This document provides a beginner's guide to search engine optimization (SEO). It explains that SEO is the practice of increasing website traffic through organic search results. It describes how search engines like Google work by using crawlers to index website content and algorithms to determine the most useful results. The document outlines important on-page and off-page ranking factors for SEO, advising readers to focus on creating high-quality and consistent content while avoiding black-hat techniques. It provides tips for where to start with SEO, including researching keywords and building backlinks through guest posting and relationships with other bloggers.

1. Search Engine Optimisation
A beginner’s guide to SEO
Blogosphere Community

2. Search Engine Optimisation is the practice of
increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your
website through organic search engine results
Defined by moz.com

3. How search engines work?
● Google claims the top spot with around 90% of global market share
● They consist of three parts - crawler, index and algorithm
○ The crawler travels around web through links and reads content online
○ It saves the content it collects in a database called the index
○ An algorithm is used to decide what content in the index is most useful for the
user

4. Google’s mission is “to organise the world's information
and make it universally accessible and useful”

5. Ranking factors
● There are hundreds of factors used within the algorithm, which is split into two
groups:
○ On-page - includes site structure, content, mobile friendliness and page speed
○ Off-page - includes backlinks, guest blogging, social signals and influencer
marketing
● Avoid black-hat or short-term SEO strategies - like keyword stuffing, link
buying/trading, page swapping, cloaking and using private link networks
● Instead, create a sustainable SEO strategy by focusing on your content, your site
and your user. As this will have better results and a long-term impact
Apparently, Google uses over 200 ranking factors!

6. Where to start
● Produce original, consistent and high-quality content and include a mix of internal
links (related posts on your site) and external links (relevant content on other
authoritative sites)
● Research search intent and keywords that have a low competition and high volume
of searches. Use those keywords within your content and ensure your content is
nicely structured
● Use nofollow links for paid and affiliate links, sponsored content, product reviews
and gifted items
● Build genuine relationships with other bloggers and take part in activities such as
interviews and guest posting to help build backlinks
● Improve the user’s experience of your site and your site structure
Focus on your user and their experience of your site

7. SEO Challenge
Perform a user experience site audit, make a list of
improvements you could make to the usability of your site.

8. SEO Challenge
Not sure where to start? Improve the
readability of your content...
● Body font size = 16 pixels and left-aligned
● Add space between lines and paragraphs
● Test the colour contrast using whocanuse.com
● Create visual hierarchy using headings and bullet
points
● Around 45-90 characters per line including spaces
● Add share buttons to your posts

9. Questions?
You’ll find more SEO tips in the Community Hub…

10. #BlogosphereChat
Sunday 8pm about SEO