I’m sure many of you have heard the word “search engine optimization”, but you have the image of “I don’t know what to do” or “it seems difficult”.
So, this time, I will summarize simple SEO knowledge that even beginners of SEO can understand and concrete measures that can be implemented immediately from tomorrow.
What is SEO? Basic idea
SEO is an abbreviation of “Search Engine Optimization” and is called “Search Engine Optimization” in Japanese.
Specifically, optimize the content of your website so that it is easy for search engines such as Google to understand, and optimize it so that the search engine can easily understand the information you want to convey to users. Is to be .
Given that the act of “searching” is pervasive in everyday life, it is easy to understand how important it is to properly recognize the information on Web pages published to search engines.
In addition, there is data (*) that the percentage of people staying at home has increased and the amount of time they spend using the Internet has increased since 2020, making Web pages even more important. Today’s search engines are much more powerful than they used to be, allowing them to better interpret the meaning of words and the content of websites.
As a result , measures for search engines such as markup have become less important than before, and sites with high value experienced by users have become easier to evaluate. It can be said that this has increased the chances without any special knowledge of SEO.
SEO measures
There are many things to do with SEO, but they can be broadly classified as follows.
| Measure name | Contents | manager |
| Internal measures (keyword confirmation) | ・ Keyword confirmation ・ Keyword optimization | Web director |
| Internal measures (HTML optimization, user experience improvement, etc.) | ・ Optimization of HTML tags ・ Confirmation of structured markup ・ Improvement of user experience (page speed, etc.) | Markup engineer / system engineer |
| External measures (*) | ・ Link construction by PR of Web pages ・ Planning of spontaneous social link construction | Web Marketing / Public Relations |
| Content production (content SEO) | ・ Content planning according to the understanding of search needs ・ Content planning as a point of contact for products / brands ・ Maintenance of old pages ・ Improvement of reliability of sites and pages | Web Director / Web Market |
Internal measures are to modify the contents of the existing site.
Web pages are mainly written in the language HTML, but if the description is not correct or if the description is difficult to understand, even if it looks like a normal web page to humans, it is a search engine robot ( From the crawler’s point of view, it is difficult to understand what you are writing.
Therefore, it is necessary to take internal measures so that search engines can understand the content in the same way as humans.
External measures are measures on how to obtain links from other sites.
In the page that Google says “10 facts that Google raises” (*)
Google search works because it is based on the links that a large number of users put on your website to determine which site’s content is important.
And the importance of the link. Its importance is relatively lower than before, but the importance of evaluation is still great.
Creating an environment necessary for SEO measures (preparation)
SEO measures are not something that can be implemented immediately, and the first step is to analyze and find areas for improvement. Let’s introduce the necessary analysis tools. If you have already installed it, proceed to the next chapter.
[1] Introduction of tools and preparation for analysis
First of all, let’s analyze the current situation.
SEO measures often do this kind of analysis.
- Is the page or site properly recognized by the search engine?
- Is it displayed in the search results with the targeted keyword? ・ Is there an inflow?
- Is there an influx from search engines on the entire site or on specific pages?
- What is the demand for your service?
As a tool for such analysis, be sure to register “Google Analytics” and “Search Console” that are registered by most SEO people . Both are free of charge, but since the data is measured after registration, the past data before registration cannot be traced back.
Google Analytics
It is an access analysis tool provided by Google.
It is possible to check data related to the site such as the number of visitors, visitor data (stay time, browsing page, etc.), search inflow, inflow from other sites, etc.
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/?hl=en
Google Search Console
https://search.google.com/search-console/about
It is a tool provided by Google that allows you to check the data around the search.
You can check the data of search keywords that can not be seen in Google Analytics (Google search impressions, average position, etc.), and if there is a problem with the site, you will be notified by alert message etc.
By utilizing these two tools together, the basic flow of SEO is to check the current state of the site and explore the measures to be taken next.
[2] Understand the current situation
After registering, let’s check the “search performance” of the Google Search Console to see what keywords actually flow into your site.
