Beginner's SEO Guide
5 easy, non-technical items you can do right now to start generating free traffic to your site.
5
Steps
1
Video
All
Skill Level
1h
Duration
Overview
Start generating free organic traffic to your site by following these 5 easy steps for any skill level. Get your site exposed to search engines so that it can start to rank in searches.
Following these steps you will:
- Tell Google where to find your site and pages
- Claim a listing on Google
- Have required meta data optimized for primary keywords
- Generate a rich result for your organization
Who is the course for?
Any skill level individual who wants more free traffic to their site!
Steps
One of the foundational steps to improving your website’s SEO is to install the Rank Math plugin, a powerful tool that will help you fine-tune your on-page optimization. Even if you’re a complete novice when it comes to SEO, Rank Math simplifies the process and makes it accessible to everyone.
Installing Rank Math is as easy as navigating to your WordPress dashboard, searching for the plugin, and clicking “Install” – it’s that user-friendly. Once activated, Rank Math becomes your SEO companion, guiding you through the intricacies of optimizing your website.
Optimizing title tags and meta descriptions play a pivotal role in how your website appears in search engine results pages (SERPs). By crafting compelling titles and meta descriptions, you can entice users to click on your link and explore your content further.
With Rank Math, you can effortlessly add and customize title tags and meta descriptions for all your pages and posts throughout your site. It provides clear fields where you can input your desired titles and descriptions, and it even offers real-time suggestions and feedback to help you create SEO-friendly content.
Optimizing your title tags and meta descriptions not only improves your website’s visibility but also enhances its overall user experience. It’s the first step in creating an engaging and informative online presence that attracts both visitors and search engines alike. So, don’t underestimate the power of step one – it’s the foundation upon which your SEO success will be built.
Estimated 10 minutes to complete. Free.
One key aspect of local SEO is the implementation of structured data, such as organization schema, which provides search engines with valuable information about your business. In step two of our beginner’s SEO guide, we’ll delve into the ingenious capabilities of Rank Math’s Local SEO tab, which simplifies the process of generating organization schema.
The Rank Math plugin not only excels at optimizing your website’s content but also streamlines the implementation of structured data, saving you time and ensuring accuracy. To start, navigate to the Local SEO tab within the Rank Math settings, and you’ll find a user-friendly interface where you can input essential information about your organization, such as your business name, address, phone number, and more.
As you fill out this information, Rank Math dynamically generates the necessary organization schema markup in the background. This schema markup provides search engines like Google with structured data about your business, making it easier for them to understand your entity and potentially display rich snippets in search results, like your business hours, location, and contact details.
The beauty of using Rank Math’s Local SEO tab is its automation – you don’t need to have technical expertise in schema markup. By simply inputting your organization’s details, you’re laying the foundation for improved search engine visibility and a stronger local presence. It’s a powerful step that ensures your business is accurately represented online, helping potential customers find and engage with you more easily. So, as you proceed with your SEO journey, remember that step two is a crucial component for local success and enhanced search engine ranking.
Estimated 10 minutes to complete. Free.
Ensuring that search engines can easily crawl and index your website is paramount. An essential tool for achieving this is a sitemap, which acts as a roadmap for search engine bots, guiding them to all the important pages and content on your site. In step two of our beginner’s SEO guide, we will show you how to effortlessly create a sitemap using the Rank Math plugin, a crucial step in improving your website’s search engine visibility.
Rank Math simplifies the process of generating a sitemap, making it accessible to users of all technical skill levels. To begin, navigate to the Rank Math settings within your WordPress dashboard and locate the “Sitemap Settings” section. Here, you’ll find a comprehensive set of options for configuring your sitemap.
One of the standout features of Rank Math’s sitemap functionality is its flexibility. You can toggle individual pages and posts on or off to include in your sitemap, giving you complete control over what content gets indexed by search engines. This level of customization is incredibly useful, allowing you to prioritize the most important and relevant pages, while excluding less critical content like archives or login pages.
Once you’ve tailored your sitemap settings to your liking, Rank Math automatically generates a clean and organized XML sitemap for your website. This XML file is what search engine bots rely on to navigate your site efficiently. By having a well-structured sitemap in place, you’re not only making it easier for search engines to discover and index your content but also improving your website’s overall SEO performance.
