SEO principle, the Netflix of digital marketing— what exactly is that all about?
SEO, short for Search Engine Optimization is the bottom line of the marketing landscape today.
Whether anyone owns a business or wants to monetize their skill through a website, the first thing is to invite traffic to it.
And, SEO lets them do it without spending thousands of dollars.
However, not every SEO strategy helps in targeting relevant audiences and ranking a website higher on google, some can even take its ranking down.
So, choosing strategies accurately after getting an overview of how each search engine optimization element effects a website’s ranking is a must.
Traffic, ranking, and marketing—how are they relevant to you? And why should you, as a brand owner, invest in SEO in 2023?
If that has been your worry in the last few seconds, fret not; this blog covers a brief but informative overview of SEO and its 11 basic seo principle that every beginner must know to boost their website’s SERP rankings
SEO—A Must-have for Your Search Engine Marketing Palette
Before we turn to seo principle and strategies, let’s find out why SEO is relevant today.
So, what’s the first thing that the majority of people do in the morning?
Perhaps they will unlock their phones to find tips to kickstart their day with a healthy meal, search for a morning booster Spotify playlist, or look for a nearby restaurant that sells amazing coffee.
However, the question is: where exactly do you type or voice search all your queries?
Google, maybe.
According to experts, digital marketing is a top priority for all businesses in 2023, whether they own a website or not.
It’s because their customers are present online. Here’s an example to understand it better:
Suppose you own a cafe. A customer visit loves your signature spaghetti, and post about their exciting experience on their social media profile or on Google.
Therefore, even if you barely exist on Google, your business still faces an uphill battle against competitor businesses that are optimising their websites with SEO-friendly techniques.
Though digital marketing is a new player in the arena, you can not afford to ignore it unless you are happy losing your prospective customers to others.
In short, SEO is relevant for every business, irrespective of its scale.
What exactly is SEO?
Good question.
Many people assume SEO is limited to link building and keyword additions.
But that is only one aspect of it. Here’s why:
SEO is about search engines (as the name already suggests).
So, google, yahoo, or bing, no matter what you or your target audience use, one thing is clear– algorithms change as quickly as snapping fingers.
Hence, you can no longer rely only on unorganized links and keyword stuffing anymore.
Now, coming over to the basic definition of SEO– it is a process to improve or optimize your website to increase its visibility and rankings on google organically.
You could be a brand owner, a photographer or perhaps run an NGO, if you want Google to consider your product, service, or blog as a quality source, SEO is the key.
In nutshell, every Search engine optimization strategy includes three core elements:
- Technical Aspect (Keyword Research, Content Optimisation, Guest Blogging, etc.)
- Quality Content (Informative, reader-friendly, and SEO optimised content)
- Proper Backlinks (Adds Authoritative value)
Once you are done with your website’s setup and have optimised it according to the latest SEO trends, various search engines will get to work.
The process is quite simple.
Let’s say you run a bakery shop. A person who lives in the same town searches for ‘best cookies near me’.
If you have opted for a relevant digital marketing roadmap, i.e., local SEO, and your blog or website content is aligned with the relevant search query, Google’s crawler will list you higher in search results.
The moment a person gets a result, it takes a few seconds until they visit your website, add items to their cart, convert to leads, and become customers.
Bingo! You earned a customer.
But, Search Engine Marketing isn’t limited to Organic SEO, as you can spend on PPC ads to further gain visibility on SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages).
Nevertheless, what can change the game for beginners who want to learn SEO or use it to upgrade their website’s ranking on search engines?
11 Must-know SEO Principle For Beginners
Except for Google, search engines were primarily focused on on-page factors a few years ago.
In order to avoid manipulation of internet users, Google adopted an intensive strategy by including a wide array of factors such as keyword frequency, headings, site structure, page ranking, hyperlinks, etc.
Yet the search results lacked user-centric results.
That’s why, search engines, including Yahoo, Bing, and Google, introduced a new strategy that crafts a personalized experience for all its users based on their previous search history.
As time went on, website owners could no longer stuff keywords, use duplicate content, or unnecessarily link their web URLs to irrelevant websites.
As a result, quality became part and parcel of digital marketing, which runs on credibility, relevance, and strategic analysis of trends.
In 2023, if you want to surpass google’s algorithm checklist, make sure you follow these 11 SEO principle :
Mobile-Friendly Website
Imagine opening a website that functions well on a desktop but restricts user experience on a mobile.
Sounds like a bad example of website design.
Remember, first impressions are lasting impressions.
It’s 2023 and the majority of internet users are no longer surfing through a PC or a laptop.
