The beginner's guide to SEO

If you’ve done any research into marketing your business, you've definitely come across SEO and have some understanding about the importance of search engine optimization (SEO). In short, SEO is how Google or any search engine ranks your website. It plays a crucial role when building an online presence.

Ultimately, a strong online presence is essential for driving traffic, generating leads, and growing your business. Great SEO will get you there.

But, if you're new to the world of SEO, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. So, we’re breaking down the basics of SEO and giving you tips to help improve your website's ranking and provide tools that'll make this process a lot less overwhelming.

If you get lost or find any words that you don’t understand, use our SEO glossary at the end of this guide.

So, what is SEO, anyway?

SEO is the process of optimising your website to rank higher (get found) in search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific keywords and phrases. The goal is to increase the quality and quantity of website traffic by making your site more visible, relevant, and user-friendly.

Read our blog on what is SEO here.

Why SEO matters: The importance of online visibility

Having a website is a necessity. Websites serve as a digital storefront, allowing customers to find and learn about your business, products, and services. Without a website, you're missing out on a significant opportunity to connect with potential customers and establish your business’ online presence.

SEO plays a critical role in helping customers find your business online. By optimising your website for search engines, you're increasing the chances of your site appearing in search results for relevant keywords and phrases. This means that when customers search for products or services like yours, your website is more likely to show up in the top results.

But, SEO is not just about driving traffic to your website. It's also about providing a positive customer experience, building trust with site visitors, and ultimately, converting them into loyal customers.

Customer retention and SEO

Customer retention is crucial for any business, and SEO plays a large part in retaining customers. Provide a seamless customer experience, answer questions, and offer relevant content – you've just built trust with your customers and encouraged them to return to your website. Don’t think of just getting a once-off sale from your customers, think about how you want to keep your customers for repeat sales.

Analytics also play a critical role in SEO and customer retention. By tracking website metrics, such as clicks/views, bounce rates, conversion rates, and user engagement, you can identify areas for improvement and optimise your website for better performance.

How does Savvy make your business rank higher?

The way Savvy has been built ensures every single Savvy Site aligns with Google’s best practices for SEO, you just need to give us a bit of content. From SEO AI optimised copy to solid use of Google structure guides, most of the job has been done for you, but there are ways in which you can further improve your SEO rankings.

• Firstly, you’ll need a Savvy Site.

• Then add all the essential elements i.e contact info, social media links, and payment options.

• Improve site credibility by centralising your business information.

• Get improved visibility with our built-in SEO tools to help customers find you on Google.

• Edit and update your site on-the-go just using your phone.

• Link your site to your Google MyBusiness profile.

• Mention your area in your bio

• Don’t be shy to go bold with your domain.

When building and optimising your Savvy Site, we’ve created a checklist to keep in mind when adding and editing content on your site.

Savvy’s SEO Checklist:

SEO checklist for your Savvy Site to rank higher on Google:

• Update your products and services regularly

• Add your business location

• Introduce your team members

• Use the FAQ section

• Upload relevant content about your business

• Include links to your social media

• Add a video if you have one

• Keep your Google Business profile updated with your Savvy site link

We’ll take care of the rest.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to streamline your online presence, Savvy gives you what you need without unnecessary complexity.

Focus on what you do best – we'll handle the tech.

If you’re not using Savvy, some of these tips are more applicable to your site.

5 easy wins: simple SEO tips to get started

1. Keyword research: Identify the keywords and phrases your target audience uses to search for your products or services. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and Ahrefs can help you find the perfect keywords. We’ll cover tools a little later.

2. Optimise meta tags: Write compelling and descriptive meta titles and descriptions for each page on your website. This will help search engines understand your content and display it in search results.

3. Use header tags: Organise your content with header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to make it scannable and easy to read. This will also help search engines understand your content structure.

4. Image optimisation: Use descriptive alt tags and file names for your images, and compress them to reduce file size. This will improve page load times and make your images more search engine-friendly.

5. Internal linking: Link to other relevant pages on your website to improve user experience and help search engines understand your content hierarchy.

Powerful tools to boost SEO

1. Google Search Console: Monitor your website's search engine rankings, traffic, and technical issues with this free tool. (Free)

2. Savvy Analytics: Use Savvy’s built in website analytics to track how your website is performing with site views and historical data. (Free)

3. PageSpeed Insights: Use this tool to determine how your website ranks and identify areas for improvement. (https://pagespeed.web.dev/) (Free)

4. Ahrefs: A comprehensive SEO tool that offers keyword research, backlink analysis, and content optimisation suggestions. (Paid)

5. SEMrush: A powerful SEO tool that provides keyword research, competitor analysis, and technical SEO audits. (Paid)

SEO may seem daunting at first, but with these easy wins and tips, you'll be well on your way to improving your website's ranking and driving more traffic to your site. Remember to stay patient, as SEO is a long-term strategy that requires consistent effort and optimization.

From following these simple steps and utilising the tools mentioned above, you'll be able to:

• Increase your online visibility and credibility

• Drive more targeted traffic to your website

• Boost leads and sales

What are you waiting for? Sign up with Savvy for a simple SEO optimised website and watch your business shine online.

SEO glossary