You have probably heard that it is necessary to do SEO in almost everything, or that we need to know how to SEO optimize a website nowadays. For what? Well, to have visibility in order for your potential customers to find you.
But… what is SEO really?
In this post, we will learn what SEO is and how to do it properly on your website, so that you can achieve that glorious first page of Google.
We really wish this article help you in the process of growing your business.
What is SEO and what is it used for?
SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization, is the process of adapting your website to appeal to search engines like Google.
Why should we prioritize optimizing our website for Google?
By optimizing our website for Google, we increase the likelihood of it appearing among the top positions in Google’s search results, which is crucial for reaching our target audience. When users search for relevant keywords on Google, they tend to click on the top results.
In fact, studies have shown that approximately 75% of sales are generated by the top 3 organic search results on Google, excluding advertisements. Therefore, optimizing our website for Google can significantly enhance our online visibility and ultimately drive more traffic and potential customers to our business.
Another crucial element of SEO involves comprehending the user’s search intent. This entails presenting search results that align with what the user is actively seeking. Put simply, if someone is searching for a red shirt, the link they click on should direct them to a page featuring red shirts, rather than blue ones or a collection of various colored shirts. Understanding and catering to search intent is of great significance, and we will delve deeper into its importance within the forthcoming sections of this article.
How to start optimizing your website for SEO?
SEO Server and hosting
Web servers play an essential role in the performance and accessibility of websites, which can indirectly affect SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in several ways.
While web servers alone do not guarantee higher search engine rankings, they indirectly influence SEO by affecting website speed, availability, security, and other factors that search engines consider when ranking websites. It’s important to choose a reliable web hosting provider and optimize server configurations to provide a positive user experience and enhance SEO performance.
Difference between a VPS and Hosting:
VPS (Virtual Private Server) and hosting are two different hosting options that offer varying levels of control, resources, and scalability. Choosing between VPS and hosting depends on your website’s requirements, expected traffic, customization needs, and budget.
A VPS is more secure, fast, better for SEO and is private, only for your website. I recommend Raiola Networks, I have all my sites here and it is the best ever. Also if you have a problem they solve it in minutes and the customer support is amazing.
If your budget is smaller you can hire a Hosting, but remember it is shared with other websites you don’t know, and can be slower some days. But still an option if you cannot get the VPS.
Once you hire your server or hosting.. Let’s start building!!!
How to Optimize your website SEO
There are many ways to optimize your website, including on-page SEO and off-page SEO.
On-page SEO involves optimizing the content on your website, both the structural texts (which are the compelling content throughout your web pages) and the blog. SEO works a little differently in the blog, and we’ll leave that for another article.
Off-page SEO, also known as link building, is when other websites link to your site. However, it is crucial that these links are highly relevant to your business. For example, if you have a clothing business and Vogue magazine mentions and links to your site, it’s a very positive thing. However, we don’t want negative or fake links to point to your website, as it would give a bad reputation to Google, and this is called Black Hat SEO.
SEO On-page
That being said, let’s move on to on-page SEO and how to apply it to your website.
The first thing you need to do is define your buyer persona, your audience, your target. Because you’ll need to put yourself in their shoes and think: how would they search for your services or products on Google?
Those words that your customers use to search for you are your keywords.
So, step 1: perform a keyword strategy.
Keyword Strategy
How to perform a keyword strategy?
You can use an spreadsheet and write down all the words related to your products or services. If you have more than one product or service, organize them into groups.
Then, you’re going to search for synonyms of those words. You can do this using Google itself. Type the keyword into the search bar and see what suggestions Google gives you. Those suggestions mean that many people are searching for them, which is why Google recommends them.
Search volume
Now, how do we know if those words are actually being searched for and are beneficial for us? We can use tools like Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest. The first two are free and can be very useful if you’re just starting with SEO. The latter two are more advanced.
Keyword Difficulty
Once you have your list of keywords with their respective search volumes, you need to determine if those keywords have high, medium, or low competition. You can see this in Ahrefs in the KD (Keyword Difficulty) column.
You can choose keywords by striking a balance between those with high search volumes and lower competition. This way, you will likely see faster results.
SEO Content: Create Engaging and Valuable Content
Once you have your keywords, start creating your content. Use headings and subheadings that include them, and also incorporate them naturally within the paragraphs. Avoid overusing them.
It is important that the content you write provides value. Don’t write just for the sake of writing. Remember what we mentioned earlier: satisfying the user’s search intent is crucial.
Search intent:
Coherence is necessary when searching for something on Google. Following the previous example, if I’m searching for a red t-shirt, I would like to find products that are red shirts, not green or black ones. If the user clicks on a Google search result that promises one thing but arrives on a webpage that offers something different, they will immediately leave that page and continue searching. By satisfying a search, we decrease the bounce rate on our website and encourage the user to spend more time on it. This tells Google that it is a valuable page, which is highly beneficial for SEO.
Technical SEO Web Optimization
Technical SEO is just one aspect of optimizing your website for search engines. It’s important to combine it with the previous things we told you in this post, as: high-quality content, user experience improvements, and off-page optimization strategies to achieve the best results.
Some key areas to focus on for technical SEO optimization:
- Website Speed: Optimize your website’s loading speed by minimizing code, compressing images, and leveraging browser caching. Faster-loading websites tend to rank higher in search results.
- Mobile-Friendliness: Ensure your website is responsive and mobile-friendly. With the mobile-first indexing approach adopted by search engines, having a mobile-friendly site is crucial for better rankings.
- URL Structure: Create clean and descriptive URLs that include relevant keywords. Use hyphens to separate words and avoid using numbers and special characters in URLs.
- SSL Certificate: Ensure your website has an SSL certificate installed and is accessible via HTTPS. SSL encryption not only secures user data but also sends positive signals to search engines, potentially boosting your rankings.
- Crawling and Indexing: Use tools like Google Search Console to monitor how search engines crawl and index your website. Check for crawl errors, review indexation status, and submit sitemaps to aid in the indexing process.
- Site Architecture: Create a clear and logical site structure with intuitive navigation. Organize your content into categories and subcategories to make it easier for users and search engines to find and understand your website.
- Internal Linking: Implement strategic internal linking to connect related pages on your website. Internal links improve the discoverability of your content, distribute link equity, and help search engines crawl and understand your site better.
How to SEO Optimize a Website: Conclusion
Optimizing your website for SEO is an ongoing process that requires dedication, patience, and a commitment to providing a positive user experience. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to boost your website’s visibility, attract organic traffic, and outperform your competition. Start implementing these SEO optimization techniques today and watch your website climb the ranks of search engine results.
