SEO Basics: How to Do SEO for Beginners

Use this complete beginner’s usher to SEO to recognize the basics that tin assistance you commencement gathering a strategy that boosts your website’s traffic.

What Is SEO?

Search motor optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your website to assistance it look much prominently for applicable topics erstwhile radical hunt utilizing Google and different hunt engines.

For example, SEO helps websites focusing connected the word “best java makers” look among the apical results.

This matters due to the fact that higher rankings often pb to much clicks and visits.

Why Is SEO Important?

SEO is important due to the fact that it brings free, targeted postulation to your website each month.

Consider that astir online experiences commencement with a search engine. 

When idiosyncratic needs a product, service, oregon information, they caput consecutive to Google. If your website shows up for these searches, you tin pull visitors actively looking for what you offer.

Plus, radical mostly spot integrated (free) results much than ads. 

Users cognize businesses wage for advertisement spots, but earning a apical integrated spot means Google considers your contented applicable and helpful. This tin assistance physique credibility with imaginable customers.

The champion part? 

Once you fertile well, you tin get accordant organic traffic without paying for visitors. 

Compare that to societal media, wherever your posts suffer traction implicit time. Or paid ads that drain your fund with each click.

How Do You Make Sure Google Can Index Your Site?

The archetypal measurement to SEO is making definite Google tin crawl (find) and scale (i.e., store your pages successful a database) your site.

Google uses crawlers (also known arsenic spiders) to observe pages and work their content. It tin past adhd those pages to its index.

Here’s a simplified visualization of however crawling, indexing, and displaying results works (though determination are problems that tin get successful the mode of immoderate measurement successful the process):

To assistance Google crawl and index your pages, you’ll privation to usage Google Search Console. This escaped instrumentality shows you however Google sees your pages and alerts you astir large issues that could wounded your rankings.

Sign up for GSC to begin.

After setting up your account, make anXML sitemap to usher crawlers.

A sitemap is similar a array of contents for your website that hunt engines tin easy understand. It lists each your important pages.

This is what a sitemap tin look like:

Most website platforms (like WordPress and Wix) make sitemaps automatically. But you tin besides make 1 utilizing a instrumentality similar XML Sitemaps Generator.

Once you person a sitemap, taxable it successful Search Console by going to “Sitemaps” and entering your sitemap URL.

The presumption file should work “Success.”

Next, spell to “Indexing” > “Pages” to place immoderate URLs that aren’t indexed.

It’s mean to person pages that aren’t indexed. But if you announcement immoderate important pages that you privation to beryllium eligible for rankings, enactment to place and code the issue. 

Further reading: How to Get Your Website Indexed by Google

SEO 101: Search Engine Optimization Basics for Beginners

Keyword Research

Keyword research is the process of identifying presumption your imaginable customers usage erstwhile searching for topics related to your brand, products, oregon services.

In different words, keyword probe shows you what users are really searching for. So you tin make contented that answers their queries and attracts them to your site.

For example, a java store proprietor mightiness cognize that “best java shop” is simply a bully keyword to target. 

But they apt request to bash keyword probe to find retired that their assemblage is besides searching for queries similar “where to get oat beverage lattes” and “coffee store with workspace adjacent me.”

Effective keyword probe lets you find topics your assemblage cares astir and recognize the search intent (the extremity down the search), truthful you tin make effectual content. 

Find applicable keywords utilizing the Keyword Magic Tool. 

Enter a wide word related to your niche, acceptable a country, and click “Search.”

The instrumentality provides a database of “Broad Match” presumption by default, which incorporate your starting keyword(s) and adjacent variations.

When choosing keywords for your tract (or a circumstantial page), absorption connected relevance first.

For example, a concern shouldn’t people “specialty coffee” if it doesn’t merchantability specialty coffee.

After ensuring relevance, see 2 different keyword metrics:

• Volume: The keyword hunt volume—the mean fig of monthly searches
• KD %: The keyword difficulty score—a measurement of however challenging it volition beryllium to execute a top-10 ranking for a fixed term

Keep successful caput that ranking highly for low-volume, highly applicable keywords often drives invaluable traffic.

Start small, past purpose for much competitory presumption arsenic your site’s SEO show improves. 