Their go-to device for connecting with the online community is mobile.
Therefore, a responsive website design is no longer an option, it is a pre-requisite to letting all your visitors have a great experience while interacting with your website.
Hire a good website design agency to craft a design that adapts to all devices well.
Optimise Website Speed
How does it feel to wait in a five-minute-long queue for your order? Unsatisfactory!
Well, that’s how your visitors feel when your website takes years to load, which is again a result of bad website design.
Today’s population has the attention span of a goldfish.
It only takes a few seconds for a prospective lead to leave your website.
So, with responsive design, a fast-loading website is a complementary gift that you must add to all your users’ experiences.
Research Keywords
Photography is your service, but your content includes irrelevant high-ranking keywords such as weather, Gmail, facebook, etc.
If you have linked your Facebook profile or provided an email address, that’s good; otherwise, it’s enough for Google to lower your ranking on SERP.
That’s why, you should always do proper keyword research before optimising your website.
Use keyword research tools like Ashrefs and Google’s keyword planner to identify relevant keywords and align your content towards them.
Include Primary Keywords in the Title
You wrote an amazing blog on ‘DIY tricks to use your products’, which is crisp, compelling, and definitely tells a little about your business.
Yet it doesn’t rank higher on Google.
Surely, quality is not the issue, but not including primary keywords in your title or H1 tag could be.
The reason is pretty simple, google crawlers understand only text.
So, if your webpage content or blog post doesn’t include specific keywords in the title, the crawler might regard it as not a credible source for an internet user irrespective of how informative or well-written it is.
If your business is about home decor, make sure your blog title is “DIY Tricks to Use Hand-made Decor Items”.
Focus Content on Readers
Jargonic language, long paragraphs, and the bland tone of the content will make your readers shift to a competitor’s website.
The crux of increasing traffic to your website is quality and engaging content that looks presentable.
It should deliver what it promises to the readers without taking them on a roller coaster ride of high-end vocabulary that most of the users don’t use daily.
Avoid Keyword Stuffing
A few years ago, hiding keywords in the webpage worked well for many website owners, but today it can lower your rankings and list your website as spam.
So, don’t take your website down a deadly road.
Optimise Meta Description
Great content, and an appropriate title, but it a confusing meta tag without any keywords.
Don’t let your website appear as a lost cause on SERPs.
Add relevant keywords and compelling meta descriptions that will encourage all prospective visitors to click on your website link.
For example, if you run an NGO, your meta description may read as follows:
‘Let’s encourage everyone who supports climate action to take a step.
Like every drop in the ocean, your one initiative can change the course of events in favor of our planet.
Join GreenNGO today to contribute to our mother nature.’
Descriptive Image Tag
Everything on your website for Google crawlers is text, whether you have used high-quality graphics, pictures, or logos.
Including alt tags for all the images on your webpage can help search engines understand your content more comprehensively.
For instance, you added a picture of pizza to your product list; instead of using a generic phrase like ‘pizza’, use a more descriptive phrase such as ‘thin-crust pizza topped with bell peppers, jalapenos, basil leaves, and oregano’.
Internal Linking
Did you ever feel lucky when you found everything in one store?
That’s what internal linking does for your website.
Once a user visits your blog post, they scroll down, find a link to suggested or reference reading material, open the link, again scroll, and the process goes on and on.
Adding internal links to every blog post helps website visitors navigate effortlessly, enhances their experience, and keeps them engaged.
The best way to use internal linking is by using a cluster approach for content creation.
If you’re writing on ‘10 ways to become more organised in 2023’, write your next blogs on ‘5 organisation tools every person should use’ and ‘Quick fixes to strategically plan your week for more productivity’.
Backlinks For Gaining Credibility
In the offline world, ‘word of mouth’ is the best strategy to advertise your brand without spending even a cent.
Backlinks do the same. When you link your website to other quality websites, it increases your website’s relevance, making it a valuable source of information for Google.
As an example, suppose you are a travel blogger. If your blogs have a backlink from a reputed travel website, it increases your website’s authority value and credibility.
Analytics and Tracking
Ever seen an athlete participate in a competition without analysing his performance?
How can your website survive in the cut-throat digital competition without having any idea of its performance?
Thus, you should always invest in tools like Google Analytics to gain a quick and detailed overview of your website traffic, conversion rate, etc.
It helps you make informed decisions and plan future content based on data, not instincts.
Wrap Up!
That’s all folks!
Keep following trends and algorithm updates to stay ahead of the competition in the digital arena.
Apply the above tips to develop your SEO strategies, so your website aligns relevant keywords with prospective leads and increases its visibility on SERPs.