Looking to scale your business online? Then you might know the role of SEO. But hiring an SEO expert can be a little costly for your small business or startup. 

Don’t worry. You don’t have to spend a fortune to have an SEO expert. 

Here are the beginners guide on how to do SEO yourself

Understand your Online Market and Target Customers

You might have an offline business. Understanding who is your target customer and what they want –is half of the story. People’s habits and behavior often vary online comparatively offline. The digital landscape is quite different here. 

A prominent offline presence is not enough to have a dominant online presence. Make sure you research the online market properly. Search for the relevant businesses and products you offer and make a note of them. Study their strategy, customer behavior, and reviews, and benchmark their social media presence. 

Research Keywords

Keyword research is the cornerstone of SEO. Keyword research has multiple benefits. One is– you can discover and organize relevant search queries; with those, you can understand the words and phrases customers use to search for their preferred services. 

Utilizing those words in your blog can improve your organic search ranking. 

You can use tools such as SEMrush and Google Keyword Planner to find the most relevant keywords for your business.

Google search console keywords are also significant factors in ranking your website. If you haven’t optimized your website yet, it’s high time you should this. 

Update your meta titles and descriptions.

Meta titles and descriptions are the first things audience will see when your website appears in the search engine results. Optimizing your website’s meta titles and descriptions can improve your click-through rates and boost your SEO efforts. 

To update your meta titles and descriptions, write effective and compelling snippets that accurately describe your page’s content, use target keywords naturally, and make each page unique. 

If you’re worried about how to get on top of google search, this can help you to increase your website’s visibility in search results and encourage users to click through to your website.

Identify Keyword Gaps

Keyword gaps refer to the missing or untapped keywords your website is not currently ranking for, but your competitors are. Identifying and targeting these gaps can help improve your website’s visibility and increase traffic.

To identify keyword gaps, start by analyzing your website’s current keyword rankings and comparing them to your competitors. This will help you see which keywords your competitors are ranking for that you’re not. You can use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz to help you with this.

Once you’ve identified the keyword gaps, you can start creating content around those keywords to fill the gap. For example, if your competitors are ranking for “best coffee shops in town” and you’re not, you can create a blog post or a page on your website highlighting the best coffee shops in town and optimize it for that keyword.

Build Internal Links

Internal linking is the practice of linking to other pages within your website. It’s an important part of SEO as it helps search engines understand the structure of your website and the relationships between pages.

Internal linking also helps distribute the link equity of your website evenly across all pages, improving the chances of each page ranking well in search results.

Optimize your website

Website optimization is crucial for SEO. A well-optimized website is more likely to rank higher in search results and gain more traffic.

To optimize your website, start by ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly. This can be done by compressing images, minifying code, and enabling browser caching.

Next, ensure that your website is easy to navigate and user-friendly. This can be done by organizing your content into categories, using clear and descriptive URLs, and including a search bar.

Build your Social Media Network

Social media is a great way to boost your website’s SEO by increasing your online presence and driving traffic to your website. Building a social media network can help you reach a wider audience and engage with your target audience.

Identify which social media platforms are most relevant to your business or niche to get started. 

For example, if you’re in the food industry, Instagram and Pinterest may be more relevant than LinkedIn or Twitter. Once you’ve identified the platforms, create a profile and share your content.

Optimizing your social media profiles by using keywords in your bio and including a link to your website is important. Use high-quality images and videos to showcase your brand and engage with your audience by responding to comments and messages. 

Sharing relevant content from other sources can also increase your reach and establish your authority in your industry.

Create Useful Content

Creating high-quality, useful content is one of the most important things you can do for the SEO of your website. Search engines prioritize websites with fresh, relevant content that provides value to the user.

To create useful content, research your target audience and identify their needs and interests. Use keyword research tools to find popular and relevant topics to your niche.

Create new content, update and repurpose existing content on your website. This can help improve your website’s SEO and attract more traffic. 

For example, you can update old blog posts with new information, create video versions of your blog posts, or turn your blog posts into podcasts.

Monitor Website Analytics

Monitoring your website’s analytics is essential for understanding how your SEO efforts are performing. With Google Analytics, you can track your website’s traffic, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to improve your website’s performance.

Regularly monitor your website’s performance to identify pages performing well and those needing improvement. Use this information to decide your website’s content and SEO strategy. For example, if a particular blog post is attracting a lot of traffic, create similar content to attract more visitors.

Educate Yourself

SEO is an ever-changing field, and staying up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices are important. Educate yourself by reading blogs, articles, and guides about SEO, joining online communities, and taking online courses or attending workshops.

By staying informed, you’ll be better equipped to make informed decisions about your website’s SEO strategy, identify opportunities for improvement, and stay ahead of the curve regarding the latest SEO trends.

Conclusion 

SEO can seem daunting, but with a little effort and the right techniques, you can save money and improve your website’s ranking on search engines. That’s why learning how to do SEO yourself is a great option. 

Remember to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices by educating yourself about SEO. 

By implementing these DIY SEO tips, you can save money and improve your website’s search engine ranking, making it easier for potential customers to find you.