Further reading: 

• 11 Best Keyword Research Tools (Free + Paid)
• The Ultimate Keyword Research Checklist

Quality Content 

Let’s get into however tocreate contented that some hunt engines and users volition love.

Understand What Searchers Want to See

Understanding what radical privation to spot erstwhile they hunt for a query means discovering the crushed down a user’s query (this is called search intent).

Knowing hunt intent lets you nutrient contented that users are much apt to find useful. And that’s much apt to fertile successful hunt results.

Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines disagreement hunt intent into 4 categories:

• Know: The searcher wants to larn much astir something
• Do: The searcher wants to bash thing oregon enactment successful an activity
• Website: The searcher is looking for a circumstantial tract oregon page
• Visit-in-person: The searcher is looking for a circumstantial concern oregon category

But SEO professionals typically usage the pursuing 4 types of hunt intent:

• Informational: The idiosyncratic wants much information
• Commercial: The idiosyncratic wants to comparison antithetic options earlier buying
• Navigational: The idiosyncratic wants to find a circumstantial leafage oregon website
• Transactional: The idiosyncratic wants to instrumentality an enactment (like making a purchase)

One mode to find intent is by reviewing the top-ranking pages for a keyword (also called doing a SERP analysis).

For example, the hunt motor results leafage (SERP) for “how to marque a latte astatine home” shows how-to videos and step-by-step guides.

Making contented with a akin format tin summation your chances of ranking well. 

Another mode to rapidly place a keyword’s intent is to usage Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool. Just look for the “Intent” widget. 

If you’re doing keyword probe with the Keyword Magic Tool, find immoderate keyword’s intent by looking astatine the “Intent” column.

Create High-Quality Content

High-quality content is accurate, helpful, trustworthy, relevant, and user-friendly, which is precisely the benignant of contented Google wants to reward.

Some characteristics of prime contented include: 

• Thorough sum of the topic
• Clear enactment and structure
• Up-to-date information
• Expert insights and/or archetypal research
• Engaging visuals
• Error-free writing
• Mobile-friendly formatting

Use the SEO Writing Assistant to assistance you trade prime content. 

Add your people keywords, and the instrumentality volition supply recommendations for readability, originality, code of voice, and SEO. 

Further reading:

• SEO Writing: 16 Tips for Creating SEO-Optimized Content
• Importance of Content successful SEO: Why it Matters + How to Create it

Optimize Content that Appears Above the Fold

Content that appears “above the fold” refers to the archetypal surface users spot erstwhile they onshore connected your webpage and serves arsenic the page’s archetypal impression. 

If visitors don’t rapidly find what they’re looking for, they mightiness leave. Which tin wounded your performance.

A bully above-the-fold conception does the following:

• Includes your main keyword naturally
• Clearly provides value
• Uses clear, elemental language
• Avoids intrusive elements

Here’s an illustration of an effectual supra the fold section:

User Experience

User acquisition (UX) is however visitors interact with and comprehend your tract (its design, usability, etc.)—and Google values a affirmative idiosyncratic experience.

Here are immoderate cardinal champion practices for ensuring a affirmative UX:

Use Enticing CTAs

A call to enactment (CTA) is simply a punctual that encourages tract visitors to instrumentality a circumstantial action, similar subscribing to your newsletter, scheduling a demo, oregon making a purchase.

Make your CTAs circumstantial and value-focused:

• Not great: "Click here"
• Better: "Get your escaped SEO checklist"

Here’s an illustration of a Semrush CTA to get visitors to motion up for a escaped trial: 

The CTA is clear, highlights a tangible benefit, and drives action. 

Place your main CTA supra the fold for conversion-oriented pages and trial variations to spot what resonates champion with your audience.

Avoid Walls of Text 

Most readers scan alternatively than work each word, truthful steering wide of ample blocks of substance makes it easier to rapidly spot cardinal information.

Break up your contented into easy-to-scan chunks by doing the following:

• Use abbreviated sentences and paragraphs
• Add achromatic space
• Include images oregon different ocular breaks each 200-300 words
• Write descriptive subheadings

For example, the screenshot beneath uses abbreviated paragraphs, images, and headings to interruption up the text. Which makes it precise casual to work and follow. 

Use Bullets, Numbered Lists, and Short Paragraphs

Break up contented with bullets, numbered lists, and abbreviated paragraphs. This attack improves scannability and maintains idiosyncratic interest.

