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What is SEO?
SEO for beginners focuses on search engine optimization. It aims to improve the rankings of websites and videos in popular search engines like Google and Bing, Yahoo, and Yandex. In a nutshell, SEO means making it easier for search engines to recognize and display your website content. In doing so, they can better rank and index your website.
Indexing means that the search engine will scout your website and store information about each page in its record (index) to be retrieved later. When Google indexes a page, it reads the content and location (URL) and adds it to the index.
Ranking means that the search engine will crawl your website and identify what each page is about and its relevance to relevant queries.
For example, when you use a search engine, the search engine will display all the web pages related to your query on the results page. The web pages showing on the results pages of Google are there because the search engines have indexed and ranked them: some appear on the first page, others on the second and fourth.
Check if Google has indexed your website by typing into the browser site: and your website domain. Taking our website as an example, site:freodom.net
Since 9 out of 10 searches made are on Google, I will concentrate on this search engine in this SEO for beginners article.
While many websites are updated constantly with fresh content, websites with less activity often struggle to make it to the top of Google’s search rankings. Luckily, SEO makes it much easier for them to do so.
So, let’s look at the different types of search engine optimization and how you can use them to boost your website rankings.
Before I dive into this topic, let’s examine a Google page result.
How to interpret Google page results?
Let’s search for the best website themes on Google. The result page shows at the top of the page different advertisements for websites and templates.
The listing after is the knowledge graph. The knowledge graph is an information box with data gathered from different places to answer your search query.
In our example, although this particular web page is on the knowledge graph, it might be ranked further down in the organic result pages. It’s showing up here because Google thinks it’s relevant to our search query. That’s why it is showing us a list of website themes.
After the knowledge graph is the People Also Ask box (PAA). This box doesn’t always appear in the same position. It helps answer specific questions related to our initial search query.
Below that, you have the organic results. They are typically about nine to ten results on each page. Organic means that these pages are optimized to rank on Google result pages without advertisement fees.
If you want to attract more visitors to your website, it’s crucial to rank on the first page of Google. Unfortunately, only fewer than 10% of people will click on the next page.
The first three websites listed on the top of the organic searches share 70% of the traffic. The first one gets 40% of the traffic, the second one 20%, and the third 10%.
The last part of the search results page features Related searches, Feedback, and the next page section.
How to rank your website on Google?
Certainly, the most important answer to how to rank your website on Google is relevancy. You want to give users what they are looking for when they search on Google.
Furthermore, you also want to give them unique content with enough information to ensure good rankings and visitor engagement.
Of course, there are other factors that Google uses to determine who ranks on their first page. Google uses over 200 determinants to decide what is relevant in its algorithm. I will only cover the most important ones in this SEO for beginners article.
On-page SEO
When done right, it should tell Google and the reader that you have all the pointers they are looking for, such as internal links, content, alt & title tag, keyword research, and image research.
These are all aspects of SEO that you can control. You can easily add internal links to your website, do keyword research, change your content, etc.
All these aspects show you in a nutshell that SEO is just a list of steps that you need to follow for your site to be indexed and ranked in Google search results.
Do these steps every single time you write an article/post. If you are using WordPress to build your website, I recommend YOAST as an SEO plugin. It lets you know what SEO steps you haven’t done through a color point system.
Keyword research
Keyword research is the steps you take to find a list of keywords you would like your website to rank for in the Google results pages. A keyword is what your audience searches for on Google. The phrases or words they type in Google are related to the subject of the article they want to write.
Certainly, it is crucial to research your keywords before writing an article if you want your intended audience to find your website. If your intended audience is searching for a particular word or phrase related to your product or service, but you are using something different, they are less likely to find your website. You have to be in sync with the words or phrases used by your intended audience when writing an article about your product or service.
SEO Content
Main Keyword/Keyphrase
For best SEO practices to have your page ranked on Google, choose your focus keyword/keyphrase and place it in the first paragraph of your article. It will allow readers and search engines to easier find your content more.
