SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is just a fancy term for making your website easy for search engines like Google to understand. The goal is simple: when someone searches for a topic you cover, your website shows up near the top.
Here are the five basic things you need to do:
1. Keyword Research: What People Are Searching For
This is the starting point. You need to know the exact words and phrases your potential visitors use.
- Find Your Words: If you sell blue running shoes, people might search for “best blue trainers,” “comfortable jogging shoes,” or “where to buy blue sneakers.” These are your keywords.
- Track Your Rank: After you use those keywords on your site, you check where your page shows up in the Google results. This is rank tracking. Your goal is to move up from page 5 to page 1.
2. Site Audit: Check the “Engine” of Your Website
A site audit checks the technical health of your website. Think of it like a mechanic checking your car. If the engine is broken, it won’t drive, no matter how good the paint job is.
- Find Broken Links: Make sure all your links work and don’t lead to a “404 Page Not Found” error.
- Check Speed: If your page takes too long to load (more than 3 seconds), people leave, and Google penalizes you. Fast loading speed is critical.
- Fix Errors: Look for simple errors, like missing titles on your pages or duplicated content.
3. Content Optimization: Make Your Pages Relevant
Once you know the right keywords, you need to use them correctly on your pages. This is called on-page optimization.
- Use Keywords Naturally: Place your target keyword in the Page Title and in the main Headings (H1, H2) of your article.
- Answer the Question: The content of your page must clearly and completely answer the question the searcher had.
- Internal Links: Link your pages together. For example, if you write about “blue shoes,” link to that page from a page about “running tips.”
4. Competitor Analysis: See What the Winners Do
Why are the top results in Google ahead of you? Competitor analysis helps you figure that out.
- See Their Keywords: Look at the keywords they rank for that you don’t.
- Find Link Gaps: See which other websites are linking to your competitor, but not to you. This shows you where to focus your outreach efforts (asking for a link).
5. Backlink Building: Get a “Vote” of Confidence
A backlink is when another website links to your website. Google sees this as a vote of confidence in your content. The more high-quality votes you have, the more important Google thinks your site is.
- Quality Over Quantity: A link from a major news site is much more valuable than a link from a small, random blog.
- Keep Them Healthy: You need to monitor your links. If a site that links to you suddenly becomes spammy, you need to address it.
In Summary
SEO is a continuous process that involves these steps:
- Research what people want (Keywords).
- Fix your site’s foundation (Site Audit).
- Create great, clear content (Optimization).
- Earn votes from other sites (Backlinks).
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