SEO Basics for New Businesses

93% of online experiences begin with a search engine (Search Engine Journal). What are you waiting for? Here are some of the basics in SEO, including straight-to-the-point actionable steps and insights backed by paptable examples.

What is SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is optimizing a website to rank highly on search engine results pages (SERPs). By improving various elements, businesses can increase their chances of appearing in front of potential customers who are searching for relevant products or services. Ideally, your site should aim to be shown at the top of the first results page. 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results (HubSpot).

Why SEO Matters for New Businesses

1. Visibility and Traffic

According to Google, a lot of the time, people will discover a new product when searching for something online. Without SEO, your website would be less likely to show high search results and thus limit your reach greatly.

Additionally, according to BrightEdge, 68% of all online experiences begin with a search engine, and organic search drives 53% of all traffic.

2. Cost-Effectiveness

Compared to paid advertising, SEO is a cost-effective strategy that provides long-term benefits. Maintenance costs are virtually insignificant, while your audience is more organic.

Example: A small bakery uses SEO-optimized blog posts about baking tips to attract thousands of visitors without spending on ads.

3. Builds Trust and Credibility

When your business ranks high on SERPs, in this digital world, you automatically trust within the user’s subconscious – to finally result in higher sales.

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SEO Basics for New Businesses

1. Keyword Research

Keyword research is the foundation of SEO. It consists of finding out what words and phrases your target audience is using to search for a good or service similar to yours.

Tools for Keyword Research:

• Google Keyword Planner: is a free tool to find popular keywords.
• Ubersuggest: Get Help for Keyword Suggestions and Competition Analysis.
• Ahrefs:  is a Smart Tool Used for Keyword Research.

Example: A local fitness studio discovers that “home workout routines” is a highly searched term and creates blog content around this topic.

2. On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is the optimizing of web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic.

Key Elements of On-Page SEO:

1. Title Tags: Include primary keywords and keep them under 60 characters.
2. Meta Descriptions: Summarize the page’s content in 150–160 characters to improve click-through rates.
3. Header Tags (H1, H2, H3): Organize content for better readability and SEO.
4. Alt Text for Images: Describe images with keywords for accessibility and better rankings.
5. Internal Linking: Link to other relevant pages on your website to improve navigation and authority.

Example: An eco-friendly product online store adds keywords to their product pages and adds to their title and alt tag.

3. Technical SEO

Technical SEO ensures that search engines can crawl and index your website effectively.

Key Aspects of Technical SEO:

1. Mobile-Friendliness: Use responsive design to provide a seamless mobile experience. Mobile devices account for 58% of all web traffic (Statista).
2. Page Speed: Optimize loading times with compressed images and caching.
3. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL): Use HTTPS to ensure site security. According to the statistics published by Google, HTTPS sites get a ranking boost.

Example: A travel blog boosted its Core Web Vitals Scores by compressing images, increasing speed and improving rank on search engines.

4. Content Creation

Content is king in SEO. Good quality and relevant content help attract organic traffic. In fact, 97% of Businesses that blog get more links to their business (HubSpot).

Types of Content for SEO:

• Blogs: Give answers to the questions that high-value audiences ask. Websites with blogs have 434% more indexed pages than those without (Tech Client).
• Videos: include tutorials, testimonials, and product demonstrations…
• Infographics: Visual representations of complex information.
• Product Pages: Detailed descriptions and reviews.

Example: A pet supplies store publishes a blog titled “Top 10 Tips for New Dog Owners,” targeting long-tail keywords to attract a niche audience.

5. Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO focuses on activities outside your website that improve rankings.

Key Strategies:

• Backlinks: Links from reputable websites signal authority to search engines.
• Social Media: Share content to increase visibility and drive traffic.
• Guest Blogging: Write articles for other websites to earn backlinks.

Example: A fashion boutique gets influencers to review their offerings and earns backlinks from their blog and social media posts.

6. Local SEO

Local SEO helps businesses attract customers in their local area. 46% of all Google searches are looking for local information (GoGulf).

Key Local SEO Strategies:

• Google Business Profile: Create a profile with accurate business information.
• Local Keywords: Use phrases like “near me” or “in [city]” in your content.
• Online Reviews: Please ask happy customers to write good reviews.

Example: A coffee shop ranks high for “best coffee near me” by optimizing its Google Business Profile and using local keywords on its website.

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Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid

1. Keyword Stuffing: Overusing keywords can lead to penalties.
2. Ignoring Mobile Users: A non-mobile-friendly site can hurt rankings.
3. Thin Content: Low-quality or duplicate content doesn’t rank well.
4. Skipping Analytics: Without tracking, you won’t know what’s working.

Example: A seller that sells online does not track SEO performance, hence they miss the opportunity to improve pages that do not perform.

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Top Tools for Monitoring SEO Performance

1. Google Analytics: Track organic traffic and user behavior.
2. Google Search Console: Monitor website indexing and keyword performance.
3. SEMrush: Analyze competitor performance and track rankings.
4. Yoast SEO: Optimize on-page SEO for WordPress sites.

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FAQs on SEO for New Businesses

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The Bottomline on SEO Basics

SEO may seem complex, as it may seem. Learning just the basics can help your new business. The procedures crucial to the success of search engine optimization include keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO, content creation and more.

In the beginning, progress is tracked, and you continue to adjust your strategy. Remember that SEO is like a marathon, not a sprint. With consistent effort, you can achieve steady growth and long-term visibility of your business.

Take the first step today—optimize your website for search engines and watch your business thrive!