Becoming an SEO novice can be daunting, especially considering Google’s algorithm relies on over 200 ranking factors to evaluate content. Nonetheless, by focusing on SEO fundamentals, you can establish a robust foundation that will enable you to become an accomplished SEO professional.With this in mind, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of SEO tips for beginners to maximize the potential of your strategy, regardless of your expertise level.Embark on your SEO journey with our 21 top SEO tips for novices!For those eager to delve deeper into the world of SEO, explore our free SEO guide. Additionally, visit our resource hub for an extensive collection of SEO materials to elevate your skills to expert status!Our first basic SEO tip involves claiming your Google Business Profile. Before diving into keyword research or crafting title tags, ensure this listing is set up to enhance the visibility of these features in search results.Google Business Profile is a free public listing that appears in relevant search results on Google. You’ve likely encountered Google Business Profiles while researching brands, seeking dining options, or finding directions to a specific location:
Claiming (or creating) your Google Business Profile listing enables you to provide both Google and users with immediate information about your company. The process is quick and straightforward, making it a priority on your SEO checklist.Once you’ve secured ownership of your profile, optimize it by adding the following details:
Name, address, and phone number (NAP)
Operating hours
Website URL
Relevant categories, such as “Restaurant”
Brief description of your company and its unique selling points
Photos
In addition, you can include upcoming events on your Google Business Profile.For optimal results with Google Business Profile, remain active on the platform. Engage with user reviews, share posts about company news and offers, enable text messaging, update holiday hours, and more.Our second straightforward SEO tip is to target long-tail keywords.Keywords are integral to search engine optimization.Whether you aim for your website to rank in search results or for your content to gain visibility, identifying relevant keywords, understanding user search intent, and incorporating them into your meta tags and content is crucial.Before researching keywords, let’s differentiate between long-tail and short-tail keywords:
Long-tail keywords: Comprised of three to four words, such as “how to roll sushi.” These keywords are highly specific to user intent.
Short-tail keywords: Consisting of one to two words, such as “sushi rolls.” These phrases are more general and yield a variety of results.
When starting SEO for a website, it’s advisable to concentrate on long-tail keywords. Due to their length, long-tail keywords face less competition than short-tail keywords, making it easier to rank your content.
Consider this analogy: short-tail keywords are akin to Olympic-level athletes, while long-tail keywords are like high school athletes. Without the training or website development at the Olympic level, ranking for short-tail keywords can be challenging. However, long-tail keywords offer an excellent starting point at the high school level.Understanding the three types of user intent is another way to enhance your SEO:
Navigational: A user desires to visit a specific website, such as Apple or Facebook.
Informational: A user seeks information about a topic, such as how to roll sushi or types of sushi.
Transactional: A user intends to purchase a product, such as a sushi roller or an order of sushi!
Understanding these intents is crucial, as they will influence the keywords you target.For instance, a service or product page for a technology company should focus on transactional keywords, while a blog post should target informational keywords. By examining potential keywords on Google before crafting content and optimizing pages, you can determine search intent based on the search results.Our fourth simple SEO tip is to leverage the right tools to research relevant keywords for your website. Once you’ve identified the keywords to focus on, you can begin researching them using tools like these:As an SEO beginner, you have numerous free options, so experiment to find your preferred choice.As your SEO efforts expand, you may consider investing in a paid tool, such as KeywordTool. You might also opt for an SEO toolkit, like Ahrefs, which offers tools for keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink analysis, and more.Understanding how to do SEO involves learning about keywords. When you start optimizing your website, you’ll begin by researching core keywords for your pages.For example, if you have an informational page about rolling sushi, you may choose “how to roll sushi” as your core keyword due to its high search volume. In addition to a core keyword, you should also compile two to three related keywords.Use your keyword research tools to find these keywords.For instance, if you use Google as your keyword research tool, you can examine the search engine’s “Searches related to [keyword]” feature, which appears at the bottom of search results, to find similar keywords. Alternatively, you can use the autocomplete feature to discover other keywords.
After identifying relevant keywords, you can begin optimizing your content. To ensure the best experience, create a Google Sheet and list your pages, as well as their core and related keywords. This sheet can serve as a valuable reference for you and your team.For a free keyword research tool, you can start with our tool — KeywordsFX!Your title tag is akin to your first encounter with someone new — it makes a lasting impression. This first impression also determines whether users will click on your page or someone else’s, making informative, optimized, and captivating titles essential.What constitutes an informative, optimized, and captivating title? A good question.
Informative: Your title summarizes what your page is about without resorting to clickbait language.
Optimized: Your title includes your core keyword and is 55 characters or less.
Captivating: Your title piques readers’ curiosity about your page and its content.
Keep in mind that your title tag appears in search results, not on your page:
Should you wish, you can create a different on-page title (via your H1 tag) for your content. For example, you may write the title tag as “How to Make Your Own Sushi Rolls (Infographic) | Allrecipes,” but make the H1 “How to Make Sushi.” Ensure that your title tag and H1 complement each other.However, if users click on your site and arrive at a page with a title that seems disconnected from your title tag, they will bounce back to the search results. From Google’s perspective, this action suggests that your content is irrelevant to the user, potentially leading to lower rankings.Start crafting your first set of title tags with the assistance of the following tools:
CoSchedule Headline Analyzer
Sumo List of Power Words
Moz Title Tag Length Checker
Remember, you can always modify your title tag later, so compile a list of titles to try and determine which one performs better.While you may have encountered on-page SEO beginner guides and heard about meta descriptions, which appear below title tags in search results and do not serve as a ranking factor, it’s crucial not to overlook them.Your meta description informs readers about your page’s content. If you don’t write one, Google will pull in content from your page to create the meta description:
Incorporate your keywords (and even related keywords) into your meta descriptions for the benefit of users. If someone searches for a keyword that appears in your meta description, Google will bold that keyword. This bolding can make your page seem more relevant, potentially resulting in a click.
It’s important to note that Google may often rewrite your meta description.