Choose the right keyword/keyphrase length. Aim for four to six words maximum. KWFinder is a great keyword research tool offered by Mangools. Aside from the keyword research tool, they offer four other tools: SERPchecker, SERPWatcher LinkMiner, and SiteProfiler. You can register for a free trial here without needing a credit card.
Text Length
Make sure to write at least 1500 words and let the content of your article be known. Mention your focus keyword/keyphrase within the main text at least three times
Title and Subheadings
The use of headings makes reading and understanding text easier for users and search engines alike. Additionally, titles help you identify the importance of specific parts of your content and how they relate. The WordPress text editor typically presents different levels of headings when you edit an article. From Heading 1 to Heading 6. They range from the smallest to the largest. The Headings, ranging from H1 to H6, are changed into HTML heading tags behind the scenes. Therefore, when I discuss how to format headings and content well, I use H1, H2 tags, etc…
There is a restriction on the number of H1 headings used on a page. Page/post titles should have H1 Headings. Introduce different sections using H2, and H3 subheadings. If you don’t have long or technical content, then it’s rare to need to use H4 tags. To make reading simpler, texts/articles with more than 300 words should contain subheadings.
Let’s choose the keyword Tap Shoes as an example in this SEO for beginners article. Here is how I would structure a medium-length article:
- H1: Tap shoes are great
- H2: The reason why we love tap shoes
- H3: They aren’t all black!
- H3: They’re not just a dance shoe
- H3: You might find that they’re cheaper than you imagine
- H2: Where should you purchase your tap shoes?
- H3: The top 10 dancewear websites
- H3: The best local dance stores
If your article is shorter, use fewer headings.
Have a title, an H1 title, 3-4 H2 subheadings titles, 3-4 H3 subheadings titles, and three external links maximum. Mention your focus keyword/keyphrase in the subheadings and title.
External and Internal links
On a website, there are both internal links and external links. Have some internal and external links. An internal link is a link linking one page on your website to another page on your website. Links increase both the user experience and the search engine rankings on your website. Users use links to find the content they are looking for and navigate through your site. Links also help search engines navigate your site. Having no links will prevent them from discovering a page.
External links are links that connect your pages or post to another website. They are discussed further down in this SEO for beginners article.
Meta Description
The keyword/keyphrase should appear in the meta description.
Make sure the meta description is the correct length. There is a 155-character limit on Google.
Image Alt Attribute
Remember to add some alt attributes to the images and include keyphrases in the slug.
Lastly, to simplify this task, install a plugin such as Yoast SEO. It will guide you and tell you if any of the above steps are missing.
Off-page SEO
Unfortunately, Off-page SEO is a part of SEO that you don’t have much control over. It includes social bookmarking, external link building, blog and forum posting, video, and social media. It’s a form of networking to let your business known.
You have to rely on other people to link to your website for example. This SEO for beginners guide identifies six off-page SEO tactics:
Social media
Create profiles on websites like Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. Pinterest is good if you have a website showcasing aesthetically pleasing merchandise. Twitter and Linkedin are best for the professional/business world. All the content created on these social bookmarking/social media websites will build links pointing back to your website.
Social bookmarking
You can showcase your articles on Social bookmarking websites such as StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit, and Dribble.
External link building
Link to other websites that are high quality and relevant to the topic of your article and website. In addition, aim to have at least one external link per article. Don’t go overboard but stick to a maximum of 3.
Blog and forum posting
You can write an article on a blog with your business information in the author’s biography linking back to your website. Choose a popular blog for higher exposure. It let people know about your business and will create a link back to your website.
Meanwhile, you can participate in topics related to your business in popular forums by engaging, and helping answer questions on discussion forums such as Quora.
Video
The biggest platform for videos is YouTube. Create YouTube videos related to your website. You can learn how to make money on YouTube here with Tubebuddy’s help.
Influencer Outreach
You can partner with influencers on Instagram, YouTube, and partner with already established influencers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you should familiarise yourself with search engine optimization to have your website ranked by a search engine. It is a very crucial exercise that determines the success or failure of your website. Hopefully, this SEO for beginners guide will assist you along the way.
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