How to use Semrush easily for SEO 10 most important practices.

This is a whole Semrush SEO guide for beginners.

This new guide will cover all the SEO basics you need to know.

What Is SEO? 

SEO is the procedure of enhancing the performance and experience of your website so it can achieve better visibility in search engines. 

Specifically, SEO is all regarding ranking in organic search results

You see, Google’s search outcomes are split up into two divisions: ads and organic results.

Ads (as the name suggests) are results that individuals pay for via Google Ads. This is a completely different system from the organic results.

The organic results are based 100% on quality. And are not “pay to play.”

It’s the organic results where SEO becomes crucial. 

Why Is SEO Important?

SEO is a wonderful way to bring more traffic, leads, customers, and income to your business.

81% of all Google searchers connect on organic results.

This means only 19% prefer to click on an ad. 

Put another way: you can expect about 5x more traffic by indexing in the organic search results vs. paying for an ad. 

Even ads are shown at the top of the page.

And when SEO is done right, the results can add up fast. 

For example, Amazon can get over 386 million organic visitors per month from Google:

Not bad. But it gets better.

If you count up how greatly it would cost Amazon to get the same traffic through Google Ads (known as “Traffic cost”), that comes to $1.8M/month.

And unlike paid traffic, these organic visitors come in whether or not Amazon is actively running ads. 

SEO is a continuous process that endures work. However, once you rank for a set of keywords, your rankings typically remain stable over time. 

In short, the major advantages of SEO include:

• Ensure that your trademark is visual when your likely customers search on Google.
• Drive targeted traffic to your website from individuals involved in your product or service
• Result in increased organic revenue
• Give you a solid competitive advantage

SEO Basics (Things to Do Right Now)

Let’s cover some basic SEO steps before diving into specific strategies for ranking higher on Google.

These steps will guarantee that Google can correctly crawl and index your site. And that the following methods will work for you.

First, check to see if your site is already indexed in Google.

Specifically, do a “site:yoursite.com” search on Google.

This will show you whether Google has already crawled and indexed your site. or not And if so, near how many pages they’ve indexed so distance?

If your website appears in the search results, that’s great news! It means everything is in order.. 

If you are not seeing your website appearing on Google search results, it may be because your site is relatively new and Google hasn’t crawled it yet.

It could also mean that your site has inadvertently blocked search engines from crawling it (which is surprisingly common!) Either way, you want to get this fixed ASAP. 

This guide to fixing crawlability issues will help you figure out what’s wrong. And get it fixed. 

Second, connect your website with Google Search Console.

Search Console is a free tool from Google that serves as sort of a liaison between you and Big G.

Specifically, it lets you know things like:

• How often does your site seem in search?
• Which keywords do you rank for
• It is important to know how many pages on your website have been indexed by Google.
• Issues crawling, indexing, or rendering your pages

So yeah, if you want to succeed with SEO, Google Search Console is kind of a big deal. 

This guide will walk you through how to use it. 

Finally, create and submit a sitemap.

A sitemap is just like it sounds: a “map” of your site. 

Google and other search engines use sitemaps to find all of the pages on your site. 

This assists in guaranteeing that they’re crawling and indexing all of your necessary pages.

How precisely you create a sitemap relies on what your site operates on (WordPress, Shopify, etc.)

Either way, it’s worth making an XML sitemap. 

And submitting that sitemap to Google via the Search Console. 

It’s time to dive into one of the most critical elements of SEO: keyword research, after completing the SEO basics.

Use Semrush to improve keyword ranking:

One of the biggest issues with older blogs that did not prioritize SEO is poor keyword rankings..

Most of the traffic to these blogs is generated by random posts, but there is no information available on the keywords responsible for driving traffic to these posts. This is a crucial piece of information that is missing because if you are aware of the keywords that your blog is ranking for and their position, you can take several steps to enhance your search engine ranking

Before 2016, I did not target any specific keyword for my blog posts. As a result, many of my old posts are ranking for random keywords at different positions. Some are on the first page, some on the second, and others on the third, fourth, fifth, etc.

By following this guide, you can improve your blog post rankings by finding the keywords they rank for and optimizing for those.

Let’s get started:

First, create a free account on Semrush.

Once you have logged in, enter your domain name in the search field, and click on the “Full Report” of organic keywords

It will display a comprehensive list of the keywords for which you are currently ranking, in addition to pertinent details such as traffic data and other metrics.

• Traffic estimate
• Keyword CPC
• Keyword position
• Traffic percentage
• Keyword trends

We do this because we want to push our second-page results to the first and use my Google Search CTR-increase technique to get more clicks.
Another effective approach is to utilize the “Keyword Trend” sorting feature, particularly if your objective is to prioritize content that can drive increased traffic..

Alternatively, if your goal is to increase your AdSense income, you can sort using “Keyword CPC”.

So we sort depending on what our specific goals are.

Here is a screenshot:

Here is a screenshot:

Now make a list of all the URLs you need to work on.

You can also add your keywords to the Semrush Position Tracking as it lets you monitor your keyword ranking as well.

we will use Semrush to collect some important data from our site:

Keywords for which we are ranking.

Money keywords.

Traffic keywords.

Our next goal is to improve the ranking of these keywords.

The following is the strategy that works for me:

1. Use SEO Writing Assistant.

SEMrush offers a powerful tool known as the SEO Writing Assistant, designed to help you fine-tune your articles for optimal search engine optimization (SEO). This tool provides valuable information that can be swiftly obtained, including:

I use the Yoast SEO plugin to optimize my posts for particular keywords. I have previously shared a detailed usage guide of the Yoast SEO plugin that will guide you on how to use it for optimal performance. This will take care of your on-page SEO.

Bonus Tip: Add images, videos, Infographics, charts, graphs, tables, and slides whenever possible

. Ensuring that your content is of the highest quality possible will help you maintain your keyword ranking for an extended period of time

2. Use link building.

To improve ranking, backlink building is very important.

I use my guest blogging campaign technique to improve keyword ranking and get high-quality links. I initially used it for a few posts, and after I published guest posts on a few authority blogs, I saw a very significant improvement in keyword ranking.

3. Use social media marketing.

Social media signals are very important these days to improve the ranking of a keyword. Share your blog post on Facebook, and Twitter, and continue sharing at regular intervals (7-10 days).

Also, encourage your readers to share the article on their social networks and to bookmark your posts.

4. Create more related content.

This is a technique that I discovered late in the game, but it continues to work very well for me.

If you’re receiving traffic for specific keywords, consider creating additional posts on related topics.

 Interlink them, and this will help to improve each article’s ranking.

And that’s it!

Now you just have to keep an eye on your keyword improvement with Semrush and see how this works out for you.

Keyword Magic Tool

Starting any project or initiative with keyword research is crucial for SEO success. To kick off the Wix SEO competition, we utilized the Keyword Magic tool.

The Keyword Magic tool enabled us to find and develop a master list of keywords, semantically related long-tail keywords, and the top questions being asked regarding our topic.

To begin, enter a keyword or phrase in the search bar and click “search”.

SEMrush then provides you with a table containing related search terms broken down into topic-specific subgroups from a database of over 16 billion keywords.

This one search for “Wix SEO” not only provided us with hundreds of relevant keywords and topics but also allowed us to take some of the more popular and related topics and

also extend our analysis into those areas.

In the screenshot below, you can see the examination appeal for Wix vs. WordPress. To develop this topic, we enlarged the search to “Wix WordPress”.

This tool allows comprehensive research for metadata overhaul and scope innovation opportunities.

Keyword research

Learning the SEO basics implies gaining a solid grip on how to do keyword research on the right track. Let’s see exactly how.

1. Find Your Site’s Primary Keywords

Often referred to as “money” keywords, primary keywords are terms that consumers search for when they’re exploring exactly what you sell. 

For an SEO software company, primary keywords might include:

SEO Software

SEO tools

keyword research tool

Rank tracking 

The thing is, prior keywords are usually competitive. 

This implies that a new website version will enable it to rank for these terms.

So you like to assume these long-term targets in your SEO strategy.

Discovering your website’s primary keywords is a systematic process that involves several steps:

First, write down the additional terms that you’d hope a customer or client to utilize when examining a business like yours on Google. 

For example, let’s say you operate an e-commerce website that markets natural dog food.

Primary keywords for your site would be items like:

Organic dog food

Natural dog food

Buy dog food online

Healthy dog food

The objective is to compile as many pertinent keywords as you can.. This is more of a brainstorming approach.

Once you have a list of potential keywords, head over to the keyword research tool of your choosing. 

For this example, we’ll use our Keyword Overview tool.

Enter the search terms from your list and click on “Analyze.”

The tool returns a list of metrics for each keyword, including their monthly search volume and keyword difficulty (KD). 

These are two crucial metrics that you should pay close attention to when selecting the best primary keywords from your list.

Monthly tracking volume is just like it sounds: the number of investigations that a keyword gets every month on Google.

The flip side is that more elevated search volume also means more keyword difficulty (KD % in Semrush).

Keyword difficulty indicates the level of challenge associated with achieving a first-page ranking on Google for a particular term. Naturally, a lower keyword difficulty score is more favorable, as it suggests that it will be easier to rank for that keyword.

2. Long Tail Keywords and Keyword Variations for the SEO

The list of primary keywords may be good, but generating long-tail variations is recommended.

Long-tail keywords are longer search terms that have a lower search volume but a higher level of intent.

The ‘Keyword Magic Tool’ is specifically crafted to recommend long-tail keywords closely related to your primary keyword, making it an indispensable asset for elevating your SEO strategy.

To include the keyword in your list, simply click the gray “+” icon located beside it.

Once you’ve assembled a list of keywords within your Keyword Manager, you can then track and analyze metrics for each individual keyword.

Here, you’ll find a Keyword Variations box, which is ideal for expanding your keyword list. Additionally, you’ll notice widgets for questions and related keywords.

Utilize these tools to spark additional ideas that can aid you in generating an even broader array of long-tail keyword variations.

3. Select Your Initial Set of 5-10 Keywords

By now, your keyword manager should contain a substantial list of keywords.

