SEO for people who don’t want to be SEO experts: more traffic, less stress

If you’re a business owner or website owner trying to figure out how to get more people to visit your site without spending money on ads, you need to understand SEO. But don’t worry—SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) doesn’t have to be complicated.

SEO is about making small, strategic improvements that help your website rank higher in search results, bringing in organic traffic without requiring ongoing effort like getting more website traffic using social media marketing.

Instead of relying on constant outreach or paid ads, your website works for you 24/7, attracting visitors who are actively searching for what you offer. That's the dream right?

This guide breaks down SEO into three practical areas you can focus on: content, technical SEO, and authority.

What is SEO and why does it matter?

SEO helps your website appear higher on search engine results pages (SERPs), meaning more people find your business without paid ads. Unlike ads, where you have to keep paying for visibility, SEO delivers consistent traffic over time.

Beyond traffic, ranking well in search results also builds credibility and trust. People can skip past paid search results, instead clicking on organic listings because they perceive them as more authoritative and relevant. They have earned their place, whereas ads have paid for it.

So how do you optimise your site for SEO?

1. Content: Writing for humans first, search engines second

Content is the foundation of SEO. If you write helpful, relevant content, search engines will rank your site higher because they want to serve useful results to their users.

How to optimise your content for SEO

Pick your keywords wisely

Keywords are the words and phrases people type into Google. To rank well, you need to use the right keywords in the right places.

• Choose one primary keyword for each page (e.g. “eco-friendly web design”)
• Use two to three secondary keywords (e.g. “sustainable websites”, “low-carbon web design”, "Brighton-based" - i.e. using your location)
• Naturally include these in headings, paragraphs, and image descriptions

You can use tools like Google Trends, Google Keyword Planner (it's a tool built for ads, but is really handy for keyword research), or WordStream to research keywords.

Another great method is simply asking your audience, whether they are past clients/customers or people in your ideal client profile:

What would you type into Google to find my business?

Plan content around topics, not just keywords

Search engines understand topics, not just keywords. Instead of repeating the same phrase, create high-quality content that naturally includes related terms.

For example, if you’re a web designer, instead of stuffing “web design” everywhere, write articles about how to choose the right website platform, common web design mistakes, or best website strategies for sustainability brands.

Write long-form, high-value content

Google prefers in-depth content that answers a user’s question thoroughly. Blog posts, guides, and case studies perform well when they provide real value.

• Write blog articles (1,000+ words) on industry topics
• Create landing pages focused on specific services or locations
• Publish case studies and how-to guides

Content marketing and blogging is a whole world on its own. You can read a full guide here on how to get more website traffic using content marketing.

Make your content easy to read

This is more common sense stuff, but if your website visitors land on your site to a block of unformatted text, they won't find the info they need. It doesn't matter how clever you are. So:

• Use headings (H1, H2, H3) to structure your content
• Keep paragraphs short and clear
• Use bullet points to break up information

2. Technical SEO: making your website search-friendly

Technical SEO is about how your website is built and performs. Even if you have great content, if your website is slow or hard to navigate, Google won’t rank it highly.

How to improve your website’s SEO performance

Speed up your website

Google prioritises fast websites because slow pages frustrate users. A few ways to improve speed:

• Compress images (I use an open source compressor called Caesium)
• Remove unnecessary plugins (especially on WordPress sites)
• Use a fast hosting provider or a CDN like on Webflow or custom-coded sites on Netlify

You can use Google PageSpeed Insights to test your site’s speed.

For a real in-depth guide on speeding up your website's load time, read this article on how to reduce its carbon footprint—the two are inextricably linked. A lower carbon footprint leads to a lightweight site which loads faster.

Optimise your meta titles & descriptions

Meta titles and descriptions appear in search results and help people decide whether to click your site.

• Include your main keyword
• Make it clear and engaging

Example:

Good title: Sustainable Web Design – Build a Low-Carbon Website That Converts

Bad Title: Web Design | Home

Use proper heading structure

Your website’s headings (H1, H2, H3) help search engines understand your content as well as making it more readable (as mentioned in the content section).

• H1 = Page title (should include your primary keyword)
• H2, H3, H4... = Subheadings to structure your content

Add alt text to images

Alt text describes images for search engines (and visually impaired users). Include keywords in alt text where relevant. But remember, not keyword stuffing just for the sake of it.

3. Authority: Building trust with Google and your audience

Authority in SEO means how credible and trustworthy your site appears. Google ranks trusted sites higher.

How to build website authority

Earn backlinks from other websites

Backlinks (links from other sites to yours) are one of the strongest ranking factors. To get backlinks:

• Guest post on industry blogs (for people in your network, or on sites like Medium or LinkedIn)
• Get listed in business directories (could be local area, industry or community directories)
• Ask partners, suppliers, or clients to link to you where relevant (e.g. if your work is displayed on their site)

Set up Google Business Profile

Even if you’re not a physical store, you can create a Google Business Profile and add your website. This helps you rank higher in local searches and collect Google reviews.

Be consistent with your branding

The more people see and engage with your business online, the more trustworthy you appear.

• Use social media to share your content
• Get reviews from happy clients
• Post regularly to stay relevant

The more you build you brand, the more organic search traffic will roll in.

Most importantly: Track your progress with Google Search Console

There’s no point making changes if you’re not measuring your results. Google Search Console is a free tool that shows:

• Which keywords bring you traffic and what you are ranking for
• How many people click your site from search results
• Which pages are performing best
• Plus loads more vital SEO information

If you don’t have Google Search Console set up, create an account and connect your site, it's pretty straight forward, but, if you need help, just contact me.

SEO Quick-Start Checklist

I've put together this quick-start checklist for some easy actionable tasks you can tackle. Going from the most simple and accessible tasks to the more involved ones:

• Get sure on 1 primary keyword and 2-3 secondary keywords
• Get on Google Search Console
• Make clear, compelling meta titles and descriptions
• Add your keywords into your headings and body text
• Plan some long-form content (articles, landing pages, etc.)
• Optimise your website speed by compressing your images
• Find directories your business could get listed on
• Find reputable sources to write articles for

SEO isn’t about quick hacks—it’s about consistent, strategic improvements over time.

If you want to watch a mini masterclass covering this content in video format instead, you can get the video here.

Otherwise, if your website isn’t bringing in the traffic you need, it might be time to optimise it and look deeper at your website strategy. Get in touch if you need support in making your site SEO-friendly and high-converting. Or, if you want your very own website strategy, you can book that here.

• Article categories:
• Business and marketing
• Website strategy