The term SEO gets thrown around a lot in the online world. But if you’re new to running your own website, it’s vital to understand at least the basics. In this blog post, we explain what SEO is and give you a quick five-step crash course in optimising your web pages.
What Is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimisation. It’s the process of improving your website so it has a better chance of appearing in search engine results, such as Google, when people search for the products or services you offer.
The better your SEO, the better your chances of attracting visitors to your website, increasing your reach and growing your customer base.
SEO can seem big and complicated, but tools such as Yoast SEO and Rank Math for WordPress can make it much more manageable by giving you a simple checklist for each page.
A Five-Step Crash Course in SEO
At its heart, SEO is about matching what’s on your page to what people are searching for. When your page clearly answers what someone is looking for, Google is more likely to show it to them.
To walk you through it, let’s create a hypothetical arts and crafts online shop called Crayons and Cardboard. Imagine you’re the owner, and you want to promote your new delivery service. The search term you want to rank for is “art supplies delivery in Dublin”.
Step One: Create a Dedicated Page With a Clear Title
Make sure you have a dedicated page explaining your new delivery service. Give it a clear main heading that includes your key term, such as:
Art Supplies Delivery in Dublin
You’ll also need to set the page’s title tag, which is the clickable headline that appears in Google’s search results. Keep it under around 60 characters and put your key term near the start, for example:
Art Supplies Delivery in Dublin | Crayons and Cardboard
Step Two: Keep Your URL Short and Descriptive
Next, make sure your page’s web address (URL) reflects what the page is about. Short, simple URLs are easier for both people and Google to understand. For example:
www.crayonsandcardboard.com/art-supplies-delivery-dublin
Step Three: Write a Compelling Meta Description
The meta description is the short snippet of text that appears under your page title in search results. Include your key term, but most importantly, write it to persuade people to click. For example:
“Get art supplies delivered across Dublin. Paints, pens, paper and more, delivered fast from Crayons and Cardboard. Order online today!”
Keep it to around 150 to 160 characters so it doesn’t get cut off.
Step Four: Write Helpful Page Content
In the main text of your page, use your key term naturally, especially near the beginning. But don’t repeat it over and over. Stuffing a page with the same phrase used to be a common tactic, but Google now sees it as spam, and it can harm your rankings.
Instead, focus on answering the questions your customers will have. Which areas of Dublin do you deliver to? How much does delivery cost? How quickly will orders arrive? Using related words and phrases, such as “craft supplies”, “next-day delivery” or “County Dublin”, also helps Google understand what your page is about.
Step Five: Add Alternative Text to Your Images
A step that’s often overlooked is adding alternative text (alt text) to the images on your page. Alt text describes what an image shows. It helps visually impaired visitors using screen readers, and it helps Google understand your images.
Describe each image accurately, and include your key term only where it naturally fits. For example, “Crayons and Cardboard delivery van with art supplies in Dublin” works well, but don’t add the same phrase to every single image.
Beyond the Basics
These five steps cover the essentials of on-page SEO, but there’s more you can do to help your website rank, including:
- Making sure your website loads quickly and works well on mobile
- Earning links from other reputable websites
- Setting up and maintaining a Google Business Profile for local searches
- Regularly adding helpful content, such as blog posts
In Summary
By following these five steps, you’ve made it clear to both Google and your visitors exactly what your page is about: art supplies delivery in Dublin. That’s the foundation of good SEO.
If you’d like help understanding SEO in more detail, or you’d like us to take care of it for you, get in touch with Whelan Web Design for a consultation. We’re a Waterford-based web design and SEO agency helping businesses across Ireland get found online and make more sales.
