[Intro to SEO: Part 1] What is SEO and do you reeeally need to do it?

Do you need to do Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)? (Unhelpful spoiler: it depends.)

A lot of my web design clients tell me they want to work on their SEO – and most of the time, they don’t even know what it is. They don’t know what it stands for (it’s Search Engine Optimisation, btw). They don’t know why they should. They’ve just heard the term and been told you need to do it if you have a website.

But sometimes you actually shouldn’t bother with SEO. 

Let me explain… My first few years in business I only offered Custom Website Design. I was working part-time and only had capacity for about 10-12 clients per year. Those spots were always filled by word of mouth referrals or networking, which took little time and money, and I was often booked out months in advance.

I didn’t need to turn random Google-searchers into clients. So I didn’t need to bother with SEO. And if that’s your business model, it’s likely you don’t need to either. 

BUT – as I grew my business, I added in other services and digital products. I now sell Website Templates and offer a Website in a Week service (using my templates) which allows me to serve a lot more than 10-12 clients per year. And while I still get a lot of those clients and customers through word of mouth and relationships – Google can put me in front of A LOT more people who are specifically looking for website templates or a fast and affordable website service like my Website in a Week. 

That is why SEO has now become a priority in my business. Sure it takes time (or costs money if you’d prefer to outsource) but if your business would benefit from reaching a larger audience who are already searching for what you offer on Google, then it’s a worthwhile investment. 

If you’ve just become an SEO-convert like me, then this blog series is for you. Over the next 4 weeks I’ll be sharing all the info you need to kickstart your SEO journey. From what it means and tips and tricks to get started… Let’s dive in! 

Wait, wait, wait. Slow down. What is SEO? 

Before I jump ahead (oops, too late), let’s get really clear on what SEO is, before I give you a quick overview on how to do it well. Search Engine Optimisation is the practice of using some tools and strategies to allow search engines (hello, Google) to:

1. See your content

2. Then match it during a relevant search and 

3. Display your website/content on the search results page, where the more relevant your content/keywords are, the higher up you’ll be on the page. (And as they say, the second page of Google search results is where web pages go to die.)

Basically, someone searches for you – an amazing photographer in Melbourne – by Googling ‘wedding photographer in Melbourne’, and since you’ve optimised your site using my quickstep guides, you land near the top of the Google search and people can find you. Cha-ching.

Got it – I know what SEO is… what now? 

So we know what SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is, and we know why we need it, but what next? I’ve rounded up four easy things you can do yourself as a beginner to optimise your site for SEO, and each step has its own detailed blog post that outlines exactly what to do. Check below for the topics, links to blog posts, or dates they’ll be released!

  1. [Intro to SEO: Part 2] How to do you your own SEO Keyword Research
  2. [Intro to SEO: Part 3] Missing: My Website in Google. How to get your website to show up in Google
  3. [Intro to SEO: Part 4] Technical SEO for Beginners: Essential Tips for Improving Rankings
  4. [Intro to SEO: Part 5] How to Perform Ongoing Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

This Intro to SEO Blog Series will help you kickstart your SEO journey, but if you’re still needing a bit more help, I’m here! Reach out to me!

Like this article? Share it!

Related Posts

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *