SEO Doesn’t Have to Suck: Easy Ways to Make Google Love You Part 2
If you’ve already devoured Part 1 of SEO Doesn’t Have to Suck: Easy Ways to Make Google Love You, welcome back! I’m thrilled you’re hungry for more. If you haven’t read it yet, now’s the perfect time to check it out, your business (and probably your sanity) will thank you.
Ready to dive into Part 2?
Let’s demystify more simple, actionable ways SEO - or Search Engine Optimisation, if you’re fancy - can turn your website into a winning machine.
Page Speed: Slow and Steady Doesn’t Win the SEO Race
There are a great many things that are infinitely better if you slow them down, but in the online world, nobody likes a slowpoke.
If your website takes ages to load, visitors (and Google) will find it annoying and off they will bounce to business who has a speedier version. Compress images, reduce unnecessary plugins, and use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to pinpoint issues.
Internal Links: Breadcrumbs for Your Visitors (and Google)
It’s great when someone lands on your website - what a treat you have with all the great things you have dotted around!
Now the mission is to keep them here as long as possible - search engines like that a lot.
In this game, think of your website like a picnic rug which you know has tasty morsels all around, so tempt and tease them to explore. Help them (and the search engines)out by linking pages together and showing them other things that might pique their interest.
You wrote a blog post about “Tips for Better Productivity”? Fantastic! Perhaps your reader might also like a link to your services page to put your tips into practice.
Voila! You’ve shown them something that is relevant and guided them to take action without being pushy and the reader has stayed long enough to look at TWO pages rather than just one.
Backlinks: Your Website’s Popularity Contest
Remember those kids at school who had loads of friends, they were fun, they were smart - everyone wanted to be in their circle? Website backlinks are like getting recommendations from those cool kids. And the more quality sites that link to yours, the more trustworthy, credible and reputable Google thinks you are and will show you higher in the search results.
Want backlinks from the cool kids?
Write content so good, people can’t help but share. Reach out to blogs and industry peers for guest posting opportunities, but make sure each post is unique. Google’s clever enough to know if you’re recycling the same blog everywhere, and it won’t rank you for it so don’t just copy and paste it around town all willy nilly.
Your blog post must be relevant to the hosting website (they likely won’t accept it if it’s not) but it should be original.
That’s not to say you can’t guest post about the same topic, but make sure you revise it, use different examples or reframe it - you’re the expert so that’ll be no sweat, right?
User Experience (UX): Make It Easy, Make It Fun
I get it, there’s a lot to remember but most importantly, SEO isn’t just about algorithms, it’s actually about people.
Search Engine Optimisation isn’t about manipulating data for nefarious means, it’s about using your website appropriately to position yourself in in front of the people who are looking for you.
Making it easier for customer to find you.
Dotting your I’s and crossing your T’s means you have a clean, easy-to-navigate website that will give your visitors the information they are looking for - they will be happy and will keep coming back.
See your website through the eyes of a first time customer - use big, clear headings, ensure text is legible, and avoid cluttered layouts. Bonus points if your site feels as smooth as butter because a good first impression will encourage the reader to stay and browse about. A not-so-good first impression will have the visitor leaving to find somewhere else online that feels cosy.
Batman had Robin, SEO has Social Media
While social media doesn’t directly boost your rankings, it does drive traffic to your site, and that’s always a win.
If you know where your audience hangs out for fun - places like Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn, you can share your blog posts there, too. If you have a post that is of interest, often you can include a clickable link directly to your blog post - and guess what? If you’ve done a good job of guiding people around as per the section above, they may likely stay a bit longer.
Some blogs have the functionality to encourage your readers to share your posts themselves - what a bonus! Your reader will definitely have people in their circle that don’t know about your business yet, there are more people you can serve! If your blog has this function, do switch it on - every little helps!
Local SEO: Win Your Neighbourhood First
If your business has a physical, bricks and mortar presence, you definitely want it to be easy for local people to find you. Create a Google My Business profile, encourage reviews, and include your location on your site (e.g., “Nottingham’s favourite yoga studio”).
Don’t be afraid to ask your customers for a Google review, either. Social proof is so valuable - believe me, your potential customers want to hear about experiences of other customers.
Wrapping It All Up
You see? SEO doesn’t have to feel like rocket science - I want you to keep your feet firmly on terra firma so you can focus on elevating your business to the stars, instead.
Start small with with these best practices:
1 ) understand your audience
2 ) create valuable content
3 ) make sure your website is fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to use
4 ) sprinkle in keywords
5 ) build backlinks
6 ) share your work far and wide
Remember, SEO is a long game, it’s about consistently showing up and improving over time. But with these tips, you’re well on your way to climbing those search engine rankings and getting your business the attention it deserves.
Ready to take the leap? Drop us a message we’ll help you turn your SEO dreams into reality! 🌟
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