Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of enhancing your website to improve its visibility on search engines like Google. In this beginner’s guide to SEO, we’ll walk you through the fundamentals of SEO and how you can get started. This guide is perfect for anyone looking to learn SEO for beginners. Like title tags and meta descriptions that are too long, too-long URLs will also be cut off with an ellipsis. Just remember, having a descriptive URL is just as important, so don’t cut down on URL length if it means sacrificing the URL’s descriptiveness.
Use Target Keywords Early
Put them into practice to enhance your rankings and drive more traffic. Internal links are hyperlinks that point to other pages on the same site. For example, a link might say “my favorite area to stay in” and send users to another page on your site.
- Your content needs the right balance of primary keywords, related terms, and supporting topics.
- Page titles are one of the Three Kings of On Page SEO with the other two being the URL and H1 heading.
- Long-tail keywords are specific, and typically longer phrases, that users might enter into search engines when looking for highly niche or detailed information.
Find Keywords with the Backlinko Keyword Tool
The page meta description is shown on the search engine results page (SERPS). It has to be descriptive, up to 200 characters, and unique for each page. No need to include your domain in the title – There is no need to include your domain name in the title because this is added automatically by Google.
Become an authority
Structured headings incorporating relevant keywords and variations give search engines more context about the page’s content, which can contribute to better rankings. Important keywords should be placed in the H1 and H2 headers for optimal on-page SEO, making content more scannable and search engine friendly. Use descriptive filenames, alt tags, image sitemaps, and captions to optimize images for SEO. Properly optimized images improve accessibility and user experience and can rank in Google Images search results. Off-page SEO, on the other hand, involves optimizing external factors, such as backlinks and social media presence, to enhance search engine rankings. It is BHS Links distinct from on-page SEO, which focuses on content within the website itself.
Search engines like Google will not refer traffic to websites that are not secure and do not handle users’ data properly (ironic, I know). Contextual external linking simply means placing outbound links to other sites that add value to your readers. This structure shows Google that you’re an authority on the entire topic (topical authority).