Data will be measured after registration, so if you newly register, please wait for the data to accumulate for 2 to 3 weeks before checking.
Search performance
You can see the search inflow status from Google (clicks, impressions, average CTR, average position). It is also possible to narrow down by URL, PC / smartphone, etc.
You can check the numerical value of which search keyword was used for the inflow.
The first thing to check is “whether your site is displayed in the search results in the first place” . If your site does not appear in search results, search performance will not display search keyword data.
If you don’t see the data, check your site: domain (eg site: satori.marketing) to see if your site is recognized by search engines. If the URL of the site is displayed in the search results, there is no problem.
The site is recognized
If the site is not recognized
“No information was found” is displayed in the search results.
If it doesn’t seem to be recognized by the search engine, try using the URL inspection in the Search Console once.
If you have a problem, you can check the specific problem here.
6 important SEO measures that even beginners can do
1. 1. [Internal measures] Setting the title tag and text that you want to implement at a minimum
Search engines use text (text) to determine the content of a page, which makes it difficult to understand the content of a page, such as an image-only page. Be sure to set the title tag and text of each page to make it easier for search engines to determine the content of the page.
Title tag settings
As a guide, it is easier to create if you configure <title> site content – site name </ title>.
Take this page as an example.
Since this page describes “measures that even beginners of SEO can do”, “SEO”, “beginners” and “measures” are included.
Title example)
<title> What is basic SEO that even beginners can understand? I will explain specific measures in an easy-to-understand manner – Marketing Automation Tool SATORI </ title>
The first half is an explanation of the page contents (what is basic SEO that even beginners can understand? I will explain specific measures in an easy-to-understand manner), and the second half is the site name (marketing automation tool SATORI).
The point is not to overload the keywords and explain the content of the page as simply as possible. There is no fixed number of characters, but it is ideal because around 40 characters are displayed neatly in the search results.
Text settings
Include keywords that indicate the content of the page in the text on the page.
Like the title tag, include keywords such as “beginner”, “SEO”, and “countermeasure” as the text in the sentence.
Since it is the theme of the page, it is often included naturally without being aware of it, but let’s check it just in case.
It is convenient to put it in the written text.
Example) From the opening sentence
So, this time, I will summarize simple SEO knowledge that even beginners of SEO can understand and concrete measures that can be implemented immediately from tomorrow.
Just describing this “title tag setting” and “text setting” according to the theme of each page will be a great hint for search engines to understand the content of each page. It doesn’t make sense to do SEO with unsearched keywords, so it’s a good idea to refer to Google Keyword Planner etc. for what keywords are generally searched.
https://ads.google.com/intl/ja_jp/home/tools/keyword-planner/
* Since it is a tool for advertising, if you are not using Google Ads for a certain budget or more, you can check only the approximate numbers. ..
2. [Content creation] Search for search needs and keywords, and create a corresponding page.
It’s also important to find search needs that don’t yet exist on your site and create new content . By creating content that meets your search needs, you can attract users who are looking for information to your site.
Here’s a rough way to find your search needs.
Check autocomplete for key keywords
When you enter a keyword in the Google search window, suggestions for related keywords are displayed.
You can find out the demand of search users by checking here. Look for keywords that aren’t listed on your site.
It may include trends and regional information at that time. There are also tools for extracting various suggestions, so please use them according to the situation.
Check the monthly average search volume for keywords
After listing the candidates for the target keyword, check the monthly average number of search volumes for that keyword with the keyword planner.
If there is no search count for a keyword, you cannot expect an influx of searches even if the keyword is displayed at the top, so select a keyword with a certain number of searches as the target keyword.
Confirm the search purpose of the target keyword and create content
After selecting a keyword, try searching with that keyword and imagine what kind of request the user has.
Let’s create content while thinking about “what kind of content is best to provide” for the user image of the search.
3. [Internal measures] Optimize the internal link structure
Even if you create content, convenience will be impaired if you have problems such as difficulty in finding the page or tracing from related content.
