8 Easy SEO Tips to Get You Started Today!

The doing of SEO is can be pretty darn intimidating for most website owners. While there are just three types of SEO, there are plenty of little pieces which make those up. It's also something we need to actively remain doing as it's not a 'do once and forget about it' thing. SEO is also not something which provides instant results. The results of what you do today may not be seen for months, or even years. It's this point which can be so disheartening for people, making them believe that SEO is a waste of time and money. But the results of a well planned and executed SEO website strategy are with waiting for and are your best option in growing your business' online presence.

8 Quick & Easy SEO Tips

Search engine optimisation is a complex thing. But that doesn't mean it's impossible or too hard for you to do. We've put together a list of eight SEO tips you can do for your own website, even if you've never done any SEO before!

1. Make sure you've signed up to Google Analytics. This is a free tool which you can use to analyse the traffic your website receives. It will help you know what's working and what's not in terms of the SEO work you do. It also gives you data about what visitors do on your website and helps you make decisions about the type of content you provide and how you provide it on your website.
2. Use SEO friendly URLs or filenames. This means including the keywords for that page in its filename. For example, https://www.mywebsite.co.nz/skipping-ropes. Remember to use a hyphen and not an underscore in your filenames as Google likes those best.
3. Do your keyword research. What you find will shape the content and the wording you use throughout your website. Keyword research goes hand in hand with knowing your target audience too, as you need to use the same wording and tone they are. After all, you need to be using the same words within your website that your audience is using to find your business using a search engine!
4. Write unique, engaging and helpful content for your website. Aim it at your target audience, not a search engine. After all, Google isn't going to buy your stuff, but a person will!
5. Add internal links to other pages on your site. Called anchor text, a hyperlinked word or phrase linking from one page to another within your website helps search engines to move easily throughout your site. It also helps direct visitors to other related pages, encouraging them to stay for longer on your site. The best anchor links use keywords and are related to the content on the page they are linking too.
6. Add a blog and post regularly. A blog provides fresh content on your site and encourages search engines to come back and check it regularly for updates. Each blog post you write offers new visitors another way to find your business. It's like an advertisement, ready and waiting to help your customer and be found 24/7. It's important to remember though that a blog shouldn't be about promoting your products or services. Instead it should be focusing on providing useful information that your visitor can use and in which you can demonstrate your competence and experience within your industry. It is ok to give a call to action at the bottom of your blog post directing your visitor on what to do next though.
7. Use social media well. While social media sites don't provide any useful links from their sites to yours, and they're not something Google uses to rank your site with, social media is something it pays attention to. For instance, if a page of yours was being liked and shared around Facebook, Google is probably going to notice. So make sure that each page of your website has a sharing social media icon on it.
8. Use meta tags well. Meta tags are things like your page title, headings, meta descriptions and filenames. This means writing unique and engaging meta tags for each page, which contain your keyword if possible. Read our blogs on optimising meta tags and writing meta descriptions for more specific advice.

Where to Next for SEO?

As mentioned above, SEO is something you need to continually do and as you become more skilled in using it, you can begin to try new things. It's best at this stage to rely upon advice from those who understand it well. Here are a few websites you may want to check out and learn more from:

• HubSpot
• Moz
• Neil Patel
• Search Engine Land

If you'd rather outsource the whole lot, take a look at our list of recommended SEO professionals instead. Don't forget to check out our growing list of DIY SEO resources too!