Welcome to Trysocio Digital Academy's Blog: Sharing Information for Your Digital Marketing Success

Breaking Down the Basics of SEO for Beginners in 2023

Welcome to the world of SEO!

Are you new to digital marketing and looking to learn more about SEO?

In this blog post, we will dive into the details of Search Engine Optimization and its importance in the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape.

Whether you are a professional or a student eager to learn more about SEO, this guide will equip you with the knowledge to boost your website’s visibility and attract more organic traffic.

Note: This blog is bit long as we have aimed to provide you as many information as possible.

What is SEO and why is it important for digital marketing and business?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is simply the process of optimizing or fine tuning your website to increase the quantity and quality of traffic (website visitors) through organic search results.

SEO is important for digital marketing because it helps businesses reach their target audience free and increase brand awareness and credibility.

In today’s digital age, where people rely on search engines to find information, products, and services, understanding and performing SEO is crucial for businesses.

Understanding search engines and how they work

Search engines like Google are powerful tools made of programming languages and they help users find the most relevant and useful information on the internet.

Search engines use complex algorithms to determine the most relevant and useful results for a particular search query (google search) by a user like us.

These algorithms consider various factors when ranking websites, including the website’s content, relevance to the search query, website’s user experience, topic authority and more.

Now let us explore the Search Engine algorithm’s role in SEO

Search engine algorithms are a set of rules that search engines use every time to determine which websites should rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

By understanding more about search engine algorithms and how they work, you can optimize your website to improve its ranking in search engine results pages.

In India, Google holds most of the market share followed by Bing.

So, it is essential to focus on optimizing for Google since it drives the most significant amount of search traffic. However, considering other search engines can also be beneficial for diversifying your traffic sources.

Keyword research and analysis: finding the right keywords for your business

Keywords are the words or phrases that users enter search engines when looking for specific information, products, or services.

Keyword research is the SEO process of finding the right keywords that your target audience uses to search for your products or services.

Different types of keywords and their significance:

Short-Tail Keywords: These are short and generic keywords consisting of one or two words, such as “digital marketing.” They have high search volume but are highly competitive.
Long-Tail Keywords: These are longer, more specific phrases, such as “digital marketing strategies for businesses.” They have lower search volume but are more targeted and have less competition.
LSI Keywords: Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) keywords are related terms or synonyms of your main keywords. They help search engines understand the context and relevance of your content with the topic.

By using the right keywords in your website’s content and meta data, you can start improving your website’s ranking in search engine results pages. We hope now you got a better idea on Keywords and it’s different types.

How to choose the right keywords for your business

We would start by brainstorming meaningful keywords related to your business-like what people may search on Google or Bing that will be relevant to your business.

Always consider the intent behind the search and choose keywords that align with your content and target audience.
One can use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs or SEMrush to research on the right keywords for your business.

Things to consider while choosing the right keywords-

Relevance: Ensure the keywords align with your business, products, or services.
Search Volume: Look for keywords with a decent search volume to attract traffic.
Competition: Consider the competition level and choose a mix of high and low competition keywords.
Long-Tail Variation: Include variations of long-tail keywords to target a wider range of searches.
User Persona: Consider your customer’s demographics, preferences, and search behaviour when selecting keywords.

Additionally, we suggest you to analyse your competitors’ main keyword strategies to identify gaps and opportunities.

Once we are done with Keyword research process, we start implementing SEO process. Yeah, we are just getting started.

SEO Optimization Process:

The whole SEO process is mainly divided in to two sections i.e. On-page SEO and Off-page SEO.

On-page optimization: optimizing your website for search engines

On-page optimization is a process of optimizing or making any changes on your website’s content, data, and code to improve its ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). These activities include placing your target keywords in your website’s title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and content to improve its relevance to search queries. Let’s go through one by one

Title Tags:

Meta Descriptions:

Header Tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.):

Use header tags to structure your website content hierarchically.
Include target keywords in your main heading (H1) and utilize subheadings (H2, H3) to organize and improve readability.
Ensure headers accurately represent the content that follows and make it easier for search engines and readers to understand your page.

Also always optimize content for search engines and readers.
Note that whatever you do, if the content is not worth readable for users for any reason, search engines will not consider your website.
Also, consider below suggestions when developing content for your website & implementing On- page SEO activities.

