The ultimate beginner's guide to SEO for new websites
Starting a new website can be exciting, but it's important to remember that simply having a website isn't enough. To be successful online, your website needs to be optimised for search engines, which is where search engine optimisation (SEO) comes in. However, for new website owners, SEO can seem overwhelming and confusing.
That's why we've created this article. In this guide, we'll provide a comprehensive overview of everything you need to know to get started with SEO for your new website. From keyword research and on-page optimisation to technical SEO and link building, we'll cover all the essential strategies and best practices that can help your website rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Whether you're a small business owner, a blogger, or a freelancer, this guide is designed to help you understand the basics of SEO and how to apply them to your new website. So let's dive in and get started!
Keyword Research
Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy, as it helps you identify the words and phrases your target audience is using to search for your products or services. By understanding the keywords your potential customers are using, you can optimise your website's content to better match their search intent and improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages.
Here are the steps you should take to conduct keyword research for your new website:
2. Refine your list using keyword research tools: Use keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to analyse search volume, competition, and relevance for your list of keywords. This can help you identify the most valuable keywords for your website.
3. Consider long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that people are searching for. They may have less search volume, but they also tend to have lower competition, making it easier to rank for them. Consider including some long-tail keywords in your content.
5. Use your keywords strategically: Once you've identified your target keywords, incorporate them strategically into your website's content, including in your page titles, meta descriptions, headers, and content. However, be careful not to overdo it, as "keyword stuffing" can actually harm your SEO.
Here are the steps you should take to conduct keyword research for your new website:
1. Start with a broad list of potential keywords: Brainstorm a list of keywords and phrases that are relevant to your business, product or service. These can be single words or longer phrases.
2. Refine your list using keyword research tools: Use keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to analyse search volume, competition, and relevance for your list of keywords. This can help you identify the most valuable keywords for your website.
3. Consider long-tail keywords: Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that people are searching for. They may have less search volume, but they also tend to have lower competition, making it easier to rank for them. Consider including some long-tail keywords in your content.
4. Analyse competitor keywords: Look at the websites of your competitors and analyze their content to see what keywords they are targeting. This can give you ideas for keywords to target on your own website.
5. Use your keywords strategically: Once you've identified your target keywords, incorporate them strategically into your website's content, including in your page titles, meta descriptions, headers, and content. However, be careful not to overdo it, as "keyword stuffing" can actually harm your SEO.
On-Page Optimisation
On-page optimisation refers to the various techniques and best practices used to optimise individual web pages on your site to improve their ranking in search engine results pages. On-page optimisation involves both the content and the HTML source code of a page that can be optimised for better search engine rankings. By optimising your website's on-page elements, you can make it easier for search engines to understand the content of your website and rank it accordingly.
Here are some best practices for on-page optimisation:
1. Use relevant and unique page titles: Page titles are one of the most important on-page factors for SEO. Each page on your website should have a unique title that accurately describes the content of the page, and includes your target keyword.
2. Write compelling meta descriptions: Meta descriptions are the short snippets of text that appear below the page title in search engine results pages. Write a unique meta description for each page that includes your target keyword and compels users to click through to your website.
3. Optimise your headers: Headers (H1, H2, H3) provide structure to your content and can help search engines understand the main topics of your page. Use your target keyword in at least one header on each page.
4. Include high-quality, relevant content: Your website's content is one of the most important on-page factors for SEO. Ensure that your content is high-quality, unique, and relevant to your target audience.
5. Optimise images: Images can help improve the user experience of your website, but they can also slow down your site if they are not optimised. Ensure that your images are properly compressed, have descriptive file names, and include alt text that includes your target keyword.
6. Improve your website's load time: A website's load time is a crucial factor in both user experience and SEO. Ensure that your website is optimised for fast load times by minimising file sizes, leveraging browser caching, and using a content delivery network (CDN).
Technical SEO
In addition to on-page optimisation, technical SEO refers to the various technical elements of your website that can impact its ranking in search engine results pages. Technical SEO involves optimising your website's backend to ensure that it is easily crawl-able and indexable by search engines, and that it provides a great user experience for visitors.
