SEO: An Introduction & Guide for Beginners

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization: The practice of optimizing a website to rank higher on a search engine result page (SEPR) like Google or Bing. Traditionally, SEO can be broken down into three efforts, Keywords, Content, and Backlinks. Furthermore, we also have On/Off Page SEO as well as Technical SEO.

Keyword (KW) Research

Keywords (KW) are the search terms, or "queries" entered into Google. The goal here is to collect, and target high-volume, low-difficulty, keywords to use when creating web-pages or blog content. Adding these keywords to your content will help drive organic traffic to your website.

Top Free Keyword Research Tools for SEOs

• Moz Keyword Explorer
• Google Keyword Planner
• Semrush
• Free Keyword Research Tool

Content

Web pages, and blogs! It's important to make your content stand out. Adding authentic, relevant, engaging, and helpful content to your website is a must in 2024. It's official now; if you're still posting copy/paste content, Google is not ranking your website.

Backlinks

Backlinks are hyperlinks on a website that point to another. There's a saying among SEOs that's helpful here. If content tells Google what you know then Backlinks tell Google who you know. Think of it as your website's business network. A way to inform Google that the site is trusted and has authority in their industry. Not all backlinks are created equal, however. Meaning that there are some sites with a higher Domain Rating (DR) than others. Build a backlink profile that has sites with high DR pointing to yours. This is the best way to increase your own DR overtime and a crucial part of your Off-Page SEO.

On-Page SEO

Keywords, titles, meta-descriptions, headers, linking, and more! This is foundational SEO. Optimizing your website for conversions is a top priority. Internal linking and call-to-action buttons, direct users further down the conversion funnel to make a sale/purchase on the website. After that, the aim is to rank higher for targeted keywords by adding them into said title tags, meta descriptions and headers.

Off-Page SEO

Brand mentions, Social Media Campaign Management, PR, Backlinks and more! Don't take these steps for granted. Everything mentioned in this article is part of a holistic approach to your website's SEO. With recent algorithm updates/leaks, Off-Page SEO takes center stage and should be a top priority for SEO campaigns.

Technical SEO & Web Maintenance

Site migrations, server errors, indexing, site speed, sitemaps, and MORE! Is not talked about enough, but this arguably the most important part of SEO. Before Google can recommend your site - they have to index it first. Use tools like Google Search Console (GSC) to find coverage, or indexing issues on your website and run regular audits to ensure optimum site health.

Core SEO Principles: Brief Overview

‍1.) Keyword Intent > Keyword Volume

It's tempting only to chase KW's with the highest volume. However, keep an eye on the intention of those KW's and ask yourself if they align with the purpose of that page.

2.) Helpful Content, is King

If it's not relevant or helpful to your audience/customers - keep it off your website. Use socials for posts like this.

3.) Backlinks: Quality Over Quantity

Pretty self-explanatory here. Build up your Backlink Profile with sites that have a high Domain Rating/Authority (DR) or (DA). Stop chasing links from any sites with DR < 25.

4.) E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness

Build your brand as an expert voice in your industry/space. PR, Backlinks, SM and more!

The Future of SEO

SEO has been around for quite a long time and so there's a big chance a lot of this was just a refresher course for those of you already familiar. Wondering, what will the future of SEO look like? Same here! Join the conversation and, until next time friends.

Thanks for reading!