What comes next?

Now it’s time to determine which keywords you’ll use as the basis for creating your webpages.

When making this decision, two key factors come into play: the monthly search volume and the level of competition associated with each keyword.

For instance, you can observe that the term “dog food” garners a significant 110,000 monthly searches, indicating its high search volume.

However, the Keyword Difficulty (KD) percentage for “dog food” is notably high at 93%. This high KD suggests that your website is unlikely to achieve a competitive ranking for this keyword in the near future.

If your website is relatively new, it’s advisable to prioritize keywords with lower KD percentages, ideally aiming for values below 20%.

In the context of our example, a keyword with a lower KD percentage may be a more suitable choice:

This particular keyword, “dog food,” receives a relatively modest 110 searches per month. However, the Keyword Difficulty (KD) is only 18%, indicating a reasonable chance of achieving a favorable ranking.

The process of keyword selection indeed involves an element of art alongside the science. Generally, it’s advisable to target keywords with low competition, even if they have a limited search volume, especially when your website is in its early stages. As your website’s SEO prowess grows, you can gradually expand into more competitive keyword territory.

Additionally, SEMrush provides a valuable tool called “Topic Research” in addition to the Keyword Magic tool. This tool proves immensely helpful for discovering relevant topics and expanding your content strategy.

The Topic Research tool serves as a valuable aid for content creators and marketers when brainstorming ideas. By entering a topic into the search bar, it promptly generates related subtopics, highlights the top articles on that subject, and offers suggestions for enriching your content. This versatile tool is instrumental in the creation of fresh headlines, blog topics, and strategies aimed at surpassing competitors.

Utilizing the Topic Research tool to explore “Wix”-related subjects proved immensely valuable. It enabled us to uncover key questions asked by users, such as “Is Wix SEO Free?” or “Is Wix OK for SEO? This discovery prompted the creation of a comprehensive SEO guide tailored specifically to Wix users.

Both the Keyword Magic and Topic Research tools proved to be invaluable in streamlining the content ideation process, saving time, and ensuring that the content we invest in creating delivers impactful results.

Position Tracking

Another SEMrush tool empowers us to monitor a website’s daily rankings for the selected keywords. This tracking can be tailored to specific geographic locations and device types (mobile, tablet, desktop). While we typically track hundreds or thousands of keywords, in this case, our focus was on ranking prominently for the term “Wix SEO.”

As illustrated in the data, despite fluctuations related to algorithm updates, we’ve consistently maintained a leading position in the rankings.

As I briefly mentioned earlier, the Position Tracking tool offers a wealth of functionalities beyond what its name implies. It not only allows you to monitor your ranking positions but also provides the ability to track Google algorithm updates, make notes when changes occur, assess performance, identify opportunities for featured snippets, and explore competitors’ rankings.

In essence, this tool serves as much more than a digital scoreboard. It serves as a comprehensive hub for discovering optimization possibilities, tracking the impact of your SEO efforts, and staying updated on algorithm changes, all conveniently consolidated in one place.

Now, while the saying “Content is king” holds true, it’s essential to remember that even a king needs a well-built and functional castle. This is precisely where the Site Audit tool comes into play.

The Site Audit tool conducts thorough inspections, comprising more than 120 checks for SEO-related issues. These assessments range from surface-level concerns like broken links and duplicate content to deeper issues such as HTML configuration and her flang tag implementation. It’s a vital tool for ensuring the structural integrity and SEO health of your website.

Our utilization of the Site Audit tool is a continuous process, ensuring the ongoing health of our website while pinpointing areas for enhancement to boost overall performance.

In the realm of SEO, link building holds significant importance alongside content quality and technical site health. However, it is a facet that often gets neglected due to its complexity and time-consuming nature. SEMrush offers a solution that streamlines this process.

Read also:https://clawweb.com/top-10-best-blogging-ideas-for-beginners/

Link-building

The link-building tool simplifies the arduous task of link-building by generating a curated list of opportunities. These opportunities are derived from the keywords you target and the competitors you’ve identified. This tool greatly aids in your efforts to secure valuable backlinks, a crucial element of SEO success.

SEMrush’s link-building tool sets itself apart from competitors by offering a user-friendly outreach functionality.

To get started, create customized outreach templates tailored to various link-building scenarios. As an example, here’s a template for suggesting a guest post:

Next, identify a prospect you believe would be open to accepting guest posts and transfer them to the “In Progress” section.

SEMrush streamlines the outreach process by automatically retrieving essential contact information from the prospect’s website, including social media accounts, contact email addresses, and the location of the contact page. In essence, it provides you with all the necessary points of contact for successful link-building.

If you opt to send an email directly within SEMrush, simply click the blue “Contact” button. Then, choose the email template you’ve created and select the recipient. Rest assured, you can preview and edit the message as many times as needed before sending it.

Once you’re confident in the message’s readiness, click the “Send and proceed to next” button to initiate the outreach process.

If you’ve sent the message manually, please select “I have sent it manually” in the bottom right corner.

One excellent feature of this tool is that after sending a message, you can easily monitor your link-building efforts within the “Monitor” section. This enables you to keep track of which domains you reached out to have actually linked to your site. As a result, you won’t need to manually check and sift through your inbox for follow-ups.

SEMrush also provides another valuable tool for effective link-building strategies: the Brand Monitoring tool. Similar to Google Alerts, this tool empowers you to track mentions of your brand across the web.

Obtaining backlinks through brand mentions is one of the most straightforward approaches. It involves visiting the domain, assessing its relevance, ensuring it’s non-toxic, and then reaching out to the website to request the inclusion of your link on the page mentioning your brand.

Link building can often be a complex and slow-moving process, but SEMrush simplifies it significantly.

Thanks to this tool, we’ve successfully acquired over 800 non-toxic, dofollow backlinks in just a few months, with the potential for many more in the future.

Backlink Audit

Now, it’s important to remember that not all backlinks are created equal; quality matters as much as quantity.

SEMrush offers a solution to avoid Google penalties stemming from toxic backlinks. With this tool, you can conduct a comprehensive audit of all your links, analyze their toxic scores, reach out to website owners to request link removal, and even create a disavow file to submit to Google. It provides everything you need to safeguard your site against spammy links, all within a single platform.

The Backlink Audit tool thoroughly categorizes all your links and assigns a Toxic Score on a scale of 0 to 100. A higher score indicates a greater likelihood of toxicity based on the tool’s analysis. Below, you can find an example of what this interface looks like, with our specific links redacted to keep our strategies confidential.”

If you’re absolutely certain that a link is toxic, take the decisive step of clicking the blue “Delete” button, and then select the “To Disavow” option. This action will move the domain to the disavow section. From there, you can export the list of these domains into a .txt file and submit it to Google’s Disavow Tool.

However, it’s crucial to exercise caution when labeling domains as toxic. Disavowing non-toxic, high-quality links can severely impact your SEO performance. If you’re uncertain about a link’s toxicity, it’s advisable to leave it untouched or seek professional guidance.

Content Analyzer

A common misconception in SEO and Content Marketing is the belief that you must churn out content at an unrelenting pace as if you’re running a Ford assembly line for blog posts.

While consistency in content creation is undoubtedly valuable for your website’s SEO, quality should always take precedence over quantity. Rather than investing your time in writing an endless stream of blogs that may go unnoticed, consider focusing on your existing content with the Content Analyzer tool.

The Content Analyzer tool provides insights into how your content is performing, both on and off your site. It evaluates and quantifies social shares, backlinks, and keyword rankings, and even integrates Google Analytics data.

However, this tool is not just a basic metrics generator; it serves as a collaborative workflow hub.
To initiate the content optimization process, start by choosing one of the blogs that have been subjected to analysis using the tool. The content and metadata will be displayed in a pop-up window.

In the tool, you have the option to highlight areas that require rewriting or deletion, or you can create custom tasks. Regarding collaboration, you can invite other team members (provided they have SEMrush profiles), make annotations, and keep track of your tasks.

Auditing and enhancing all the content on your website might appear as a daunting and impractical task. However, the Content Analyzer tool simplifies this process, making it more manageable and providing easy measurement.

Competitive Research Tools

Running a successful SEO campaign, especially in a competitive environment, necessitates thorough competitive research. It’s essential to not only focus on your own performance but also analyze your competitors’ performance to improve your reach, visibility, and overall results.

SEMrush offers a range of valuable competitor research tools. In addition to the previously mentioned Topic Research tool, two of my favorite tools are the Keyword Gap and Backlink Gap Analysis tools.

Keyword Gap:

The Keyword Gap Analysis tool allows you to compare keyword ranking performance among up to five competitors. This tool provides insights into the differences and similarities in ranking performance for specific queries, as well as additional keywords that your competitors are ranking for, but you are not.

For instance, here are some keywords that our competitor is ranking for, which we are not currently targeting:”

With this information, we can make content enhancements or generate ideas for new content to help close this gap.

Backlink gap

The Backlink Gap Analysis tool, similar to the Keyword Gap tool, allows you to compare the backlink profiles of up to five competing websites at the same time. It furnishes you with a list of domains that link to your competitors’ websites but not to yours. This data is invaluable for formulating a focused strategy to secure domains that your competitors have already acquired, thereby closing the gap and achieving a competitive edge.

After entering our domain and our competitor’s domain into the tool and selecting our domain in the “Prospects for Domain” dropdown, we obtained a list of domains linking to them but not to us.

Some of these domains can be easily excluded, such as their main domain and other affiliated sites. Once the list is refined, we can proceed with an outreach strategy to acquire links from these websites.

By utilizing both of these tools, you can identify areas where you or your client are falling behind in comparison to the competition. This information allows you to develop a targeted strategy not only to bridge the gap but also to gain a competitive advantage.

To Sum Things Up:

SEMrush is an exceptional tool for businesses and agencies seeking to enhance their SEO efforts. It provides a wealth of features and insights to help you create a comprehensive and integrated SEO strategy.

Whether you are new to SEMrush or looking to expand your knowledge and expertise in using their tools, their Academy offers valuable resources to get you up to speed.

Content:

In the realm of SEO, the adage “Content is king” holds truer than ever in 2022. Let’s delve into the specifics of creating SEO-friendly content.

Understanding Searcher Intent:

The initial step in crafting SEO-friendly content is deciphering the search intent behind a keyword.

What exactly is search intent?

Search intent is the underlying motive driving someone to search for a particular keyword.

Is the searcher looking to make a purchase (commercial intent)? Are they seeking information (informational intent)? Or perhaps they are attempting to reach a specific website (navigational intent).

Why is this crucial?

Google can assess whether your site meets the search intent of users.

If it does, your rankings receive a boost. If not, securing a spot on Google’s first page becomes challenging.

Hence, prior to writing a single word, it is imperative to discern whether searchers expect informative and educational content or commercial pages (product listings, service descriptions, etc.).

There are several methods to achieve this:

The first approach is time-intensive: analyze the top 10 ranking pages in the SERPs to grasp what searchers actually seek when entering that query.

This process also aids in understanding the user’s intent behind the keyword.

Alternatively, you can rely on Semrush’s “Intent” metric, which automatically determines the search intent associated with a keyword.

This metric is accessible through the Keyword Overview tool:

Intent offers a rapid snapshot of the type of keywords you are dealing with. Aligning your content with the identified search intent is crucial to satisfying user needs.

By aligning your content with search intent and user expectations, you increase the chances of ranking higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) and providing a better user experience.

When analyzing the top-ranking results for your target keyword, pay close attention to the following factors:

1. Content-Length: Determine the average word count of the content on the first page. This will give you an idea of the ideal content length for your own page.
2. Content Structure: Observe how the content is structured. Look for headings, subheadings, bullet points, and other formatting elements that make the content easy to read and navigate.
3. Content-Type: Identify whether the top-ranking pages are mostly product and category pages, product reviews, blog posts, or other content types. This will help you choose the most suitable content format.
4. Writing Style: Analyze the writing style of the pages. Are they written in a casual, conversational tone, or do they maintain a more professional and formal style? Match your writing style to what users expect.
5. Subtopics Covered: Take note of the subtopics and additional information covered in the top-ranking pages. This can help you identify gaps in the content and provide a comprehensive resource for users.

For example, if you’re targeting the keyword “organic dog treats,” and you find that many top-ranking pages are product review pages, it’s a clear indication that users are looking for detailed reviews and recommendations. In this case, creating a well-structured product review page with in-depth information can align with user intent and improve your chances of ranking.

By conducting a thorough analysis of the top-ranking results, you can gain valuable insights into what works in your niche and create content that meets user expectations and search intent.

Although a few are e-commerce category pages:

You’re absolutely right about “mixed intent” in search results, which is quite common. Not all searchers have the same intent when using a specific keyword. It’s essential to analyze the dominant intent in the top-ranking results, as that’s typically what Google believes satisfies the majority of users for that keyword.

If most of the top results for your target keyword are product review pages, it’s a strong indication that users searching for that keyword are looking for detailed product information and recommendations. In this case, creating a product review page that aligns with the format and content style of the top-ranking pages can be an effective strategy.

When examining the content itself, consider the following factors:

1. Word Count: Take note of the average word count of the top-ranking pages. While word count isn’t the sole determinant of quality, it can provide insights into the depth and comprehensiveness expected by users.
2. Readability: Evaluate the readability of the content. Ensuring that your content is user-friendly and accessible is essential.
3. Layout: Pay attention to the layout of the content. Are there clear headings, subheadings, and bullet points to break up the text? A well-scheduled layout improves user knowledge.
4. Media and Visuals: Assess whether the top pages incorporate images, videos, or other multimedia elements. Visual content can enhance engagement and provide additional value to users.

By thoroughly analyzing these aspects of the top-ranking pages, you can create content that not only matches user intent but also exceeds their expectations in terms of quality and relevance. This approach increases your chances of ranking well in search results and providing value to your audience.

In any case, it’s beneficial to thoroughly assess the existing content and aim to replicate the successful aspects of the first-page results.

(Considering their high rankings, they are evidently doing something right!)

For those who are committed to ensuring their content perfectly aligns with search intent, the Semrush SEO Content Template offers an invaluable solution. By inputting your target keyword for a specific page, this tool conducts an analysis of the top 10 results associated with that keyword. It then furnishes you with a pre-designed framework that serves as a blueprint for crafting your page’s content.

This approach simplifies the content creation process while guaranteeing that your content is in harmony with the expectations of your audience and search engines alike.

By utilizing this tool, you’ll gain access to crucial insights such as recommended text length, semantically related words to incorporate, suggested sources for backlinks, and more.

Enhancing Your “Above the Fold” Section

The “Above the Fold” section is the initial content a user encounters when landing on your webpage. It holds significant importance because it essentially serves as your website’s first impression.

When users are presented with content that assures them they’ve arrived at the right place, they are more likely to continue scrolling down the page.

Here’s an illustrative example of an effective “above the fold” section:

If not, they may quickly bounce back to the search results to explore the numerous other articles available on the same topic.

