SEO Content Optimization: Basics
SEO for beginners
When you're first starting out your learning how to use WordPress design and build a website through various tools you've never used before. Somehow while taking on the design aspect you have to write content take find an optimized pictures and somehow do search engine optimization at the same time.
All of this can be quite daunting, how in the heck can you add one more thing the search engine optimization even matter? The answer is not only yes but it's extremely important in order to get organic traffic from Google and Bing Yahoo.
SEO has many components that can be extremely in-depth for the advanced. What I would like to attempt to do is give you a small outline to help you achieve basic SEO steps well juggling everything else you're working on. Before you get started there's one thing you want to keep in mind with SEO. There are a lot of task you can do on your own with out having to work with a professional seo company if you have the time. Ask yourself this question
Am I only doing this for search engine optimization?
if you are only doing this for SEO purposes and stop. Google and users will realize that your site really isn't very good and instead has just been carefully manipulated for search rankings. Google will take away your rank and users will bounce back to another page. Everything you do for SEO must benefit your site.
The basics
First: use https for security and because Google prefers it
Most people will tell you to start with keyword research. I simply find that this is the wrong strategy to address the content that is required for your website. Using keyword research to tell you what topic to write about before you even have your core content to me is ridiculous.
Once you have determined your niche the next best step will be to make a list of topics that are the most important that people actually want to know about. the problem with just writing for keywords is you may end up with a lot of topics nobody actually cares about. I would call writing topics on keywords a more advanced strategy that are not need for new websites and SEO basics. Once you start running out of important topics on your niche this might be the time to start using keyword research to give you ideas on what to write about.
Once you have picked your topic and you know what you're going to write about do a search and see what the top pages of that search results look like. How long is the content on the top three pages that show up in the search results?
use this as a guide to help you figure out how long your content should be. I always think longer content is better. With one caveat longer content is better if it is useful. Words that nobody is interested in Reading will signal to Google that your page isn't very good and will hurt your rankings.
Once you have an idea of what you're going to write about and how long it's going to be now figure out what questions relate to this topic.
What questions will people be searching for?
Include answers on the topic you are already going to write about in your content.
Now for the keyword research.
At this point you need to setup a Google AdWords account. Do not go with the cheesy Google Express fast account set up a full Google AdWords account.
it's free and I personally feel that beginners do not need to waste any money on expensive keyword research tools.
Use the keyword research tool to find other words that fit into your topic. Pepper those words throughout the content. Need to know how to do keyword research well take a look at this.
Title tags
Your content needs to be broken up into small sections that people can easily digest. Pictures should be mixed in to break up the long text. titles of paragraphs should tell the reader what the section to come is about. When answering questions the question can be the title of that paragraph.
There should only be h1 one title tag on any page. some ncos will tell you that you only need to use an H1 and the rest can all be h2title tags. I personally only use H1 H2 and h3.
One thing to note is to always keep them in order. Do not skip from h1 to h4. You can however use multiple H2 or h3 is in a row. You also can go from an h4 and start back over at H2 and make your way back down. This example is not specific to H4 and can be applied to any place that you would like to start back over in the counting. Remember only one H1. Not sure how to do a title tag?
The most important three things on your page are the title the URL and the Google search title
a variation of the keyword that you are going after should be in all three of those items. You can use the same keyword in all three but you should mix up the rest of the words around it.
For example Search engine optimization for beginners
Seo-basics
What every SEO needs to know when they start
How long should your URL be
URL basics
Shorter URLs rank better, according to backlinko you should shoot for between 50-60 characters and it should be easy to understand.
Use hyphens never underscores
Use lower case
Avoid stop words...a,an,or,but (filler words) mostly because they waste valuable url space
1-2 keywords and don't repeat them
https://www.google.com/amp/s/neilpatel.com/blog/seo-urls/amp/
and only use safe characters
How long should your title be
20-70 characters
How long should your SEO title be
This is what shows on the search results it should be between 50-60 characters
What is the meta tag, this is a description of your page on Google
make sure to do a good description in The Meta description that you don't have to update. If you include years that means you have to go back and change them every year. Use your keywords in your metatag as well
Interlinking and authority out-linking
Authority out linking
Make sure to link out to expert websites that talk about your topic. Google likes to see the not only do you have a good information you are also sharing your resources to other high authority informative sites.
Interlinking your pages
Your pages said link out to other pages that are related on your own website. those other pages that are related should also linked back to the page that you linked from creating a linking circle.
make sure all of your pages get link to other pages on your website. if you're not going to link to your own pages what makes you think other people are and Google sees this as well.
Building links
You can start off by building backlinks from social media sites. Setting up accounts on various free platforms social media sites and video sites to add your website URL.
You can share your content to medium, normally you do not want to put your content anywhere on your website except for places like medium which show your site as the original author.
Answer questions on Quora make them count and include a link to your site.
Lastly guest posting and marketing. I say lastly because you should only get to this point after your site has built your content is written and you are ready to start marketing your site
Guest posting is easy buy takes time. All you have to do us ask sites to write for them in exch age for a link back to your site.
Use Quora to drive traffic. People are always looking for answers to questions. Good news for you you just wrote amazing content that answers those questions. When answering questions on quora always right excellent responses. Use your content and write some new content and Link back to your original website page. The most successful Quora answers have multiple resources and pictures.
Social marketing
Social shares help drive trffic, but it only important after you have followed the other basics.
Pick a niche
Make a list of topics to write about
Do keyword research to more terms into your content
Use questions to answer what people are search for
Use headings and title tags20-70
Optimize title 50-60
, heading, url 20-70
Url 50-60
Interlink like pages
-Link out to 2-3 high authority related website
-Build links to your new pages
-Market and share
-Bookmark this page and reference Every time your writing content.
Let me know below if there is anything you think that I am missing for beginners