Here are some key technical SEO factors to consider:
1. Website structure and navigation: Ensure that your website has a clear and organised structure, with a logical hierarchy of pages and easy-to-use navigation. This can help search engines understand the content of your website and improve user experience.
2. Site speed and performance: Website speed and performance are important factors for both user experience and SEO. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to identify and fix any speed or performance issues on your website.
3. Mobile responsiveness: With the majority of internet users browsing on mobile devices, it's important that your website is optimised for mobile. Ensure that your website is responsive and that it looks and performs well on mobile devices.
4. URL structure: Use clear, descriptive URLs that accurately reflect the content of each page on your website. Avoid using dynamic URLs, which can be difficult for search engines to crawl and understand.
5. Site architecture: Ensure that your website's architecture is optimised for both users and search engines. This involves minimising the number of clicks required to reach important pages, using internal linking to improve navigation and user experience, and ensuring that your site's content is easily accessible.
Link Building
Link building is an essential part of SEO and involves acquiring backlinks, or links to your website from other websites. Backlinks are important because they signal to search engines that other websites consider your content to be valuable and relevant, which can improve your website's search engine rankings.
Here are some strategies for building high-quality backlinks:
1. Create high-quality content: One of the best ways to acquire backlinks is to create high-quality, valuable content that other websites want to link to. This can include blog posts, infographics, videos, and other forms of content that provide value to your target audience.
2. Reach out to other websites: Reach out to other websites in your industry and offer to guest post or collaborate on content. This can help you acquire backlinks from authoritative websites in your niche.
3. Use social media: Share your content on social media and engage with other users in your industry. This can help you build relationships with other website owners and acquire backlinks.
4. Use online directories: Submit your website to relevant online directories and local business listings. This can help you acquire backlinks from authoritative directories and improve your website's visibility in search engine results pages.
5. Monitor your backlinks: Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to monitor your website's backlinks and identify any toxic or low-quality links. Disavow any links that are harmful to your website's SEO.
By implementing these link building strategies, you can improve your website's authority and reputation, which can lead to higher search engine rankings and increased organic traffic. However, it's important to note that link building should always be done ethically and with a focus on quality, not quantity.
Analytics and Reporting
Once you have implemented your SEO strategies, it's important to track your website's performance and make data-driven decisions. This is where analytics and reporting come in. By using analytics tools, you can track your website's traffic, user behaviour, and other important metrics, which can help you optimise your website for better performance.
Here are some analytics tools and metrics to consider:
Google Analytics: Google Analytics is a free tool that provides in-depth insights into your website's traffic, user behaviour, and other key metrics. Use Google Analytics to track your website's organic traffic, bounce rate, conversion rate, and other important metrics.
Keyword rankings: Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz to track your website's keyword rankings and identify any opportunities for improvement.
Backlink analysis: Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to analyse your website's backlink profile and identify any toxic or low-quality links that may be harming your website's SEO.
Social media metrics: Use social media analytics tools to track your social media engagement, reach, and other metrics. This can help you optimise your social media strategy for better performance.
Reporting: Use reporting tools like Looker Studio to create custom reports and dashboards that track your website's performance over time. This can help you identify trends, track progress, and make data-driven decisions.
By using analytics and reporting tools, you can gain valuable insights into your website's performance and make data-driven decisions to optimise your SEO strategy. Regularly reviewing your analytics and reporting data can help you identify areas for improvement, track your progress, and achieve your SEO goals.
Conclusion
SEO can seem overwhelming for new websites, but with the right strategies in place, you can improve your website's visibility, attract more organic traffic, and achieve your business goals. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this guide, you can lay the foundation for a strong SEO strategy and set your website up for success.
However, if you find that SEO is too complex or time-consuming, consider partnering with a professional SEO agency like Clickmo. Our team of experienced SEO specialists can help you improve your website's search engine rankings, attract more organic traffic, and achieve your business goals. We offer a range of SEO services, including keyword research, content creation, link building, and analytics and reporting.
If you're ready to take your website's SEO to the next level, contact Clickmo today to learn more about our services and how we can help your business succeed online.