Everything You Need to Know About Search Engine Optimization and How to Do It

SEO

Jan 17

If you're reading this article, you’re probably one of many business owners relentlessly searching the web for basic SEO knowledge and information on topics like:

How to do best SEO for my website?
How to make your site SEO-optimized
How to apply SEO to a website
How to perform SEO
How to make a good SEO website

SEO, or search engine optimization, is a widely used term for techniques that make it easy for your website to appear high in web search results.

SEO is an essential tool for website owners trying to improve their online presence.

While SEO principles can seem complicated and overwhelming, understanding SEO basics will set you up for success online.

In this article, we’ll help you get started with SEO by:

Breaking down SEO basics
Sharing SEO fundamentals and concepts
Teaching you how to apply SEO to a website

Understanding SEO is possible, and we’re here to give you the basic SEO knowledge you need.

Let’s begin!

Understanding SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Basics

Before we get into the fundamentals of an SEO website, let’s start with some SEO basics.

Simply put, SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of enhancing areas of your website to make it more search-friendly. By understanding how to perform SEO, your website can appear more prominently in search results.

Better search placement for your website leads to:

Increased website traffic
Targeted (and FREE) lead generation
Stronger credibility and authority
Sustainable, long-term growth in online visibility

Now that you understand the benefits of search engine optimization, you’re probably itching to know how to make your site SEO optimized.

Though search engine algorithms are constantly changing, the SEO fundamentals and concepts remain the same.

Let's take a look at some of the search engine optimization basics, and then we’ll review how to apply SEO to a website through your copy and design.

A Beginner’s Guide to SEO

You’re probably saying to yourself, “I now understand how powerful that three-letter abbreviation is, but I need to know how to do best SEO for my website!”

Here are four key building blocks you’ll need to expand your basic SEO knowledge and publish a high-ranking SEO website.

1. Keywords and Phrases

When it comes to SEO, keywords are still king. Picking the right keywords and incorporating them into your website content is one of the most important things you can do for your SEO strategy.

But how do you know which keywords to use? The trick is finding keywords that balance a high search volume with low competition and relevant search intent.

When learning how to apply SEO to a website, business owners should note that web crawlers (the software that reads your content for search engines) also prioritize the way your content is written. Pages stuffed with keywords won’t help; in fact, they can harm your rankings (and turn off potential customers).

2. On-page Content

Another critical factor in optimizing and understanding SEO is the quality and frequency of content you publish on your site.

Research shows that online searchers love fresh and updated content. In fact, it’s one of Google's top-ranking factors. If you share new, engaging content on your website (like blogs), you’ll likely outrank a competitor whose site only contains a few pages with stale facts or information about their services.

3. Backlinks

Another pillar of SEO is backlinks. Backlinks are hyperlinks published on another website that point back to yours.

For example, if you want to find a beginner’s guide to SEO, you may type in “search engine optimization how to do it” in your search and find an article that lists valuable resources and suggestions. The links included for each resource in that article are considered backlinks.

Here are just a few ways you can secure backlinks for your website:

Creating content for another website
Fostering mutually beneficial partnerships
Pitching your company, services, or successes
Building relationships with others in complementary industries

High-quality backlinks can help boost your SEO rankings. However, it’s important not to use unethical or spammy practices when asking for backlinks. You’ll also want to make sure the websites that add your backlinks are reputable. Published backlinks on low-quality, questionable websites have minimal value and can actually hurt your chances of ranking high in a search.

4. Security

In addition to the on-page content and keywords, many technical aspects can affect your website's ranking. To keep this understanding SEO 101, we’ll cover just one technical element - your website’s security.

HTTPS is essential for any site looking to rank high in the search engine results pages (SERPs), as it tells Google that your website is safe and trustworthy.

If you’re building your own SEO website, make sure to purchase an SSL certificate with it. These are available on many hosting plans, and almost every website hosting company will offer tips to help you ensure that your SEO website security is in check.

While Google uses more than 200 ranking factors to determine the relevancy of a website during a search, these are the SEO fundamentals and concepts you’ll need to get started with SEO.

Now, how do you put these SEO basics into practice?

How to Do Best SEO for My Website

Now that you understand some of the SEO basics, it’s essential to understand some best practices to implement on your SEO website.

Here are six ways to get you started with SEO on your website.

1. Write Engaging Titles and Copy Using Keywords

Be sure to include keywords within the headings, body copy, title tags, and descriptions of your website. Relevant keywords signal to the search engines that your website is a valuable match when someone uses them in a search. The more you can use keywords effectively in your titles, the better.

2. Optimize Your Images

Another way to improve your website's SEO is to optimize your images' file sizes and names. When you upload a photo to your site, ensure it’s the highest-resolution but smallest file size possible so it doesn’t slow down your load time. Include keywords and a brief description in the file name and alternate text field as this also helps signify relevancy.

3. Create New, High-Value Content Consistently

As we mentioned earlier, fresh and engaging on-page content is at the core of search engine optimization basics. Create a consistent content calendar and posting calendar to help you create relevant, keyword-driven blog posts consistently.

4. Use External Links Strategically

When including links on your website, be sure to use them strategically.

While it’s good practice to include links to relevant, high-quality websites, you’ll want to avoid using too many outbound links as they may hurt your SEO ranking.

You can always internally link between the various pages of your website to help your visitors (and the crawlers) get additional context for the content they’re reading. Make sure you know how to perform SEO with links the right way to avoid being penalized by the search engines!

5. Optimize Your Site for Mobile

With more than 50% of website traffic originating on mobile devices, businesses must prioritize their website’s mobile experience. Not only is it a best practice for customer accessibility, but it’s also a best practice in understanding SEO.

6. Use Social Media to Share Your Content

The more people link to and explore your SEO website, the better. Add social sharing buttons and make it easy for your website visitors to share your content on their favorite social media platforms. Additional shares help you generate more traffic and ultimately give you more link opportunities to increase your SEO ranking.

Discover How to Use SEO Effectively With Veivos

As a business owner, so many aspects of your business require attention. Understanding SEO basics can feel daunting if SEO websites are outside your comfort zone.

It’s not impossible to learn these on your own:

Search engine optimization basics
How to apply SEO to a website
How to make a good SEO website
SEO fundamentals and concepts

However, you may not have the time (or desire) to implement them.

At Veivos, we’re experts in search engine marketing. We know exactly how to apply SEO to a website in a way that guarantees ROI. Our team will work with you to quickly optimize your website and create content using SEO fundamentals and concepts that drive qualified traffic from your target audience. We make ranking on the first page of Google easy by: