What Is SEO? A Beginner’s Guide

This post will cover how SEO works, its various aspects, and why it's essential in today's digital economy.

Let's get started.

Simply SEO, which stands for search engine optimisation, is a procedure that helps your website's visibility in search engine results (SERPs) when people search for various things online.

Products, Services, and Information are some of the most common searches, with YouTube taking the top spot as of August 2024, according to Exploding Topics.

What does that mean for businesses?

Think about it like this: the more optimised your website's pages are for SEO, the more visibility your business will get, ultimately generating more sales, gaining a wider audience, or signing more clients.

In today's digital world, a solid digital marketing strategy is vital for businesses to succeed, and SEO is a massive factor.

Your site's SEO should include link-building, on- and off-page SEO, optimised keyword density, valuable content, and a good site structure, which also helps brand credibility and user experience.

To explain things, let's start with the Internet. The Internet is a massive network connecting devices worldwide, from smartphones to desktop computers and everything in between. It allows people to share and access information via websites, emails, videos, and more. All the information or data gets stored on servers.

Now, let's talk about search engines and how they work to find information. Suppose you think of the Internet as a digital library and the websites as books. In that case, search engines act like librarians to find the most relevant information for a particular search.

Google, Microsoft (Bing) and other search engines use bots, otherwise known as (web crawlers or spiders) to explore the Internet for information. They visit websites, read the content, and navigate via links, similar to how people browse a site. When crawlers find new information, they pass it to search engines, indexing it in a massive database.

Here's an Example:

When you type in a search query, let's say, for this example, gardening tips for beginners, the search engine will scan its database for the most reliable source for your search.

Search engines use algorithms to locate pages based on these factors:

Finally, results are displayed, with pages offering the most value ranked at the top.

We've covered SEO and discussed how search engines work.

Now, let's talk about organic search results.

So, what does that mean?

Organic search results are websites that land high in the SERPs (search engine results pages), offering content most relevant to the search query without paying to be there. Hence, the phrase ORGANIC TRAFFIC, or FREE TRAFFIC (it's not free. It takes time!).

Therefore, SEO is crucial for landing at the top of these results, and understanding how to implement these principles is a no-brainer for businesses in today's digital world.

SEO or search engine optimisation is essential because it helps your website get found online. Making it crucial, especially for beginners just getting started

Visibility:

SEO increases your website's visibility in search engine results, like Google or Bing. When people search for something related to your business or blog, SEO helps your site rank higher on the list. The higher you are, the more likely your site will get clicked on.

Traffic:

The more people find and visit your website, the more potential customers or readers you get. SEO drives this traffic to your site without paying for ads (PPC).

Credibility:

Your website's performance in search results indicates its trustworthiness; the higher it lands, the better.

Good SEO can help build your site's credibility in your visitors' eyes.

Cost-Effective:

SEO is more cost-effective because you don't have to pay for each click (unlike ads). It's more about investing time to optimise your site well.

Long-Term Results:

Good SEO works over time, unlike paid ads, which stop working when your campaign ends. If your site is well-optimised, it can continue attracting visitors for months or years.

Understanding Your Audience:

SEO helps you understand your audience. By knowing what they are looking for and analysing the keywords they use to find your site, you can create better content that meets their needs.

Competing with Others:

Almost every business or blog tries to attract visitors online. SEO helps level the playing field, allowing even small or new websites to compete with larger ones.

Here are some case studies for further reading by Wordlift

So, how does SEO work? In summary, SEO helps search engines understand your site's content, confirms that the information is relevant to the search query, and ensures that your site is user-friendly and trustworthy.

The better you incorporate SEO on your website, the higher it will land in search results, which means your site will be more accessible to find and gain more visitors.

Now, let's dig a little deeper.

To optimise your website for SEO, follow these basic principles.

Understand What People Search For:

When someone starts an online search, they typically begin with a Google search or another similar search engine, like Bing; they type in words or phrases known as "Keywords."

That's where thorough Keyword research comes into play:

Start by finding the keywords your audience uses when they search for topics related to your website or business.