User Experience

User experience (UX) encompasses the holistic journey of a visitor or user while navigating your website.

UX significantly influences SEO, both directly and indirectly.

Directly, UX can substantially affect your SEO ranking, as a poor user experience often leads Google users to spend less time on your site and quickly bounce away.

Both of these aspects signal to Google that your site may not merit a place on the first page of search results.

Conversely, a website with a strong UX sends positive signals to Google, indicating that it successfully satisfies searchers’ needs.

UX can also exert an indirect influence on SEO since an exceptional user experience demonstrates to others that your site is a valuable resource, leading to an influx of backlinks.

For instance, NerdWallet, a prominent player in personal finance, amassed a considerable number of backlinks during its early days, thanks to its dependable design and outstanding UX.

Employ Compelling CTAs

Outstanding Call-to-Action (CTA) buttons engage users effectively without feeling obtrusive or relying on gimmicks.

As an illustration, consider this CTA placed at the conclusion of one of our articles.

Notice how this CTA seamlessly integrates with the page, offering genuine value to users who may be pondering their next action.

Steer Clear of Text Overload

While crafting and optimizing your content, it’s crucial to pay attention to the whitespace within your web pages.

Interspersing frequent paragraph breaks provides readers with a visual break from dense text sections, enhancing the readability and scalability of your content.

For instance, this post employs succinct paragraphs, rendering it highly accessible for quick skimming.

Use Listicles, Bullets, and Numbered Lists

In addition to incorporating white space as a visual relief for users, you can enhance content organization by employing bulleted and numbered lists.

For instance, here’s an example from our blog:

Lists Help Users

While lists themselves aren’t a direct ranking factor, it’s worth noting that numbered and bulleted lists often increase the likelihood of securing a featured snippet, as demonstrated in the example below.

On-Page SEO 

With a well-crafted, user-friendly piece of content in hand, the next step is to perform on-page SEO optimization centered around a targeted keyword.

Here are several indispensable on-page SEO techniques that you should undoubtedly incorporate into every page on your website:

Optimizing Your Title Tags

Title tags serve as the headline of your search engine results page (SERP) listing and are a crucial ranking factor.

At its core, it’s essential to ensure that the title tags of your website’s pages incorporate the primary target keyword for each page, along with relevant variants whenever possible.
However, optimizing title tags goes beyond mere keyword inclusion. Our comprehensive guide on “how to write title tags” offers additional valuable tips to consider when crafting your title tags:
Aim for titles that are approximately 55-60 characters in length.
Incorporate words such as HOW, WHY, WHAT, and WHERE, as they assist users in grasping the page’s content.
Employ words like BEST, REVIEW, and ULTIMATE to pique user curiosity and encourage clicks.
Craft unique titles for every page to avoid duplication.
Maintain simplicity in your titles to ensure clarity and readability.

Optimizing Your Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are the text that displays under the page title on SERPs. 

These present excellent opportunities to entice users into clicking on your listing instead of your competitors’ listings.

While meta descriptions are no longer a direct ranking factor, they play a pivotal role in influencing the Click-Through Rate (CTR), a vital metric. In our comprehensive guide on crafting meta descriptions, we recommend the following strategies for effective optimization:

1. Maintain brevity, aiming for 1-2 sentences (140-160 characters) in length.
2. Ensure the inclusion of your targeted keyword.
3. Include a relevant call-to-action (CTA) when applicable.
4. Steer clear of duplicate meta descriptions.
5. Craft descriptions that are meaningful and reflective of your content.
6. Consider evoking emotions through your meta descriptions to captivate user interest.

Optimizing Your Heading Tags 

Another pivotal on-page SEO element to consider is the use of heading tags, denoted as H1–H6 tags.

These tags serve the purpose of dividing your content into distinct sections, as exemplified below:

Alongside utilizing subheadings for content organization, it’s important to incorporate your target keywords and related terms within each subheading.

Optimizing Your Page URL 

Your URL should provide a concise and clear description of your page’s content.

Consider this comparison:

1. /page-1/
2. /red-shoes/

Clearly, the second URL is better optimized because it offers a descriptive representation. Simply by examining the URL, you can discern that the page pertains to red shoes.

As a fundamental guideline, URLs should:

1. Be descriptive and incorporate the page’s primary keyword.
2. Please use hyphens to separate words instead of underscores.
3. Utilize lowercase letters exclusively, without mixing in capitalization.
4. Strive to be as brief as possible while still effectively conveying the page’s content.

Optimizing Your Images

Certainly, here’s an improved version of those sentences:

“Image optimization” encompasses two distinct aspects:

1. SEO Optimization: Ensuring that images are optimized to enhance SEO performance.
2. Performance Optimization: Ensuring images load quickly and efficiently on all devices.

Our comprehensive “Guide to Image Optimization” provides valuable tips to help you begin:

• Assign descriptive names to your images.
• Resize images to match their intended dimensions.
• Minimize file sizes through image compression.
• Enrich alt tags with descriptive text.

Furthermore, internal linking is a fundamental component of SEO basics that should not be overlooked. Interconnecting pages within your site serves several crucial purposes:

• Facilitates search engines in comprehending your site’s structure.
• Transfers authority between pages, enhancing their ranking potential.
• Enhances user navigation by providing convenient links between pages.

