Learning about SEO is probably a priority if you’re a writer thinking of upskilling. However, whenever you read something on SEO, your eyes glaze over, and you go back to watching TikTok. It’s okay; I get it. When I first started learning SEO, I was overwhelmed and confused. That’s why I wanted to provide some easy-to-digest and clear information on SEO basics.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization. SEO aims to get search engines to place your content or website in front of relevant searchers.

Search engines use spiders to crawl the web and look for web pages. When they find web pages, they try to understand what the page is about and index them.

Therefore, when someone types in a keyword into a search engine, such as “restaurants near me” or “what is seo,” the search engines can find relevant results to put in front of the searchers.

Search engines also use several ranking factors to determine who gets shown on the first page, such as page speed, user experience, and more.

If you’re focusing on SEO, you want to employ techniques that increase your chance of appearing in the search results for terms that relate to your business.

Why SEO is important for businesses

SEO is essential for business because, if done accurately, it can help you increase your website traffic organically. In addition, you will be able to appear in front of your ideal audience, who are, therefore, more likely to be qualified leads. Once you’re collecting leads, you can start converting to sales. Creating content with SEO-friendly techniques can help you do that.

Let’s look at an example. Let’s say you’re running a graphic design business. When creating your website, you’ll want to optimize it for keywords people search for when looking for a graphic designer. You can find these keywords using a tool like Google Keyword, SEMRush, Ahrefs, etc.

In addition to optimizing your web pages, you can create a blog focusing on keywords your ideal client is searching for, such as “how to pick a graphic designer,” “how to design a logo,” and others.

Optimizing for keywords is a small piece of the SEO puzzle. If you create a website that is SEO friendly, it should be:

Easy to navigate
Mobile friendly
Uses compelling copy
Optimized for certain keywords
Quick to load
And more

If you focus on providing valuable and original information while paying attention to other SEO factors, the chances of being visible in front of your target audience increase.

In addition, if you had a blog on your website, you could create posts with information your audience wants. That way, you can increase your visibility and better serve them.

Different types of SEO

There are different types or aspects of SEO. We will focus on:

On-page
Off-page
Technical
Local

When you’re focusing on your SEO efforts, you’ll need to make a plan for each of the various aspects. Otherwise, your SEO efforts may not yield the result that you want. Let’s look at what each type entails and some elements of them you should bear in mind.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO refers to techniques you use to optimize the content on your website for search engines and readers. In addition, On-Page SEO techniques help search engines better understand your content.

The goals of On-Page SEO are to rank highly on the search engine results page and get organic traffic.

Elements of On-Page SEO include:

Meta description- The snippet describing the search engine results page’s web page.
Keywords- Words or phrases people enter in the search engine
Title tag
URL- the address of your webpage, e.g., www.yourwritingbestie.com
Links- Pathway to either another page on your site (internal) or another page on someone else’s site (external)
Pictures- Optimized pictures can improve your content
Quality content- Your content should be original and satisfy the search intent.
Headline- Headlines should be compelling. A compelling headline can increase clicks.
Other Headings- Separate your paragraphs and sections with H2 and H3 tags.

Off-page SEO

Off-page SEO is the work outside your website that impacts ranking on the search engines’ results page. It’s important because it helps to give your website credibility and exposure. You’ll have to focus on your Off Page SEO tactics to rank for competitive keywords.

Some elements of Off Page SEO include:

Link building– For example, another website linking back to your content
Content marketing– Making and sharing content online that piques the interest of your target audience
Social media marketing– Creating and promoting content on social media platforms
Guest appearances– This involves appearing on podcasts, YouTube channels, etc, as a guest

Technical

Technical SEO helps search engines to crawl and index your site more effectively. It requires optimization of the website and server.

Technical SEO also encompasses the site’s readability and creating a good user experience outside the content. You want a search engine to be able to find your website, crawl it, and index it. If your site meets the technical requirements of search engines, you’ll have a better chance of ranking.

Some elements of Technical SEO include:

Site structure- How your website pages are organized
Canonical tags– HTML code that defines the original or main page. This is useful when there is duplicate content.
Mobile Usability– Whether or not your site works well on mobile devices
Page Speed– How quickly your page loads.

Local

Local SEO focuses on putting your website in front of people based on a specific location.

A great example of how local SEO works is when you Google something like “restaurants near me.” You’ll notice that at the top of the page, you’ll see restaurants nearby. These businesses are benefiting from local SEO.

Some elements of Local SEO are:

Keywords- Words or phrases people search on search engines
Use of online directories– Compilations of businesses and their links
Schema markups– Microdata added to the HTML that helps search engines understand your content better
Google Local Packs– Search engine results page feature that shows you local businesses based on your search query

Where Can I Learn SEO?

If you want to start offering SEO writing as a service, you’ll have to learn SEO more in-depth and keep up with the latest. There are many resources out there, some better than others. Here are my recommendations:

LinkedIn- LinkedIn offers a course called “Become an SEO Expert,” which is 12 hours long. I completed this course and became certified, so I highly recommend it. You can add it to your LinkedIn profile to find clients looking for your skills when you complete it.
HubSpot- Hubspot is an excellent resource for upskilling on a budget. Their SEO course is almost 4 hours long, free, and can add to your knowledge. They provide information on keyword research and link building, which are essential. The best part is that you’ll receive a certificate upon successful completion.
Semrush Academy– Semrush, a helpful SEO tool, offers free courses and certifications on all things SEO. This is a tool I use constantly. I’ve been certified by them so that I can recommend them.
Search Engine Journal- This is an SEO hub filled with helpful articles for anyone interested in SEO, social media, and more. In addition to that, they often host webinars with experts and provide free ebooks to help you build your knowledge base. Check out their latest SEO articles once you grasp the concept.
Newsletters- While newsletters can’t get you certified, they can provide you with helpful SEO tips and tricks to help you improve as an SEO writer. Join the thousands of writers who have already signed up for my “Your Writing Bestie” newsletter. Every month, I provide bite-sized SEO and writing tips to help you improve as a writer, help your clients, and raise your rates.

Conclusion

SEO can seem overwhelming, but it’s doable. The first step is getting knowledge and then putting it into practice. SEO is worth the investment. And remember, the most important SEO tip is that your target audience comes first, so focus on creating valuable content.

Originally published on Medium.