Make Your Website Relevant:

Now that you have your list of keywords and understand what your audience is looking for, it's time to create engaging, high-quality, and, most importantly, usable content around those keywords.

Your content can be blog posts, videos, product descriptions, or any other media that appears on your site.

It's also important to note that titles, headings and descriptions should include your target keywords; this notifies the search engines what your page is about.

Earning Trust And Authority:

When you build your site's authority and earn the trust of search engines, it's crucial to have other trustworthy websites link back to yours. Search engines then see you as a valuable and reputable source of information.

These factors highlight the importance of creating high-quality content; the better your content, the more likely it is to get shared on social media and links from other sites.

Making Your Website User Friendly:

Your website should be easy to navigate and work well on computers and mobile devices. Websites that load quickly on all devices will significantly improve their visibility in search engines.

A well-organised website makes it easy for search engines and visitors to quickly find the information they want.

Helping Search Engines Understand Your Site:

Behind the scenes, there are technical aspects to consider, such as ensuring that your website is accessible to crawl (explore) for search engines and easy to index (store information); this involves using proper tags and making sure your site is secure (HTTPS).

(To learn more about technical SEO, read this article on Backlinco.com.)

Monitor And Adjust:

You can track your site's performance using Google Search Console (Analytics). If some pages are performing poorly, you can adjust your SEO strategy to improve them. Microsoft (Bing) has a similar tool called Webmasters.

1. Keyword Research:

Keyword research is the most vital step of SEO. Every other part of your SEO strategy will stem from the keywords or phrases you pursue. If you think about it like this, keywords are the questions people ask Google and other search engines. Your job is to provide the best answers on your website.

To summarise:

Google Keyword Planner:

Google's free tool is to help when creating Google ADS, but it's also helpful for finding keywords.

How to Use It:

Ahrefs Keywords Explorer:

It is a paid tool that offers comprehensive keyword data, including search volume, keyword difficulty, and related keywords.

Note: Ahrefs offers a free webmaster tool with limited access to Site Explorer and Site Audit. Their Pricing starts at $23 per month.

How to Use It:

SEMrush Keyword Magic Tool:

It is another paid tool that offers a good range of keyword research features, including keyword suggestions, trends, and competitive analysis.

Note: SEMrush offers a free account with limited features and a free pro version trial. Their Pricing starts at $139 per month.

How to Use It:

Ubersuggest:

Neil Patel created a user-friendly, free tool (with paid options) that offers keyword suggestions, search volume, and SEO difficulty.

Note: The price starts at £29 per month or a £290 one-time payment for Lifetime access.

How to Use It:

Moz Keyword Explorer:

A paid tool from Moz that provides keyword suggestions and difficulty scores and analyses the search engine results pages (SERPs).

Note: Moz offers a 30-day free trial, it then starts at $49 a month

How to Use It:

AnswerThePublic:

Another tool from Neil Patel visualises questions and phrases people search for around a particular keyword.

Note: The price is $11 monthly or a $119 one-time payment for Lifetime access.

How to Use It:

Google Trends:

A free tool that shows how keyword search interest has changed over time and compares different keywords.

How to Use It:

Combine Insights:

Try combining tools to get a fuller picture of keyword opportunities. For example, you might use Google Keyword Planner for basic ideas, Ahrefs for in-depth analysis, and AnswerThePublic to discover specific questions people are asking.

Focus on Relevance:

Always choose highly relevant keywords for your content and audience. A keyword with a high search volume is only helpful if it matches what your audience is looking for.

Monitor and Adapt:

Revisit your keyword research regularly to keep up with changing trends and audience interest. It will help you stay competitive in search engine rankings.

Keyword research is the foundation of effective SEO and content creation. Using these tools and conducting thorough keyword research, you can understand your audience's needs and create content that suits them, helping your website rank higher in search results.

2. Content Creation:

Okay, now that you have researched your keywords using the methods mentioned earlier, it's time to create top-notch content for your website and start gaining top rankings on Google.