Keyword Optimization:

Quality and Relevance:

User Experience:

Technical SEO: fixing technical issues on website that can affect search engine rankings.

Technical SEO come under On-page SEO and refers to the process of optimizing or correcting your website’s technical infrastructure to improve Customer experience and search engine rankings.

Here are some popular and important technical SEO tasks you should consider:

Checking your site speed: A slow site can harm your search engine rankings, so it’s important to optimize your site speed. Use tools like GTmetrix or Google page speed insights to identify any issues that might be slowing down your site.

Find out the factors that are slowing down your website like unused CSS, large Image size etc. Work with a developer to fix all the major errors / warnings listed.

Use schema markup: Schema markup is a simple code that you can add to your website to help search engines understand the content on your site. This can improve the appearance of your search engine results and increase your click-through rates.

Fix broken links: Broken links can harm your search engine rankings and frustrate your visitors.
We would suggest to use tools like Google Search Console to identify any broken links on your site and fix them with the help of a developer.

Ensure your site is secure: In 2023 search engines prioritize secure websites, so it is important to ensure that your website is secure. Use HTTPS to encrypt your website and protect your visitors’ details.

Content optimization: creating high-quality content that ranks well in search engines.

Creating relevant, and engaging content is one of the most important factors in SEO. As an author I know it is not easy as it sounds, here are some strategies that you can use:

Conduct keyword research: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify the keywords your target audience is searching for and include them in your content.

Write long-form content: Long-form content (usually 1,500-2,000 words) tends to rank better in search engines. This is because it allows you to provide more detailed information and target more keywords.

Use header tags: Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) make your content more readable and help search engines understand the structure of your content. Use them to break up your content into sections.

Use internal linking: Internal linking or linking to other pages on your site can help search engines understand the structure of your site and improve the user experience.

Mobile optimization: optimizing for mobile devices and improving the mobile user experience.

As more and more people access the internet from their smartphones and tablets, it is essential to
optimize your website for mobile devices.

Let us go through some of the strategies we can implement.

Use a responsive design: A responsive design make sure that your website automatically adapts to the screen size of the device being used to access it. This means that your website will look great on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Optimize your site speed: As mentioned above Mobile users expect fast-loading websites, so it’s essential to optimize your site speed. Use tools like Google Page Speed Insights to identify any issues that might be slowing down your site and fix them.

Simplify your navigation: Mobile users don’t have the luxury of a large screen, so it’s important to simplify your navigation to make it easy for them to find what they’re looking for. Use dropdown
menus, and other mobile-friendly navigation options.

Use larger font sizes: Mobile screens are small, so it is important to use larger font sizes to make your content easy to read. Aim for a minimum font size of 16px. If your target audiences are elder people, then increase the font size further.

Off-page optimization: building quality backlinks and improving domain authority

A backlink is an incoming link from another website to yours, which plays a crucial role in establishing your website’s credibility, authority, and relevance in the eyes of search engines.

Off-page optimization refers to the process of building backlinks to your website to improve its domain authority (DA) and ranking in search engine results pages.

*Domain authority (DA) is a measure of a website’s credibility and influence in search engine rankings.

Also, when creating backlinks to your website, priority should be always quality over quantity.

Backlinks from website that has good domain authority score can help your site rank higher in search engine results pages.

Now let’s explore different types of Off-Page Activities:

Guest Blogging:

To start with, research and identify relevant websites that accept guest posts.
Then contact the website with a compelling pitch and clearly outline your guest post idea and its value to their audience. Additionally, be prepared to share writing samples if requested.

Social Media Engagement:

Broken Link Building:

Influencer Mentions:

Local Business Directories:

More the quality backlinks, better will be the search engine rankings.

Local SEO: optimizing for local search results and improving visibility for local customers

Local SEO refers to the SEO process of making your website for local search results (nearby areas) to improve visibility for local customers. This is a very important step for businesses that needs to sell their product or services to customers from the nearby areas.

We can do this by creating and updating your Google My Business profile with accurate and up-to-date information.
Next step is by including your business’s address, phone number, and hours of operation on the website to improve its relevance to local search queries.

