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How to Improve SEO For Free: Easy Guide 

By: Jay | Last Updated: 2022-10-24T03:06:19

SEO Tips for Increasing Organic Traffic

The SEO landscape has changed a lot in the last five years. If you’re just getting started with SEO, it’s important to understand the basics of SEO before you dive into more advanced SEO tactics. Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know about SEO in 2022

How to Increase Organic Traffic

  1. What is SEO
  2. What is Organic Traffic?
  3. How Does SEO Drive Organic Traffic?
  4. How to Start SEO
  5. SEO Foundations: Making Sure Your Website Can Rank
  6. How to Run a Technical Audit
  7. Understanding SEO Fundamentals
    1. Keywords
    2. Link Building
  8. Does Google Search Console Help SEO?
  9. How Google Search Console Impacts SEO and What Should You Look For?
  10.  What is Google Search Console Used For?
  11. Understanding Common SEO Terms
  12. SEO Terms Index (Complete List)
  13.  Is Content Important for SEO?
  14. How to Write Content for SEO?
    1. Pick a Content Topic
    2. Using Keywords for Your Content
    3. How to Post Content Online for SEO
  15. How do You Use SEO Headings?
  16. Where is H1, H2, H3 Used?
  17. Hyperlinking Your Content (Do Hyperlinks Help SEO?)
  18. How to Get Backlinks From Your SEO Content
  19. Is SEO Worth it or Not?
  20. Improving Your Search Ranking With an SEO Agency

What is SEO?

SEO is short for search engine optimization. SEO is the process of optimizing a website for Google search with the goal of earning higher web traffic levels and improving the visibility of the site. SEO encompasses both on-page and off-page optimization tactics. 

On-page SEO refers to optimizing a website’s individual pages in order to rank higher in search results. This includes things like title tags, meta tags, and keyword-rich content. 

Off-page SEO refers to optimizing a website for search engines by building links from other websites. This can be done through things like link building and guest blogging. 

SEO is an important part of any digital marketing strategy. By optimizing your website for search engines, you can earn higher web traffic for years to come.

Some SEO basics include:

  • Researching and using relevant keywords
  • Optimizing website content
  • Building backlinks from high-quality websites

A good SEO strategy will also employ other digital marketing tactics such as social media marketing, content marketing, and pay-per-click advertising in order to further improve a website’s visibility and organic search results.

What is Organic Traffic?

Organic traffic is the traffic that comes to your website from sources other than paid advertising. This can include search engines, social media, and referral websites. SEO is a key factor in driving organic traffic to your website. By optimizing your website for search engines, you can increase your visibility in the search results and attract more visitors to your site.  

A good SEO strategy can also help to improve your referral traffic by making it easier for other websites to link to your site. And, finally, social media can also be a source of organic traffic. By promoting your website on social media platforms, you can increase your brand awareness and drive more visitors to your site.

If you’re looking to increase your organic traffic, it’s important to understand SEO and how to optimize your website for search engines.  SEO is a complex topic, but there are a few key factors that can make a big difference in your website’s visibility in the search results.

How Does SEO Drive Organic Traffic?

SEO is one of the most important aspects of driving organic traffic to your website. By optimizing your website for search engines, you can improve your visibility and attract more visitors. SEO is a complex process, but there are a few simple things you can do to get started.

  1. Make sure your website is optimized for SEO. This means using the right keywords and phrases, having quality content, and making sure your website is easy to navigate.
  2. Promote your website through social media and other online channels. This will help you get more exposure and attract more visitors.
  3. Use SEO tools to help you track your progress and find new opportunities for optimization. There are a variety of SEO tools available, both free and paid.

SEO is an important part of driving organic traffic to your website. By following these simple tips, you can get started on improving your SEO and attracting more visitors.

In addition to this, Google rewards the best content or as it is referred to, the most authoritative content. This means that if you can write articles or create materials that are cited by other websites, your SEO will improve. You can do this by writing guest blog posts or creating infographics that other people will want to share. By providing quality content, you can improve your SEO and attract more organic traffic.

How to Start SEO

At its core, SEO is the process of making a website more visible in organic or unpaid search results. The higher the website appears on the results page, the more likely people are to click on it.  SEO can be done on a variety of levels, from the technical aspects of the website to the content and structure. SEO is a long-term marketing strategy, and it takes time to see results. However, it is one of the most effective ways to reach potential customers online.

