For any website, it’s really important to consider search engine optimisation (SEO) which is the process of optimising your website to improve it’s visibility in search engine results.
SEO can be a complicated and get technical, with hundreds of different factors that can impact where your business shows up in Google. It’s also always changing and evolving as Google and other search engines make changes to their algorithms to show users the most relevant results.
At a high level for a business website, SEO can be split into two main categories:
- On-site SEO (or on-page SEO) is everything that happens on your website that impacts search visibility
- Off-site SEO (off-page SEO) is everything that happens outside your website that impacts search visibility
In this article I hope to give you a bit more information on each these types of SEO, and where they should fit within your overall website strategy.
On-site SEO
On-site SEO (sometimes referred to as on-page SEO is quite simply everything that happens on your website that can affect it’s rankings in search engines. There are a lot of factors that can play a part here, including your content, the technical aspects of your website and the quality of your website.
The importance of good quality content for on-site SEO
If you want to be found in Google and other search engines, good quality content really is the place to start. If you don’t have content on your website to match the query and intent people are searching for, then your site won’t show up.
This often means researching what people are searching for, thinking about your products, services and expertise and creating content that aligns and is the right combination of useful, interesting and relevant.
In the past, content on websites was often written more for Google and search engines than for actual users, but this has now shifted entirely and you should ALWAYS be writing for users first.
This doesn’t mean the content on your website doesn’t need to be setup with SEO in mind, which is still important to make sure that your content can help get found by the right people.
To know what users are searching for and plan out your content, you should perform keyword research. This can be done via paid SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMRush or Moz, or via free tools like Google Trends, Keyword Tool or Answer the Public.
Some quick tips when planning and writing content:
- Always write for users first
- Ensure you have a page on your website for each main product or service
- Break up your content with headings & sections
- Include keywords naturally in your text, and don’t over use
- Link to other pages on your website where relevant
- Demonstrate your expertise in your industry
- Include a call to action
The technical side of on-site SEO
There is a huge amount of technical factors on your website that can affect SEO. Many of these are metadata, which can be non-visible information to help search engines and other platforms better understand your content and website.
Here are some examples of technical SEO considerations for your website:
- Meta titles & descriptions
- Heading tags within your content
- URL structure
- Internal links between pages
- Schema markup
- Image alt tags
- Website age & history
The technical side of SEO for a website should be something your website designer or developer implements when your site is built, but is also something you will need to consider ongoing as new content is added to your website (which is certainly beneficial and something you should be doing).
If you have a blog or news section, then a basic understanding of how to set your title, meta description and a few best practices means that you’re giving new content the best chance to be found online.
A quality website should mean good quality on-site SEO
A good quality website really matters for SEO. While no-one knows exactly what search signals Google and other search engines use to rank websites in results, but many of these are based on the quality of your website.
Some of these factors include:
- Good quality content
- Mobile friendliness
- Speed and performance
- Navigation & hierarchy
- User experience
- Security & SSL
Off-site SEO
Off-site SEO refers to anything outside of your actual website that affects the search engine rankings. The purpose of off-site SEO is to build authority, trust and relevance with search engines so your website appears higher in search engine results. Making improvements in your off-site SEO is more long term and is sometimes managed in the form of an ongoing campaign or service.
The importance of off-site SEO for search visibility
If you have a good quality website that is well setup for on-site SEO, this doesn’t mean you’re going to show up highly in search engine results. This is especially true if your website is brand new, or you’re in a competitive industry. The reason for this comes down to off-site SEO.
Google and other search engines use a huge range of off-site SEO factors to help them determine which sites are the most relevant for users, and ultimately to order the search results.
Important factors for off-site SEO
Backlinks
By far the most influential factor for off-site SEO is backlinks. A backlink is simply a link from another website back to yours. This signals to search engines that your content is valuable, and helps build authority for your website.
Not all backlinks are equal. Links from high authority, quality and relevant websites are going to carry a lot more weight and impact on how they benefit your website compared to a low quality website that isn’t related to you business or industry.
