Getting started with SEO or search engine optimization can be scary—there are a lot of technical terms, checklists, resources, and tasks to learn. If you are a beginner in this field, you need a step-by-step tutorial that is easy to remember.
At this point, you must first know the fundamentals of SEO before proceeding to the next step. You can read more here: The Fundamentals of SEO – What You Should Know.
This SEO tutorial will help you make your SEO job easier. Here are the ten steps to increase organic traffic and improve your SEO skills. Let’s dive in.
Step 1: Find what keywords people are searching for
People look up information about your brand, product, or service in many ways using search engines. SEO’s job is to find the best keywords and use them in relevant content. It is called keyword research.
Get a keyword research tool to find keywords for your business, products, or problems your audience might need to solve. There are many free options that you can find online so that you can start right away.
Step 2: Make Content that people want to see
After you find the best keywords people are searching for, make content that people want to see, not just search engines. These keywords are the ones you want to rank for, and the content you create matches the search terms. That way, people searching for that keyword will find what they want.
People want to see helpful and trustworthy information when they’re searching. Only create content for the sake of it. There’s already too much information on the internet, so make sure your content is valuable and relevant.
Step 3: Create convincing Titles with your Keywords
Make your title compelling and appealing enough to get searchers’ attention. But by creating a title, you must include the keywords you want to rank for.
The content title is most important for Google and other search engines. It shows what’s on a web page in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
For making a compelling title, try these best practices for creating good titles:
- Include your primary keyword naturally
- Make it descriptive
- Try to stand out
- Avoid overpromises and click baits
- Fit into Google’s pixel limits
Don’t make your title too long. Recommended characters are 65 or fewer to guarantee that search engines won’t cut your title. Also, make sure your website’s title includes your brand name.
Step 4: Add Keywords on your Page URL, Meta Description, and H1 Text
- Page URL
Google and other search engines use the URL’s text to determine the page’s content. Make it short, and keep it descriptive and easy to read.
- Meta Description
The meta description on your website’s pages gives search engines a hint about the page’s topic. However, you should write the meta description with a human audience in mind and be readable to people.
The description tag should not contain more than 160 characters and should naturally include keywords.
- H1 Text
The H1 text is the title or bold text at the top of your page. Google and other search engines pay attention to this, so ensure your keyword is there.
Step 5: Include Keywords in the page content
Use target keywords in your content to signal to search engines that the page is about the keyword. The page should appear in the search results. Use your keyword 4-6 times or 10-12 times, but don’t overdo it. Use your keyword naturally, but don’t use black-hat practices like keyword stuffing.
Step 6: Adding internal links
Internal links are links within the same website. They help search bots by providing paths. They also support users by providing a way to get from one place to another.
Link equity is how many votes a page gets from links from other websites. You control how many links you have, so you need to work on this first.
Find good opportunities for internal links when you publish new content, and then add the links.
Step 7: Get good-quality backlinks
Now we get backlinks from websites you don’t control. Getting good backlinks is difficult because there’s a lot of demand.
There are many ways to get links. The rule of thumb is to provide enough value to motivate the other person to link to you.
Your best way to get good quality backlinks is by creating valuable and compelling content others want to share. You can ask for links, and you’ll also grow your link profile without doing anything.
Step 8: Make a good user experience
Have you ever clicked on a promising search snippet and ended up on a lousy website?
Google’s ranking of its results considers multiple user experience factors. It includes how happy visitors are with the entire experience of the page and website.
Consider these user experience factors as a starting point for your other SEO efforts, not a guarantee of high rankings:
- Mobile-friendly website
- Good website structure and navigation.
- Easy-to-read content
- Ads and pop-ups in moderation
- Provide a secure connection
Step 9: Build an excellent technical foundation
If search engines can’t access your content, you won’t succeed. Make sure search engines can find, crawl, and store your pages in their index.
Content’s technical errors that prevent it from ranking are rare, but you’re likely safe if you don’t click on random things in your CMS.
But many things can stop you from getting high rankings in search engines.
You can learn and fix technical SEO issues without knowing much about the technical side. Use online tools, set up an audit, and watch for problems.
Step 10: Track your rank
Finally, it’s time to check the results of your efforts. You will want to keep track of your SEO progress by tracking your results.
If you’re new to SEO, search for your target keyword in Google to get a sense of your current rank. The most recommendable tools you can use for free for tracking your rankings are Google Search Console and Google Analytics.
There are many good SEO tools, but these two are the best if you’re starting SEO. They’ll help you learn if your SEO efforts are working.
Use your skills in Action with this SEO Tutorial
Remember, this is only the beginning, so don’t stop learning here. Make an effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategy with these steps.
Go and apply what you’ve learned. You will encounter many mistakes, but you can always repurpose those failed campaigns again for better success.
So track your progress, learn from your mistakes, and you can always go back here if you lose track. SEO takes time, so be patient. Good luck!
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