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By TJ SoftUpdated:

Promoting a Website (Basic SEO Terms for the Lazy)

Reklamowanie strony (podstawowe terminy SEO dla leniwych)

SEO doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. In fact, there are several simple steps you can take to improve your website’s visibility in search engines without delving into technical details. We present “SEO for the Lazy”—a guide for those who want to increase traffic to their website quickly, simply, and without unnecessary complications.

If you are just starting your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) journey, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the basic SEO concepts that form the foundation of optimization activities. Here is a collection of basic tips and terms that will help you better understand how to increase your website’s visibility in search engines and provide users with valuable experiences.

Table of contents

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Why Is SEO Important for Every Creator on the Internet?

Whether you’re a blogger, a small business owner, an influencer, or running an online store—it doesn’t matter; if you create something on the Internet, you want people to see it. After all, what’s the point of having the best products, the most insightful articles, or an exceptional portfolio if no one knows you exist? That’s where SEO comes in.

SEO is a tool that helps you “get found.” With a few simple measures, you can make your website appear at the top of Google search results instead of getting lost among the competition. Even if you don’t have the time or inclination to study search engine algorithms in depth, it’s worth taking a moment to understand the basics. It’s a straightforward way to help more people see what you do, what you sell, and what you create.

Focus on keywords, but don’t overdo it

You don’t have to be a keyword research expert to get started. Just think of a few simple phrases that best describe what you offer. Imagine what your potential customers would type into Google when searching for the products you sell or the content you create. Simply place these phrases in key locations: titles, headings, and the body text.

Free tools such as Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, and Ahrefs can help you find additional phrases. Look for those with higher search volumes but low competition—it will be easier for you to reach higher rankings.

Optimize Titles and Meta Descriptions

The page title is the first thing users will see in search results. It should be short, specific, and contain the main keyword. Instead of the enigmatic “Home page,” choose something that immediately reveals what it is about, such as “Best Recipes for Healthy Dinners.”

What about the meta description? It’s a short piece of text that appears below the title in search results. It should encourage people to click and briefly explain what users will find on your page. Think of it as an advertisement—you want it to grab attention and promise something interesting.

Optimize titles and meta descriptions

How to set meta descriptions?

We set meta descriptions in our SEO plugin; for the homepage and subpages, they can also be set in the selected theme (most often under the “Customize” option).

Improve Page Loading Speed

Nobody likes waiting for a page to load, and Google doesn’t tolerate it either. If your website loads slowly, even the best-optimized content may not help. Users will simply leave before they even see what you have to offer.

How to speed up website loading time (WordPress)?

Check whether the images on your website are too large. Use tools such as TinyPNG or ImageOptim to reduce the size of image files without losing quality. The faster your website loads, the better.

Additionally, it is important to choose the right theme and server on which our website is hosted. If we do not have time to change these things, the simplest thing to do is install and configure a plugin designed to speed up the website.

Google’s PageSpeed test allows you to assess a website’s loading speed. In this case, some work is needed to improve performance.

Use H1, H2, H3… headings

Headings help organize the content on a page, which is convenient for both users and search engines. The main topic of the page should be in an H1 heading, of which there should be only one. H2 and H3 headings divide the content into smaller sections, making it easier to navigate and understand. This simple measure can significantly improve the way the content is received. A table of contents is also created based on the headings, making it easier to

Add a table of contents to every article

Adding a table of contents takes literally a dozen or so seconds (provided that we use headings in the text). A table of contents makes it easier for the reader to navigate the text and also helps them find our article online.

Publish Valuable Content Regularly

You don’t need to run a full-time blog to do SEO. It’s enough to publish a valuable article from time to time. Unique and useful content attracts users and search engines.

If you don’t have time to constantly create new content, refresh the old content. Add up-to-date information, improve the graphics, and change the title to make it more appealing. This way, the content will remain current, and you’ll save time.

Take Care of Internal Linking

When writing a new article, refer to other content on your website. Internal linking helps search engines understand the site structure and increases the chances of achieving better rankings. In addition, users will spend more time on your website by clicking on related articles. You don’t need to overdo it—several links in an article are enough.

