Category: SEO Tutorial
Tags: contentGoogleSEOtrafficwebsite
Entities: Arizona Phone Fund 2956ErinGoogleNEAT frameworkSiteGround
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Are you struggling to get your website noticed on Google? Frustrated that your content isn't ranking?
Well, you're not alone. In this SEO tutorial for beginners, we'll walk you through everything you need to know to finally get your website the attention it deserves.
We'll cover everything from how search engines work
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to the technical SEO steps you can't afford to miss and how to create content that not only ranks but actually drives traffic. Stick around and by the end, you'll have a solid plan for implementing SEO best practices that help you boost your site's visibility and
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reach your audience. I'm Erin from SiteGround and I want to welcome you to our full SEO course for beginners.
In this video, we're covering everything you need to know to get your website ranking higher on Google in 2025 and beyond.
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Whether you're just starting your website or looking to improve what you've already got, this video is packed with the latest tips and tricks to help you get more organic traffic. By the end of this easy SEO training, you'll have a solid foundation to make your website stand out and succeed in search results.
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And fun fact, this video actually exists because Arizona Phone Fund 2956 asked for it. So if you're watching and there's a topic you'd love us to cover next, drop it in the comments.
We're always listening. Now let's dive right in.
What is SEO? SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
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Simply put, it's all about improving a website so it shows up higher when people search for something online. Stronger SEO efforts make it more likely for people to land on your site.
As simple as that. So in this video, I'll be explaining how to do SEO so you get more organic
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visitors to your site. Now, SEO also includes areas like local SEO, YouTube SEO, international SEO, and more.
But in this SEO tutorial for beginners, we're focusing only on Google to keep things as simple as possible. That said, if you'd like a video on
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any of these other topics, let me know in the comments below. So Google it is.
Do you know how Google actually works? How do search engines work?
Google and other search engines work by scanning the web to find new pages. They use so-called crawlers or bots that
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follow links and collect information. Once a page is found, it's added to a huge list called an index.
When someone searches for something, Google looks through this index and ranks pages based on different factors. Nobody knows exactly how Google decides the rankings.
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Believe me, nobody. But there are a few tactics that have been proven to work and those are the ones I'm sharing with you today.
So before we go further, let's set some expectations. First, SEO takes time.
It's a long-term strategy and results usually take three to six months to show.
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Results last. Unlike paid ads, SEO keeps working even if you stop creating content, at least for a while.
No guarantees. No tactic works 100% of the time and no one can promise exact results.
It's not completely free.
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To succeed with SEO, you'll need content and unless you do everything yourself, you'll need to invest some money. It's always evolving.
SEO today looks way different than before and it will keep changing. It's like a never-ending game of cat and mouse.
Google has an algorithm that's always working to
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show the most relevant results and SEO experts are constantly finding ways to trick or outsmart it. But then Google updates its algorithm and the cycle starts all over again.
The key is to stay flexible and keep up with the changes. For example, right now Google is prioritizing user
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-generated content and we're seeing search results pages, or SERPs for short, flooded with AI overviews. Check out our video on SEO trends for more on that.
However, there are some fundamentals that will always stay true. Give users what they're really looking for.
The most relevant information.
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The meaning of relevant may change as the algorithm evolves, but if you always aim to be as relevant as possible to what users are searching for, you'll never go wrong. That relevancy is currently measured, at least in theory, by the NEAT framework.
It stands for Notability, Expertise, Authoritativeness,
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Trustworthiness, and Transparency. If you want to succeed, you need to make sure your content follows this formula.
With that in mind, we're going to break down how to do SEO in 2025. Technical SEO.
If you're starting a website, this is the first thing you need to get right.
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It's a huge pillar of SEO and everything else depends on it. And now it's becoming even more important because of AI.
Technical SEO is all about optimizing your website so search engines like Google can find, crawl, understand, and index your pages.
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We've reached a point where it's no longer physically possible for Google to crawl every website out there. There are billions of websites in the world and search engines have limited resources so they have to prioritize what and when to crawl.
