Looking for a way to kickstart your online business and boost sales organically? Wondering how you can make your mark and make your brand stand out among the crowd in the great big digital world of the internet? If your goal this year is to start a website or update your content, let’s talk about something you should absolutely be focusing on in 2024 and beyond – the game-changer that is SEO.
Whether you’re a seasoned business owner looking to spruce up your online strategy or have just started your entrepreneurial journey, these 7 SEO Tips for Beginners are going to be your ticket to ride. As a content and copywriter with a tendency to try to make everything fun, I’ve curated these tips specifically for you – the entrepreneurs who desire organic website growth but might not know where to start.
In this guide, we’ll break down the mysteries of SEO, explain that technical jargon, and turn it into bite-sized, actionable steps. Ready to redefine the future of your business? Let’s dive into these 7 SEO Tips that are going to transform your online presence.
What is SEO?
SEO, SEO, SEO, that’s all you’ve been hearing about, but what is it? SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is your golden ticket to making your business visible in the online jungle of the internet. It’s like giving your brand a megaphone in a crowded marketplace, speaking loudly, and suddenly all eyes are on you. (Okay, to be fair, SEO does not work that quickly; it takes patience and consistency, but the concept is the same – using proper SEO practices is how you’re going to stand out in your industry.
Another comparison I’ve heard used is to think about the internet as a gigantic library with millions and millions of books. Now think about every webpage or website on the internet that is one of those books in the library.
When you type something into a search engine like Google, it’s like asking a librarian to find the best books related to what you’re looking for. SEO is that magical tool you use when creating your book (website) to make sure the librarian (the search engine) not only finds your book, but thinks it’s one of the best and most helpful books on the topic.
If you already understand the basics of SEO but want to be sure you’re not leaving anything out. I’ve got you covered – snag my free SEO checklist here. Let’s get into how it works and how you can use it to your advantage.
How Does SEO Work?
I called it “magic,” but understanding how SEO works behind the scenes is going to be the key to your success with it. It’s not just smoke and mirrors; it’s an intentional, well-thought-out technique. Let’s break it down!
1. Use Relevant Keywords
Just like when you’re looking for a book in the library, you use specific words, right? Websites do the same. They use special words, called keywords (or keyphrases), to tell the search engine what their content is about.
Using keywords is an art; you can’t just cram all the relevant ones into your blog or website and wipe your hands of it – that’s called keyword stuffing and can actually be way more of a hindrance than helpful. Generally speaking, the goal should be to use keywords throughout your webpage or blog no more than about 2%, or 2 keywords for every 100 words written.
When should you use keywords? Think about your audience’s search intent – what are they typing into a search engine to find your content? I recommend having keywords in the title, introduction of your content, and relevant headings as appropriate.
2. Write High-Quality Content (& Post It Consistently)
If your book is boring or doesn’t have the information that you promised on the cover, people wouldn’t like it, right? Search engines are the same way; your website needs to have unique, helpful, and interesting information in order to get noticed.
If you intend to grow a blog and increase your following to attract potential clients and customers to your webpage to make sales or work with you, then consistency will be Queen. It’s not just a one-and-done situation. Search engines value authority and expertise, so prove that you know what you’re talking about; show your audience that you’re the expert in your industry.
Releasing content on a consistent schedule creates a sense of anticipation and expectation; like watching your favorite weekly television show, your audience will start to expect content and keep checking back on your website. This drives traffic to your website and shows search engines that your website has valued information. Don’t let this be overwhelming, though. Consider starting by launching a new blog post once a week or biweekly and on the same day/time each week.
3. Create Strong Internal Links
Books in the library are connected by categories or references. Websites do this, too! Linking different (relevant) pages together shows search engines that they are all connected and provide a complete story. This is a “behind the scenes” way to help build your authority with search engines as they crawl your web pages and assess the quality of content. Consider the fact that, above, I linked to a freebie offer for our SEO Checklist. Linking your blog pages to specific offers or product pages can be highly beneficial to you as well – again, growing traffic.
As this blog post starts to rank well on search engines, more people will become aware of my freebie offer. As more people begin to click on your website and learn about your product or services, more people are compelled to work with you or buy from you, thus increasing your business.
The same is true for affiliate or external links; as people purchase items via your links, you make commission and passive income. The world of possibilities is endless!
4. Use Descriptive Titles and Meta-Descriptions
First impressions matter! Ever read a book title or summary and thought, “Oh wow, that sounds so good!” or “This doesn’t seem like it’s for me.” On the internet, catchy titles and short summaries (meta-descriptions) are the things that make people more likely to click on your website when it shows up in search results.
Typically, an ideal length for a meta description is short, sweet, and to the point. Google recommends descriptions that are between 50 to 160 characters.
5. Use High-Quality Images
A book with cool pictures is more fun to read, right? Websites with nice, relevant images are more appealing to visitors and search engines.
There is no hard and fast rule about how many images a blog or website should have, but as a general rule of thumb, break up your content (try every 150-350 words or so) by adding a high-quality, relevant photo.
If you are searching for a place to grab free stock photos, try Pixabay or Unsplash. I have also used tools like Canva to download high-resolution (hi-res) images for my blogs if I didn’t have a picture that suited my needs from my own stock.
Bonus tip: When adding images to your blog or website, you can also add alt-text (alternative text). While not required, alt-text helps those who are visually impaired by describing what is in the image and also helps search engines understand the image context. It is not the same as the image caption and is also a good place to include a relevant keyword when possible.
6. Make It Mobile-Friendly
The world is on the move, and so is your audience. According to data shared by Allconnect, “mobile phones generated 60% of website traffic in 2022.” Imagine if your book from the aforementioned library was too big or too small for people to read comfortably. Websites need to be friendly to all devices, like phones and tablets. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing out.
7. Keep Your Website Up-To-Date
If your book starts to have old, outdated information, it’s time for an update. The same is true for your website or web pages; they need to stay fresh by updating content regularly. Dust off the cobwebs and sprinkle in some new information to let the search engines know your website is the best source for all things in your industry.
Bonus SEO Tip: 8. Monitor Your Progress
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. You’re not necessarily going to update your website or blog for SEO and rank #1 for your search category overnight – that’s not how it works.
SEO is an art; the search engines are crawling, indexing, and ranking and that takes time. You can’t rush art. But you can consistently work on it until it is an absolute masterpiece that captures everyone’s attention (especially search engines).
Monitor your progress with tools like Google Analytics, Monster Insights, SEMRush, or Moz. These services track and report website traffic so you can understand which of your pages are seeing the most traffic and make adjustments to the pages that you’d like to grow. Data analytics helps you create a road map – first, you need to understand where you are in order to know where to go. The same is true for SEO. First, you need to understand how your content ranks in order to understand what needs improvement and what might already be doing well.
The Importance of SEO
In a nutshell, SEO is like giving your website or pages a makeover to ensure it’s the first book people want to grab from the internet library. It’s all about making your online stuff easy to find, fun to read, and super helpful. And there you have it – the ultimate beginner’s guide to SEO.
Still feeling unsure or want an expert to help you create some highly-optimized content? Let’s chat!