Use simple and readable URLs

URLs should be short, readable, and contain keywords describing the page’s content. Instead of “www.example.com/123xyz.php”, choose something like “www.example.com/healthy-dinner-recipes”. Such a URL is easier to remember and more appealing to users and search engines.

Ask for opinions and reviews

Customer reviews have a significant impact on how Google perceives your website. Positive reviews increase trust in your site and can improve its ranking, especially in local search results. You don’t even have to ask personally—send customers an automated message asking them to leave a review.

Reviews from Google My Business are particularly valuable, so make sure your business is listed there and that your profile is up to date.

Use SEO tools (start with the simple ones

You don’t need to study all the analytics tools right away. Start with the basics—Google Analytics and Google Search Console are good starting points. They will help you find out where the traffic to your website comes from, which pages are visited most often, and which keywords bring in the most visits. If you use WordPress, install an SEO plugin such as Rank Math. It will guide you through optimizing your articles, pointing out what else can be improved.

You might think that linking to other websites is like inviting people to leave your site. In reality, the opposite is true—linking to valuable and reputable sources shows that your content is well-researched and reliable. Google appreciates this. It’s important to link only to trusted sources. No one wants their website to be associated with questionable sites.

Remember to select the “open in a new tab” option in the link settings. This way, the user will keep our website open at all times (unless they consciously close it).

Linking to Wikipedia is a safe option.

Basic SEO Concepts

Keywords

Keywords are words or phrases that users enter into search engines when looking for specific information, products, or services. Choosing the right keywords is the foundation of any SEO strategy, as it helps align a website’s content with users’ queries, increasing the chances of the website appearing in search results. At the beginning of promoting a website, we focus on less popular phrases, mainly long-tail keywords, meaning those consisting of three or more words. We check the search popularity of phrases in Google Trends or in Ahrefs, a free analytics tool. You don’t need to log in to use it.

On-page optimization (actions on our website)

These are actions carried out directly on the website to improve its visibility in search engines. They include creating valuable content (adding articles), optimizing meta tags, headings, URL structure, and images. With proper on-page optimization, the website becomes clearer to both users and search engines.

Additionally, it is worth incorporating the target keyword on the homepage and subpages as early as the website-building stage. This slightly increases the time and cost of creating a website, but it is highly worthwhile.

Off-Page Optimization

It focuses on activities outside the website that aim to increase its authority and visibility. A key element of off-page optimization is building backlinks from other valuable websites. Activities such as content marketing and social media engagement also support this strategy.

Backlinks are links leading from other websites to your site. High-quality backlinks are one of the main factors influencing a site’s position in search results, as search engines treat them as evidence of the site’s authority and credibility.

User Experience (UX)

User experience encompasses the entirety of visitors’ impressions while using a website. Intuitive navigation, fast loading times, responsiveness, and attractive design are elements that positively affect UX. A good user experience increases engagement and the likelihood of returning to the website.

How to Analyze Website Traffic?

Web analytics

Web analytics is the process of collecting, measuring, and analyzing data about website traffic and user behavior. Tools such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console enable monitoring the effectiveness of SEO activities, identifying issues, and making informed optimization decisions.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Conversion rate optimization is a process aimed at increasing the percentage of users who perform desired actions on a website, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or completing a form. CRO involves testing and optimizing various website elements, such as CTA (Call to Action) buttons, forms, and content.

Engagement Metrics

These are metrics that measure how users interact with a website. Key engagement metrics include the bounce rate, average time spent on the website, and the number of pages visited during a single session. Monitoring these metrics helps to understand what works on the website and what needs improvement.

Bounce Rate

The bounce rate is the percentage of users who leave a website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate may indicate issues with content, navigation, or UX, so it is worth monitoring and optimizing the website to increase user engagement.

E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

E-A-T refers to the criteria Google uses to assess the quality of websites. Expertise relates to the author’s knowledge and experience, authoritativeness to recognition in a given field, and trustworthiness to the reliability of the information presented. Websites that meet these criteria are more trusted and have a greater chance of ranking highly in search results.

Search Volume (Search volume)

Search volume is the number of queries for a given keyword over a specific period, typically measured using monthly statistics. Analyzing search volume makes it possible to assess the popularity of phrases and the potential traffic that can be generated by optimizing a website for selected keywords.