For an optimal internal linking strategy, consider using the Semrush Site Audit tool, which can assist in building an effective internal linking structure.

Utilize this report to discover opportunities for enhancing your Google rankings through strategic internal linking.

For a more in-depth understanding of this process, delve into our comprehensive guide on internal links.

Link Building

Another pivotal factor in achieving SEO success is establishing your website’s authority in the eyes of Google, and this can be largely attributed to the power of backlinks.

In essence, a backlink is when one website provides a link “back” to your website, essentially endorsing and supporting your content. This act serves as a vote of confidence, and if the linking site is relevant, it can significantly bolster your website’s Google ranking.

Our article, “Link Building for SEO: The Beginner’s Guide,” delves into more than 20 strategies you can explore. However, let’s take a closer look at some of the most accessible link-building tactics for those new to SEO:

(You can then list the link-building tactics.)

1. Establish Link Building Opportunities with Associations, Suppliers, and Related Businesses.

One of the most expedient methods for acquiring links involves connecting with real-life contacts affiliated with your business. These connections may encompass:

1. Suppliers
2. Professional associations you are part of
3. Your office building’s website
4. Your local Chamber of commerce

For instance:

Frequently, a simple outreach to your contact on the respective site is all it takes, and they are often willing to include your link.

2. Submit Your Site to Quality Directories

If your business operates within a specific locality or niche, you’ll likely discover relevant directories in your field. Leveraging these directories can be a swift means to secure a handful of valuable backlinks for your website, particularly when you utilize local citation software to automate and expedite the process.

It’s important to note that these directories differ from traditional ones like DMOZ; instead, we’re referring to niche directories such as this one:

Alternatively, you can explore directories that focus on specific product types, such as this email newsletter directory:

3. Leverage HARO for Earning Press Links

HARO, short for Help a Reporter Out, serves as a platform that facilitates connections between journalists and professionals like business owners and marketers, including individuals like yourself.

Three times a day, from Monday to Friday, HARO dispatches email newsletters that contain requests from journalists, as illustrated below:

If you come across a pertinent request that aligns with your business, don’t hesitate to engage with it. HARO offers an excellent avenue for establishing authoritative backlinks from news sites. Consistently monitoring these emails daily should yield opportunities on a weekly basis for most businesses.

It’s worth noting that HARO can be somewhat unpredictable in its results, but even securing a single link from a relevant site can have a significant impact on your Google rankings, particularly if your website is relatively new.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO primarily revolves around ensuring that your website can be effectively crawled and indexed by search engines. If search engines encounter obstacles in crawling or indexing your site, it can severely hinder its ability to rank.

Here’s a starting point for your technical SEO efforts:

Setup Google Search Console

If you haven’t already done so, it’s advisable to link your website to Google Search Console. This invaluable free tool assists in pinpointing any issues that Google might encounter during the indexing or crawling process of your site.

Check that Your Site Can Be Indexed and Find Issues 

Your initial step with Search Console should involve a thorough examination to ensure there are no impediments preventing essential pages from being successfully crawled and indexed.

To perform this assessment, navigate to the “coverage” report by selecting it from the menu on the left-hand sidebar:

Keep a keen eye on the “excluded” pages section, as this is where you’ll find detailed information concerning specific issues related to the status of your site’s pages.

For a more comprehensive understanding of the coverage report, you can delve into further details here.

Furthermore, you have the option to inspect the index status of any specific URL on your site by utilizing the URL bar located at the top of the page.

Check Your Robot.txt Files

Depending on your website’s Content Management System (CMS), you might have a robots.txt file in place. It’s typically located at: https://www.yourdomain.com/robots.txt

Here’s an example of how it should be structured:

If you don’t have a robots.txt file in place, it’s advisable to create one.

So, what is Robots.txt used for, exactly?

Robots.txt serves as an instruction manual for Googlebot and other web crawlers, directing them on how to navigate and crawl your website. If you’re preventing critical site pages from being crawled, it’s crucial to address this promptly, as it can lead to issues with indexation.

Conversely, if there are pages that shouldn’t be crawled by search engine bots but aren’t appropriately blocked, it can result in excessive indexing of pages, including duplicates or low-value content.

Optimize Your Site Speed

A slow website is undesirable for both users and search engines.

Lagging site speed can have detrimental effects on your SEO performance, leading to a higher bounce rate, diminished dwell time, and reduced conversion rates.

Furthermore, it’s important to note that site speed is not only a user experience concern but also a direct ranking factor employed by Google in its algorithm.

Your initial task is to assess your site’s current speed as a benchmark. This evaluation will help pinpoint any areas that require improvement, if necessary.

Navigate to your Semrush Site Audit tool dashboard and access the “Issues” tab. Here, you’ll find a list of pages that have been identified as having slow page speed:

Subsequently, it’s vital to grasp the precise issues contributing to slow page speed and identify opportunities for enhancement.

To initiate this process, consider running your website through Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. It will provide you with valuable recommendations to streamline your load times.

