A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding SEO: How to Get Your Website Noticed

Hey there, Rebecca Bertoldi, your friend in marketing here, talking to you today about ways to get your website noticed. If you’re a business owner or content creator, you’ve probably heard the term SEO thrown around. But what exactly is it, and why is it important for your website? This beginner's guide will break it all down for you, giving you a clear understanding of how SEO works and how you can use it to get your website noticed by more people.

What Is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s the practice of optimizing your website so that search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo can easily find and rank it. The better your SEO, the higher your website will appear in search results, which means more visibility and more visitors.

Think of SEO as the roadmap that helps search engines navigate your site. The easier you make it for them, the more likely they are to recommend your site to people searching for relevant information.

How Do Search Engines Work?

Search engines use crawlers (also called bots or spiders) to scan the internet and index websites. They analyze things like keywords, content quality, and site structure to determine how useful your website is for users. The better your site meets these criteria, the higher it will rank.

Let’s look at an example: Imagine you own a bakery and someone searches for “best cupcakes in [your city].” If your website is well-optimized with relevant keywords, good content, and strong local SEO, your bakery could appear near the top of the search results. More people will see your bakery, and you’ll likely get more customers.

Key Components of SEO

1. Keywords
   Keywords are the phrases or terms people search for when they’re looking for information. For example, if someone is searching for "easy chocolate cake recipe," those words are the keywords. Your job is to include relevant keywords in your website’s content, meta descriptions, titles, and URLs to help search engines understand what your site is about.
   
   Example: If you’re a local florist, you’d want to use keywords like "flower delivery in [your city]" or "wedding bouquets [your city]."
   

   

2. Content Quality
   Search engines prioritize websites that provide high-quality, informative content. This means your content should be relevant, well-written, and provide value to your visitors. Regularly updating your blog, sharing useful guides, and answering common customer questions are all good ways to improve content quality.
   
   Example: If you’re a personal trainer, writing a blog post on "5 Easy At-Home Workouts" will not only show that you’re knowledgeable but will also attract people searching for fitness tips.
   
   

   

3. On-Page SEO
   On-page SEO refers to the technical aspects of your website that help search engines understand your content. This includes things like meta titles, meta descriptions, header tags (H1, H2, H3), and image alt text.
   
   Example: When uploading a product photo of a red dress to your online store, make sure the image has descriptive alt text like "red cocktail dress" so search engines can index the image correctly.

4. Backlinks
   Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your site. These links act as "votes of confidence" and tell search engines that your site is reputable and trustworthy. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the better your SEO will be.
   
   Example: If a local newspaper links to your bakery’s website in an article about the best places for dessert, that’s a high-quality backlink.
   
   

   

5. Mobile Optimization
   More and more people are using mobile devices to browse the web, so having a mobile-friendly website is essential. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, you’ll lose out on traffic and search engines may rank your site lower.
   
   Example: Make sure your website adjusts automatically to different screen sizes, and test it on both smartphones and tablets.

6. Local SEO
   Local SEO is important for businesses that rely on local customers, such as restaurants, hair salons, and retail stores. By optimizing for local search terms and registering your business on Google My Business, you can improve your visibility in local search results.
   
   Example: Make sure your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are consistent across your website, Google My Business, and other local directories.
   

   

How to Get Started with SEO

Now that you understand the basics of SEO, here are some steps to get started:

1. Do Keyword Research
   Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to find relevant keywords for your industry. Make a list of these keywords and naturally incorporate them into your website content.

2. Optimize Your Website
   Make sure each page on your website has a descriptive title tag, a clear meta description, and proper use of headers (H1, H2, etc.). Also, check that all your images have alt text.

3. Create Valuable Content
   Start a blog, answer frequently asked questions, or create guides that are useful to your audience. The more value you provide, the more likely visitors (and search engines) are to trust your site.

4. Get Backlinks
   Reach out to other local businesses or bloggers and ask if they’d be willing to link to your website. You can also write guest posts or collaborate on content to get more backlinks.

5. Optimize for Mobile
   Make sure your website is responsive and works smoothly on all devices, especially mobile phones.

SEO can seem overwhelming at first, but once you break it down into smaller components, it’s much easier to understand. By focusing on the basics—keywords, content, technical optimization, backlinks, and mobile-friendliness—you can start to see improvements in your website’s visibility and attract more visitors over time.

With these simple tips, you’ll be well on your way to mastering SEO and getting your website noticed! And if want some help along the way, we're here for you! Book a call to discuss your SEO needs.

Until next time,

Rebecca Bertoldi