Are you intrigued by the potential of SEO for your business but unsure of where to begin? You’ve arrived at the perfect destination. This concise SEO guide will provide you with foundational SEO knowledge and a practical checklist of actionable SEO measures to initiate your journey today. Before we delve into the SEO process, let’s clarify what SEO entails.What is SEO?It is an array of tactics designed to elevate your website to the coveted first page of Google’s search results.
This encompasses strategies such as incorporating target keywords into URLs and securing backlinks from other websites to your blog posts.With an SEO strategy in place, your website will rank higher in search results for keywords related to your business, products, and services. In essence, SEO enhances your visibility in relevant search results, leading to increased website traffic, inquiries, and sales. Given that 75% of users do not venture beyond the first page of search results, securing top rankings through SEO is paramount.Uncertain about initiating your SEO journey? Our step-by-step guide is here to assist you. Keep reading to uncover the basics of SEO.Having established the foundational knowledge of SEO, let’s explore how it functions. Our seven-step SEO tutorial includes:Now, let’s examine each step in greater detail.1. Perform keyword researchThe initial phase of our SEO tutorial involves keyword research. Keywords are the terms and phrases individuals input into search engines, such as Google, when seeking businesses, products, or services like yours. Incorporating relevant keywords into your website content can significantly enhance your page rankings in search results, thereby increasing visibility.Begin by brainstorming potential keywords that individuals might use when seeking information about your business, services, or products. For instance, if you’re a mechanic in Philadelphia, keywords like “mechanic in Philadelphia” and “auto repair shop in Philadelphia” might be relevant. Subsequently, utilize keyword research tools to identify the most searched keywords and phrases associated with your business. Notable keyword research tools include:
Ahrefs’ Keyword Explorer reveals the most popular keywords for a particular topic and their search volume.
Google Trends illustrates trends in keyword popularity but does not provide search volume data.
KeywordsFX assists in discovering popular keywords related to your initial keyword.
Google Autocomplete can also offer valuable insights. Simply type in keywords related to your business, and observe the suggested terms that appear.
Upon searching “mechanic in Philadelphia” on Ahrefs, you can uncover a range of keyword ideas along with their average monthly search volume, clicks, and other metrics. 
When conducting keyword research, aim for a balance of short-tail and long-tail keywords. Short-tail keywords are brief and general, while long-tail keywords are longer and more specific.Long-tail keywords, like “best mobile mechanic in Philadelphia,” are typically easier to rank for due to reduced competition and a clearer understanding of the user’s intent. Although short-tail keywords are more competitive, achieving top rankings can be highly rewarding. As your site gains authority, ranking for short-tail keywords typically becomes more attainable. At WebFX, the premier SEO firm, we offer keyword research and analysis as part of our comprehensive SEO packages.Additionally, we conduct competitor keyword analysis and provide clients with advanced rank tracking and detailed keyword mapping reports. Seeking assistance with your keyword research and SEO strategy? Reach out to us to connect with an SEO expert!2. Analyze your keywords on Google and refine your listAfter selecting your initial keywords, it’s time to delve deeper into their potential by exploring Google’s search results. Conduct searches using your keywords and examine the content that ranks on the first page. Analyze these results to understand the search intent behind the keywords—what users are seeking when they search a specific term or phrase.Reflect on what each result offers to users. A deeper understanding of search intent can help you refine your keyword list and focus on the most valuable terms for your business. Additionally, note any patterns within the search results.For instance, do top-ranking pages use a list format? Are they blog posts or long-form content? Do they include numerous screenshots or links to relevant tools?Reviewing the top results for “auto repair shop in Philadelphia” can provide insights into the terms to target and the type of content that ranks well. 
