Non Marketer Blog
Sep 12, 2025
Did you know that most people only click on the first few search results? That's because those websites understand SEO. This guide will break down SEO basics, so you can boost your website's visibility and attract more visitors.
SEO is all about making your website visible to search engines and, more importantly, to potential visitors.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps search engines understand your website content, which then helps users find your site source . Most searchers don't go past the first page of results source . In fact, only 0.44% of searchers make it to Google’s second page source .
Imagine you run a bakery. If someone searches for "best chocolate chip cookies near me," you want your bakery to show up at the top. SEO helps make that happen.
Now that you know why SEO matters, let's dive into how you can optimize your own website.
On-page SEO involves optimizing elements directly on your website to make your content more appealing to search engines and users.
Creating compelling, useful, unique, and up-to-date content is considered the most impactful SEO strategy source . This includes using keywords that users might search for and structuring your content with clear headings source .
If you're writing a blog post about "gardening tips," make sure that phrase appears naturally in your title, headings, and throughout the text, and link to other related gardening articles on your site.
While optimizing your own pages is crucial, building authority from outside your website is just as important.
Off-page SEO focuses on building your website's reputation and credibility across the internet, primarily through backlinks.
Backlinks from other websites act as endorsements, signaling quality and credibility to search engines source . Promoting your website through social media and community engagement also leads to faster content discovery source .
If a popular gardening blog links to your "gardening tips" post, Google sees that as a vote of confidence, boosting your site's authority.
Beyond content and external signals, the technical health of your website plays a huge role in how search engines see you.
Technical SEO ensures your website is easily crawlable and indexable by search engines, making it accessible to both bots and users.
Google needs to be able to access the same resources (like CSS and JavaScript) as a user's browser to properly understand and rank a page source . Website speed also matters; the probability of a user bouncing almost triples if a page takes longer than three seconds to load source .
A fast-loading, mobile-friendly website with a clear sitemap makes it simple for Google's crawlers to understand all your pages and for users to enjoy their visit.
And finally, for businesses with a physical presence, there's a specialized type of SEO that can bring customers right to your door.
Local SEO helps businesses connect with customers searching for products or services in their immediate area.
Search algorithms consider factors such as the words of your query, relevance and usability of pages, expertise of sources, and your location and settings source . Listing your business in online directories and encouraging local customer reviews can also help improve your visibility.
If you own a local coffee shop, optimizing for "coffee shop near me" means your business shows up when someone in your neighborhood is looking for their morning brew.
By understanding these different facets of SEO, you're well on your way to improving your online presence.
Mastering SEO basics, from on-page content to technical setup, is essential for anyone looking to increase their website's online visibility and attract more visitors.
Ready to boost your website's ranking? Start implementing these SEO tips today and watch your online presence grow!