What is SEO? A complete beginner’s guide

Imagine spending weeks perfecting your website, only to launch it, and…  No one visits it.

It’s a common problem that many small (and even large!) businesses find, and one that highlights why SEO is so important. Search Engine Optimisation is about making your site easy to find, easy to understand, and worth trusting. It’s not just about ranking higher on Google; it’s about helping the right people discover your content and encouraging them to take action once they land there.

SEO is the perfect blend of creativity and analysis. It covers everything from the technical setup of your site, to the way your pages are written, to how other websites link to you. To get it right, you need to understand how search engines crawl, index and rank pages, then use that knowledge to give both search engines and real users what they need. As the digital world changes, it’s also about embracing new tools like AI and keeping track of results so you can adapt and improve.

This guide will walk you through the basics, the key parts of SEO, and how to put it into action so you can grow traffic, improve user experience and build your brand’s authority. Whether you run a small business, create content or simply want to understand SEO better, right here is where you’ll find everything you need to get started.

What is SEO?

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is the process of improving your website so it appears higher in search results on platforms like Google. The aim of SEO is to increase your online visibility, attract more of the right visitors, and encourage them to engage with your content.

SEO works by optimising different parts of your website so that it matches what people are searching for and meets search engine guidelines. Higher rankings usually mean more clicks – so that’s what we’re aiming for. Around 95% of clicks go to results on the first page of Google, so good SEO can make a huge difference to your traffic. If there’s a place you want to be, it’s on the first page!

There are three main areas of SEO:

• Technical SEO focuses on making your site easy for search engines to crawl and index.
• On-page optimisation focuses on your content and how well it matches what people are searching for.
• Off-page SEO focuses on building your website’s reputation through links and mentions from other sites.

Successful SEO is not a one-time job, or a quick fix. It’s an ongoing process of reviewing performance, spotting opportunities, and making updates. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console are essential for tracking how your site is performing and spotting where you can improve.

Key Components of SEO

Technical SEO

Technical SEO looks at the parts of your website that help search engines find, understand and rank your content. This includes your site structure, speed, mobile friendliness, security (HTTPS), and how your pages are indexed. It’s the foundation that everything else is built on, and without it, even the best content might never be seen.

A big part of technical SEO today is Core Web Vitals – Google’s set of metrics that measure user experience, including:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – how quickly the main content loads.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – how stable the page is as it loads.
• Interaction to Next Paint (INP) – how quickly the page responds to user input.

Improving these scores can have a direct impact on both rankings and user satisfaction.

Other technical considerations include optimising for mobile-first indexing, managing crawl budget so search engines prioritise important pages, and ensuring there are no broken links or duplicate content issues.

Structured Data and Rich Results

Adding structured data (schema markup) helps search engines better understand your content and can lead to enhanced listings in search results, such as review stars, product prices or FAQ drop-downs. Common types include:

• Product schema for e-commerce pages
• LocalBusiness schema for location-based companies
• Article schema for blogs and news content
• FAQ schema for question-and-answer content

These enhancements not only make your listings stand out, but they can improve click-through rates, so are certainly worth doing.

On-page optimisation

On-page optimisation is about improving the content and structure of each page so it’s relevant, easy to read, and targeting the right search terms. This includes:

• Keyword research
• Updating title tags and metadata
• Using clear heading structures (H1, H2, H3)
• Adding internal links to connect related content

A key step here is search intent mapping, which is the process of matching keywords to the intent behind a search.

• Informational – the user wants to learn something (e.g. “how to bake bread”)
• Navigational – the user is looking for a specific site or brand
• Transactional – the user is ready to buy or take action

By mapping your content to target each of these stages, you can guide visitors through their buying journey, and increase conversions at the same time.

Regularly publishing high-quality, relevant content such as blogs or guides can also help to attract visitors and keep them coming back, because they recognise you as a voice of authority in the industry.

Off-page SEO

This piece of the puzzle focuses on what happens away from your website to help your rankings. The most common method is link building, which is when other reputable websites link to yours. Search engines see these links as a signal of trust and authority; the more high-quality links you have, the stronger your site’s reputation will be.

A big part of modern link building is Digital PR, which involves creating reactive campaigns (jumping on timely news or trends) and proactive campaigns (planned, creative stories outreached to press) in order to earn coverage in relevant publications, boost your visibility, and drive brand awareness. Both approaches working in tandem help position your brand as an authority and generate high-value backlinks over time.

You can also use competitive link analysis to identify where competitors are earning links and find opportunities to get similar or better coverage.