Here are immoderate ways to usage these elements effectively:

• Turn agelong paragraphs into slug points
• Start database items with enactment words
• Keep bullets accordant successful magnitude and style
• Use numbered lists for step-by-step instructions
• Use a premix of abbreviated paragraphs, lists, and visuals to make bushed passim your pages

Check retired this illustration from 1 of our blog posts:

On-Page SEO 

On-page SEO is the process of optimizing a page’s content, HTML elements, and operation to supply a amended idiosyncratic acquisition and summation your chances of ranking well.

Here are immoderate on-page SEO elements you tin optimize today: 

Title Tags

Title tags are HTML titles that tin look arsenic clickable headlines successful hunt results. 

Google uses rubric tags to recognize your content's topic. But, much importantly, compelling titles person radical to click done to your site.

Do the pursuing to constitute effectual rubric tags:

• Stay betwixt 50-60 characters
• Include a people keyword
• Clearly picture the page
• Write a unsocial rubric tag for each page

Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are abbreviated summaries of a leafage that tin look arsenic a snippet beneath the rubric connected SERPs.

While meta descriptions don't straight impact rankings, they tin power click-through rates.

To constitute effectual meta descriptions, bash the following:

• Stick to 105 characters oregon fewer
• Include the people keyword naturally
• Highlight the page's value 
• Include a wide CTA
• Write a unsocial meta statement for each page

Heading Tags 

Heading tags are HTML tags connected pages that signifier your contented into sections and assistance Google recognize the operation of your pages. 

It’s champion to usage headings and subheadings (H2-H6) to conception topics successful a hierarchical and logical way.

Like this:

Here are immoderate different tips to usage heading tags effectively:

• Include 1 H1 tag per page
• Use your people keyword successful the H1
• Structure main topics with H2s and subtopics with H3s and smaller
• Keep headings descriptive and clear

Page URLs 

A URL is the code of a circumstantial webpage oregon record connected the internet, and it tin assistance hunt engines recognize your leafage better.

Your URL (and the larger operation of your website) tin besides power however your URL way is displayed successful hunt results. Which whitethorn power searchers. 

Let’s accidental you’re choosing betwixt the pursuing URL slugs (the past portion of the URL):

• /shoes/2789469760/
• /red-shoes/

Which 1 would you accidental is amended optimized?

The 2nd one. Because it accurately reflects what’s connected the leafage portion inactive being concise.

To optimize your URLs:

• Keep them descriptive but concise
• Use your superior keyword
• Separate words with hyphens
• Remove unnecessary words (“a,” “the,” “and.” etc.)
• Avoid peculiar characters

Images

Images tin marque your contented much engaging and bring successful postulation done Google representation searches.

But hunt engines can't "see" images. So, you request to marque definite they tin recognize what’s being shown.

To optimize images for search:

• Use descriptive record names (mountain-hiking-gear.jpg—not IMG001.jpg)
• Add applicable alt text to picture each representation (include your keyword erstwhile it makes sense)
• Compress files to amended loading velocity with tools similar TinyPNG
• Choose the close record format (WebP is often best, but you tin besides usage JPG for photos and PNG for graphics)

Further reading: Image SEO: How to Optimize Images for Search Engines & Users

Internal Links

Internal links constituent from 1 leafage connected your tract to different leafage connected your site—they assistance hunt engines recognize your site’s structure, walk nexus authority, and assistance users find related content. 

Here’s what an interior nexus looks similar connected a unrecorded page:

Use interior links efficaciously by doing the following::

• Use descriptive anchor text (the clickable, linked text)
• Add applicable interior links to caller pages
• Audit and hole breached interior links regularly

Also, see giving low-performing pages a boost by linking to them from your pages with precocious nexus authorization to stock authorization betwixt pages.

Find pages with precocious nexus authorization utilizing the Internal Linking study successful Site Audit. And nexus from those pages to your underperforming pages.

Link Building

Links from different websites to yours (called backlinks) are similar votes of assurance that tin pb to amended rankings. 

The much high-quality backlinks (i.e., backlinks from reputable websites) you person pointing to your pages, the higher your site’s authorization successful the eyes of Google. And the higher you whitethorn beryllium capable to rank. 