Make sure to use location-based keywords in website's content and meta data to improve its relevance to local search queries.
Also utilize local directories and review platforms to gain visibility and positive reviews.

Analysing and Tracking SEO Performance: Using Analytics Tools to Measure Success

Once we have implemented various SEO strategies mentioned, it is important to track the website performance and make adjustment as needed. This is where Google analytics tools come into play.

It is a free tool from the giant Google itself!

Here are the steps to analyse and track your SEO performance using Google Analytics:

Set up Google Analytics:

First, create a Google Analytics account by signing in with your Gmail account.
Next, click on “Admin” to access the admin settings.
Then, select “Create Property” and enter your website details correctly.
Copy the tracking code provided and paste it into the header section of your website.
Save the changes, and voila! Google Analytics is now tracking your website data.

Once the setup is complete, you can see and measure all the below website data in Google Analytics:

Website Traffic: Monitor the number of visitors to your website.

Traffic Sources: Identify where your website traffic is coming from, such as organic search, direct visits, or social media.
Audience Details: Gain insights into the details of your visitors, including their age, gender, location, and interests.
Behaviour Flow: Visualize how visitors navigate through your website, including the pages they visit and the paths they take.
Conversion Tracking: Set up goals and track conversions, such as completed purchases, form submissions, or sign-ups.
Bounce Rate: Measure the percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page.
Page Performance:Analyse the performance of individual pages on your website, including pageviews, average time on page, and exit rates.

Monitor your rankings

Keep an eye on your search engine rankings for all your target keywords. There are several tools available, such as Ahrefs, SEMrush that can help you track your rankings over time. Monitor your rankings regularly and adjust your SEO strategies as needed to improve your website rankings.

Measure your conversion rate

Finally, the success of your SEO strategies should be measured by how well they are converting visitors into customers. Use Google Analytics to track your conversion rate and identify areas for improvement.
For example, if you have a high bounce rate on a particular page, it may indicate that the page is slow or not mobile friendly.

Boosting Website Visibility & Performance: Exploring the Power of Google Search Console

In addition to Google Analytics, another powerful tool provided by Google is Google Search Console. It is a valuable asset for optimizing your website’s SEO performance.

Let’s dive into how you can make the most of this tool:

Setting up Google Search Console:

Start by signing in to your Google account and accessing the Google Search Console website.
Click on “Add Property” and enter your website URL accurately.
Choose a verification method and follow the instructions to verify ownership of your website.
Once verified, you will gain access to a range of insights to improve your website’s visibility.

Know the Key Features of Google Search Console:

Performance Report: Understand how your website is performing in Google search results. Analyse clicks, impressions, average position, and click-through rates for different search queries.

Index Coverage Report: Monitor how Google is indexing your website’s pages and identify any indexing issues. Take necessary actions to ensure all your important pages are properly indexed.

Mobile Usability Report: This report highlights any usability issues that could impact your website’s mobile performance.

URL Inspection Tool: Get insights into how Google sees a specific URL on your website. Check for indexing status, structured data, and any issues that could affect visibility in search results.

Sitemaps: Using this option we can submit our website’s sitemap to Google Search Console, ensuring that all your pages are discoverable by search engines.

Security Issues: Google Search Console alerts you if any security issues or malware are detected on your website to protect the website and maintain its reputation.

By utilizing all the features and insights provided by Google Search Console, you can fine-tune your SEO strategy, improve the website’s visibility, and deliver a better user experience to the audience.

Now that we have discussed most sections of the SEO process, it is equally important to be aware of the unethical practices in the SEO industry.

Black hat SEO: understanding unethical SEO practices.

When it comes to SEO, there are two main approaches: Black hat & White hat SEO.

White hat SEO involves following ethical practices that comply with search engine guidelines while, black hat process use unethical tactics to improve search engine rankings.

Some common black hat SEO tactics include keyword stuffing, cloaking, and link schemes. These tactics may lead to short-term gains in search engine rankings, but they can also result in penalties or even a complete ban from search engine results pages.

It’s important to avoid any black hat unethical practices that can harm your website’s reputation and search engine rankings.

SEO penalties and how to avoid them: the consequences of using unethical SEO practices.

