marieosullivan

Web Design & SEO for Coaches and Therapists

You are here: Home / Simple SEO Tips

Simple SEO Tips

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Here’s what’s in my history:

My idiosyncrasies aside … I’m going to go out on a limb and bet that you have also tried searching online for an answer in the last couple of days.

Guess what, your clients are no different.

So why aren’t the client enquires flooding in now that you’ve set up your website?

A website can be one of your biggest marketing assets and help you to get a steady flow of visitors to your website, but you have to create content that is SEO-friendly and enjoyable to read.

If you are just starting out with your website, SEO can seem like a complicated topic. However, there are some simple things you can do to improve your rankings and get started on the right foot.

These simple SEO tips are designed to give you a head start.

If you are interested in learning more about how to improve your search engine rankings, then this article is for you. I’m going to share lots of practical tips to help you to understand why you need SEO for your website and easy SEO tips to help you to get your website more visible online.

What is SEO?

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the practice of helping your website show up on search results pages when people type certain keywords into search engines.

In other words, it is a process that you follow to help search engines to understand your content better. I always tell my clients “SEO is a VERB”, in other words, it’s up to you to take action.

Why SEO matters

SEO isn’t just about ranking on search engines. It’s also about creating a website that leads to a clear customer journey for the user. Done well, SEO can help your ideal client to understand how working with you could help them to solve a problem. 

SEO is a free way of getting more visitors to your website by showing up in the search engine results. Even better, these visitors are self-selecting to view your content, which means that they are more likely to be interested in what you offer than someone who just randomly stumbles across you on social media.

In addition to great content, you should also make sure your website is easy to navigate and use. People should be able to find what they are looking for quickly and easily. If your site is difficult to use, people will likely leave before they even have a chance to explore all of your content.

If you’re not ranking high up in the top positions for your target keywords, then you are missing out on potential customers who may be looking for you online.

Does my website need SEO?

ALL websites need SEO. If people don’t know about your site they can’t find it. There’s no point in only being visible to your existing audience – SEO gives you a good crack at being found by new ideal clients.

How long does SEO take?

SEO is a continual process. You must prioritise it if you want to keep and improve your search engine ranking. Don’t rely on your Web Designer to get you to Page 1 the day your site goes live. Your Web Designer can optimise your site to be search-engine friendly by following technical and on-Page best practices, but you need to focus on SEO as an ongoing measure if you want to rank well.
Don’t let people fool you about SEO—if you want results, you need to put in the work.⁠ A new site could take 6 to 12 months to rank, assuming that fresh, quality content is being created. However, it is so worth the investment because it could continue to send targeted visitors to your website for a long time to come.

What are the top SEO mistakes?

1. Not writing content your target audience is searching for

Many business owners use their website as a business card, instead of recognising that it can be one of your best marketing assets.

Always keep your ideal client in mind when creating content for your website. Think about the type of content that would be most helpful to them – a list post, a “how-to” article or maybe a quick tutorial?

Make sure your content uses the language your audience uses. If you’re not sure what to write, do some research: type your search term into Facebook and see what pops up, and read related comments and threads.

2. Wasting time worrying about SEO plugins

“Should I use Yoast or Rankmath”? Pick one and do your best to optimise your post, but don’t get obsessed with the green light. Do your best to add your keyword in the optimal spot, then move on to the next item on your to-do list. Use SEO plugins as a guideline only.

3. Neglecting to add a meta-description

Your meta-description can increase the click-through rate (the number of users who click on the link to visit your site) because it gives an idea of what your post is about.

However, there are ways to help your business rank higher on the search engine results pages (SERPs). Here are some proven techniques to help you achieve this goal.

4. Broken links and 404 errors

In addition, you should also make sure your website is free of broken links and 404 errors. This will not only help to keep people on your site, but it can also improve your search engine rankings. Check your website for broken links using this free tool.

How to Rank your Website: Search Engine Tips

You may have heard of search engine optimisation (SEO) before, but might not know how to rank your website for your targeted keywords and phrases. 

There are a number of different ways to optimise your website for search engines. One of the most popular and effective methods is to make sure that your website has a good quality score and a high page rank. The best way to achieve this is by using the right keywords in the right places on your site.

You also have to keep your audience in mind. You could try and rank on Page 1 for Reiki, but is that actually what they’re searching for? Maybe they’re typing in queries like “how can I feel more relaxed”?