There are a number of things you can do to start optimizing your website for SEO. First, make sure your website is technically sound. This means ensuring that it is well-coded and free of errors. This is known as technical SEO, which is the backbone of any good SEO strategy. Technical SEO includes specifically, optimizing your website’s infrastructure and code so that search engines can easily index your site.

Second, focus on creating high-quality content. This means writing SEO-friendly copy that is informative and keyword rich. Good content will not only help your website rank higher in search results, but it will also keep people engaged once they land on your site. This is known as on-page SEO, and it can be a very effective way to improve your website’s visibility.

Third, build links to your website. This can be done in a number of ways, such as guest blogging, directory submissions, and social media marketing. Link building helps search engines understand that your website is relevant and trustworthy. It is also one of the most important ranking factors, so it’s essential to include in your SEO strategy.

SEO is a complex and ever-changing field, but by following these basic guidelines, you can start to see results for your website. Remember, SEO takes time and patience, but it is a proven way to reach more customers over time.

SEO Foundations: Making Sure Your Website Can Rank

Are you wondering why your website isn’t ranking as high as you’d like in search engine results? It could be that you’re not utilizing SEO (search engine optimization) to its full potential. There are many factors that contribute to SEO,  and it’s important to make sure you’re taking care of all of them if you want your website to rank well.

How to Run a Technical SEO Audit

One of the first steps in optimizing your website for SEO is to run a technical audit. This will help you identify any areas where your website is not SEO-friendly and make changes to improve your ranking. A technical audit may sound scary, but it is easy with most SEO platforms such as Ahrefs.com or SEMRush.com. In addition, we offer a few free SEO research tools at DigitalValley.io. To break this down even further, we have to take a look at some common technical SEO issues.

Some common technical SEO issues include:

  • Indexation problems: If your website is not being indexed by Google, it will not appear in search results. Make sure that your website is well-indexed by submitting an XML sitemap to Google and using the robots.txt file to control how Google crawls your website.
  • Crawling issues: If Google is having trouble crawling your website, it will not be able to index your content and your website will not rank well. Make sure that your website is easily crawlable by fixing broken links, using friendly URLs, and creating an HTML sitemap.
  • On-page SEO: Make sure that your website’s title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and content are all optimized for SEO. This will help your website rank higher in search results.
  • Off-page SEO: In addition to optimizing your website, you also need to build high-quality backlinks to it. This can be done by guest posting on authority websites, participating in forums and Q&A sites, and by creating helpful and informative content.

By taking care of these technical SEO issues, you will be well on your way to improving your website’s ranking in search results.

Understanding SEO Fundamentals

If you’re serious about ranking on search engines, then you need to understand SEO fundamentals. Search engine optimization is a complex and ever-changing field, but the basics are essential if you want to keep your website visible in search results.

There are many factors that go into SEO, from the words on your website to the way other websites link to you. Ignoring any of these factors can harm your ranking and visibility, so it’s important to understand them all.

Keywords

One of the most important aspects of SEO is keywords. These are the words and phrases that people use when they search for information online. If you want your website to show up in search results, then you need to make sure you’re using relevant keywords throughout your site.

This means using them in your titles, in your descriptions, and in the actual content on your pages. Keywords are just one part of SEO, but they’re an important part.

Link Building

Another important aspect is link building. Link building is the process of getting other websites to link to yours. This helps search engines understand that your site is a good source of information for their users. The more high-quality links you have pointing to your site, the higher your ranking will be.

SEO is a complex topic, but understanding these basics is essential if you want your website to be visible in search results. By taking the time to learn about SEO fundamentals, you can make sure your site is optimized for success

Does Google Search Console Help SEO?

Yes, Google Search Console can absolutely help improve your SEO. By providing data and tools that allow you to see how your site is performing in Google search results, as well as submit sitemaps and individual URLs for crawling, GSC is an essential tool for any website owner who wants to improve their visibility and ranking in search engines.

How Google Search Console Impacts SEO and What Should You Look For

  • GSC can show you which queries your site is appearing for in Google search results, and what position it is ranking in. This data can help you identify keyword opportunities to target, as well as optimize existing content to improve its ranking.
  • The “Search Analytics” report in GSC allows you to see how often your site’s pages are being clicked on from Google search results, as well as the average “click-through rate” (CTR) for each query. This data can help you gauge the effectiveness of your titles and meta descriptions, and make changes accordingly to improve CTR.
  • GSC also allows you to submit sitemaps, which can help Google index your site’s content more effectively. A well-indexed site is more likely to rank higher in search results.
  • Finally, GSC provides tools for troubleshooting crawl errors on your site. If Google is having difficulty crawling and indexing your site’s content, it will be much harder for your site to rank well in search results. By fixing crawl errors, you can improve your site’s chances of ranking in Google.

