Table of Contents
- 01Why Do We Only Talk About Google?
- 02How to Get the Most out of This Guide
- 03The Basics of Search Engine Optimisation
- 04Chapter 1
SEO for Beginners - 05Chapter 2
How Google Works - 06Chapter 3
Keyword Research - 07Chapter 4
On-Site Optimization - 08Chapter 5
Technical SEO - 09Chapter 6
Link Building 101 - 10Chapter 7
Analysing, Measuring & Improving SEO - 11Bonus Chapter: SEO Glossary
- 11.1Do I Need to Read ALL of This Guide to Boost my SEO?
01
Why Do We Only Talk About Google?
When it’s time to learn SEO, one of the first things to understand is that not all search engines are created equal. There are over 30 major search engines available (think Bing and Yahoo) but over 91% of web searches happen on Google (including Google Maps, Google Images and Google-owned YouTube). That’s more than 20x the searches of Bing and Yahoo COMBINED. Optimisation strategies may differ across each major search engine, so for the sake of simplicity and your business, when we speak about ‘search engines’ in this guide, we mean Google.
02
How to Get the Most out of This Guide
Congratulations! You’ve been looking for ways to grow your business online and this is the first exciting step. At Digital Estate we understand that search engine optimisation (SEO) can seem confusing. For New Zealand businesses it’s hard to know where to start – so we’ve created this simple, free guide to make SEO accessible and easy to understand. This guide has been created to cover all major aspects of SEO, including:
- Keyword research
- Driving quality traffic
- Backlink building
- Optimising your site for search engines
- Finding and marketing your unique selling proposition (USP)
- And so much more to help you grow your business online
The top 3 spots on Google receive over 75% of ALL clicks – and that’s where we want you to be. Our approach at Digital Estate is to show you how to move your online presence from where it is now, to increased rankings on Google. We think the best things in life really are free – including free SEO. That means skipping expensive online courses and “gurus” who want you to pay for SEO you could be doing yourself. This free guide is ideal for New Zealand businesses who are ready to take their growth to the next level – if that’s you, you’ve come to the right place. Put into practice what you’ll learn in this guide, and you’ll be headed to the top of Google in no time.
03
The Basics of Search Engine Optimisation
Here’s the bad news…Google uses over 200 ranking factors to determine which business occupies the #1 spot for each query.
Now for the good news. You don’t need to understand all 200 of them. Learning SEO can be simplified with individual optimisation strategies proven to be most effective at moving the needle on your rankings. If you want to understand SEO and increase your rankings (don’t forget all the juicy traffic that comes with it), you can forget about the 200 ranking factors and focus on just 7.
While your competition scrambles to tick 200 boxes, we’ll show you how to focus your attention on the 7 most important aspects of SEO.
#1. Crawl Accessibility
What is this for? So search engines like Google can read your website
#2. Compelling Content
What is this for? To answer a searcher’s query and show Google you’re an expert
#3. Optimised Keywords
What is this for? To appear when searchers look for information and products online
#4. Great User Experience
What is this for? To keep searchers on your site through fast load times and compelling UX
#5. Share-Worthy Content
What is this for? To encourage links and citations that drive traffic and exposure
#6. Optimised Title Tags
What is this for? To increase your rankings on Google and increase your click-through-rate (CTR)
#7. Snippet/Schema Markup
What is this for? To stand out when searcher’s reach Google and choose which business to click on
Using Digital Estate’s ‘Introduction to SEO’ guide you’ll be able to understand and implement the 7 steps of SEO success yourself.
Now that you know what’s needed to improve your search engine rankings and drive higher monthly organic traffic, we’ll dive into each of these 7 foundational SEO factors through the following chapters.
Explore each chapter here…
Chapter 1
On-site Optimisation
Every SEO success story started somewhere. Your journey begins here with a simple introduction to SEO, what it is, why you need it, and how.
Chapter 2
How Google Works
Chapter 3
Keyword Research
Chapter 4
On-site Optimisation
Chapter 5
Technical SEO
Chapter 6
Link Building 101
Chapter 7
Analysing, Measuring & Improving SEO
Bonus Chapter:
SEO Glossary
11.1
Do I Need to Read ALL of This Guide to Boost my SEO?
Successful SEO is like going to the gym, you’ll see more results the more effort you put in.
If you’re ready to take your business to new heights, we recommend reading each chapter in full. Our ‘Introduction to SEO’ guide has been created as the go-to resource for Kiwi and Aussie businesses serious about improving their rankings and traffic. But we also know SEO can be dryer than the Sahara.
Our guide is the simple, no-frills version of SEO you won’t find in costly online courses. Work through each chapter at your own speed, or jump to an individual chapter to focus on one area of SEO your digital presence is lacking.
Digital marketing is our passion at Digital Estate, and by the time you’ve finished each chapter of this free guide, we’re confident it will be your passion too.
Ready to move towards that #1 spot on Google? Find your favourite chair, pop on the kettle, and let’s start with Chapter #1: SEO for Beginners.