Setup HTTPS

HTTPS has held its status as a ranking factor since 2014.

Nevertheless, there are still websites that operate without the security of HTTPS, retaining an HTTP domain. It’s prudent to check if your site is accessible via https:// instead of http://.

If it is, then you’re in good shape, and no additional steps are required. However, if you discover that your site remains on HTTP, it’s advisable to engage with your developer and meticulously strategize a migration to HTTPS. You can also reference this guide for detailed instructions.

Mobile SEO

Google places significant importance on mobile optimization, utilizing page speed on mobile devices as a primary ranking factor. Additionally, they employ mobile-first indexing, meaning that the mobile version of your site is considered the primary version from Google’s perspective.

Hence, it’s clear that mobile optimization plays a crucial role in technical SEO.

To assess how your website appears to mobile users and identify potential issues they might encounter, you can leverage Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. This tool offers insights into your site’s mobile usability.

 

Here are improved versions of those mobile-friendly website guidelines:
Opt for a Mobile-Friendly Website Architecture: Choose between a responsive website design (ensuring a consistent experience across all platforms) or a dynamic website (tailoring the experience to the specific platform used for browsing).
Simplify Your Navigation: Avoid cluttering or elongating the navigation bar, as this can make it challenging for mobile users to navigate efficiently.
Use Animations Thoughtfully: Limit the use of animations, as excessive animations can hinder mobile page speed.

Measuring SEO Success 

As you implement the strategies outlined in this SEO beginner’s guide, it’s essential to monitor your results. But how do you gauge SEO success? It’s a straightforward process that involves tracking specific key metrics consistently.

One such metric is Organic Traffic, which signifies the number of visitors to your website originating from Google’s organic search results.

To measure organic traffic effectively, rely on Google Analytics (GA), as it provides comprehensive insights into your website’s performance.

When you observe an increase in your organic traffic numbers, it’s a positive sign that your content is striking a chord with your audience, your chosen keywords are manageable in terms of competition, and your link-building efforts are yielding results.

Conversely, if your traffic numbers are on a declining trend, it might indicate potential technical SEO challenges, the targeting of highly competitive keywords, or simply the need for more time for your website to begin realizing significant SEO improvements.

Average Session Duration and Bounce Rate 

Two key metrics for evaluating whether your content engages your audience are Average Session Duration and Bounce Rate, both of which are readily available in Google Analytics.

Average Session Duration tracks the time interval between two user interactions: the initial click that brought a user to your page and the subsequent click that directs them to another part of your website.

“Elsewhere” can refer to any other page within your website, a return to the search engine results pages (SERPs), or any external webpage.

Average session duration provides valuable insights into your content’s effectiveness. If users are unable to find answers to their queries or if your content lacks engagement, there’s a higher likelihood that a user will click away to explore another website.

On the other hand, Bounce Rate indicates the percentage of single-page sessions, signifying how many visitors arrived at one page on your site and left without navigating further.

A high bounce rate can serve as an indicator that your content might not be effectively aligned with users’ search queries. In such cases, conducting additional keyword research or optimizing your content to better meet the needs of your site visitors may be necessary.

Conversion Rate

In the realm of web analytics, conversion refers to the count or percentage of users who successfully complete a specific action that your website aims to achieve. These desired actions can range from submitting contact information or email addresses to making a purchase on a product page.

To compute your conversion rate, simply divide the number of conversions by the total number of visitors to your website. Once you obtain this figure, multiply it by 100 to express it as a percentage.

To access the number of unique visitors to your website, you can utilize our Traffic Analytics tool by entering your domain.

Defining your desired action or conversion hinges on your specific business objectives. It can range from setting a target for a certain number of page visits to your contact page to more comprehensive goals, such as driving purchases.

If your SEO efforts are yielding increased organic traffic but you’re still struggling to convert users into leads and customers, it’s crucial to assess whether:

1. Your desired conversion is realistic, such as a new visitor signing up for a newsletter.
2. You are effectively targeting keywords that align with the search habits of your target customers on Google.
3. Your website offers a user experience (UX) that encourages visitors to stay engaged and explore your content further.

Final Thoughts

First and foremost, congratulations on embarking on your journey into the world of SEO!

SEO stands as one of the most potent digital marketing channels, offering you a consistent flow of targeted traffic to your website.

Now that you’ve completed this SEO beginner’s guide, consider exploring other informative articles to further expand your knowledge:

1. Get Started with SEO: An Introduction to Search Engine Optimization
2. On-page SEO: An In-Depth Guide
3. What is Technical SEO? Your Guide to Getting Started

Alternatively, if you prefer a more hands-on learning experience, explore our array of free online SEO courses available on the Semrush Academy!

SEO Statistics & Google Stats

• Google dominates the search engine market with an 85.53% share.
• The top-ranking result on Google’s organic search page boasts an impressive 27.6% click-through rate (CTR).
• URLs that incorporate relevant keywords experience a 45% higher click-through rate.
• Google attracts a staggering 93.45 billion visits per month (as of June 2023).
• A noteworthy 75% of users do not venture beyond the first page of Google’s search results.

FAQ’S