If you’re building a website for your business in 2018, SEO is a must. While in the past it was enough to simply set up your website and direct traffic to it, today it’s much more competitive to get noticed online. With so many websites fighting for the same digital traffic, you need to use everything you can to get ahead of the competition.

A lot of new website owners make the mistake of thinking they don’t need to bother with SEO. They might think it’s too complicated and that they don’t need to learn how to use it. This is like letting free traffic fly out the window! SEO isn’t as complicated as a lot of people make it out to be, and you can master the basics with just a few simple steps. This guide will break down SEO for all levels of website creators.

Whether you’re attracting traffic to your business or your blog, these SEO tips will help you get an edge over the competition. You don’t have to be a coding guru or computer science expert to master the basics of SEO! These quick and Interactive Seo Tips are huge for your traffic!

SEO Myths Debunked

Before you can understand how you can use SEO or Search Engine Optimization, we’ll need to debunk some popular myths. A lot of new website owners fall for these common SEO myths and they get in the way of their success. Don’t believe everything you hear! Let’s set some things straight when it comes to SEO so you can make your website the best possible!

Myth 1: SEO takes a lot of time.

While it might take some time to learn the basics of SEO and how it works, it doesn’t take that much time on your part to get started with SEO optimization on your website. Instead of thinking of SEO as a lot of work, think of it as an ongoing process. SEO isn’t something that’s done once and never again. It will become a habit for updating your website from now forward.

Myth 2: Only established websites need SEO.

Don’t fall for the belief that only the best existing websites need to focus on SEO. SEO is for all websites big or small, and it’s how those big websites grew to be so large in the first place. While it might be challenging to rank in Search Engines for more popular search terms, it’s still possible to rank for more niche terms.

Myth 3: SEO doesn’t work.

Finally, some new website owners think SEO simply doesn’t work as well as other things. Why focus so much time on ranking well in Google when they should be focusing on content creation or social media. While it’s true SEO isn’t the only part of building a website, it is a valuable asset for those who take advantage of optimization tricks. Think of it this way: you want to make it as easy as possible for new users to find you organically! How can you pass that up?

We live in a digital world. You simply can’t afford to not spend time optimizing your website for search engines. It’s okay to start small with your SEO and build as you become more comfortable with new techniques. To get you started on your SEO journey, here are the best quick and interactive tips!

Content Creation Tips

As you probably already know, content is king on the internet. You need great content to rank highly on search engines. Great content is inherently shareable, so you should be in the habit of only publishing your best work on your website! While you know you should be creating great content on your website, there are other things you can do to optimize your content on your pages and posts.

Here’s a small, simple to follow checklist for every piece of new content:

Inbound & Outbound Links

Every post should include links to previous posts and pages as well as links to relevant, high-quality content from other websites. Including inbound links helps reduce your bounce rate and keep users on your website longer! Including outbound links helps search engines trust your content since you bring in additional sources. It also helps make your topic clear to search engines.

Content-Length

While there are no physical ties between SEO and content length, it’s shown that longer content will perform better in search engines. The reasoning is simple: search engine rewards content that is in-depth and comprehensive. If you’re discussing a topic, you’ll have more success explaining it thoroughly in 1000 words than in 200 words.

Headings & Subheadings

Not only does nobody enjoy reading a large block of text, but your SEO will benefit from headings and subheadings. Using H1 & H2 tags in your posts and pages is a great way to show search engines what you’re talking about as well as make it easier for people to read through your content.

Keywords

While there is some argument about the use of keywords being dead in SEO today, it’s still worth considering in your content creation. Having 1 or 2 specific keywords you’ve researched can go a long way towards boosting your page ranking for a specific topic. While you should avoid overusing your keyword, you should naturally incorporate it into your page or post title, meta descriptions, and first paragraph.

Images

Your posts and pages shouldn’t just be full of text only. You can incorporate images while also boosting your SEO. Images help keep people on your page longer and increase your readability. You can optimize your images by including your keyword in the image file name and the alt tags.

These tips above for content creation are easy to use in your regular practice! To make it even simpler, install Yoast SEO onto your WordPress for easy to follow SEO reminders every time you create a new post. Yoast SEO is free and it’s perfect for beginners!

Link Building SEO Tips

One of the most powerful ways to improve your website page ranking is by link building. Put simply, link building is the process of adding your website link to other high-quality websites around the web. These website links are a powerful tool for organic growth, but they aren’t always easy to get on your own.

Here are a few ways to build your link growth on your own:

Guest Posting

The easiest way to get your link featured on other quality websites is by guest posting. A number of different websites and publications are always open to guest posters! While guest posting, focus on creating great content for the other website without using your own links in a way that reads as spammy. You’ll even gain a larger audience in the process as well as new networking contacts!

Editorial Links

Sometimes your website will be linked naturally in other quality posts! This is a consequence of having great content, and it’s good news for your SEO. You can encourage editorial links by consistently creating quality content and promoting it regularly.

Forum Signatures and Comments

You can include your link in your comments across the web, but these are known to be very weak SEO indicators. While low value, this type of linking might still be a valuable supplemental tool in your strategy. Always check with the forum or blog provider about promotional links before posting.

These strategies above are just a few ways to build your link presence around the world wide web. While link building is one of the more challenging parts of SEO, it’s worst the most effort. The best strategy is to commit to creating high-quality content to attract editorial links in the future! You can also network with other websites to see if they’re interested in a link exchange or any sharing!

Do You Need an SEO Professional?

Finally, there comes a time when you might want to consider an SEO professional. Depending on your needs, SEO can be time-consuming. These tips above are just the tip of the iceberg! While easy and interactive tips are useful to an extent, there are benefits to having your own dedicated SEO expert to boost your strategy. For more information on choosing a professional, check this post: Hiring an Online Marketing Agency: Qualities to Avoid & Look For.

New websites likely don’t need the help of a professional as long as you have basic computer skills. On-page optimization is simple to configure on your own, especially when using SEO plugins like Yoast SEO. As for link building, it’s okay if you take your time building your strategy. Working regularly to network with other website owners, guest post on different publications, and create quality content goes a long way.

The future of SEO looks bright. With new techniques shaping the way websites interact with search engines, it’s valuable to be proactive with research. Don’t settle for poor search engine results and SEO myths! Even the smallest bit of SEO optimization will take your website further. Adapt to the digital age with these quick and interactive SEO tips! Your website success is only a few clicks away!