A Beginners Guide to SEO
Technology is rapidly changing and as the word progresses, so does the way we communicate. This is
also true when it comes to marketing. In a world where “let me Google that” has become a common
phrase, access to information and services has never been easier. The internet has not only made
access to information and services easier; it has also made marketing a lot more accessible for
businesses. Gone are the days where having to pay for expensive television ads or paying to have
your business printed in the Yellow Pages, all you need now is a little knowledge and an
understanding. In world now where advertising is so much easier, how does one stand out from the
crowd? How can you get your business, service or product noticed? How do you get your business to
be around the top of the list when somebody does say “let me Google that”? Well, that is where SEO
comes in.
What is SEO?
SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, when utilised correctly, is what is going to get your page near
the top of the list when somebody types something related to your business, service or product in a
search engine. It is an organic way to get traffic to your site. Essentially, search engines want to be
efficient. It is in their best interest to provide users with the best answer to their query. As a
business, your aim is to ensure that when somebody does do a search engine search for a product or
service that is related to your business, you want your name to be in the top searches, or at least on
the first page, as most users will not look further. When somebody types a query into a search
engine, the role of the search engine is to scan through information on the internet to find the best
matched website. When a website has good SEO, it means that the search engine is able to pick up
the content easily and provide the searcher with that site. When using SEO, content writers and
experts in SEO will ensure that information is clear for the search engine and specific keywords are
available to be picked up. The easier it is for the search engine to pick up on relevant content, the
most likely that it will be at the top of the search. That is Search Engine Optimisation in a nutshell.
How to Implement SEO on your Website?
Now it might sound easy enough; just create clear, straight to the point content on your site. While
essentially yes, that can help optimise your site, there is a little more to it than that. Keywords are at
the back bone of every website, and while they may seem straight forward enough, you may be
surprised what keywords will bring more visibility to your site. Another thing to consider when using
keywords is that the positioning of the keywords in your content. Many websites place keywords
throughout their content, others use keywords in blogs and articles attached to their websites to
bring traffic through. Placing keywords in headings, URLs and titles is the clearest way to get your
keywords to be picked up.
Another way SEO is implemented is through backlinks. Essentially backlinks is using other sites to link
to your site. Having other sites display links to your site basically says to the search engine that your
site is popular and useful. In short, the more your site comes up and seems popular and relevant, the
more likely the search engine is going to show your site near the top. As mentioned before, a search
engine wants to be efficient for the user to find what they are looking for.
What to Avoid When Using SEO?
Spattering a whole lot of keywords and working with other sites to get your site linked to theirs now
seems like the plan of attack when using SEO, but there are a few pitfalls to avoid when it comes to
SEO:
❌ Duplicate Content
It may be tempting to copy and paste content across a few of your pages, but duplicate
content can confuse a search engine. It may filter out the right page you need to engage
your potential customer. Make sure across your pages, including in your URLs and product
descriptions, that each page is unique to avoid confusing the search engine.
❌Quick Hits
While it may be tempting to throw in a whole lot of keywords without having quality
content, do not fall into this quick fix pitfall. At the beginning, it may draw traffic to your site
but sites like Google will penalise sites that do not deem to be useful, and that quick influx of
traffic will decline quickly. Publishing consistent, quality content over time will build up your
traffic, so take it slow and it will pay off in the long run.
❌ Not User-Friendly
Having a site that is structured poorly or is not optimised for mobile content will significantly
impact your traffic. We may be repeating ourselves here, but the easier to navigate the
more user-friendly your site is, search engines are going to want to put them up the top as
they are focused on efficiency for the searcher, not the business.
SEO may seem like an overwhelming concept and while there are plenty of people out there who
can help you optimise your site, sticking to the above principles is a great place to start if you are
want to organically drive traffic to your website. In today’s world of marketing, there are plenty of
tips and tricks out there as well as competition, so having good quality SEO on your site is one way
you can be a step ahead of the rest.