Local SEO

Local SEO helps you show up in search results for people in your area, and it’s becoming much more important in a mobile-first world. Elements of local SEO often include:

• Setting up and optimising a Google Business Profile
  Creating location-specific landing pages
• Ensuring your business name, address and phone number are consistent across all directories
• Collecting and responding to customer reviews

For many small businesses, local SEO is the key to attracting customers who are right on your doorstep and ready to buy.

How search engines work

Search engines follow three main steps:

Crawling

Search engines use automated bots to find and scan web pages, also known as ‘crawling’. If your site is well structured and easy to navigate, these bots can quickly find all your important pages.

Indexing

After crawling, search engines store the information they have gathered in an index, which is like a huge library of web pages. A well-optimised site makes it easy for search engines to understand what your content is about, so it is more likely to appear in relevant searches.

Ranking

When someone searches for a query or a question, the search engine uses algorithms to decide which pages to show and in what order. These rankings are based on many factors, including relevance, site quality and authority. Good SEO helps you improve in all these areas so your pages are more likely to appear higher.

Why SEO matters

SEO matters because it helps you get in front of the people who are actively looking for what you offer. It drives traffic, builds trust and can give you a competitive edge, and it’s also one of the most cost-effective ways to market your business because you’re attracting visitors who are already interested, rather than bombarding them with ads.

Top rankings can mean a BIG boost in clicks. Sites on the first page of Google get almost all the traffic so without SEO, your site could be buried where hardly anyone sees it.

Beyond traffic: User experience, E-E-A-T and brand authority

SEO is not just about numbers; it also improves the experience for your visitors. A site that is fast, easy to navigate, and full of relevant content keeps people engaged and encourages them to return.

Google also looks at E-E-A-T – Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. You can show this by:

• Having clear author bios with credentials – these are your real life experts
• Citing reputable sources in your content – this shows you know your stuff
• Displaying reviews and testimonials – like star ratings from websites like Trustpilot
• Providing transparent contact and business information – so people can clearly get in touch
• Publishing detailed case studies or success stories – the proof is in the pudding!

Over time, consistently showing up in search results and providing valuable content builds brand authority, which can lead to more sales, enquiries and loyalty.

The role of AI in SEO

We couldn’t not talk about it… As the digital elephant in the room, AI is changing how we approach SEO. It can analyse data faster, spot patterns in search behaviour, and help create more targeted strategies. It can also automate tasks such as keyword research, site audits and performance tracking, freeing up time to focus on creative and strategic work.

Search engines themselves are also using AI to deliver more personalised and relevant results. Google has recently rolled out AI Mode, which changes how information is displayed in search results and how users interact with it. Alongside AI Overviews, query expansion and entity optimisation, these updates mean search results are evolving rapidly. By understanding these changes, you can create content and experiences that better match what your audience wants, increasing your chances of ranking higher.

Content refresh and optimisation

SEO is not just about creating new content; updating existing pages can improve rankings and keep your site relevant. A content refresh process can include:

• Updating outdated statistics or examples
• Expanding sections to cover new developments
• Adding internal links to newer content
• Improving readability and formatting
• Re-optimising metadata for target keywords

Measuring SEO success

To know if your SEO is working, you need to track the right metrics, which could be organic traffic, keyword rankings, click-through rates, or the number of quality backlinks. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console give you the data you need to see what is improving and where you still have work to do.

Setting clear goals is important. You might aim to increase traffic by a certain percentage, rank on page one for key terms or grow your backlink profile. Whatever your goals, tracking progress will help you stay on course. Most importantly, your SEO results should tie directly back to revenue. It’s not just about more visitors, but about attracting the right audience who are more likely to convert, ensuring your investment in SEO delivers measurable business growth.

You can go further by tracking:

• Assisted conversions to see the role SEO plays in multi-touch journeys
• Attribution models to understand which channels drive final sales
• Lifetime customer value to see the long-term return from SEO-driven customers

Useful SEO tools

There are plenty of tools to help with SEO, but here are some of our favourites…

• Screaming Frog – ideal for spotting technical issues and crawling your site like a search engine
• Semrush – powerful for keyword research, competitor analysis and backlink audits
• Google Search Console – essential for performance tracking and indexing insights

Ready to get started with SEO?

Need help with SEO? We know how to get websites seen, clicked and – best of all – converting. From technical fixes to content that ranks, our team delivers strategies that drive real growth. We would love to chat about your goals and show you what is possible! Get in touch with us today and let’s start boosting your visibility.

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