Overall, Google Search Console is a valuable tool for any website owner who wants to improve their SEO. By providing data and tools for keyword research, optimizing existing content, and troubleshooting crawl errors, GSC can help you make your site more visible and successful in search engine results pages.

What is Google Search Console Used For?

If you’re a website owner or administrator, you should be using Google Search Console. It’s a free service that provides valuable insights into how your website is performing on Google search. The first thing you should do in Google Search Console is to set up monitoring for your website. This will allow you to see how your website is performing on Google search, and it will also alert you of any issues that need to be fixed. In addition to this, take a look at the other uses below for what Google Search Console is good for. 

Here’s a quick overview of what you can do with Google Search Console:

  1. Monitor your website’s search traffic and performance.
  2. Get alerted when there are issues with your website.
  3. Diagnose and fix problems that affect your website’s ranking on Google search.
  4. Submit your sitemap to Google so that we can crawl and index your website more effectively.
  5. Test different versions of your website to see which one performs better on Google search.
  6. Disavow spammy or low-quality links that point to your website.

How to Set Up Google Search Console

If you’re not using Google Search Console yet, sign up for an account now. It’s quick and easy, and it’s free.

Once you’ve signed up, add your website to Google Search Console. You’ll need to verify ownership of your website before you can start using the service.

There are multiple ways to verify ownership of your website. The most common method is to add a DNS record to your domain’s DNS configuration. Other methods include uploading an HTML file to your website, adding a meta tag to your website’s home page, or verifying through your Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager account.

Once you’ve verified ownership of your website, you can start using the features of Google Search Console.

Understanding Common SEO Terms 

If you’re new to SEO, there are a lot of terms that you might not be familiar with. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most common SEO terms and their definitions.

SEO Terms Index (Complete List)

SEO: Search engine optimization is the process of optimizing a website for Google search with the goal of earning higher web traffic levels and improving the visibility of the site.

Keywords: Keywords are words or phrases that are associated with your business or website. These are the terms that people will use when they search for something on Google.

Backlinks: Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. These links act as a vote of confidence for your site, and can help to improve your website’s ranking on Google.

Rank: Your rank on Google is a measure of how well your website is doing in terms of SEO. The higher your rank, the more likely people are to find your site when they search for keywords that are associated with your business.

SERP: SERP stands for “search engine results page.” This is the page that appears when you do a search on Google. The SERP includes all of the websites that are relevant to the keyword or phrase that you searched for.

CTR: CTR stands for “click-through rate.” This is a measure of how often people who see your website in the SERP click through to visit your site. A high CTR means that people are finding your site relevant to their search, and are more likely to visit it.

Bounce Rate: The bounce rate is a measure of how often people leave your website after only viewing one page. A high bounce rate indicates that people are not finding what they’re looking for on your site, and are leaving quickly.

If you’re new to SEO, these terms might seem daunting. But don’t worry – there are plenty of resources out there to help you learn more about how to optimize your website for Google search. Just remember to focus on earning backlinks, optimizing for keywords, and improving your website’s CTR, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving higher rankings on Google.

Is Content Important for SEO?

Content is definitely important for SEO. In fact, Google has said that “content is king” when it comes to their search algorithm. That means that if you want to rank well in Google searches, you need to make sure your website has high-quality content.

There are a few different things that go into making great content, but some of the most important factors are:

  1. Relevance: Your content needs to be relevant to the keywords you’re trying to rank for. If you’re trying to rank for the keyword “dog food,” your content should be about dog food.
  2. Length: Longer pieces of content tend to do better in Google searches than shorter ones. That’s because Google sees longer content as being more in-depth and informative.
  3. Formatting: Your content should be well-formatted and easy to read. That means using short paragraphs, headings, and bullet points.
  4. Freshness: Google loves fresh content, so it’s important to regularly add new and updated content to your website.

If you can create great content that meets all of these criteria, you’ll be well on your way to ranking higher in Google searches. And that means more traffic and more customers for your business.

How to Write Content for SEO

Content is one of the most important ranking factors for SEO. That’s because Google’s goal is to provide users with the best possible results, and they believe that content is a key part of that.

To make sure your content is effective for SEO, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

  1. Write for your audience first and foremost. Google will penalize you if it thinks you’re trying to game the system by stuffing your content with keywords. So focus on writing compelling, interesting content that will appeal to your target audience.
  2. Make sure your content is well-written and free of errors. This will help it rank higher in search results and also give users a better experience.
  3. Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions. This will help your content show up in more relevant search results.
  4. Promote your content through social media and other channels. This will help it reach a wider audience and improve your chances of ranking higher in search results.

By following these tips, you can create content that’s both effective for SEO and enjoyable for your readers.

Picking a Content Topic

Assuming you’ve already chosen your target keyword, there are a few other things to consider when picking a content topic for SEO.

First, think about what kinds of searches your target keyword is likely to be used in. If your keyword is relatively general, then you’ll want to choose a topic that’s broad enough to encompass all the different ways people might use that keyword. For example, if your target keyword is “diet,” you might write an article titled “The 5 Best Diets for Weight Loss.”

On the other hand, if your target keyword is more specific, you’ll want to choose a topic that’s focused enough to address that particular search intent. For example, if your target keyword is “keto diet,” you might write an article titled “How to Start a Keto Diet.”

Second, think about what kinds of content are likely to perform well for your target keyword. In general, listicles (articles that are structured as lists) and how-to articles tend to do well in search results. So if you’re having trouble coming up with a topic, try brainstorming some ideas for listicles or how-tos.

For example, if your target keyword is “paleo diet,” you might write an article titled “10 Delicious Paleo Dinners” or “How to Stick to a Paleo Diet.”

Finally, once you’ve settled on a topic, make sure to do some keyword research to ensure that it’s a good fit for SEO. You can use a tool like Google Keyword Planner to get an idea of how much search traffic a particular keyword is getting. If the keyword you’re targeting isn’t getting a lot of searches, then you might want to choose a different topic.

Keyword research will give you some insight into how difficult it will be to rank for your chosen keyword. If there are already a lot of articles ranking for that keyword, then it might be tough to break into the top results. In that case, you might want to consider choosing a different keyword (or a different topic altogether). 

Using Keywords For Your Content

When you’re writing your SEO content, it’s important to use keywords throughout your text. But how do you know which keywords to use?

There are a few different ways to go about finding the right keywords for your content. First, you can use a keyword research tool like Google AdWords Keyword Planner or Moz Keyword Explorer. These tools will help you find popular keywords that relate to your topic.

Once you have a list of potential keywords, you’ll want to start incorporating them into your text. But beware of over-using keywords, as this can lead to search engine penalties for “keyword stuffing.” Instead, focus on using keywords naturally throughout your text. For example, if you’re writing about dog training, you might use the keyword “dog training” in your headline, in the body of your text, and in your conclusion.

By using keywords throughout your SEO content, you can help improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages. This, in turn, can lead to more traffic and more customers for your business. So don’t be afraid to use keywords – just make sure to use them wisely!

How to Post Content Online for SEO

One of the most important aspects of getting your content seen by search engines is to ensure that it is well-optimized. Here are a few tips on how to optimize your content for better search engine visibility:

1. Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions

Make sure that your titles and descriptions contain keywords that are relevant to your content. This will help search engines understand what your content is about and index it accordingly.

2. Structure your content properly

Search engines like well-structured content. Use headings and subheadings to break up your text and make it easier to read.

3. Use alt tags for images

If you have images in your article, make sure to use alt tags. These are text descriptions of your images that help search engines understand what they are.

4. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly

More and more people are using their mobile devices to search the web. So it’s important to make sure that your website is responsive and mobile-friendly.

5. Promote your content

Once you’ve published your article, promote it on social media and other channels. This will help to increase its reach and visibility.

How Do You Use SEO Headings?

One of the most important aspects of SEO is using proper headers. Headers are used to indicate the topic of a section on a page, and they help search engines understand the structure of your content.

There are six different levels of headers, from h1 (the most important) to h6 (the least important). You should use header tags judiciously, only using each header level when it’s truly needed.

The main thing to remember is that you want your headers to be descriptive and accurate. Don’t stuff keywords into your headers just for the sake of it – this will only hurt your SEO in the long run. Write for humans first, and search engines second.

Where is H1, H2, H3 Used?

There are a few different places where you might see H1, H2, and H3 tags. One is in the code of a website or blog post. If you’re looking at the code, they’ll usually be called “headings.” The other place you might see them is on search engine results pages (SERPs).

