Have you ever wondered why your website doesn’t appear on the first page of search results? Perhaps you’ve even considered creating a new website or rebranding, hoping it will solve the problem. Often, however, the reason is much simpler and cheaper to fix: the technical state of the website and the optimization of basic SEO elements.
In this article, we explain what SEO is and how it helps you achieve better rankings in search engines. We provide practical tips you can apply yourself to improve your website and save money on expensive solutions.
What is SEO and why is it important?
SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of modifying a website so that it is more easily found and indexed by search engines (e.g., Google). The better your website’s SEO, the higher it will appear in search results and the more visitors it will receive.
SEO is important for businesses for several reasons:
- Greater visibility: The higher your website is in search results, the more likely people are to visit it.
- More visitors: More visitors mean more potential customers.
- Increased brand awareness: When your website is highly visible in search results, it helps increase your brand awareness.
- Building trust: People trust search engine results. If your website is on the first page, it signals that you are a trustworthy business.
How to tell if your website needs SEO attention?
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is your website findable on Google? Try searching for your company name or important keywords. Important keywords refer to words or phrases people use to search for your company’s services or products. If your website is not on the first page, it definitely needs SEO attention.
- What are your website’s rankings for important keywords? Use Google Search Console to see what positions your website ranks in for various keywords. If your website is not in the top 5, you should consider hiring an SEO specialist or an SEO agency.
- Is your website easy to navigate? Users should easily find your products, services, and other necessary information to satisfy the website user’s needs.
- Is your website mobile-friendly? A 2024 study shows that mobile devices account for an average of 63.38% of website traffic, highlighting how important it is to ensure websites function correctly on these devices.
Basics of Technical SEO
Technical SEO covers all technical aspects that affect a website’s visibility in search engines. Very often, it is the technical condition of the website that prevents it from reaching the top of search engine results. Here are some key points:
- Website speed: Website loading speed is important for both user experience and SEO. Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to check your website speed and get recommendations for improvement.
- Mobile-friendliness: The website must be optimized for mobile devices. Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to check if your website is mobile-friendly.
- Errors in the website code: Often, during development or when using additional plugins, various errors occur in the website code that are not visible to the naked eye, but can prevent search engine crawlers from accessing all or part of the website’s content, and therefore search engines cannot show the website in their rankings or show it very low.
- Website structure: The website should have a logical and clear structure that helps both users and search engines understand and find the necessary information.
- XML sitemap: An XML sitemap is a file that contains a list of all your website’s pages. It helps search engines index your website. Technically, there are several ways to notify search engines of its location. For Google, this can be done using Google Search Console, for Bing using Webmaster Tools, or by adding the necessary line to the robots.txt file.
- Robots.txt: Robots.txt is a file that gives search engines instructions on which pages to index and which not to. Often, complex websites like e-shops generate a lot of duplicate content, which eventually wastes the crawl budget allocated to the website, and many important product pages often go undiscovered by them.
On-site SEO Basics
On-site SEO includes all activities that can be done on the website itself to improve its visibility in search engines, and is mostly related to the website’s content. Here are some important points:
- Keyword research: Find important keywords that people use to search for your products or services. Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner to find suitable keywords.
- Page titles and meta descriptions: Write a unique and informative title and meta description for each page. These are displayed in search results and help people decide whether to visit your page. Keep in mind that the page title is shown up to about 60 characters, including punctuation, and the meta description up to about 160 characters. Try to stay within these limits when writing them.
- Content optimization: Create high-quality and relevant content that matches users’ search queries and intent. Use important keywords in your content, but don’t overdo it. Write for humans and don’t try to trick search engines.
- Image optimization: Use alt texts for images that describe the image content. Also optimize image file sizes so they don’t slow down the website’s loading speed.
- Internal links: Create internal links that help users and search engines navigate your website.
Myths and Common Mistakes in SEO
There are many myths and misconceptions about SEO. Here are some of the most common ones:
- Myth: SEO is expensive and complicated. Reality: SEO doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. You can do a lot yourself by following simple guidelines. However, there are more complex things that should be done by consulting with a professional SEO specialist.
- Myth: SEO is a one-time activity. Reality: SEO is an ongoing process. Search engine algorithms change constantly, websites are frequently updated, and competitors are always improving their website quality, so it is important to regularly optimize and monitor your website.
- Common mistake: Keyword stuffing. Solution: Use keywords naturally and do not use them too frequently.
- Common mistake: Low-quality content. Solution: Create high-quality and relevant content that provides value to users.
How to track your SEO results?
There are two important tools for tracking SEO results:
- Google Analytics: Google Analytics helps you track website traffic and see where visitors are coming from.
- Google Search Console: Google Search Console provides you with information on how Google sees your website.
Using both tools is free and easy.
However, if you need a better understanding of what is happening with your website, how a particular change made on the website affected it, how your competitors are doing, or how effective your current SEO partner’s work is, then you should consider an SEO monitoring service. The SEO monitoring service also includes comments and recommendations from a professional SEO specialist on what could be improved, saving you time that you can use for other important activities.
When is it worth asking for professional SEO help?
If you lack the time or skills to handle SEO yourself, you might consider seeking professional SEO help. This is especially recommended if:
- You need to implement more complex technical changes.
- You want to achieve fast results.
- You need help in a highly competitive industry.
- You need to receive regular information about the website’s SEO status
Summary
SEO is an essential part of any successful website. By following the tips in this article, you can improve your website and achieve better rankings in search engines. This will help you save money on a new website or rebranding and achieve your business goals.
Remember that SEO is a long-term process. Do not expect immediate results, but with consistent work, it is possible to achieve great long-term results.