5 Easy Steps to Boost Visibility

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the art of enhancing your website’s visibility to major search engines like Google and Bing. Why are these two important? Together, they generate over 95% of organic internet traffic, so if your site isn’t visible on Google, it’s as if it doesn’t exist for most online users.

To effectively grasp SEO, you need to understand algorithms, which essentially means understanding your audience. The cornerstone of SEO can be boiled down to creating a website that is user-friendly and easily indexed by search engines. Once you comprehend the significance of each aspect mentioned below, it becomes clear that much of it is simply common sense.

While many SEO guides primarily serve as revenue generators for their authors, this article is different—we focus solely on delivering valuable content, because we believe that the first rule of SEO is to produce quality content, just like you find here!

1 – Produce Quality Content Focused on Your Audience – Steer Clear of Generic AI Outputs

The cornerstone of SEO is undoubtedly the content you create. Both Google and Bing reward material that satisfactorily addresses user inquiries in a thorough and distinct manner.

• Focused Content: Concentrate on a specific area or long-tail search phrases. For example, instead of just stating “Dog Training Tips,” aim for something like “Effective Crate Training Techniques for Bully Puppies.”
• Steer Clear of Generic AI Outputs: Avoid overly relying on free AI tools, such as Google’s Gemini, to craft your material. Modern search engines excel at identifying generic, recycled, or mass-produced text that adds little value. Always write for your audience, rather than solely for keyword optimisation.

2 – Links are Crucial for SEO

Links function as the backbone of the internet, and search engines treat them as endorsements. Properly managing your links is essential.

Internal Links – Essential for Structuring Your Website

A common mistake among new website authors is neglecting to link to their own content, assuming that Google will automatically recognise it. This oversight can be detrimental. Always link to relevant topics discussed in your articles! Internal links enhance user experience by improving site navigation and keeping visitors on your page longer.

Additionally, internal linking enables search engines like Googlebot to crawl and map your site effectively, cascading authority (or “link juice”) from one page to another. Ensure that every post is linked to at least one other relevant piece of content on your site.

External Links – Reference High-Quality Sources

Don’t hesitate to link out to reputable sites when discussing facts or tools. Doing so reinforces your article’s credibility as a well-researched resource. Link to authoritative sources such as educational institutions or established news outlets—just avoid linking to direct competitors, as this can inadvertently increase their Google Page Rank!

Inbound Links – Earning Links from Related Industry Sites

Acquiring quality inbound links from other websites is one of the most challenging aspects of SEO but is vital for improving your page rank. When a trusted site links to yours, it signals to Google and Bing that your content is valuable.

If high-quality links are hard to come by, consider commenting on related sites with a link back to yours. While comment links may not hold as much weight as content links, they are still tracked and can positively influence your page rank.

Caution: Avoid purchasing poor-quality link services from platforms like Fiverr. Google will eventually flag irrelevant and spammy links, which can lead to a penalty for your domain. Many businesses have found themselves needing to disavow hundreds of these problematic links later.

3 – Graphics / Photos – Include at Least One Well-Formatted Graphic

Pages that include relevant graphics typically perform better than text-only ones. Utilizing images, diagrams, or infographics helps break up text and conveys your points more effectively.

Graphic Names and Alt Text – Use Descriptive, Keyword-Rich Text

Search engines can’t decipher images, so they rely on both the file name and Alt Text for context. Avoid generic names like img234285.JPG. Instead, opt for descriptive, keyword-inclusive names, for example, bulldog-crate-training-techniques.jpg. This practice helps your images rank in search results and provides additional context to Google, which can improve your overall ranking.

Graphic File Size – Keep It Below 200kb

Site speed is a significant factor influencing rankings. Unoptimized images are often the primary culprit behind slow loading times. Aim for all image files to be under 200kb, and ideally, below 75kb.

You may notice that many of our graphics are showcased in thumbnail size and aligned to the right; this is intentional, as it improves load times.

Consider using a free optimisation tool like Robin, which streamlines image file sizes and converts them to modern formats like .WebP. For a detailed comparison, check our article: SOLVED: WordPress Image Optimisation & WEBP Explained (Robin vs Smush).

4 – Utilise Headings, Not Bold Text, for Organisation

While bold text visually appears to be headings to readers, search engines interpret it merely as emphasised text. It’s essential to use proper HTML headings, such as for the title of the page,

for main sections, and

for subsections. These tags enable search engines to create a clear index of your content, which helps generate search result snippets.

Although you should be cautious when installing plugins, some can significantly enhance your SEO without burdening your website.

Here’s a piece of advice from my 30 years in the industry: “Complexity kills.” Each plugin you add expands potential vulnerabilities and can hinder site performance, so make your choices judiciously.

Cloudflare

Cloudflare functions as a Content Delivery Network (CDN) and robust security barrier. It distributes your site’s assets, like images, across global servers, guaranteeing faster load times for visitors regardless of their location. It also shields your site from harmful bots and DDoS attacks, and the basic plan is completely free: check out SOLVED: Video – How to Set Up Cloudflare on Your WordPress Site in 5 Minutes.

After implementing speed improvements, remember to test your website’s performance using free services such as:

SEO Plugins Like RankMath & Yoast

A dedicated SEO plugin is essential if you use WordPress; it helps manage sitemaps, schema, and meta descriptions effectively. We find that Rank Math outshines others: SOLVED: Why Rank Math is the Best SEO Plugin for WordPress (It’s Better Than Yoast).

Graphics Optimiser – Just Like Discussed with Robin

(Refer back to section 3b.) This type of tool is vital for maintaining site speed; without swift page loads, Google may lower your ranking.

Wordfence Security

The free version of Wordfence is highly effective and absolutely necessary. Robust security is crucial; without it, your site is susceptible to hacking. A compromised site can be flagged by your hosting provider and Google, leading to an immediate dip in your page rank.

For more guidance on how to protect your site from hackers, check out our short 8-minute video here.

EU Consent App

If you receive any traffic from the European Union, you need to manage user consent for cookies and tracking. Failing to do so could jeopardise your search visibility in EU areas.

For this, consider a free tool like WP CONSENT API. We use the free WP Consent API across our sites, but regardless, ensure you’re using a solution!

Conclusion

SEO doesn’t need to be complicated or costly. The most effective approach is to create solid content tailored to your audience while implementing straightforward improvements like image optimisation, appropriate headings, and internal linking before investing in any plugins or applications.

Master these foundational elements, and watch as your site climbs the search rankings organically.

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