SEO basics: a plain guide
Getting found on Google comes down to a few things done well. Here's how SEO actually works, and what we set up for you so your site ranks.
If people can't find you on Google, the rest doesn't matter much. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is just the work of getting your site to show up when someone searches for what you do. There's a lot of jargon around it, but the fundamentals are simple.
The Pagecog team handled most of this for you. Here's the plain version so you know what's going on under the hood.
The basics
- Keywords. These are the words people type into Google. Work out the ones your customers actually use, then make sure your content uses them too. Google Keyword Planner is a good free start.
- On-page SEO. This is everything on the page itself: the title tag, meta description, headings, URL structure, and good content that uses your keywords. Get these right and Google has an easy time understanding what each page is about.
- Off-page SEO. This happens away from your site. Mostly it's other reputable sites linking to you, plus social and the odd collaboration. Links from good sites tell Google you're worth trusting.
- Technical SEO. The backend stuff: site speed, mobile, SSL. Slow sites rank worse and lose visitors, so we build fast from the start.
- Domain names. A brand-new domain starts at zero and often won't get indexed by Google for months, sometimes close to a year. Our partner DomainGenius can get you an aged domain with history already behind it.
Tracking what works
- Analytics. Tools like Google Analytics and SEMrush tell you who's visiting, which keywords bring traffic, and whether your SEO is paying off. We set up both on every site we build.
- Regular audits. A monthly check catches problems before they cost you rankings. We run the Ahrefs API as part of our data stack and email you a report each month.
Doing it the right way
- Keep up. Google changes its algorithm constantly. Blogs like Moz and Search Engine Journal are worth following if you want to stay current.
- No black hat. Tricks and shortcuts get you penalised by Google sooner or later. We build clean, above-board sites that hold up over time.
- Avoid the shady operators. The SEO industry is full of people who promise the world and deliver nothing. We've heard plenty of first-hand stories of businesses losing tens of thousands with nothing to show for it. We set your site up to rank well structurally, and handle the ongoing marketing ourselves with techniques that are honest and genuinely good.