When it comes to SEO, H1 tags are important because they help search engines understand the structure of your content. They also give readers an idea of what the page is about before they even start reading.

Think of it this way: if you were looking for a recipe for chocolate cake, and you saw two results on a SERP, one with the title “Chocolate Cake Recipe” and the other with the title “Best Chocolate Cake Recipe,” which one would you be more likely to click on?

The answer is probably the latter, because it has an H1 tag that tells you it’s a recipe for the best chocolate cake. That’s the power of H1 tags!

When it comes to blog posts and articles, H2 and H3 tags are usually used to break up the text into smaller, more manageable chunks. This makes it easier for readers to skim the content and find the information they’re looking for.

It’s important to use H2 and H3 tags correctly, though, because too many of them can actually hurt your SEO. If you stuff your blog post or article with too many H2 and H3 tags, it will look like you’re trying to keyword stuff, which is a big no-no in the world of SEO.

So, what’s the bottom line? Use H1 tags to help structure your content and give readers an idea of what they can expect. Use H2 and H3 tags to break up your text and make it easier to read. But don’t go overboard with them!

One final note: while H1, H2, and H3 tags are important for SEO purposes, they shouldn’t be your only focus. The most important thing is to write quality content that people will actually want to read. If you do that, the SEO benefits will follow.

Hyperlinking Your Content (Do Hyperlinks Help SEO?)

One of the most important things you can do to optimize your website for search engines is to hyperlink your content. By hyperlinking your content, you are effectively telling the search engine what your content is about and how it relates to other pages on your site. This helps the search engine understand your site better and can result in better rankings for your pages.

There are a few different ways to hyperlink your content. The first is to use keywords in your anchor text. Anchor text is the text that appears when someone hovers over a link. When you use keywords in your anchor text, you are telling the search engine what the page you are linking to is about. For example, if you were linking to a page about SEO, you might use the anchor text “SEO tips.”

Another way to hyperlink your content is to use descriptive words or phrases in your anchor text. This tells the search engine what the page you are linking to is about without using keywords. For example, if you were linking to a page about SEO, you might use the anchor text “How to Rank #1 on Google in 2022.”

Finally, you can also use other pages on your site as links. This is called cross-linking. Cross-linking helps the search engine understand how your pages are related to each other.

How to Get Backlinks From Your SEO Content

If you’re serious about SEO, then you know that building high-quality backlinks is essential to success. But how do you actually go about getting those backlinks?

There are a number of ways, but one of the most effective is to create great content that others will want to link to. Here are some tips for doing just that:

1. Write informative and keyword-rich articles.

Make sure your articles are packed with valuable information that your readers will find useful. At the same time, use keywords judiciously so that search engines can easily index your content.

2. Publish guest posts on popular blogs.

Look for well-known blogs in your niche and offer to write a guest post for them. This is a great way to get your name and your work in front of a new audience, and if your article is good, you’ll likely get some high-quality backlinks as well.

3. Create infographics.

People love visual content, so an infographic can be a great way to get attention and links. Just make sure that your infographic is interesting, informative, and visually appealing.

4. Record videos.

Another popular form of content is video, so consider creating some helpful and keyword-optimized videos that others will want to share. Again, make sure the quality is high so that people will actually want to watch and share your videos.

At the end of the day, there is no magic bullet for getting backlinks. But if you create great content that is informative and keyword-rich, you’ll be well on your way to building the high-quality backlinks you need for success.

Is SEO Worth it or Not?

There is no easy answer when it comes to whether or not SEO is worth the investment. It depends on a number of factors, including the competitiveness of your industry, the current state of your website, and your budget.

That said, if you are serious about growing your business online, then SEO should be a key part of your digital marketing strategy. By optimizing your website for search engines, you can improve your visibility and draw more traffic – both organic and paid – to your site. This, in turn, can lead to more sales and conversions.

Of course, SEO is not a quick fix – it takes time and effort to see results. But if you’re willing to put in the work, it can be an extremely effective way to grow your business. So, is SEO worth it? We’d say yes – but it’s up to you to decide if it’s the right investment for your business.

Improving Your Search Ranking With an SEO Agency

Using an SEO agency is one of the best ways to stay ahead of the game when it comes to ranking online. While it may seem like a big step, an SEO agency can help you to build your SEO strategy, become visible online, and eventually, rank #1 on Google. So, if you’re confused about where to start, finding the best SEO agency to use may be a path worth considering. 

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