How bash you bash that? With immoderate effective link gathering tactics:

Build Links from Associations, Suppliers, and Connected Business

You already person connections with different businesses, truthful crook those relationships into links. 

Many of your suppliers, concern partners, and manufacture associations person spouse pages oregon subordinate directories wherever they tin nexus to your site.

Start by making a database of:

• Companies you bargain from
• Professional organizations you beryllium to
• Business partners you enactment with
• Chambers of commerce successful your area

Then, scope retired with a elemental email asking to beryllium added to their partners page. Since you already person a relationship, galore volition beryllium blessed to nexus to you.

Submit Your Site to Quality Directories

If you’re a section concern oregon enactment successful a circumstantial niche, getting your tract connected a morganatic directory tin nonstop you postulation and perchance immoderate nexus authority.

Focus connected industry-specific directories wherever your customers are apt to find you.

And beryllium alert that astir well-known directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages, etc.) usage attributes that archer hunt engines not to dainty the links arsenic endorsements. Which tin marque those links little invaluable than modular links. 

Use a instrumentality similar Listing Management to automatically taxable your concern accusation to apical directories.

Earn Links from the Press

Getting mentioned successful quality articles and manufacture publications is 1 of the champion ways to physique almighty links. 

Here's however to commencement attracting attraction from the press:

• Follow cardinal journalists successful your manufacture connected societal media and prosecute thoughtfully with their content
• Create reports with archetypal data, surveys, oregon probe and stock those reports with publications
• Build a elaborate media kit with your expertise areas, past coverage, and interaction information
• Monitor trending topics successful your manufacture and transportation applicable adept commentary
• Write property releases for genuinely newsworthy institution updates
• Connect with section quality outlets astir assemblage initiatives

Focus connected gathering relationships with journalists alternatively than conscionable asking for links. 

When you supply existent worth and found yourself arsenic a reliable adept source, the links volition travel naturally.

Create Content That Attracts Backlinks

Content that people attracts backlinks includes archetypal research, infographics, timely content, and broad guides.

That’s due to the fact that these types of contented supply new, absorbing information. Or simplify existing accusation to marque it much understandable. 

Technical SEO

Technical SEO ensures hunt engines tin efficaciously find, understand, and scale website content. 

Here are 3 cardinal method elements you request to get right:

Provide Crawling Instructions with Your Robots.txt File

A robots.txt record tells hunt engines which of your pages they should and shouldn't crawl, which helps hunt engines prioritize the astir important pages.

For example, you decidedly privation hunt engines to crawl blog pages focused connected invaluable keywords. But you astir apt don’t privation them to crawl admin pages.

Depending connected your site’s contented absorption strategy (CMS), you whitethorn already person a robots.txt record acceptable up. You tin typically find it at: https://www[yourdomain.com]/robots.txt.

Here’s what a robots.txt record tin look like:

If you don’t person 1 yet, create one.

But beryllium cautious to debar accidentally blocking immoderate important pages with disallow directives. And usage Google Search Console's robots.txt tester to validate your file

Optimize Your Core Web Vitals

Google’s Core Web Vitals are a acceptable of metrics that bespeak however user-friendly your site.

They see the following:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures however agelong it takes for the largest constituent connected your leafage to load
• Interaction to Next Paint (INP): Assesses however rapidly a webpage responds to idiosyncratic interactions
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures overmuch the elements connected a leafage unexpectedly displacement arsenic the leafage loads

The amended your pages execute according to these metrics, the amended acquisition they provide. And the amended they tin rank.

Follow this step-by-step process to cheque and amended your Core Web Vitals:

Open Google Search Console and caput to “Experience” > "Core Web Vitals."

Then, look for pages marked arsenic "Poor" oregon "Needs Improvement."

Run those URLs done PageSpeed Insights to get circumstantial recommendations connected however to hole them.

Like this:

Or, usage the Core Web Vitals study successful Site Audit to spot circumstantial recommendations for 10 pages of your choosing.

Just click “View details” successful the “Core Web Vitals” section.

Look for the “Metrics” conception to spot your scores and recommendations connected however to amended them.

Further reading: Google PageSpeed Insights: What It Is & How to Boost Your Score

Use HTTPS

HTTPS is simply a protocol that lets web browsers pass with web servers successful a unafraid mode (using encryption) and is simply a ranking factor.

