Many marketers know how important it is to use the internet for marketing, and they understand that search engine optimization (SEO) plays a big role in this. As more people shop and browse online, knowing how to use SEO isn’t just a skill you can learn – it’s really important if you want to make your brand stand out online.

In this article we’ll explain all the basics of SEO in simple terms, making it easier for traditional marketers to switch to digital marketing.

1. Keyword Research

The most important part of SEO is keywords, because this is the founder of SEO. It’s like finding the magic key that unlocks lots of doors. When you use the right keywords, it helps you get to where you want to go online. First of all you have to make a list of keywords, for that you can use tools, Google keyword planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush and so on. These tools help you to check the difficulty of words so that you can choose the keyword with less competition and target. 

If you prefer long term keywords rather than short term, it increases the chances of your website to get swift results. There are already plenty of websites trying hard on brief phrases to get noticed in the eyes of search engines. In those circumstances, if you target low difficulty and lengthy keywords that will be more beneficial for you.

2. On-Page & Off-Page

On-page SEO is about making your website pages better for search engines and people. This SEO involves many tasks like researching keywords and placing them in the right place such as in title, description or images and examining the content that is valuable and informational for users. These tasks help sites to get the top ranking in SERPs. 

Off-page SEO, is a type of SEO. It helps sites to rank higher in the search engines results by doing tasks out of your own website.  The tasks included, building backlinks and using social media to promote your site. These tasks help the site to grow up and be more visible in SERPs.

3. User Intent & Its Impact

Understanding what users want when they search online is very important for getting your website noticed. It’s like the secret ingredient for a successful SEO strategy. By figuring out exactly what users are looking for, you can create content that matches their needs perfectly. This not only helps your website rank higher on search engines but also makes users happier because they find what they’re looking for more easily. So, paying attention to user intent is key for making your website stand out in the online crowd.

4. SEO-Friendly Content

In the race to win online attention, traditional marketers are quickly learning that SEO isn’t just about knowing the technical stuff. It’s really about making content that people like and find useful. Good SEO content isn’t just stuffed with keywords. It’s about making valuable and helpful posts that match what people are searching for. This helps your website rank higher on Google.

Making this kind of content takes careful writing. You need to understand what your audience wants and organize your articles well. Using things like meta tags, alt text and headings, can also boost your content’s performance.

5. Building Strong Backlink Profile

For marketers trying to do well in search engines like Google, having lots of good links to their website is crucial. These links, called backlinks, show search engines that your content is trustworthy and important. To get good backlinks, marketers need to work hard to earn them from reputable websites. This means keeping an eye on your backlinks and making sure they’re good quality.

It’s also important to avoid using shady tactics (black hat SEO) to get backlinks, as this can actually hurt your website’s reputation in the long run. So, focus on building good links the right way to improve your website’s ranking over time.

6. Technical SEO

Moving from regular ads to SEO is a big change. Understanding how technical SEO fits into the bigger picture of SEO is important. For people new to marketing, technical SEO might seem scary at first. But it’s really about making sure your website is set up right for search engines to find it easily. Things like how your website is built, how it works on mobile, how fast it loads, and making sure it’s secure are all super important for doing well in search results.

Getting these things right means your brand’s website won’t just be online, it’ll be easier for people to find when they search for things related to your business.

7. Local SEO

For small businesses trying to attract nearby customers, making sure they look well in local searches is super important. If you’re used to old-school marketing, just make sure all your business info is the same everywhere online, like in directories, review sites, and social media. It’s also smart to make your Google My Business page interesting, get some good reviews, and use some location-specific words (keywords) on your website. And don’t forget about local mentions and content that targets people in your area, it can really raise your chances of being found in local searches.

8. Analyzing SEO Performance

When traditional marketers start using search engine tricks, they need to keep track of how well it’s working. Setting achievable goals and knowing how to use SEO tools is really important for any online marketing plan. Checking how well things are going isn’t just about seeing where your website shows up in search results. It’s about using that info to improve what you’re doing.

By looking at this data closely, marketers can do better at their job, use facts to guide their choices, and make sure their brand gets noticed online, even when lots of other brands are competing for attention.

To sum up, traditional marketers need to understand SEO basics to succeed online. They should focus on finding the right keywords, understanding what users want, and improving their website both on and off the page. Creating high-quality content and getting good backlinks is essential for ranking well on search engines. Making sure the website is technically sound and works well on mobile devices is also crucial.

By using analytics tools, marketers can track their progress, set achievable goals, and improve their SEO strategies over time, which helps their brand grow online.