Key Activities Increasing Our Website’s Visibility

Content Marketing

A content marketing strategy involves creating and distributing valuable content that attracts and engages a specific target audience. Through high-quality content, such as articles, infographics, and videos, you can increase brand authority, acquire natural backlinks, and generate website traffic.

How to Create Blog Articles?

Beyond simply writing good content, it is crucial to optimize it for WordPress and search engines. The foundation is adding a table of contents and multiple headings (so that both people and Google’s algorithms can easily find specific content).

Link building is the process of acquiring backlinks from other websites in order to increase a site’s authority and visibility in search results. An effective link-building strategy includes, among other things, creating valuable content that other websites will want to link to, as well as proactive activities such as guest posting and outreach.

Meta tags

Meta tags are HTML code elements that provide information about a page to both search engines and users. The meta title and meta description affect how the page is displayed in search results, as well as its click-through rate (CTR). Optimizing meta tags is crucial for improving a page’s visibility and relevance.

Important SEO Terms

SXO (Search Experience Optimization)

SXO combines traditional SEO (Search Engine Optimization) with user experience optimization. The goal of SXO is not only to attract traffic to a website, but also to ensure that users have positive experiences while browsing it. This includes intuitive navigation, fast loading times, attractive design, and content that meets users’ needs, leading to better conversion results.

SEM (Search Engine Marketing)

SEM is a broader concept encompassing all marketing activities aimed at increasing a website’s visibility in search results, both paid and organic. SEM includes PPC (Pay-Per-Click) advertising campaigns, such as Google Ads, as well as SEO strategies. The main goal of SEM is to attract more visitors through effective search engine positioning and advertising.

SERP (Search Engine Results Page)

SERP is the results page that a user sees after entering a query into a search engine such as Google. It contains both organic search results and paid advertisements, as well as other elements such as featured snippets (answer excerpts), maps, images, and local results. The goal of SEO and SEM efforts is to achieve the highest possible position in the SERP in order to increase the chances of clicks and visits to the website.

Mobile Optimization

In an era dominated by mobile devices, optimizing a website for smartphones and tablets is essential. Mobile optimization involves ensuring responsive design, fast loading times, and an interface adapted for touch interaction. Websites optimized for mobile devices achieve better positions in search results.

What does this mean in practice? When choosing a theme, we need to make sure that it works well on smartphones. We must also remember that websites are viewed mainly on phones; when creating a website on a computer, we often forget this.

Additional terms

When reading about SEO or watching materials on YouTube, we may come across many different abbreviations. Even simply knowing an abbreviation can help us understand materials concerning, for example, SEO strategies.

CTR (Click-Through Rate)

CTR measures how often users click a link relative to the number of times it is displayed. A high CTR indicates that the title and description are appealing.

Bounce Rate (Bounce Rate)

The percentage of users who leave the website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate may signal issues with the content or UX.

CPC (Cost Per Click)

Cost per click on an ad in PPC campaigns. An important performance indicator that allows you to control the budget.

Organic Traffic (Organic Traffic)

The number of users visiting the website through free search results, resulting from SEO activities.

PPC (Pay-Per-Click)

An advertising model in which you pay for each click on an advertisement. A quick way to drive traffic to a website, part of SEM.

Alt Text (Alternative text)

Image description added to the page code, helpful for search engines and blind people. It supports indexing and improves accessibility.

Short answers displayed at the top of search results, providing the user with an immediate answer to their question.

Indexing (Indexing)

The process by which search engines add a page to their database, enabling it to appear in search results.

Ranking (Search ranking)

The page’s position in the search results for a given query. A higher ranking means greater visibility and a higher chance of clicks.

Canonical URL

Preferred URL for content available at multiple addresses, helping to avoid duplication issues.

Local SEO

Website optimization for local search results, helping businesses reach customers in their immediate area.

Google My Business (GMB)

A tool that enables businesses to manage their presence on Google and Google Maps, increasing visibility in local search results.

Summary

SEO doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming. With a few simple steps, you can significantly increase your website’s visibility in search engines, even if you don’t have much time to spare. Focus on the basics: choose the right keywords, ensure your website loads quickly, create valuable content, and use simple tools that will make your life easier.

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