Here's how to do it:

Plan your content:

So, to start, you must plan your content. Using a calendar to track your progress through the Creation process is a good idea. Decide which type of content you want to create; this could be blog posts, YouTube videos, or any other form of media that gets published online.

The process of creating content is similar across all media types.

For this example, we will use blog posts.

Create an outline:

Outline the content you want to create. Start by listing out the topics you want to cover in your post. Choose your primary and a few related keywords (this should naturally happen as you create your content).

Note: Include your primary keyword in your H1 title and the First H2 title

Here's an Example

H1 Title: Indoor Gardening: A Beginners Guide.

H2 Title: Getting Started with Indoor Gardening.

Then, structure your post naturally to systematically answer questions your target audience asks. To help outline your post, look at other posts ranking in the top spots of Google or Bing, analyse how they structure their posts, and try to do something similar.

Look for gaps in their content or ways you could improve on it.

Planning your content and creating an outline will help you stay on track with what you are trying to say in your post, video, or whatever type of media you publish, making it more likely to rank well.

Creating High-Quality Content:

When you produce your content, ensure it's informative, engaging, and easy to understand. Include your main keyword in the H1 title and H2 headings and throughout the content.

Try to incorporate related keywords where you can.

Make sure the content is well-organised well-organised, with clear sections and headings.

High-quality content keeps readers engaged and encourages them to stay on your site longer, a positive signal to search engines.

On-Page Optimisation:

Optimise your content to make it more search-engine friendly. Proper on-page optimisation will help search engines understand what your content is about and ultimately rank better in search engines.

Internal linking:

Link to related posts on your website. When you mention a topic you've covered in another post, link to it using a hyperlink (Clickable anchor text); internal linking makes it easier to browse your site and spreads link equity, which can boost the SEO of your other pages.

Publishing and Promoting:

When you've finished your content, publish it on your blog or website and share it through various channels.

Promote your content via social media, email newsletters, or any platform where your audience is active. Promoting your content reaches a broader audience, increasing traffic and engagement and boosting your SEO.

Monitoring and updating:

Finally, after you've published your content, monitor its performance in search results and update it when necessary. Use Analytics (Google Analytics) to track the traffic your content is getting.

If the content isn't performing well, consider updating it with new information or optimising it further. Regularly updating your content keeps it relevant and can improve its ranking over time.

To Summarise:

Creating SEO-friendly content involves:

By implementing these steps, your content will rank well and attract the right audience to your website.

3. Link building and why it's important:

Link building, or getting backlinks, involves linking from authority websites to yours. These links are crucial because they give you credibility and show search engines your website is trustworthy and has valuable content.

Here's why it's so important:

Improves Ranking:

When your site has quality backlinks pointing to it, it will rank higher in search results. Search engines see these links as endorsements.

Increases Traffic:

When people click on these links, they visit your site, which brings more traffic to your website.

Builds Credibility:

If reputable websites link to you, it boosts your credibility and authority in your field.

Here's how it works in simple terms:

Good vs. Bad Links:

Remember, links from reputable, high-quality websites relevant to your content can improve your SEO. On the other hand, obtaining links from low-quality or spammy websites can harm your SEO.

Therefore, it's crucial to concentrate on acquiring links from reliable sources.

To summarise:

Link building is like networking for your website. By getting other sites to link to yours, you're showing search engines that your site is trustworthy, which helps you rank higher and attract more visitors.

4. Monitoring and Analytics:

Monitoring and analysing your website's performance is crucial to any successful SEO strategy. Regularly tracking your site's performance, you can understand what's working, what isn't, and where improvements are needed.

Understand User behaviour:

Tools like Google Analytics provide insights into how visitors interact with your content. You can see the pages they visit, how long they stay, and where they might drop off. This information helps you identify areas of your site that need optimising for a better user experience.

Track Keyword Performance:

Monitoring your site lets you see how well your chosen keywords perform. If specific keywords aren't driving traffic or conversions, you can alter your strategy to focus on more practical terms.

