A Basic Guide to SEO for Newbies

This basic guide to SEO for newbies is designed to give you the lowdown in a nutshell. Let’s start with what SEO stands for: search engine optimisation. You may have heard this term used a few times if you have a business or a website, but it might sound like gobbledygook to you. Read on if you’d like to learn more about SEO, and what it takes to have a good SEO strategy:

What is SEO?

SEO is the art of optimising a page of website so that search engines can index it. When a page is indexed, it becomes easier for people who are searching the web to find. Keywords are used to make sure the page or site is getting found for relevant terms. It’s thanks to SEO that you find blue shoes on Google or pink nappies on Bing. Google is the most searched search engine, however, so it is always the most talked about. If sites did not perform SEO, it could become near impossible to find them amongst the sea of other sites out there. It’s an essential marketing technique for anybody with a website!

The different search engines have different algorithms. In other words, ‘rules’. These rules determine how they index and rank a page. It doesn’t stop there either; these algorithms change constantly to offer a better search experience for the user. This could mean that one day you are on the first page of Google, but the next you’re nowhere to be found. It could also mean that you get punished for a dodgy SEO tactic that you tested in the past. A beginners guide to Google Penguin should give you more information on algorithm updates. Because Google is constantly updating their process, it only makes sense for you to strive to use legitimate tactics to get your site on the top spot of Google. The top spot is always the most sought after, as it gets the most clicks. Humans are quite lazy and can sometimes not even be bothered to look below the fold, let alone on the next page!

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So, what makes a good SEO strategy?

A Good SEO Strategy

A good SEO strategy should be based around creating a great user experience. In the past, businesses focused way too much on the search engines, and made their sites for them. This resulted in users becoming frustrated with many sites.

For a good SEO strategy you should make sure your key terms are as relevant as possible to your business. You should also make sure your page is fast loading and easy to use. Having a blog and a mobile site will get you more traffic naturally. There are plenty more things that can be done too!

SEO Techniques to Avoid

Shady techniques always get found out by Google. Black hat SEOs, as they are called, have used everything from keyword stuffing to link farms to try to get their sites on the number one spot. This may work temporarily, but it is never a long term solution!

Do you understand a little more about SEO now? Leave a comment!