Search engines are constantly updating their algorithms to ensure that websites with quality content are rewarded, and those with spammy or low-quality content are penalised. In order to optimise your website for search engines, here are a few simple tips:

Ensure that your website is fast to load and easy to navigate on both desktop and mobile devices. This will help ensure that users have a positive experience while browsing your site, which can impact your rankings in search results.

Imagine going into Penney’s last-minute on Christmas Eve. The perfect gift you’d been meaning to pick up might be in-store, but impossible to find because the shop is up in a heap! Similarly if your website isn’t visible on search engines, people might be ready to work with you but unable to because they can’t track you down.

If potential clients can’t find you online, they might not see your business as being credible. Think of SEO as a helping hand that enables your ideal client to access a solution.

Eight Simple SEO tips 

1. Create content regularly 

At the heart of successful SEO is simple, consistent content creation. Whether you have a lot of time or not, it is important to make sure that your posts are informative, relevant, and helpful to your audience.

Focus on creating helpful, original, and high-quality content that matches what users are looking for. This includes producing content that is well written, informative, and relevant to your audience.

Additionally, don’t forget to include keywords throughout your content. These keywords will be necessary for helping your content rank in search engines. But beware of stuffing too many keywords into your content; this can result in negative consequences from Google. A good rule of thumb is to use keywords thoughtfully and sparingly, sticking to a more natural feel.

Image of a laptop. Text reads: one thing you can do today: add a link to a related post.

2. Use Internal Links

One simple tip is to use internal links. By linking to other articles or pages on your own site, you can keep visitors engaged and help them find more of the content they’re interested in. If you are using WordPress, you can install a plugin to display related posts at the bottom of your blogs.

Find out why internal links are recommended.

3. Write guest blogs

Focus on high-quality links. Link building is important for SEO, but rather than focusing on the number of links you have, it’s better to focus on quality. This means looking for opportunities to get backlinks from authoritative websites in your industry or niche.

4. Get listed in relevant online directories

One of the most important things to consider is getting listed in online directories related to your niche. By doing so, search engines will see you as an authority in your field and may rank your website higher in their results.

5. Use a mobile-friendly theme

According to RTE, 97% of Irish people use smart devices such as mobile phones to perform searches online.

It’s essential to use a mobile-friendly theme so that your website is easy to use on a range of devices. Google also takes mobile-friendliness into account when determining search rankings, so this is an important step regardless of your goal.

Ensure that your website is fast to load and easy to navigate on both desktop and mobile devices. This will help ensure that users have a positive experience while browsing your site, which can impact your rankings in search results.

6. Use only one H1 heading on each page

The H1 heading is a key element that tells crawlers what the page is about. The best SEO practice is to use only one H1 heading per page. Include your keyword in the H1 heading. 

One of the most important things to keep in mind when writing for SEO is to use your keywords effectively. Make sure to include your keyword in the title, as well as in subheadings and throughout the content itself. This will help search engines understand what your page is about, and rank you higher in the search results.

7. Share unique content

One of the simplest and most effective ways to improve your SEO is to focus on quality content. This means creating in-depth, well-researched articles that provide a thorough walkthrough of your topic. Additionally, you should try to avoid publishing duplicate or previously published content, as this can negatively impact your search rankings.

Another key factor in improving your SEO is incorporating relevant keywords into your content. These keywords should be naturally woven into the text, rather than being blatantly stuffed into your article for the sole purpose of tricking search engines. Choosing the right keywords and using them effectively will help increase traffic to your site and establish you as an expert in your field.

Include relevant links to other websites. By linking out to authoritative, trustworthy resources, you can add authority and credibility to your own website, which will also help with rankings.

Another great tip is to take advantage of social media. Platforms like Facebook and Linkedin are excellent ways to promote your website and reach a wider audience. Simply sharing links to your latest articles or blog posts can really help increase traffic levels.

8. Use SEO-friendly formatting

One of the most important things you can do is format your content with headings, sub-headings, bullet points, bold, italics and short paragraphs. This makes your content easier to read and helps search engines understand what the main ideas are.

Another key element of SEO is including keywords in your headline, first paragraph, and URL. Use relevant keywords that accurately describe your content and will help users find it when they search online.

To make your content even more effective, include images or infographics that support your text. Be sure to add alt text and clear meta descriptions, as well, to make your content more engaging for users and help search engines better understand what your content is about.

If you follow these simple SEO tips, you can reap the benefits of increased traffic and improved search engine rankings!

So if you’re looking for simple ways to improve your search engine rankings, then keep these simple SEO tips in mind. With a little effort and consistency, you can get better results from your website and start driving more traffic and clients. Good luck!