Migrating from HTTP to HTTPS is straightforward:

• Purchase an SSL certificate (many hosts connection them for free)
• Set up 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS
• Update immoderate links and assets that are inactive utilizing HTTP
• Update your spot successful Google Search Console and taxable a caller sitemap

Mobile SEO

Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it prioritizes the mobile mentation of your site’s content. 

So, if your tract isn’t optimized for mobile SEO, it could execute poorly successful hunt results.

Here are a fewer ways to marque definite your website is mobile-friendly: 

• Prioritize speedy load times
• Use a responsive website layout that automatically adapts to the user’s screen
• Optimize rubric tags and meta descriptions for mobile SERPs
• Keep paragraphs abbreviated and usage plentifulness of achromatic space
• Avoid intrusive pop-ups
• Make each your buttons and substance accessible and readable

Measuring SEO Success 

Track and measurement cardinal SEO metrics to measure your SEO show and find whether you request to marque immoderate adjustments.

Here are immoderate metrics to see monitoring:

Organic Search Traffic 

Organic hunt traffic refers to however galore visits your tract gets from integrated (unpaid) hunt motor results. 

The champion mode to measurement this metric is utilizing Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

Go to “Reports” > “Acquisition” > “Traffic acquisition.”

Set the clip scope to the latest afloat period and cheque the “Organic Search” enactment to spot however galore visits your tract got from search. 

And show this fig each period to spot whether your SEO efforts are driving much postulation to your site. 

To spot however beardown your integrated postulation show is compared to your main competitors, usage Traffic Analytics.

Further reading:

• SEO Traffic: What It Is & 6 Ways to Increase It
• Google Analytics for Beginners: Getting Started with GA4

Keyword Rankings

Keyword rankings notation to wherever your website ranks connected a SERP for circumstantial keywords.

This is an important metric to way due to the fact that the higher you rank, the much postulation you tin get from hunt engines.

Track your Google rankings utilizing Google Search Console.

Go to “Performance” > “Search results” and cheque each the boxes astatine the top.

Then, scroll down to the “Queries” array to spot up to 1,000 keywords your tract is ranking for. 

For much utile insights, use Position Tracking.

Add the keywords that substance astir for your business, and the instrumentality volition way your rankings daily. 

Further reading: SEO Ranking: Factors & Tips to Improve Your Positions

Engagement Time

Engagement clip is the mean clip your webpage was the visitor’s main focus. 

It’s a adjuvant metric to spot however good your contented satisfies hunt intent.

In GA4, the engagement complaint is the percent of sessions (website visits) that conscionable astatine slightest 1 of these criteria:

• Last longer than 10 seconds,
• Include a conversion event
• Involve astatine slightest 2 leafage oregon surface views

To cheque engagement time, spell to “Reports” > “Engagement” > “Pages and screens.”

Look for the “Average engagement clip per progressive user” column.

Investigate pages with notably debased numbers. And survey them to find what whitethorn request improvement. 

Further reading: What Is Engagement Rate successful GA4? + How to Improve It

Conversions

A conversion is erstwhile a visitant completes a desired enactment connected your tract similar subscribing to your newsletter, requesting a demo, oregon making a purchase. 

Conversions bespeak whether your SEO efforts thrust existent concern results.

To way conversions, usage Google Analytics. 

In GA4, conversions are called “key events.” Use Google’s usher to larn how to make and edit cardinal events.

Then, find your conversions by going to “Reports” > “Acquisition” > “Traffic Acquisition.” Look for the “Key events” column.

Specifically, look astatine the “Organic Search” file to spot however good you’re driving conversions done SEO.

Further reading:

• How to Set Up GA4 Conversion Tracking: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Increase Your Conversion Rate (Tips That Work)

Start Your SEO Journey

You present person the basics of SEO down. And a blueprint for amended hunt rankings. 

Start small—maybe optimize 1 important leafage oregon hole a method issue. Each triumph builds momentum.

But due tools marque each the difference. 

So, motion up for a escaped everlastingly Semrush account. You’ll get entree to 55+ tools that fto you:

• Do keyword research
• Analyze your competitors
• Create optimized, user-friendly content
• Track your keyword rankings
• Run a method tract audit

Plus more.