search pack on search). SEM could also be considered as off page seo or off page optimisation.
Importance of SEO
- SEO is essential for businesses that want to increase their online visibility and drive traffic to their website normally to generate enquiries from customers.
- It helps businesses to reach their target audience and establish themselves as authorities in their industry or field.
- SEO is a cost-effective way to drive traffic to a website, with a higher ROI than many other marketing channels.
- SEO is fairly ever green is requires some review as potential visitors search intent may change over time.
Benefits of SEO
- Increased online visibility and credibility for your content and services
- Improved website traffic and engagement that is available to all website owners
- Higher conversion rates and sales for your specific product or services
- Cost-effective marketing strategy for many businesses
- With some SEO knowledge the basic principles of on page SEO can be applied by any business owner.
- Technical SEO requires more knowledge but good practices applied to creating content will help with technical seo as well. You can review core web vitals for your website pages for FREE
A word of caution for business owners
Setting reasonable expectations is key when starting an SEO campaign. If your business supplies products or services in a geographically limited area, there is no need to dominate search engine results pages for the whole country.
Getting to #1 on Google
If you want to guarantee being position number 1 in Google Search results, you are going to need to employ the use of Google Ads rather than organic search results.
Combining SEO organic search results with paid ads is the most economic way to increase your contents appearance in SERP’s.
Understanding Search Engines
How Search Engines Work
Crawling
- Crawling is the process of scanning the internet for new and updated web pages to deliver in search results.
- Search engines use crawlers or bots to follow hyperlinks and discover new pages on websites.
- You can also submit URL’s via your Google Search Console account when you publish new posts or pages to speed up discovery of your new content.
Indexing
- Indexing is the process of analyzing and understanding web pages to store them in the search engine’s index.
- The search engine index is a massive library of web pages that can be used to provide search results.
Selecting the Search Results for organic search results
- Once a user submits a search query, the search engine digs into the index to provide the best result it thinks that matches the users search intent.
- The list of results are displayed on a page known as a Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
- Search Engine Results pages differ depending the search intent that the search engine interprets.
Google Algorithm
Google and other search engines update their algorithm to deliver better search results for users. To follow these updates you can visit https://status.search.google.com/products/rGHU1u87FJnkP6W2GwMi/history where you will be able to see published updates from Google.
Search Quality Raters
- Search Quality Raters are human evaluators who rate the quality of search results based on strict guidelines.
- Their data is used to improve the search algorithm and provide better results.
Keeping up with Google Updates
Unless you are a full time SEO agency you will be better off keeping up to date with he results on your Google search console page rather than focussing on second guessing Google.
On Page SEO core principles
Regardless of the type of content you are publishing or the website builder you have used, these are the core principles. If your content is restricted for any reason in search results you will have to comply with the guidance provided by each search engine but in most cases this is not relevant.
Keyword Research
Finding Relevant Keywords
DO NOT USE THE SAME KEYWORDS AS OTHER PAGES
To start with make a simple list of your products or services, then apply a simple modifier that helps to narrow down the searches you are targeting, your location or occasion could be a good start.
Example: If you have an online shop selling confectionary something like “party bags” could be a big keyword for you but adding a couple of modifiers would help you target customers more effectively
- Party bags Manchester
- Boys/Girls party bags
- Boy/Girls party bags for toddlers
- Party bags for gender reveal
Review your competitors website pages and try to work out what they are targeting.
Google Suggestions
- Before you start using Google search results make sure you open your browser in incognito mode, your research wont be used to make suggestions when you search!
- Google suggestions can be found using the autocomplete feature in Google search. Type in your search term and note the auto suggestions from google, you can also see these suggestions at the bottom of the SERP as well.
- The suggestions are based on real search queries used by people all over the world.
Keyword Research Tools
We recommend using SEMRush but there are other keyword research tools available. Which ever keyword tool you decide to use be cautious about keyword volumes. Rather than taking these values as absolute, consider them as a good indication of volume when compared to other similar websites or pages.
- Keyword tools can provide hundreds of keyword ideas based on a single seed keyword.
- Professional keyword tools offer additional features, such as keyword difficulty and competition analysis.
Keyword Metrics
Search Volume
- Search volume refers to the number of searches for a given keyword. (Use the same source for all content)
- High search volume does not always mean high conversion rates. In our example earlier, “party bags” would have a very high volume but competition will also be very high.