Estimated 10 minutes to complete. Free.
Google Search Console is a powerful tool provided by the search giant itself, offering insights into how Google perceives and interacts with your website. Step four in our beginner’s SEO guide will guide you through the process of verifying your site using a TXT (text) record in your domain’s DNS settings.
To get started, you’ll need to access your Google Search Console account (if you don’t have one yet, it’s free to create). Once logged in, select the property (website) you want to verify. Google offers various verification methods, but for this step, we’ll focus on the TXT record method.
Google will provide you with a unique TXT record that you need to add to your domain’s DNS settings. This TXT record acts as a digital handshake between your website and Google, confirming your ownership and granting access to valuable data and tools within Search Console.
Access your domain registrar or DNS hosting provider’s control panel, locate the DNS settings for your domain, and add the TXT record provided by Google. The specific steps may vary depending on your provider, but typically, you’ll find an option to add or edit DNS records.
After adding the TXT record, return to Google Search Console and click the “Verify” button. Google will then check the DNS records for your domain to confirm ownership. Once verified, you’ll gain access to essential data about your website’s performance in Google search, including indexing status, search queries, and potential issues that can affect your rankings.
Estimated 20 minutes to complete. Free.
In the ever-evolving digital landscape, establishing a strong local online presence is crucial for businesses of all sizes. Google My Business (GMB) is a game-changer in this regard, offering a powerful platform to showcase your business’s information, engage with customers, and improve your local search visibility. In step five of our beginner’s SEO guide, we’ll walk you through the process of claiming your Google My Business listing, a step that can significantly impact how your business appears in local search results.
To begin, navigate to the Google My Business website (https://www.google.com/business/) and sign in with your Google account. If you don’t have a Google account, you can create one for free. Once logged in, click on the “Manage now” button or “Add your business to Google” if you haven’t previously claimed your listing.
Search for your business using its name and address. If your business appears in the search results, it may have already been listed by Google or other users. In this case, you can claim the existing listing and take control of it. If your business is not listed, you can create a new one.
During the claiming or creation process, you’ll be prompted to provide detailed information about your business, such as your address, phone number, website URL, business category, hours of operation, and photos. Be thorough and accurate in filling out this information, as it directly affects how your business appears in local search results.
After submitting your business information, Google may require you to verify your ownership through various methods, such as receiving a postcard with a verification code, a phone call, or email verification. Once you’ve successfully verified your listing, you gain access to your Google My Business dashboard, where you can manage and update your business information, respond to customer reviews, post updates, and even track insights into how users are interacting with your listing.
Claiming your Google My Business listing is a fundamental step in enhancing your online presence and local SEO efforts. It ensures that your business information is accurate, up-to-date, and easily accessible to potential customers when they search for products or services in your area. By leveraging the power of GMB, you can increase your visibility in local search results and connect with potential customers more effectively, ultimately driving more traffic and business to your doorstep.
Need Any Help With These or more advanced SEO implementations? Get Runleadgen to help!
Building A Website FAQs
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, refers to the practice of optimizing your website to improve its visibility in search engine results like Google. It’s important because it helps your website rank higher in search results, making it more likely for users to discover and click on your site. This increased visibility can lead to more organic (free) traffic and a better online presence, which is crucial for businesses and website owners looking to reach a broader audience.
No, you don’t need advanced technical skills to follow our beginner’s SEO guide. We’ve designed the steps to be straightforward and accessible to individuals with varying levels of technical expertise. Whether you’re a seasoned webmaster or just starting with your first website, our guide will provide clear instructions to help you improve your website’s SEO.
Many of the tools and plugins mentioned in our guide offer both free and premium versions. For beginners on a budget, you can typically get started with the free versions, which provide essential functionality. As your website grows and your needs expand, you may choose to explore the premium features offered by these tools for more advanced capabilities.
The time it takes to see significant results from your SEO efforts can vary based on numerous factors, including the competitiveness of your industry, the quality of your content, and the consistency of your SEO practices. Generally, it may take a few weeks to several months to observe noticeable improvements in your website’s search engine rankings and organic traffic. SEO is an ongoing process, so patience and consistent efforts are key to long-term success.