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Search Engine Optimisation, commonly known as SEO, is a vital digital marketing strategy that focuses on improving the visibility and ranking of a website on search engine result pages (SERPs). At its core, SEO involves a series of techniques and best practices designed to ensure that your online content is easily discoverable by users searching for relevant information, products, or services. This includes optimising website structure, incorporating keywords that potential visitors might use in their searches, and creating high-quality content that engages and informs readers.

By effectively implementing SEO, businesses and individuals can drive organic traffic to their sites, enhance their online presence, and ultimately achieve their goals, whether those are increased sales, brand awareness, or community engagement.

But SEO is not just about ticking boxes and using the right keywords; it’s also about understanding your audience and their needs! A friendly approach to SEO involves crafting content that speaks directly to your target demographic, making it relatable and accessible. This means not only focusing on the technical aspects, like meta tags and backlinks but also ensuring that you’re providing value to your visitors.

By creating informative blog posts, engaging videos, or user-friendly landing pages, you foster a connection with your audience. In doing so, you not only boost your site’s credibility in the eyes of search engines but also encourage users to return, share your content, and even become advocates for your brand.

So, whether you’re a small business owner or a passionate blogger, embracing the friendly side of SEO can help you build a loyal community around your content!

2 Main Types Of SEO

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a multifaceted discipline that encompasses various strategies aimed at improving a website’s visibility on search engines.

On-Page SEO

One of the primary types of SEO is On-Page SEO, which focuses on optimising individual pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic. This includes optimising content, title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and images. Additionally, ensuring that the website is user-friendly, mobile-responsive, and fast-loading contributes to better on-page SEO. By crafting high-quality, engaging content that answers users’ queries and incorporating relevant keywords naturally, businesses can enhance their chances of appearing at the top of search results.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:

  1. Keyword Optimisation
    • Title Tags – Target keywords get added to the page title – H1 Heading.
    • Content Optimisation – Ensure readability by writing keyword rich compelling content without keyword stuffing.
    • Meta Descriptions – A keyword rich description up to 160 characters long on desktop and 120 characters long on mobile. Keep it concise and compelling to improve click through rates (CTR).
    • Header Tags (H1,H2,H3) – Structures headings help to organise content. Include keywords.
  2. Content Quality & Structure
    • Write original content that is valuable to the page and engages your audience. Make it concise and compelling reading, avoiding jargon by sticking to everyday language.
    • Make text readable by breaking it down into bullet points, paragraphs and subheadings.
    • Use multimedia like: videos, images and infographics to improve aesthetics and enhance engagement.
  3. Internal Linking
    • Improve navigation and user engagement by linking internally to relevant pages within your website.
    • Use keyword rich compelling anchor call to action text instead of “click here” use alternatives like, “Let’s Do This!” or “Learn More”.
  4. Url Structure
    • Minimise the length of URLs keeping them short and descriptive using keyword rich text. e.g. https://yoursite.com/seo-content-writing.
    • Avoid using underscores ( _ ) in your URLs. Use hyphens instead ( – ),
  5. Image Optimisation
    • Use image compression for faster loading images
    • Convert images to next Gen formats. i.e. WebP (high quality compression) or AVIF (AV1 file format for superior compression)
  6. Page Speed Optimisation
    • Add Gzip Compression
    • Enable caching with the use of plugins like: Litespeed Cache (free version option), WP Rocket
  7. Schema Markup (Structured Data)
    • Add Schema.org markup for rich snippets via Html or using a plugin to give search engines extra details about your content to improve Click Through Rates (CTR). This helps the search engine understand the content better
  8. Secure & Accessible Website
    • Install an SSL certificate for security. When properly installed your URL will appear with a “https://” before it.
  9. Easy Navigation & UX design principals
    • Reduce bounce rates by keeping content engaging and relevant.
    • Make pages easy to navigate and avoid clutter. Make use of white space.
    • Use CAll-to-actions (CTAs) to guide your users to take action on your website. E.g. “Do you need my help?” then add a button or a link. “Get In Touch.”

Off-Page SEO

On the other hand, there’s Off-Page SEO, which refers to actions taken outside your website that impact your ranking within search engine results pages (SERPs). This primarily revolves around building a strong backlink profile, which involves getting other reputable websites to link back to your content. These backlinks act as “votes of confidence,” signaling to search engines that your website is trustworthy and authoritative. Furthermore, engaging with your audience on social media platforms and encouraging user-generated content can also amplify your off-page SEO efforts.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:

  1. Link Building
    • Guest Blogging – Write articles for websites who backlink to your site.
    • Broken Link Building – Find broken links on other websites and offer to replace it with your content.
    • Skyscraper Technique – Create high quality content and reach out to sites linking to similar content.
    • Forum and Community Backlinks – Participate in niche forums and add links where relevant.
  2. Social Media Marketing
    • Share your content across social platforms like: X, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
    • Engage with users, locals and other businesses similar to yours to create brand mentions.
    • Encourage social shares with unique content to your brand.
  3. Influencer Outreach
    • Partner with influencers for backlinks and brand mentions.
    • Get featured in authorities blogs, videos or podcasts.
  4. Local SEO, Brand Mentions & CItations
    • Get listed on local directories like True Local or Yelp.
    • List your business on Google Business Profile and verify after adding all your details and images.
    • Encourage customer reviews.
    • Update your business details ensuring NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) consistency across all digital platforms.
    • Get featured in best top ten of your industry lists.
  5. Content Marketing
    • Repurpose and redate blog posts.
    • Submit infographics, guest posts and videos to content sharing sites.
    • Answer relevant questions in Reddit, Quora and niche forums.
  6. Video Marketing & Podcasts
    • Upload videos on Vimeo, Facebook and Dailymotion.
    • Create a Youtube video channel and update your videos adding website links in description.
    • Appear as guest on industry-related podcast with motions of your website.
    • Create podcasts to share with your audience.

Both On-Page and Off-Page SEO work hand in hand to create a holistic approach for enhancing online visibility and driving organic traffic to your site. Together, they form the foundation for a successful SEO strategy that can help businesses thrive in the digital landscape.

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