When it comes to Search Engine Optimization (SEO), many businesses struggle due to the amount of information out there. It can also feel intimidating to hire outside help, and so they end up doing nothing to optimize their websites.
We’d like to offer some basic yet effective ways to help you get started on your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) without any confusion.
Step 1: Analyze Your Website’s Data
Start by analyzing your website’s data for specific patterns thus far. This will give you a good idea of what’s working and what isn’t so far, allowing you to be more efficient moving forward.
Go to the Google Search Engine Console and look for behavior reports. This lets you identify how people behave when they visit your website. GSC enables you to track key metrics such as bounce rate or the number of sessions.
Compare that number with CTA—calls to action.
For instance, if your website gets very few visits and the CTA gets even fewer clicks, then this might not be a problem. But if your website gets a lot of traffic and yet visitors ignore your CTA, you might have an issue.
Take a look at your messaging to ensure it’s clear to visitors what you do and what you have to offer. Is the CTA easy to find and is inviting?
Step 2: Conduct an Effective Keyword Research
Online tools like Google Keyword Planner, Keywords Everywhere, and Ubersuggest can help you find long-tail keywords related to your business and niche.
To find the best keywords on Ubersuggest, start with a broad keyword. For instance, if you offer dog boarding services, begin with the term “dog kennel.”
Ubersuggest will show you a long list of related keywords that you will have to filter out in order to find a long-tail keyword that you can use to attract a specific audience.
Step 3: Produce Rich and In-Depth Content
Once you’ve spent some time doing your keyword research, you can start writing long and informative blog posts.
Before you decide on a particular length for your blog post, google your main keyword and notice the length of your top 10 results. For instance, if most of them are 1000 words long, then yours should be too.
Step 4: Optimize for On-Page SEO
On-page SEO means optimizing your website through specific pages. Factors like meta tags, headlines, and subheadings fall into this category.
Make sure your headlines are interesting. Check that all of your meta-tags are in order. Make sure subheadings make sense as most people skim read and utilize keywords when you can.
Include your primary keyword in your headline, slug, and at least one sub-headline. Aim for 0.5-2.5% keyword density throughout your body copy.
Use both your primary and related keywords throughout your body copy, image alt text, and subheadings.
Step 5: Optimize for Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO refers to website optimization via external means. Social media activity, guest posting, and influencer marketing all fall into this category.
This strategy is helpful because when you write a guest post or are interviewed on a podcast, the host will link back to your website.
Try to get links from well-respected publications rather than low-authority sites, as they can hurt your website instead of helping.
Step 6: Look for Speed
The speed of your website matters more than you can imagine—on mobile and desktop versions. Nobody is going to stay on your website if it takes forever to load.
We suggest you use Google’s PageSpeed Insight, which gives you amazing insights into how fast your website pages load and what you can do to make your website faster.
Step 7: Get Quality Backlinks
Backlinks are important to make your website rank better. Good quality backlinks increase organic search traffic on your website considerably.
When high-quality sites link back to your website, Google takes it as a sign of your credibility.
If you manage to build a strong backlink profile, your website will eventually start climbing up the ranks.
To get quality backlinks, email influencers, or other blog owners in your niche.
