{"id":14743,"date":"2019-06-04T16:56:37","date_gmt":"2019-06-04T15:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.names.co.uk\/blog\/?p=14743"},"modified":"2019-06-21T12:28:52","modified_gmt":"2019-06-21T11:28:52","slug":"a-beginners-guide-to-seo-what-you-need-to-know-in-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.names.co.uk\/blog\/a-beginners-guide-to-seo-what-you-need-to-know-in-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"A beginner’s guide to SEO: What you need to know in 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SEO is a\nbig topic in the digital world, so we\u2019ve created a quick guide to help you get\nstarted and get that hard-working website of yours found on Google in 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, what\nis SEO? SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation \u2013 the process of enhancing or\n\u2018optimising\u2019 your website to maximise its visibility in search engine\nresults.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what does\nthat mean for you and your business? It means you need to make sure your content\nis relevant and based on the keywords people are searching for. The more\nrelevant your site is, the better chance you have of being found \u2013 and that\u2019s\nthe bulk of it! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some tips to get you started: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do your research <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Research is key to understanding the market you\u2019re\ncompeting in. Once the blindfold is off and you start to really understand what\nyour visitors are searching for, you can start tailoring your content towards\nthem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are\nlots of free and subscription-based keyword tools you can use for keyword\nresearch including Google keyword planner, Ahrefs keyword explorer, Moz keyword\nexplorer, Google Search Console, SEMRush keyword research tool, Google Trends,\nKeywordTool.io and of course the Google search bar itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google\nsearch is completely free and it\u2019s a great tool to use to understand your\nusers\u2019 search intent. When you type in a keyword it auto-suggests some more\nkeyword ideas and also shows what \u2018People also ask\u2019 so you can get a real feel\nfor what users are looking for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another free tool is Google Trends – you can\nsearch for keywords or phrases and see how popular they are before you start\nwriting. Remember, the key is to make sure your content is relevant and useful to\nyour visitors! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s have a quick look at a Google Trends example \u2013 a website selling fairy lights. To begin, the owner can check how popular the phrase \u2018fairy lights\u2019 is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Google<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As you can see from the Google Trends data, the phrase is searched for more around Christmas time.  You can also compare keywords to understand search volumes e.g. compare \u2018fairy lights\u2019 to \u2018Christmas lights\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Google<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With keyword knowledge you can create valuable content for your website to increase website traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Create relevant page title tags<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What are\ntitle tags? If you\u2019ve ever used a search engine before (and we\u2019re guessing, you\nhave) you\u2019ll have regularly come across title tags. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are the simple, clickable headlines that you see on the search results page. For example, we searched \u2018Domain Names\u2019, and the title tag is \u201cDomain Names | Domain Registration | Buy Domain Names\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Names.co.uk<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When you\ncreate a new page on your website the title is important, in fact it\u2019s one of\nthe first things you should do to optimise your website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your title tag will work in conjunction with your meta\ndescription (this is the text below your title tag). Your meta description is\nwhere you can elaborate on your title tag and explain in short, what your\ncontent is about. Remember, your meta description won\u2019t always be picked up by\nGoogle. They sometimes take a snippet of content from the web page as they\nbelieve it is more relevant to the search query. It is still very important to\ncraft a good meta description as it could still be displayed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some important things to remember when you\u2019re\nwriting your title and meta description:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Avoid using a long title \u2013 it can be\nunnecessarily wordy and will get cut short. <\/li>
  2. Don\u2019t stuff your title tag with lots of keywords.<\/li>
  3. Try to include your main keyword in your title\ntag and at least once in the meta description. <\/li>
  4. Don\u2019t use a description that is too general, like\n\u2018this is a web page\u2019<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Check out these tips from Google on how to create the best title and meta tag descriptions. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Showcase your customer reviews <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Whether you are a new business or an established enterprise,\npositive feedback has never been so important. When new customers\u2019 reach your\nsite, they are putting their trust in you and your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are some great ways to receive and showcase your\ncustomer reviews: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Facebook \u2013 engage with your customers on social\nmedia and allow them to leave feedback on the experience they had with you. You\ncan then link to your social media pages from your website or add widgets that can\ndisplay your social media feed on your website.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n