When you build a website, you build it with your users in mind. But there is one specific “user” that helps everyone else find you: The Search Engine.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) isn’t about tricking a robot or knowing secret passwords. It is about helping search engines understand your content so they can present it to the right people. Whether you are launching a new site or fixing an old one, this guide covers the essentials of making your website Google-friendly.
How Google Actually Works
Before you start optimizing, you need to understand the mechanism. Google is fully automated. It uses programs called crawlers to explore the web constantly, finding pages and adding them to its index.
Is your site already on Google?
You don’t need to submit your site to be found (though sitemaps help). Google usually finds you through links from other sites. To check if you are already indexed, perform a simple search on Google:
If you see results, you’re in. If not, ensure you aren’t technically blocking Google and focus on getting a few links from reputable sites to help Google’s crawlers discover you.
Organize Your Site Structure
A messy website is hard for users to navigate and hard for Google to understand. A logical structure helps Google learn how your pages relate to one another.
Use Descriptive URLs
Your URL is the first clue about your content. It often appears in search results as a “breadcrumb” to help users decide if they should click.
Good: commandseo.com/services/audit
Bad: commandseo.com/folder1/9348?id=2
Group Content in Directories
If you have a large site, use directories (folders) to group similar topics.
/policies/ for static content that rarely changes.
/news/ for dynamic content that changes often.
This structure helps Google understand the rhythm of your content updates and crawl your site more efficiently.
Content is King (Writing for Humans)
Creating content that people find compelling is the single most important ranking factor. No amount of technical SEO can fix bad content.
The Pillars of Great Content:
Readability: Break up text with paragraphs and headings. Ensure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes.
Uniqueness: Never copy-paste. Write original content based on your own expertise.
Freshness: Regularly review old content. Update it if it’s outdated, or delete it if it’s no longer useful.
Anticipate Search Terms: Think like a user. A professional might search for “charcuterie,” but a beginner searches for “cheese board.” Use natural variations of keywords to capture both audiences.
Master Your Links
Links are the highways of the internet. They connect your users (and search engines) to other relevant resources.
Write “Anchor Text” That Matters
Anchor text is the clickable text in a link.
Avoid: “Click here” or “Read more.”
Use: “Check out our guide on link building strategies.”
Descriptive text tells Google exactly what the linked page is about.
Be Careful Who You Link To
Linking to other sites is good it builds trust. However, if you link to a site you don’t fully trust (or if users post links in your comments), use the rel=”nofollow” attribute. This tells Google, “I am linking to this, but I don’t vouch for it,” protecting your site’s reputation.
Optimize Your Visuals
The web is visual. Many users find sites solely through Google Images or Video search.
Context is Key: Google determines what an image is based on the text surrounding it. Place your images near the text that describes them.
Use Alt Text: Computers can’t “see” images. You must provide Alt Text (alternative text) in your HTML.
Bad: image01.jpg
Good: alt=”Golden retriever catching a frisbee”
Video: Treat videos like images. Place them on dedicated pages with descriptive titles and text summaries so they can be indexed.
Influence Your Search Appearance
You can control how your “ad” looks on the Google search results page.
The Title Link:
This is the main blue headline. Google usually pulls this from your <title> tag. Make it concise, unique to the page, and include your branding.
The Snippet:
This is the description text under the headline. Google often uses your Meta Description tag here. Write a one-or-two sentence summary that acts as a “pitch” to convince the user to click on your result over the competitors.
Stop Worrying About Myths
The SEO world is full of misinformation. Based on Google’s own documentation, here is what you can safely ignore:
Meta Keywords: Google ignores the keywords tag completely.
Keyword Stuffing: Repeating words over and over hurts your ranking. Write naturally.
Duplicate Content “Penalty”: There is no manual penalty for having the same content on two URLs. Google will simply pick one to show.
Keywords in Domain Names: You don’t need best-pizza-in-newyork.com. A brandable name works just as well.
Word Count: There is no magical length. Short content can rank just as well as long content if it answers the user’s question.
Conclusion
SEO is not a sprint; it is a marathon. Changes you make today may take weeks to reflect in search results. Focus on building a technically sound site, organizing your structure logically, and most importantly, creating content that serves your users. If you do that, the search engines will follow.
https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide