Launching a new venture is exciting, whether a website or business. Your online presence can have a significant impact on your reach. Understanding and implementing the following search engine optimization (SEO) essentials from the start is necessary.
You might not be able to fully do SEO at this time. That is okay. I want to help you reduce mistakes that I see businesses make so that when you have time to invest in SEO, you’re not starting with a blank slate. By having the right platforms and tools in place from the start, you will have data collected that will be immensely helpful in the future.
In this article, you will learn what SEO is and what SEO essentials you need to start with. I am talking just the basic bare minimum platforms you need in place when starting a business or just a website. All of the following platforms are free (except for a CMS).
Spoiler, these are the platforms you need:
- Content Management System
- Google Search Console
- Google Analytics
- Google Tag Manager
- Google Business Profile
Let’s get started.
Understanding SEO: Improving Your Online Visibility
Search Engine Optimization is all about increasing your website’s search engine visibility and connecting with your target audience. How do you do this? In a nutshell, search engines first need to be able to find your site and save a version of it in its database for reference. Then, you need to match the content on your website pages to what people search for in Google. The words you choose need to be match what your page is about to people’s search queries. It’s all about relevance and matching intent.
Google, YouTube, Bing, and DuckDuckGo are examples of search engines.
Why Do You Need SEO?
SEO is not just about driving traffic to your site. A lot of traffic won’t do you any good if they aren’t taking action on your site. You need to optimize for traffic that will be engaged, purchase your product, join your mailing list, or whatever other action you desire. SEO helps you match your website content with the right audience.
What are the SEO essentials?
Choosing the Right CMS for SEO Success
First step to establishing an online presence is selecting the right CMS for your website. The CMS, or Content Management System, is what you build your website on. You will want one that is customizable enough to meet your content and business needs. If you are running an ecommerce store, you will need a CMS that can accommodate product sales. If you are a content publisher, you will need a website that can support publishing articles or blogs.
I recommend writing out exactly what you need the website to do within the next 5 years. If feasible, going with the functionality that you will need as your starting point. You might not need everything at this moment but having more than you need is better than not having enough.
Some good CMSs to consider
There are many others to choose from as well.
Google Search Console: Unveiling Search Insights
Google Search Console (GSC) is a free platform provided by Google that shows you how well your doing in Google search results. It will show you how often your pages appear in searches, which keywords they are ranking for, and how often people click on it (click-through rates). GSC does a whole lot more. You can submit your sitemaps there, find out some technical issues with your site, linking, and more.
Bing also has a version of GSC called Bing Webmaster Tools. I recommend you get your site set up there as well. It’s totally free as well.
Google Analytics: Understanding Your Website Traffic
While GSC focuses on search performance, Google Analytics provides a broader view of your website’s traffic Google Analytics helps you see where your traffic is coming from, what pages they visit, how long people are staying on your site, what actions people are taking on your site, and more.
This information helps you make better informed decisions about your content and SEO strategies.
Google Tag Manager: Simplifying Website Tags
Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a platform that allows you to manage tracking codes on your website. You might need it to set up Google Analytics. It’s also very useful for tracking actions on your site like button clicks. For example, in order to see how effective your subscribe button is, you will need GTM.
Google Business Profile for Local SEO
For businesses, you need to create a Google Business Profile. It’s basically a free Google business listing that enhances your visibility in local search results and in Google Maps. This allows potential customers to find your business, see your hours, read reviews, and even get directions.
Here’s a Google Business Profile. If you’re ever in Boston, I recommend Tony & Elaine’s. Fantastic Italian food there.
Password Management
This is a big one. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started with a new client only to find out they don’t know if they have a GSC, Google Analytics, or Tag Manager account. When they find out they actually do, they don’t know what the sign-ins or passwords are.
Make sure you have an Excel doc or Google Sheet with all of the platforms you are one, the login URL, your username, password, and the email you set it up with.
Conclusion
While SEO may not be feasible for you at this moment, taking a few minutes to set up these SEO essentials will help set the foundation for future success. Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and your Google Business Profile will collect valuable data and insights making your SEO efforts more effective when you’re ready to focus on growing your organic online presence.
