Introduction
Search Engine Optimization—more commonly known as “SEO“—is the process of improving the visibility and ranking of your website in search engine results pages (SERPs). In other words, it’s what allows your website to show up when people search for relevant terms on Google, Bing, or any other search engine.
If you’re a small or medium business owner, chances are you don’t have a ton of time (or money) to invest in SEO. That’s why we’ve put together this guide on how to get started with SEO without breaking the bank.
SEO For Dummies: What To Keep In Mind With SEO?
Do Keyword Research
Before optimizing your website for better visibility in search engines, you need to know which keywords to target. This is where keyword research comes in. There are several different tools you can use to do keyword research, but our personal favorite is Google’s Keyword Planner.
Optimize Your Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Title tags and meta descriptions are arguably two of the most important elements of on-page SEO. A title tag is the name of your page, and it appears in the SERP as the clickable headline for your website. Here’s an example: “SEO for Dummies: A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started” As you can see, our title tag includes the main keyword we’re targeting—”SEO for Dummies”—and a brief description of what our article is about.
Meanwhile, a meta description is a short paragraph that appears under your title tag in the SERP. It gives searchers a little more information about what they can expect to find on your page. Here’s an example of a meta description: “Not sure where to start with SEO? Our beginner-friendly guide will show you how to get started without spending a fortune!” Evidently, our meta description reiterates what our article is about and adds a call-to-action button (CTA) telling searchers what they can do next (i.e., read our article).
SEO For Dummies: 3 Useful Tips
- Publish High-Quality Content Regularly
One of the best ways to improve your SEO is by regularly publishing high-quality content on your website. This could be anything from blog posts and infographics to ebooks and whitepapers. The important thing is that your content is informative, engaging, and relevant to your audience. - Implement Basic On-Page SEO Techniques
In addition to publishing great content, there are many other on-page SEO techniques you should be implementing to help improve your visibility in search engines. This includes things like using headings and subheadings (H1s and H2s), adding alt text to images, and internal linking between pages on your website. - Monitor Your Progress with Google Analytics
Finally, once you’ve implemented all of the above tips, it’s essential to monitor your progress over time so that you can assess what’s working and what isn’t. Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to do just that by tracking traffic levels, average time spent on a page, bounce rate, conversion rate, and much more. Monitoring your progress also allows you to adjust your SEO strategy as needed so that you can continue seeing results over time!
Conclusion
There’s no denying that SEO can be daunting—especially if you’re just getting started! However, by following the tips outlined in this article, you can get started with SEO without spending a fortune or pulling all your hair out in frustration.
Just remember to do keyword research, optimize your title tags and meta descriptions, publish great content regularly, focus on basic on-page SEO techniques, and monitor your progress using Google Analytics. Good luck!
