Learning a few core SEO tips for beginners can transform your website into a lead-generating marketing machine.
Here are 40 concepts to help you improve your website so that it will attract visitors, create new customers, and help your business grow.
1 – Connect Google Search Console and watch your current search analytics data.
2 – Submit your XML sitemap (website roadmap) to Google Search Console.
3 – Use the robots.txt tag to help search engines skip any pages that don’t need to be found via search engines (e.g. welcome pages, thank you pages, etc.).
4 – Search your primary keywords on Google Search (google.com) to find out the search intent that Google currently sees.
5 – Use your focus keyword in that specific page’s title tag and meta description.
6 – Use H2-H4 subheads, numbers, and bullets for readability (but don’t go crazy).
7 – Use quality WordPress hosting from a top company like Flywheel*, WP Engine, etc.
*That’s an affiliate link, because I love (and use) their tool/company. If you decide to purchase, I’ll get a small commission at no extra charge. Thanks for the support!
8 – Get an SSL certificate (https://yoursite.com) from your hosting company — as soon as possible.
9 – “If you build it they will come” only works in make-believe.
10 – Build a website worth visiting and write content that makes your audience look/feel smarter.
11 – Focus on one keyword per page
12 – Research your keyword “topic” inside and out, not only the phrase.
13 – Shoot for page 1 of Google (top 10). That’s where most of the search traffic goes.
14 – Include your pillar pages in your website header.
15 – Create sub-topic content as a content hub around each pillar page.
16 – Focus on SEO goals that match your overall business goals.
17 – Use frequent customer questions to write thorough FAQ answers on your service pages, and include them at the bottom.
18 – Set up your Google Business profile, if you provide in-person services or are a storefront.
19 – Earn natural backlinks by producing remarkable content people will want to share.
20 – Publish once, distribute forever.
21 – Audit your content once a year, and improve every article that shows promise already (capitalize on the momentum).
22 – Hire a top-notch SEO consultant, who can guide you toward a holistic SEO strategy (that will grow your business).
23 – Build individual pages for each service or product you offer.
24 – Build individual pages for key geographic areas you serve.
25 – Minimize your images with Tiny.png or a similar tool.
26 – Use a content delivery network (CDN).
27 – Add internal links within your website, to related content.
28 – Use a content optimization tool like Rank Math* or Frase.
29 – Healthy SEO work on your site creates a compounding return—so start now.
30 – Check your domain authority in Ahrefs and only go after keyword topics you have a realistic chance to rank for.
31 – Develop an area of expertise and write helpful articles about It.
32 – If you trick algorithms, you will always be chasing algorithms (and they don’t buy from you).
33 – Google loves thorough, remarkable, and clear content — because that is what people want to read.
34 – Run your site through a speed test like GTMetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights, and make sure it’s similar to your competitors (or better).
35 – Compare your site, authority network, and content with competitors in your industry.
36 – Rename your image file names, titles, and alt text in a natural way that includes your page’s keyword.
37 – Don’t chase keyword rankings to boost your ego; make sure it’s growing your business.
38 – Optimize for conversions, not only traffic.
39 – Use multiple media types on your articles and pages to improve user experience, and dwell time.
40 – If your content isn’t remarkable, your SEO will be terrible, so focus on your area of expertise.
Learn how to get found on Google, by people ready to invest in your solution.