That's where the crawl budget comes in. It's the number of pages search engines will
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crawl on your site within a specific time frame. Getting this right is crucial if you want your pages to be discovered and indexed properly.
Here are three basics of technical SEO. Site speed.
Fast loading sites offer a better user experience
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and rank better in search results. Check out our video on site speed for more tips.
I'll leave a link below. Mobile responsiveness.
In 2024 and 23 and 22, mobile first indexing has been a must. So it goes without saying that your site
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needs to work well on mobile devices or Google will penalize you. Minimize errors.
Errors like 404s, 500s can hurt your site's performance. Some of these could be caused by your hosting service.
For smooth and reliable hosting, SiteGround has you covered. Check the link in the description below for
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more details. Now let's cover a few more advanced but equally important SEO tips for you.
Sitemap and robots.txt. Imagine your website is a big toy store.
A sitemap is like a map of the store that shows where all the toys are. It helps search engines like Google find all
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the pages on your site. A robots.txt file is like a sign at the entrance that tells robots which parts of the store they can or can't go into.
Make sure you have both set up to help search engines find your content. Website architecture.
This is how information on your site is
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structured, interlinked, and designed. A well-organized site is easier for search engine bots to crawl, making it easier for them to discover and index your pages.
It also helps you show search engines which pages are the most important. Structured data.
A way to show that structure to Google
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is through structured data. This is code you add to your site to help search engines understand your content better.
This could include things like ratings, events, and product details. It makes your content more visible and increases your chances of appearing in rich snippets.
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Internal backlinks are links within your website that point to other pages. Their quality matters because they help search engines understand your site structure.
Focus on linking important pages from relevant ones to improve navigation and SEO. Content clusters are groups of related pages on
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your website that cover a specific topic in depth. You want to have content clusters because they organize your website, making it easier for both users and search engines to find and understand your content.
It improves your site's SEO by showing search engines that you're an expert on a specific topic.
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Plus, if used right, it keeps your content connected, which again benefits Google and users alike. Alright, if you have to organize your content into clusters, you need content, and you need it to be optimized.
That's where on-page SEO comes in. Many people think on-page SEO is just
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about cramming in keywords, but it's way more than that. It's like setting the stage for Google to know exactly what your page is all about and making sure visitors have an awesome experience when they check it out.
To me, it really comes down to search intent, which is the real magic behind SEO.
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It's not just about the keywords you use, it's about understanding what people really want when they search. Google is getting super smart at figuring this out, and you'll see it's all about giving users exactly what they're looking for, whether that's information, a product to buy, or even just a place to visit.
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Search intent helps Google know the difference between someone wanting to learn how to use vegan skincare and someone looking to buy it. Traditionally, SEO experts have split search intent into four main types.
Navigational. When users are looking for a specific website
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or page, such as searching for Facebook login. Informational.
When users want to learn more about a topic, like how to use vegan skincare. Commercial.
When users are researching products or services before making a decision, for example,
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best vegan skincare brands. And transactional.
When users want to make a purchase. Think, buy vegan lipstick online.
It's important to understand that the type of intent you prioritize will depend on your website and business. For example, an online vegan cosmetic store would
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optimize for a mix of intents. Informational, such as blog posts, like how to use vegan products.
Commercial, for example, best vegan foundations. Transactional, so product pages with optimized descriptions and features.
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And navigational, such as a homepage or about us page. When identifying search intent, it's a good idea to dive deeper into a few key factors to really nail your SEO.
First, you want to consider the type of content. Are people looking for a blog post, a product page, a category page, or maybe a
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landing page? Then think about the format.
Do they want a step-by-step guide, a listicle, a news article, a review, or a comparison? And finally, there's the angle.
What's your unique twist on the topic? This helps make your content stand out and gives people exactly what they're looking for in
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a way they want it. Again, it all comes back to being relevant.
And one extra tip to beat AI, stand out with personal stories, case studies, and real insights. Show you're an expert by sharing your experience and by being transparent about your credentials.
