Super Basic SEO

When people first started talking about SEO I thought it was a hoax. Until I took an entry level class that is. I now have full respect for people who make a living as SEO managers. It requires a lot of research and ongoing, active maintenance.

If SEO is a priority for you and your budget allows, hire an expert even if it's short term. If you aren't ready or able to do that yet. Here a few basic tips to start you off on the right foot.

First of all, it’s important to understand that every page of your website is an SEO opportunity so don’t just stop with your home page and think you’ve done enough. The basic elements of SEO are:

1. Key words or phrases that can be used both in copy as well as SEO descriptions

2. SEO descriptions: these should be specific to each page

3. Meta Tags or SEO titles: hidden from the public but visible to Google

4. H1 tags: these tell Google that these words or phrases are the priority for your page

5. Link building: credible links to and from your site as well as links within your site

6. Blogs: if it feels organic to you a blog is a great tool to keep your site active and provides an easy way to include your keywords within the posts

7. Alt tags: adding descriptions to relevant images will not only boost your SEO but will also benefit person’s with disabilities, no need to do this for images that are simply decorative

8. Think local: if your business is local be sure to add the location in your SEO descriptions and make sure your address is not only listed on the contact page but under settings if your website allows.

9. FAQ pages: if you think about how people do Google searches they sometimes start with a question for example “what is the best CMS tool for artists” it’s still a very broad term but could be used in an FAQ section or even as the title of a blog post

Now let’s dive in with a bit more detail:

1. Let’s start with “key words”. Think about what words or phrases someone would use to find you on Google. Ideally you should research their ranking on Google. For example, I used the phrase “Squarespace Web Designer” and found that very few people search for that phrase while “WordPress Designer NYC” ranked higher.

2. For more advanced users, make a list of your competitors and their websites and search for the keywords that they are being ranked for. Semrush is one example of a tool that you might use.

3. Now use them in the copy (text) on your website. Say what you mean and make it easy to read and understand for someone not in your field. Be authentic but think about AND USE your keywords and phrases (phrases are also called long-tail keywords). Learn more here.

4. The thesaurus is your friend. If you are a life coach include that in your copy and SEO descriptions but be sure to mix it up with other words and phrases someone might use: wellness coach or health coach for example.

5. Write and add an SEO description for each page. This is text that will not show up on the site but will show up in a search. The SEO description should be unique for each page. Do not cut and paste the same description to all pages. These should be written in full sentences - not just a list of keywords - and it should reflect the content on the page. For example if you are writing about your services be sure to include a brief description or overview and if you are writing for your about page include something specific to you or your business.

6. Add additional phrases to your page title. For example I have a page on my website titled "Work". That is the navigation name but I've added the following to increase my SEO: "Work | Client Portfolio | Squarespace and WordPress Web Design".

7. We already discussed naming images but adding ALT TEXT can help as well. Basically ANYTHING you do on your site that s considered ADAA compliant will improve your SEO. Similar to someone who is visually impaired, Google can not "see" your images unless you add ALT TEXT. This should describe the image so if you have an image of a photo of a dog cuddling with a cat, include that.

So those are the very basics, SEO consists of far more than just keywords. It includes: site speed, link building and oh so much more. Again, if this is a priority for you hire a pro but when launching a new site something is always better than nothing. As you review your analytics you will begin to learn what works and doesn't. My big rather humbling take away from my personal experience is that originally used the phrase "Squarespace designer" over and over on my site and after doing some research - and despite the fact that SS is 80% of my business - no one searches for it. I corrected this in my copy and descriptions and look out Google, I've been found.