What is Search Engine Optimisation?
What is Search Engine Optimisation?
What is it and why is it important for your business to get it right.
Let’s be honest, most people get the concept of optimising their website for Search Engine Optimisation. But it’s almost like a puzzle that has no picture where you can just get the edges right.
Think of it as all the blood vessels in your body, that all have to be pumping your blood all the way to your heart to keep it beating. And yes, that analogy is intentionally complicated. SEO is complicated, but it isn’t something that you can’t get your head around so read on so you CAN understand SEO.
Search Engines like Google, Firefox, Safari etc, The web is now the world’s library of knowledge. It’s sorting through websites that contain knowledge, like libraries, universities, social media and shopping. You need to know how to get your website into that mix so that it’s being found by the people you want it to be found by targeted users. SEO mean’s you’re being specific about who you want to attract to your business. So let’s jump into it.
Search Engine Optimisation and Google
Before we get into the technical aspects of Search Engine Optimisation, there are important factors that need to be right on the front of your website before we start looking at the back. If you don’t have these things right, then Google may not want to play with you in the playground, even before it gets to know you. So mark these off your checklist.
Google favours the responsive!
Google crawls and indexes the mobile version of a webpage first, meaning that if your website is not built with responsive design, it may not rank as well in search results.
A responsive website automatically adjusts to different screen sizes, ensuring that mobile and desktop users see the same content. If your site is not responsive, Google may index a limited version of your content, negatively affecting your rankings.
speed really does matter
Yes, speed really does matter. How quickly your website loads will be a key factor in keeping your users interested.
Mobile users especially don’t want to hang around. Responsive design often involves optimising images, adding in plugins and sometimes code.
53% of mobile users abandon a site if it takes longer than three seconds to load.
To check the speed of your website go to page speed insights. Follow this link to it here.
setting up analytics
Using tools like Google Analytics allows you to monitor your website’s performance, track visitor behaviour, and identify areas for improvement.
Install Google Analytics
- Add Google Analytics to your website to track key metrics such as traffic, user engagement, and conversions.
Monitor Your Traffic Sources
- See where your visitors are coming from (organic search, social media, direct traffic, etc.).
- Identify which pages perform well and which need improvement.
google business profile manager
Why every business must set up their Google Business Profile.
Every business must do this. Why?
If your business does not have a Google Business Profile, Google will try to match search queries with the closest result it can find. I have worked with clients who never set theirs up, and when you search for their business, a completely different company appears instead. This means they are missing out on potential customers who are searching for them online.
A properly set up Google Business Profile ensures that:
- Your business appears correctly in search results and Google Maps.
- Customers can find accurate contact details, location, and hours.
- Your business gains credibility and trust through reviews and updates.
- You control the information instead of Google making a guess.
If your business is not listed correctly, you are losing potential clients to competitors. Setting up a Google Business Profile is not optional—it is a must for any business that wants to be found online.
I set this up for every single client, whether it’s a branding, logo, or web design project because it is essential for online visibility.
accessible design
Your site needs to be easy to read, understand and navigate. Clear menus, with a great layout, and a clean design help visitors find what they need and stay longer. Keep your text over 16 pts and NEVER CENTRE BODY COPY! Your users will miss what your message is.
Internal linking
Link to other pages on your site to keep visitors engaged and help search engines understand the structure of your website.
titles + discrptions
Make sure every page has a unique title and description that includes relevant keywords. This helps search engines understand the content and improve click-through rates.
Meta Discriptions
Connect your website with your social media profiles to drive traffic that will help you improve your website’s visibility. Make sure you set your social’s up so that people can share your content. And don’t forget to have links in your socials to your website, even in your private facebook bio!
Keywords
Use relevant keywords naturally throughout your site, including in titles, headers, and meta descriptions. Tools like Yoast SEO or Rank Math can help you find and implement the right keywords for your WordPress site. Wix works differently.
optimise images
Use high-quality images, but compress them to reduce load time. There are a variety of different plugins you can use to do this, I personally like Smush It. Optimising images will speed up your load time.
great content is critical
Creating valuable, well-written content is one of the most important factors in SEO. Your website should provide information that is relevant and useful to your audience.
Regularly updating your blog with fresh, engaging content not only keeps visitors coming back but also signals to search engines that your site is active and authoritative.
Additionally, linking to credible external sources or trusted partners can strengthen your content and improve search rankings. A well-structured content strategy helps build trust, engagement, and better visibility in search results.
And Finally . . . .
Having great content – and a good amount of it – will help your page rank higher. Check out your completion and see what they are doing, how they are ranking, and what they are doing that’s working.
Google will determine a website’s “authority” by all of these factors and others, including how many backlinks you have to your website. This takes time and commitment which is why I say – we are building a skyscraper, not a sandcastle.
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