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Google loves trusted voices, so add a detailed author bio. Show off your expertise, achievements, and authority.
It's a simple way to gain Google's trust and rank higher. Now that you've nailed down the search intent, it's time to start crafting content that not only meets those needs, but also captures your
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audience's attention. Here's what you need to keep in mind.
First, title. Don't overdo it with keywords.
Use your main keyword and maybe one or two variations that keep it natural. Make it catchy, something users actually want to click on.
And remember, keep it under 60 characters.
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That's key. Next up, the meta description.
This is your chance to stand out in search results, so make it count. Keep it under 155 characters and don't just stuff it with keywords.
Write an active voice, make it actionable, and add a call to action. And always, always match it to the content
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on the page. Moving on to structure.
Whether it's an about page, an article, or another type of content, your content should be super easy to read and scan. Break it up with headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points.
You want users to find what they need without searching too hard.
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Now, about those images. Stay away from stock photos whenever you can.
Use screenshots or real examples that actually add value to your content. Make sure they're high quality, but also lightweight.
For the best balance of quality and performance, we recommend using the WebP format.
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Don't forget, rename your images with keywords and set alt text to describe them clearly. This helps Google understand what the images are about.
When it comes to URLs, keep them clean. Don't use prepositions, articles, or numbers.
Keep it simple and use your main keyword.
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Aim for short and sweet. One to five words is perfect.
For example, instead of a URL like blog slash Facebook dash 2025 dash guide, use blog slash Facebook. Clear, simple, and straight to the point.
Finally, in your content itself, don't just throw
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in keywords randomly. Incorporate them naturally as you write, so the text flows smoothly.
And while you're at it, don't forget internal links. Use specific anchors.
Instead of just saying, click here, make sure your anchor text, that is the text that you link from, makes sense.
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The more useful the link, the better for your SEO. And that's pretty much it for SEO basics.
But as I said, AI is changing everything. So for more tips specifically on generative engine optimization, or GEO as it's called, and how AI impacts SEO, make sure to check out
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our video. I'll link it in the description below.
But before we go, we need to tackle the last pillar of SEO, offsite SEO. Okay, I know this video has an awful lot of info, but a thorough SEO strategy just wouldn't be complete without offsite SEO.
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I'll try to keep it short, but let me know in the comments if you want a full video on this topic. So what's offsite SEO?
To keep things simple, let's agree that it's basically your link building strategy. The idea is to get other sites to link back to your site, which helps you show Google that you're trustworthy and relevant.
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In the industry, that's called backlinks. But let me give you one piece of advice, never buy links.
I know what you may have heard, but it's useless, nevermind expensive. Instead, focus on winning those links organically through quality content and linkable assets.
This includes content that's specifically designed to attract
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backlinks like statistics, infographics, free tools, et cetera. Yes, it will be harder, but it will pay off, I promise.
One last thing to remember, don't go for backlinks if your content isn't fully optimized. Make sure your on-page SEO is solid
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before you start building links. And when you're ready to start thinking about links, here are a few factors to consider.
Find partners in your industry that are open to collaborate. Make sure the linking site is relevant to your content.
Ideally, the partner's website should have a decent
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amount of traffic and page authority, as these are valued metrics on SEO. Placement is also important.
You want your links to be placed naturally within the content and on the top of the page if possible. And remember, all these factors are interconnected, so focus on quality over quantity.
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Now that concludes our SEO tutorial for beginners. I hope you now feel more confident in optimizing your website for better rankings and more traffic.
Remember, technical SEO is crucial to getting your site noticed, and a solid hosting service like SiteGround can make a huge difference in helping
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optimize your site's speed, reliability, and overall performance. I'll drop a link in the description below for you to check out.
If you found this video helpful, don't forget to hit that like button and subscribe to our channel for more tips and tricks to boost your website's success.
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Got any questions? Drop them in the comments below, and I'll be happy to help.
Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next video.