Did you know that less than 1% of users reach the search engine’s second-page results? This is why you should pull out all the stops when working on SEO optimizing your website. To beginners, the different SEO concepts and processes may initially seem intimidating. But once you better understand it all, everything quickly falls into place.
In this article, we will guide you on the basics of SEO. This will help you garner traffic to your website.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s a set of strategies used to rank your website higher on search engines. This is important because the higher your website ranks in search results, the more clicks and traffic it achieves.
However, the ranking algorithms of search engines are not as simple as they sound. If a search engine doesn’t find your website credible enough, it’ll be lost among other similar search results.
How do Search Engines Work?
Imagine the internet is a massive library with billions of web pages. Instead of going through each one yourself, search engines do the job for you. Based on what you search for, they sort and filter through the web pages to give you the most relevant results. This process is done in three stages:
- Crawling: In this stage, search engines look for new and updated content. They go through known web pages and collect information like keywords, titles, images, etc. Once they finish these pages, they travel to others by links, creating an interconnected network.
- Indexing: This next step involves organizing the data collected through crawling. The search engines store everything in a structured database, creating an index. This index serves as a directory of available information on the internet.
- Ranking: This stage determines the ranking in which web pages are shown on the Search Engine Results Pages. It ranks the information saved in the database according to keywords, content quality, click-through rates, user intent, etc.
How to do SEO for Beginners?
Here are some SEO strategies you can start implementing as a beginner:
Keyword Research
The first step to SEO optimization is identifying keywords that will rank your web page higher on the search results. To find the best ones, you’ll need to use keyword search tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, etc. Begin by entering simple words commonly used when searching for a specific topic online.
Then, the keyword tools will provide you with a list of words and phrases with their ranking details. These include columns for volume and keyword difficulty score (KD%). Choose the keyword with the highest volume and lowest KD% and use it in your content, SEO title, headings, etc.
Don’t forget to check the intent of each keyword. The intent is basically what the user wants to search after typing a particular keyword in the search box. For instance, if users type “best fishing rod” and “types of fishing rod,” their intent differs in both searches. In the first search, they want to buy something, which means the intent is commercial. In the second case, they just want to know the types of fishing rods; the intent is informational.
Content Creation
Next, you need to create SEO content. This is an important factor because the quality and credibility of your content decide its ranking in search results. To ensure its quality, create content your customers want to see or often search about. Target main keywords and present your business as a solution to your customers’ problems.
For example, if you have a pest control business, you can include relevant articles on your website. In this case, the article could be about termite prevention tips, how to use rat control products, etc.
On-page SEO
During the ranking process, search engines analyze your content and compare it to similar competition pages. If your web page is considered less relevant, it’ll be placed at a lower rank. That’s why you must incorporate on-page SEO so search engines better understand your content.
Here are a few on-page SEO strategies you can use:
- Make your content unique by including different views on a topic and original research.
- Incorporate internal and external linking.
- Use headings (H1, H2, etc) in your content to create a visual hierarchy.
- Demonstrate first-hand experience and expertise on the topic.
Link Building
Link building refers to the number of backlinks your website gets. This is a necessary step since the search engine algorithm relies largely on analyzing links. More backlinks give the impression that your website is important, reliable, and worthy of a higher rank.
For this step, you’ll need to reach out to your business associations, suppliers, etc. Have them use their websites to link back to yours. You can contact other relevant websites and offer money for backlinks as well.
Make sure to do it naturally; otherwise, Google might penalize your website.
Conclusion
SEO optimization may seem very complicated to beginners. But once you get a gist of how search engines work, things become easier. Keyword research, on-page SEO, content creation, and link building are pillars of SEO, so get a proper hold of them.
If you need help optimizing your website, contact us at RankHighDigital. Our highly trained SEO experts are dedicated to driving user engagement on your site and helping your business achieve its goals.
You can also check out the Top SEO tools for 2024