Search engines like Google are constantly updating their algorithm programs to improve the relevance and quality of search results. As a result, using unethical SEO practices can lead to penalties or even a complete ban from search engine results pages.

Some common SEO penalties include a decrease in search engine rankings, a drop in website traffic, and a complete removal from search engine results pages.

To avoid SEO penalties, it’s important to follow ethical SEO practices and to avoid any tactics that are against search engine guidelines. Regularly monitoring your website’s performance can also help you identify and address any issues before they result in penalties.

The impact of Social Media on SEO: how social media can influence search engine rankings.

Okay let me be clear, social media signals are not a direct ranking factor in search engine algorithms, however it can indirectly influence search engine rankings.

Social media can bring website traffic, and improve the number and quality of backlinks to your website. These factors can all have a positive impact on search engine rankings.

To maximize this impact of social media on SEO, it’s important to have a strong social media presence and to create high-quality, shareable fresh content that encourages engagement and backlinks.

How to create an SEO-friendly website: : tips for building a site that ranks well in search engines.

If you are just starting off with a website, it is a great opportunity to work on the SEO side from the beginning itself.

This involves a combination of on-page and off-page optimization tactics we discussed above.

Some key tips for building an SEO-friendly website include:

Conducting keyword research and analysis to identify the right keywords to target on your website.
Optimizing website structure and navigation to make it easy for search engines to crawl and index your site.
Creating high-quality, keyword-rich content that is optimized for both search engines and users.
Building quality backlinks from reputable sources to improve domain authority and search engine rankings.
Regularly monitoring and analysing your website’s performance to identify and address any issues.

Interested in learning more about Social Media Marketing alone?

Check out our Social Media Marketing internship course and speak with one of our digital marketing experts.

Common SEO mistakes to avoid: pitfalls to watch out for when optimizing your site.

Keyword stuffing: overusing keywords on a page to manipulate search engine rankings.
Buying links: paying for links to your website from low-quality sources in an attempt to improve search engine rankings.
Ignoring mobile optimization: failing to optimize your website for mobile devices and providing a poor user experience for mobile users.
Not optimizing for local search: For businesses with a physical location, not optimizing for local search can cause you to miss out on valuable local customers.
Ignoring analytics: Not tracking your SEO performance and analyzing your data can make it challenging to improve your rankings and grow your online presence.
By avoiding these common SEO mistakes, you can improve your website’s search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic to your site.

Dynamic nature of SEO and the importance of staying updated

As search engines and technology continue to evolve, SEO best practices and trends are constantly changing. Staying updated in this Dynamic SEO world is very important.

Follow reputable SEO blogs, industry influencers, and trustable sources to stay informed about the latest SEO trends and algorithm updates.

SEO Trends for 2023 and Beyond

Here are some SEO trends that we at Trysocio Digital Academy expect to see in 2023 and beyond:

Voice search optimization: With the growing popularity of voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, optimizing for voice search is becoming increasingly important.
Video SEO: As video content continues to gain popularity, optimizing for video search results will become more important.
Focus on user experience: Search engines are focusing on websites that provide a positive user experience, including fast loading times, easy navigation, and high-quality content.
EAT: Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (EAT) will continue to play a significant role in search engine rankings, particularly for sites in the health, finance, and news industries.

Congratulations! You’ve now gained a solid understanding of the basics of SEO.
By implementing the strategies and best practices discussed in this post, you can improve your website’s visibility, attract targeted organic traffic, and improve your overall online presence.

Now, if you are looking to practice and learn SEO, you can check out SEO internship courses available at our digital marketing institute. By working on real SEO projects, you can learn everything by doing and become more confident. So, click on the WhatsApp icon and speak with one of our experts.

Remember to stay curious, stay updated, and continue learning as SEO continues to evolve in the dynamic world of digital marketing.

Author info

Thashreef - Social Media Manager

Trysocio Digital Academy

Learn digital marketing best practices from an agency-based digital marketing training academy in Kochi & Kannur, Kerala who has extensive real-world experience in the field.

Contact Info

Kannur

Kochi

Meet Our Digital Marketing Agency

Trysocio Marketing is one of the leading Digital Marketing Agency in Kannur providing online sales, branding and web development services.