While it’s true that backlinks are a bit less important than they have previously, they are still one of the biggest and most important factors that determines where your website shows up in search engine results.
Getting backlinks from other websites is hard, and requires good quality content, ongoing marketing and promotion of your business. You can find some more info and ideas in our website launch guide here.
Local SEO
For many businesses, especially those with a physical location or those serving a specific area, local SEO is crucial. Local SEO helps your business show up in location-based searches, such as “restaurants near me” or “plumbers in [city name]”.
Key components to consider for local SEO include:
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)
Setting up and optimising your Google Business Profile is essential for local SEO. This free tool allows you to manage how your business appears on Google Search and Maps. Make sure to:
- Provide accurate and complete information
- Add quality photos of your business
- Encourage and respond to customer reviews
- Keep your hours and contact information up to date
Local citations
Consistent listings of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) across various online directories and websites help establish credibility with search engines. Ensure your information is accurate and consistent across all platforms.
While it’s certainly true these local directory listings aren’t going to have significant impact for your search rankings, they can still be a useful method to establishing a basic presence and some background activity for your site, which can help you later on.
Location-specific content
Create content that’s relevant to your local area. This could include blog posts about local events, area-specific services, or pages dedicated to the suburbs you serve.
Anything you create with a local or community angle is great to share and promote, which can help establish and link your business with your area and encourage backlinks from other local websites or businesses.
Local link building
Seek opportunities to get backlinks from other local businesses, community organisations, or local news sites. This could involve sponsoring local events, participating in community initiatives, or creating newsworthy content about your area.
Reviews and ratings
Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile and any other relevant platforms. Positive reviews not only improve your visibility in local search results but also build trust with potential customers.
What to focus on for your business?
As a business owner, navigating the complex world of SEO can be overwhelming, but there are key areas you should prioritise.
As to whether you should focus on more on-site or off-site SEO, the hard truth is that both need to be considered to drive results.
On-site SEO priorities
- Quality website: Make sure you have a good quality website, that is user friendly, mobile responsive and loads quickly.
- Quality content: Ensure the content on your website is high-quality and is valuable & useful to your customers, helping answer their questions.
- Technical SEO basics: Ensure you have basic on-site SEO setup for any key product and service pages (title tags, meta descriptions, headings)
- Internal linking: Check that your site’s structure is clear & easy to understand, and build internal links between relevant and related pages.
Off-site SEO priorities
- Google Business Profile: If you have a local business, keep your profile up-to-date and encourage customer reviews.
- Online reputation: Monitor and respond to reviews across various platforms to maintain a positive online presence.
- Local citations: Add your business to popular online directories, and make sure your business information is consistent.
- Basic link building: Focus on natural ways to earn links, such as through partnerships or local community involvement.
Measuring SEO results
To understand if your SEO efforts are paying off, it’s important to track key metrics. Some important things to monitor are:
- Organic traffic: The number of visitors coming to your site from search engines.
- Keyword rankings: Where your website ranks for target keywords.
- Conversion rate: The percentage of visitors who take a desired action on your site.
- Page load time: How quickly your pages load, which affects both user experience and SEO.
Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can help you track these metrics and gain insights into your website’s performance. There are also dedicated paid SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMRush or Mod that can provide detailed reporting, and help you track and identify issues.
Wrapping up
SEO is an ongoing process that requires consistent effort and time to get results. While it can seem overwhelming, focusing on creating high-quality, relevant content for your users and following best practices for both on-site and off-site SEO can significantly improve your website’s visibility in search results.
Remember that SEO is just one part of a digital marketing strategy. Combining SEO with other marketing efforts like content marketing, social media, and paid ads can create a powerful synergy that drives results.
Whether you’re tackling SEO yourself or working with a professional, staying informed about SEO best practices and regularly reviewing your strategy will help ensure your website can be found and competitive in search results, and effectively supports your business goals.