Long-tail Keywords vs. Search Volumes
- Long-tail keywords have lower search volumes but higher conversion rates. eg. “party bags in Manchester”
- Long-tail keywords are more specific and tend to have lower difficulty. eg. “Party bags for toddlers”
Keyword Difficulty
- Keyword difficulty refers to the level of competition for a given keyword. You will normally have to use a keyword research tool to gather this data.
- Keyword difficulty is usually expressed as a score from 0 to 100. Although different tools calculate these values in different ways.
On-Page SEO Optimisation
Content Optimisation
Whilst word count is not strictly an optimisation factor, try to ensure your content is of a similar length to search engine results that you want to appear in organic search results.
Title Tag and Meta Description
- Use the focus keyword in the title tag and meta description.
- Keep the title tag and meta description concise and descriptive. Limits change but 60 characters for title tags and 150 characters for meta descriptions
URL
- Keep the URL short and easy to read.
- Use the focus keyword or phrase in the URL if possible but easy to read is more important.
Headings and Body Text
- Use the focus keyword in the H1 heading and subheadings.
- Use the focus keyword in the body text a few times.
Image Metadata
- Use the focus keyword in the alt text and other image metadata.
- Make sure all images have proper file names eg. party-bags.jpg rather than default 001img.jgp type names.
Content Quality and Length
- Create content that is 10x better than your competitors. As you measure your search rankings you will find content that you want to develop..
- Focus on creating high-quality, relevant content. Keyword stuffing is a very old technique that was used for SEO optimization. DO NOT over optimise your keywords, use semantic keywords and phrases instead!
Content Updates
- Regularly update content to keep it fresh and relevant. Use a tool like Asana to schedule checks on your content performance in generating organic traffic.
- Use Google Analytics to identify pages that need updates.
Content Structured data
When people search for specific information often Google will look for structured data in your content, this is content that is created using a specific schema that Google recognises. Receipes, events and videos can use structured data to help Google understand content (this page is marked up using Google Schema for an article)
Technical SEO
These should all be set up if you purchase a website from a professional website agency
Website Optimisation
Sitemaps
- Use sitemaps to help search engines find all pages on your website by submitting them on your Google Search Console page.
- Use sitemaps to improve crawlability and indexing.
- Google Search Console also shows you where there are problems with your content being indexed.
- For e-commerce websites an accurate sitemap is CRITICAL for success.
HTTPS
- Use HTTPS protocol to secure your website and protect user data.
- Use a free SSL certificate like Let’s Encrypt.
- Your webhosting provider may also provide you with an SSL certificate when you buy web hosting package.
Page Speed
Page speed can be very difficult to control if you don’t have a reliable hosting provider, assuming there are not technical difficulties with your website hosting, there are some areas you can improve on.
- Use page speed optimisation techniques to improve user experience and search engine rankings.
- Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to measure page speed.
- Always reduce image size for any images on your website. Often images will be no larger than a standard postcard on a screen. Use a basic tool like Microsoft Photos to reduce the size of images, you can see the file size of your orignial and resized image.
- Use the most optimal file format for the images you are using on your website. Your core web vitals report will highlight image size problems.
Image Alt Texts
- Use image alt texts to describe images and improve accessibility.
- Use descriptive alt texts that include the focus keyword.
Mobile-friendliness
- Mobile friendliness is not solely a ranking factor but as part of your SEO efforts you should not ignore mobile friendliness, most of your visitors are likely to be using a mobile device.
- Use mobile-friendly design to improve user experience and search engine rankings.
- Test your website for mobile-friendliness using Google’s tool. You can use Google Developer tools to check what your website looks like on a number of mobile devices.
Link Building
Orignially the number of links a website or page had was used as a measure of contents popularity. That is not the case now and links need to be relevant and the linking text should also be relevant.
Internal linking
To enhance your SEO performance linking to your own content can be beneficial as part of your SEO strategy.
Example: Our “party bag” page could also link to ‘paper tableware’ or ‘party poppers’ but probably not ‘bin bags’
Backlinks
What are Backlinks?
- A backlink is a link from one website page to another website page.
- It’s an important ranking signal and can help increase your website’s authority and credibility.