Analyzing top-ranking pages will offer insights into the content that Google deems most relevant for a given search, allowing you to structure your content to compete for top positions in search results.3. Develop comprehensive content based on your keywordsFollowing this, create content for your website. Allocate a page for each keyphrase, targeting one or several keywords per page.Incorporate your target keyword and related terms throughout the content, including them in the page title and headings. However, ensure that keyword usage is natural and avoids repetition.Utilize the search intent and patterns observed in top results as inspiration for your content, as this indicates what users seek when searching for a particular term. To surpass the top results and secure a spot on the first page, aim to produce content that is superior to what already exists. Consider unique approaches or formatting to distinguish your content while maintaining alignment with search intent.For example, if competitors publish articles like “10 most common car problems,” you could create a more comprehensive list of the 100 most common issues. Alternatively, you could format your page differently or include a short video about each car problem to enhance user experience (UX).4. Attract backlinks to your pagesFactors beyond your website can influence how Google ranks your pages in search results. One such factor is the quantity and quality of backlinks from other websites. When you earn backlinks from high-authority sites, Google views your site and content as more valuable and authoritative.Google interprets these links as evidence that others trust and value the content on your page, leading to higher rankings in search results. Strategies to acquire backlinks include creating valuable content that others want to link to, reaching out to bloggers for link placements, and offering your page as a replacement for broken links. As part of our SEO services, we can assist you in securing backlinks on reputable websites within your industry. Internal linking, linking to other pages on your site from your own pages, is another effective SEO tactic.Linking to a new page from an existing page that performs well can provide the new page with an SEO boost.5. Enhance your technical SEOAnother critical aspect of SEO is technical SEO, which involves improving your website’s technical elements to facilitate more effective crawling and indexing by Google, thereby enhancing your rankings. Crawling refers to Google’s review and analysis of your site, while indexing involves organizing and storing your content for search result display. Here are some key technical SEO factors to consider:Site speedGoogle considers page speed as a ranking factor, affecting the order in which search results are displayed.A slow website also provides a poor user experience, potentially further harming your rankings. To assess your site speed, use Google’s PageSpeed Insights, a free tool. Enter your site’s URL, and Google will provide a report on your site’s speed along with recommendations for improvement.Here’s an example of a PageSpeed Insights report. 
PageSpeed Insights will also offer recommendations for increasing site speed, such as removing unused CSS, minifying JavaScript, and enabling text compression.If you’re unsure about implementing these changes, consult a web developer or a professional SEO agency like WebFX.robots.txtAnother vital factor is your robots.txt file, which you can use to prevent Google from crawling sensitive pages on your site. Ensure that your robots.txt file is correctly formatted and specifies the pages you wish to exclude from crawling. An incorrect robots.txt file can lead to Google not indexing pages you want to appear in search results or indexing sensitive pages.Use Google Search Console’s robots.txt tester tool to verify the correctness of your robots.txt file.Mobile-friendly designOver half of all internet traffic now originates from mobile devices. Consequently, Google employs a mobile-first indexing approach, evaluating the mobile version of your site rather than the desktop version. To ensure your site is mobile-friendly, adopt responsive design principles.A responsively designed website adjusts to the device it is viewed on, ensuring optimal appearance and functionality across all devices. To make your site responsive and mobile-friendly, you may need to collaborate with a professional web designer or design agency. Use Google’s mobile-friendly test tool to check if your site is mobile-friendly.These are just a few strategies to enhance your website’s search engine performance. At the outset of an SEO campaign, WebFX examines over 200 on-site SEO factors. Contact us at 888-601-5359 to learn about our professional SEO services and how we can elevate your search engine rankings.6. Elevate your page’s design and user experience (UX)Google also considers user interaction with your page when determining rankings. Therefore, the next step in our SEO tutorial is to ensure your page is user-friendly and visually appealing. Consider collaborating with a web design company to optimize your site for search engines.Optimize each page for UX and SEO by using headings, bullet points, and visuals such as images, screenshots, charts, and videos to break up text. This will make the page easier to scan and more inviting to readers. Enhancing your site’s design and UX encourages users to engage more with your content, sending a positive signal to Google.7. Continually optimize your contentThe SEO process does not conclude once your content is live. It is essential to monitor the performance of each page and your overall SEO strategy, making adjustments as necessary to optimize results.Monitor the impact