For example, in cases such as “I created new content but no link is set from any page” or “There are other pages related to one page but no link is set”, the user is informed. Not only is it harder to find information, but search engines are also harder to find information. Keep in mind “make it easier to find the information you want”
as a simple measure that can be done with internal links .
(Example) Link the latest information you want to know to a place that stands out as much as possible
4. [Internal measures] Clarify the reliability of the content
The content on the net is increasing year by year, and the content is also a mixture of boulders. Search engines also try to display as reliable information as possible in order to deliver appropriate information to users.
Therefore, when creating content, be as clear as possible about the rationale for the user, “Why is this information reliable?”
example
- If the data is specifically investigated, describe the data.
- If you referred to the data of a public institution, enter the data source.
- If the description or supervision is by a well-known person in the area, describe the profile of the author.
When the user sees the information, describe it as “trustworthy information” as clearly as possible.
5. [External measures] Conduct announcement activities and gain good reputation and links (flyers, SNS, etc.)
It is also important to carry out PR activities such as SNS and leaflets to announce your company.
By making announcements, you can increase the chances of getting to know your company’s activities, gaining a good reputation, getting someone to introduce you, and getting links. The link mentions its importance, as described in “Democracy on the Web Works” in ” 10 Facts of Google
” above . Also, although there is no official announcement regarding good reputation, it is assumed that it is important considering Google’s philosophy. It also has the meaning of attracting customers and having contact with users by various methods without relying solely on search engines.
6. [Internal measures] Improve page speed
Although it is a little less important than the content, whether or not the user can browse the page comfortably, such as display speed, is also an important index related to user convenience.
Page load speed is officially included in the ranking factor step by step as an indicator of user experience.
・ Introduced ranking of PC page speed (2010)
Using site speed in web search ranking
・ Introduced ranking of mobile page speed (2018)
Use page load speed as a ranking factor for mobile search
・ Introduction of evaluation as a concrete page experience (scheduled to be introduced in May 2021)
Evaluating the page experience for a more comfortable web
Use Search Console and PageSpeed Insights to check page speed.
Search Console “Main Web Indicators”
“Main indicators related to the web” are data when used by actual users, so if the amount of data is small, it may not be displayed. If you don’t see the data, try entering the URL of an important page (such as a frequently visited page) into PageSpeed Insights.
The data for the mobile version and the PC version will be displayed, but once check the URL of the “bad” (red part) of the mobile version, enter it in PageSpeed Insights.
PageSpeed Insights
Enter the URL in PageSpeed Insights to see the page performance score (out of 100) and specific suggestions for improvement.
Example of score display
Know what you should never do
So far, we’ve summarized the basic SEO you can do right away, but it’s also very important to know what SEO you should never do.
Google has guidelines (rules) to maintain the quality of search results, and if you violate it, you may be penalized and it may be difficult to display it in the search results.
Guidelines for webmasters (quality guidelines)
There are several items, but the one that you should pay particular attention to is “participation in the link program” . Artificial link operations and link purchases from vendors violate the guidelines and are difficult to display in search results for a long period of time.
Don’t buy even if you are approached by such a story.
A new era of SEO strategies that even beginners can succeed
Many people think of SEO as “keyword content,” “effective markup,” “Google algorithm countermeasures,” etc., and are swayed by tricky information.
In fact, such tricky urban legends are still circulating on the net, and I see beginners who spend time making wasteful corrections that do not lead to an increase in the user experience.
With the evolution of search engines these days, it is easier to evaluate the intrinsic value without knowledge. In other words, even beginners can easily get results if they learn the basic rules and work on them.
One of Google’s “10 facts” is ” If you focus on the user, everything else will follow. “
In the long run, operating a site or service by thinking about how it can be beneficial to users, regardless of the technology of the small hand, will lead to the evaluation of search engines.
Since the short-term method is no longer effective than before, it has become difficult to get the effect overnight, but even beginners can get results by working on improving the site steadily.