- Using directories to create backlinks is a good tactic to use to gather backlinks.
- Guest posts or presenting at events can also be used to create backlinks to specific content on your website.
Why are Backlinks Important?
- Backlinks have been a key factor in search engine algorithms since the beginning or the worldwide web..
- They work like academic citations, indicating that a page is valuable and trustworthy.
- Ensuring websites linking to your website are trustworthy is a very important and buying backlinks is a guaranteed way to get your website penalised by Google
Types of Links
- Internal links: links within the same website from pages or blog posts. Internal linking is an important technique to highlight a particular page to a search engine.
- External links: links from another external website.
- Nofollow links: links that contain a rel=”nofollow” attribute and don’t pass link equity.
Link Profile
- A link profile is the collection of links that point to your website.
- You can not always control your like profile but you should actively police low quality websites that try to link to your website (part of your terms of use could be useful)
- A good link profile is important for your website’s ranking and credibility and is an important factor in your seo strategy.
Anchor Text
- Anchor text is the visible, clickable part of a hyperlink, in directories you can sometime choose your anchor text but in press releases you can specify anchor text.
- It helps crawlers understand what the linked page is about.
- Relevant anchor text can help with over all ranking.
Off-Page Optimisation
Link Building Strategies
Linkable Assets
- A linkable asset is a unique and valuable piece of content that attracts backlinks.
- Examples of linkable assets include infographics, videos, and in-depth guides.
Guest Posting
- Guest posting is a popular link building technique that involves writing a guest post for another website.
- It’s a great way to build relationships with other websites and get backlinks.
Competitor’s Backlinks
- Scanning your competitor’s backlinks can help you find new link building opportunities.
- Use a backlink analysis tool to find your competitor’s backlinks and contact the website owners.
Social Media Marketing
- Use social media to promote your content and attract backlinks.
- Share your content on social media platforms to increase visibility and engagement.
Brand Reputation
- Build a strong brand reputation to attract backlinks and improve your website’s credibility.
- Use online reviews, ratings, and testimonials to build trust with your audience.
Measuring SEO Success
Google Search Console
Performance Report
- The Performance report in Google Search Console provides a detailed overview of your site’s performance in Google Search.
- It includes data on top queries, top pages, and more.
Google Analytics
What kind of Data can you Find in GA?
- Google Analytics includes various reports, including the home dashboard, acquisition reports, behavior reports, and conversion reports.
Data Segmentation
- Data segmentation is a crucial part of Google Analytics, allowing you to filter and segment data to see detailed results.
The most Useful Reports
- The most useful reports in Google Analytics include the Audience Overview, Acquisition Overview, Behavior Flow, and Conversion Overview.
The most Useful Metrics
- The most useful metrics in Google Analytics include page views, bounce rate, conversion rate, and average order value.
Rank Tracking
- Rank tracking is the process of monitoring how your website performs in search engines for your most important keywords.
- Unlike Google Search Console and Google Analytics, rank trackers are usually much simpler but very effective tools.
SEO Best Practices
White Hat SEO vs. Black Hat SEO
- White hat SEO refers to regular SEO techniques that stick to search engine guidelines and rules.
- Black hat SEO refers to unethical and spammy practices to improve website rankings.
Learning SEO
Can I do SEO on my Own?
- SEO is not easy, but it’s not rocket science either.
- Anyone can do SEO on their own, but it requires investing time and effort to learn the basics.
- Often working with an SEO Agency means you can focus on the easier elements of SEO whilst letting them take care of Google updates and technical opportunities.
How can I Learn SEO?
- To learn SEO, start by implementing the tips and techniques from this guide.
- Keep learning and stay updated with the latest updates, experiments, and findings.
How long does it Take to Learn SEO?
- Understanding the basics of SEO won’t take long, but mastering the discipline takes time and practice.
- SEO is an evolving field, and it’s essential to keep learning and updating your knowledge.
Conclusion
Starting your SEO Journey with Search Engine Optimisation
- Start optimising your site with SEO tools, which can streamline the process and provide insights for success.
- Begin with a free website audit to identify and fix crucial issues holding back your rankings.
- Put SEO basics into action, such as optimizing meta tags, titles, and descriptions.
- Use SEO tools to improve your website’s visibility and stay ahead of the competition.