SEO for beginners: Complete guide to search engine optimization

Basic SEO terms you need to know

To understand search engine optimization (SEO), it is important to familiarize yourself with some basic concepts. These concepts form the basis of how search engines work and how you can optimize your website for better visibility.

What are keywords?

Keywords are words or phrases that users type into search engines when looking for information, products, or services. For example, if someone searches for “how to create a blog,” “how to create a blog” is a keyword. Including relevant keywords in your content helps search engines understand what your page is about.

What are backlinks?

Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website. These act as a recommendation and help search engines assess how reliable and authoritative your site is. For example, if a popular blog links to your article, Google sees this as a sign that your content is valuable.

What are meta descriptions?

A meta description is a short text that describes what a web page is about. It appears below the title in search results and helps users understand whether the page is relevant to their search. A good meta description should be up to 160 characters long and include relevant keywords.

What is search engine ranking?

Search engine ranking refers to how high a website appears in search results for a specific keyword. The higher the ranking, the more visible your page is, and the greater the chance that users will click on it. SEO is basically about improving this ranking.

How to conduct an effective keyword analysis

Keyword analysis is one of the most important parts of SEO. It's about finding the right words and phrases that your potential users are searching for. By using relevant keywords in your content, you increase the chances of your website appearing in search results.

What is keyword analysis?

Keyword analysis is the process of identifying and evaluating words or phrases that people use when searching for information, products, or services. The goal is to find keywords that are highly relevant to your website but have low competition, giving you a better chance of ranking high.

Tools for keyword analysis

There are several tools that can help you find the best keywords. Some of the most popular include:

• Google Keyword Planner: A free tool that provides insight into search volume and competition for specific keywords.
• Ahrefs: A powerful SEO analysis tool that provides detailed information about keywords, backlinks, and competition levels.
• SEO-Analyse.no: A local tool that can help you analyze keywords and competition in Norway.
• SEMrush: An all-in-one SEO tool that offers keyword analysis, competition overview, and more.

How to choose the best keywords

When choosing keywords, it is important to consider both relevance and competition. Here are some tips:

• Relevance: Your keywords should match the search intent of your users. For example, if you sell shoes, you should focus on keywords such as “buy running shoes” or “best shoes for hiking.”
• Low competition: Start with keywords that have lower competition but still a reasonable search volume. This makes it easier to rank high, especially for beginners.
• Long-tail keywords: These are longer and more specific phrases, such as “how to choose the right running shoes for asphalt.” They often have lower competition and higher conversion potential.

On-page SEO: Optimize your website for search engines and users

On-page SEO is about optimizing the elements of your website that you have full control over. This includes everything from title tags and meta descriptions to URL structure and image optimization. By making these elements search engine friendly, you can improve your rankings and provide a better experience for users.

Title tags

Title tags are one of the most important on-page SEO elements. They appear as the clickable headline in search results and help search engines understand what your page is about. A good title tag should:

• Be between 50-60 characters.
• Include the most important keyword.
• Be descriptive and engaging to attract clicks.

Meta descriptions

Meta descriptions are short texts that describe the content of your page. They appear under the title in search results and can influence whether users click on the link. A good meta description should:

• Be up to 160 characters.
• Include relevant keywords.
• Give a clear signal about what the user can expect.

Headings (H1, H2, H3)

Headings help search engines and users understand the structure of your page. Use H1 for the main heading (usually the page title) and H2/H3 for subheadings. This makes the content easier to read and understand.

URL structure

A good URL structure should be short, descriptive, and include relevant keywords. Avoid long strings of numbers or symbols. For example, rather than example.no/hvordan-optimalisere-seo than example.no/?p=123.

Internal linking

Internal linking is about linking to other pages on your own website. This helps search engines find and index your content, as well as improving the user experience by guiding visitors to related information.

Image optimization

Images are an important part of your content, but they can also slow down your page if they are not optimized. Here are some tips:

• Use descriptive file names (e.g. hvordan-optimalisere-seo.jpg).
• Add alt texts that describe the image for search engines and accessibility.
• Compress images to reduce file size without losing quality.

Off-page SEO: Build authority with backlinks and external signals

Off-page SEO is about improving your website's visibility and authority through activities outside your own website. The most important part of off-page SEO is backlinks, which are links from other websites that point to your website. These act as a recommendation and help search engines assess how reliable and valuable your site is.

What are backlinks, and why are they important?

Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website. They act as a vote of confidence and help search engines like Google understand that your content is worth recommending. The more quality backlinks you have, the higher your page can rank in search results.

How to build backlinks

Getting backlinks requires strategy and effort. Here are some effective methods for building backlinks:

• Guest blogging: Write posts for other websites within your niche area. In exchange, you can include a link back to your own website.
• Collaboration with others: Collaborate with other companies, bloggers, or influencers to create valuable content that both parties can share and link to.
• Write good content that others will want to link to: Focus on creating unique, informative, and engaging content that naturally attracts links from other websites. This can include in-depth guides, research, or infographics.
• Content marketing: Share your content on social media, in newsletters, and other channels to increase the likelihood that others will link to it.

How to check backlinks to your website

There are several tools that can help you track backlinks to your website. Some popular options include:

• Ahrefs: A popular tool for SEO analysis that provides detailed information about backlinks.
• SEMrush: An all-in-one SEO tool that offers backlink analysis and more.
• Google Search Console: A free tool that provides basic insight into links to your website.

EEAT: How it affects SEO and what Google is looking for

EEAT stands for Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These are factors that Google uses to assess the quality of your content and how well it serves users. EEAT is especially important for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) pages, which deal with topics that can affect people's health, finances, or safety.

Google wants to provide users with the most reliable and useful results possible. Therefore, it is crucial that your content demonstrates expertise, builds authority, and creates trust. You can achieve this through thorough research, accurate information, and clear communication of your expertise.

How E-E-A-T affects SEO

E-E-A-T is part of Google's quality assessments and affects how the search engine ranks web pages. Content that demonstrates high expertise, authority, and trustworthiness is more likely to rank highly in search results. This is especially true for competitive niches or topics that require high reliability.

Conclusion: Your SEO starter guide

SEO is an ongoing process that requires time, patience, and consistency. There is no quick fix, but by understanding the basic principles and implementing them, you can gradually improve your website's visibility and attract more organic traffic.

Remember that search engines such as Google are constantly updating their algorithms, so it is important to stay up to date on best practices in SEO. Continue to learn, test, and adapt your strategy based on results and changes in the search landscape.

If you are a beginner, start by optimizing the simple elements of your website, such as title tags, meta descriptions, and content structure. Then you can gradually expand your SEO strategy to include more advanced techniques such as link building and technical SEO. With time and effort, you will see improvements in your website's ranking and traffic.