How to Rank Higher on Google: A Beginner’s Guide to SEO

Imagine you’ve built the most beautiful store in your neighborhood—sleek, stylish, and packed with products that everyone needs. But there’s one small problem: no one knows it exists. You could shout from the rooftops, but the streets are so crowded that your voice gets lost in the noise.

That’s where SEO (Search Engine Optimization) comes in. It’s your megaphone, your billboard, and your map to help people find your store. But instead of standing on a street corner, SEO helps you show up when people search online, increasing the chances they’ll walk into your virtual store. Sounds pretty powerful, right?

If you’re new to the world of SEO, don’t worry. This beginner’s guide is designed to help you understand the basics, break down the jargon, and give you clear, actionable steps to get your website ranking higher on Google.

1. Start with the Right Keywords: The Foundation of SEO

Before you can even think about ranking on Google, you need to understand what people are searching for. Keywords are the foundation of SEO. They’re the words or phrases your audience types into Google when they’re looking for something you offer.

Example: If you run a local bakery in Atlanta, your keywords might be “best bakery in Atlanta” or “fresh pastries in Atlanta.” But how do you find these golden phrases?

Start by using tools like Google’s Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ubersuggest. These tools help you discover the search volume and competition for various keywords, making it easier to choose the right ones for your website. Focus on long-tail keywords (more specific phrases) because they tend to have lower competition and attract more targeted visitors.

Actionable Tip: Once you’ve found your keywords, sprinkle them naturally throughout your website content like in your headlines, subheadings, and product descriptions. But don’t overdo it! Google’s smart enough to know when you're trying to trick the system.

2. Optimize Your Website Structure: Make It Easy for Google to Crawl

Think of your website like a house. If the layout is chaotic, with rooms hidden behind locked doors and hallways leading to nowhere, it’ll be impossible for anyone (or anything) to navigate it. The same goes for Google’s “crawlers,” which are automated bots that search and index the content on your site.

A well-structured website ensures these crawlers can find everything, understand it, and rank it.

Here are a few tips to make your website structure SEO-friendly:

• Clear Navigation: Use a logical, easy-to-understand navigation menu so both visitors and search engines can find their way around.

• URL Structure: Keep URLs short and descriptive. For example, instead of “yourwebsite.com/page1,” use “yourwebsite.com/delicious-cupcakes.”

• Internal Linking: Link to other pages within your website to help Google understand the relationship between your content.

Actionable Tip: Take a walk through your website like a Google crawler would. Are there any pages that are difficult to find? Is the content on each page easy to read and understand?

3. Create High-Quality Content: Give Google What It Loves

Google isn’t looking for just any content—it wants valuable, relevant, and original content that answers users' questions. If you can consistently produce helpful, informative blog posts, product pages, or landing pages that address real problems, you’ll be well on your way to boosting your rankings.

Example: If you run a fitness studio, a blog post titled “5 Tips for Building Muscle at Home” would provide value to anyone searching for that information. It’s educational, solves a problem, and positions your brand as an expert.

Actionable Tip: Aim for a mix of content types—blog posts, videos, infographics, and how-to guides. Google loves variety and sees these as signals of quality. But remember, it’s not just about quantity. Quality trumps all.

4. Mobile Optimization: The New Standard

Did you know that over 60% of all Google searches come from mobile devices? That means if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re likely losing out on a significant portion of traffic.

Google has shifted its focus to prioritize mobile-friendly websites in its rankings. This is known as mobile-first indexing, which means Google uses the mobile version of your site to determine rankings.

Actionable Tip: Test your website’s mobile responsiveness with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, work on fixing things like slow load times, small text, or buttons that are hard to click.

5. Backlinks: The Power of Authority

Think of backlinks as votes of confidence from other websites. The more high-quality, authoritative sites link to your website, the more Google sees your site as credible and trustworthy.

But don’t just focus on getting any backlinks—focus on getting links from reputable sites within your industry. For example, a fitness website linking to your fitness studio page will be much more valuable than a random blog.

Actionable Tip: Reach out to other businesses in your industry for collaborations, guest blog posts, or partnerships that could result in backlinks.

6. Track and Analyze Your Results: Keep Improving

SEO isn’t a one-time effort it’s an ongoing process. To make sure your strategy is working, you need to track your results and adjust as needed. Google Analytics and Google Search Console are two free tools that give you insights into your website’s performance, helping you identify what’s working and what’s not.

Actionable Tip: Regularly check your website’s traffic, keyword rankings, and bounce rates. Use this data to refine your content strategy and improve user experience.

SEO Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Ranking higher on Google won’t happen overnight, but with the right approach, it’s absolutely achievable. By focusing on the basics—choosing the right keywords, optimizing your website structure, creating valuable content, and building quality backlinks—you’re laying the foundation for long-term SEO success.

Remember, SEO is all about delivering value to your audience. When you focus on their needs and deliver relevant, helpful content, Google will take notice.