Measure Traffic and Engagement:

Google Analytics lets you track the traffic your site receives, where it's coming from, and how engaged users are; this helps you gauge the effectiveness of your content and marketing efforts.

Identify and Fix Issues:

Analysing your site's performance can help you spot technical issues like slow loading times, broken links, or pages that need to be mobile-friendly. Addressing these problems can improve your site's SEO and user experience.

Adjust Your Strategy:

Regular monitoring allows you to change your SEO strategy based on accurate data. If you notice certain content performing well, you can create more. Conversely, if something isn't working, you can make informed changes.

Using Google Analytics:

The Date from Google Analytics is a powerful tool for tracking and analysing your website's performance. It's free and provides information about your site's visitors, traffic sources, and more. By setting up and regularly checking your Google Analytics dashboard, you can stay informed about your site's progress and make data-driven decisions to enhance your SEO efforts.

In summary, monitoring and analytics are essential for understanding what's working in your SEO strategy and making adjustments to improve your website's performance.

When developing your SEO strategy, it's crucial to avoid mistakes that can harm your website's performance.

Here's a simple explanation of what to watch out for:

Keyword Stuffing:

What It Is:

Keyword stuffing happens when you overload your content with too many keywords to rank higher in search results.

Why It's Harmful:

Search engines like Google are intelligent. They can tell when you're trying to "cheat" by stuffing keywords, and instead of helping, it can hurt your rankings. It also makes your content hard to read, turning visitors away. The key is to use keywords naturally and focus on providing valuable information.

Ignoring Mobile Optimisation:

What It Is:

Mobile optimisation means making sure your website works well on smartphones and tablets.

Why It's Important:

More and more people are using their phones to browse the Internet. If your site is mobile-friendly, visitors might need help reading or navigating your content, which can lead to them leaving quickly. Search engines prioritise mobile-friendly sites, so paying attention to this can seriously hurt your SEO. Always make sure your site looks good and functions well on all devices.

Neglecting User Experience:

What It Is:

User experience (UX) is about how easy and enjoyable it is for people to use your website.

Why It's Important:

Visitors will likely leave if your site is challenging to navigate, slow to load, or visually unappealing, which can increase your "bounce rate. "This tells search engines that people aren't finding what they need on your site and can lower your rankings. Focus on making your site load quickly, efficiently, and visually appealing to keep visitors happy and engaged.

Lack of Consistency:

What It Is:

Consistency means regularly updating your website and continuing to optimise it over time.

Why It's Important:

SEO isn't a one-time task; it's an ongoing process. If you don't regularly update your content, optimise for new keywords, or fix issues that arise, your site can quickly become outdated. Search engines prefer fresh, relevant content, so it's essential to keep your site up to date and continuously work on improving it.

To Summarise:

Avoiding these mistakes is vital for maintaining a solid SEO strategy. Focus on using keywords naturally, ensuring your site is mobile-friendly, providing a great user experience, and consistently updating your content. Doing so will set your website up for long-term success in search engine rankings.

So, there you have it. What Is SEO? A Beginners Guide: Throughout this article, we've explored the vital role of understanding and implementing SEO for anyone looking to succeed in the digital world.

Let's recap the key points we've covered:

SEO Basics:

We discussed SEO and why making your site visible to search engines and users alike is essential.

Importance of SEO:

We highlighted how SEO drives traffic, improves visibility, and builds credibility for your website.

How SEO Works:

We broke down the crucial components of SEO, including on-page, off-page, and technical aspects, along with best practices to follow.

Common SEO Mistakes:

We pointed out some common pitfalls to avoid, such as keyword stuffing, ignoring mobile optimisation, neglecting user experience, and needing to keep your content up to date.

Getting started early on your SEO journey will help build a solid online presence. SEO isn't a one-time task but a continuous learning and adaptation process. As the digital world evolves, staying informed and updating your strategy will help keep you ahead of the competition. Embrace the process, and over time, you'll benefit from a well-executed SEO strategy in your website's growth and success.