Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the process of affecting the visibility of a website or a web page in a search engine's unpaid results — often referred to as natural, organic, or earned results. Understanding what to do and what to avoid is essential for any marketer or business owner looking to improve their online presence.
The Dos of SEO
1. Obtain Relevant Backlinks
To improve SEO it is important to get backlinks from relevant websites within the industry. The ideal way to get backlinks is to create content that people genuinely want to link to. Try to get links from websites that already have high authority within the field.
2. Write Engaging Content
Posting content online that the target audience will find interesting and engaging is essential. Great content will keep visitors on the site, reduce bounce rates, and encourage social sharing — all of which contribute positively to search rankings.
3. Use Keywords
To increase the chances of appearing in search results, identify the best keywords for the industry and incorporate them naturally into the site's content, headings and metadata. Keyword research tools can help identify what the target audience is searching for.
4. Do Keyword Research
Really the only start to any online marketing activity is to find out what keywords the target audience is using and what proportion of searches each keyword gets. This informs content strategy, paid search activity, and on-page optimisation.
5. Become a Guest Blogger
Contributing blog posts to other relevant and well-regarded websites is a great way to build a profile online and earn high-quality backlinks. Regularly contributing valuable content to reputable websites teaches search engines that the linked site is a trusted resource.
6. Monitor Backlinks
Keeping track of backlinks is important. If a site is linking to yours and it has been penalised by search engines, this could have a negative impact. Regularly auditing the backlink profile and disavowing harmful links protects search performance.
7. Build Internal Links
Internal links help search engines crawl and understand the structure of a website. They also guide users to related content, increasing time on site and reducing bounce rates. A well-structured internal linking strategy is a fundamental part of good SEO.
8. Create Infographics
Infographics are a great SEO tool as they can be shared and embedded across the web, generating backlinks. They also present complex information in an accessible, visual format that audiences are more likely to engage with and share via social media.
9. Create a Sitemap
Sitemaps tell search engines about the pages on a website, helping them to crawl and index content more effectively. Submitting a sitemap directly to search engines is a straightforward way to ensure all pages are discoverable.
10. Make Linking Easy
Making it as easy as possible for visitors to share and link to content increases the likelihood of earning natural backlinks. Adding social sharing buttons and clear embed options encourages this behaviour.
11. Be Patient
SEO is a process that can take time before results are seen. There are no overnight shortcuts with genuine organic search optimisation. Committing to a consistent, long-term approach is the only reliable way to build and maintain strong rankings.
12. Learn from Competitors
Analysing what competitors are doing well in search can provide valuable insight. Looking at their keyword strategy, backlink sources, and content approach can highlight opportunities and inform a stronger SEO strategy.
13. Post Fresh Content
Search engines favour websites that are regularly updated with fresh, relevant content. Maintaining an active blog or news section signals that the site is current and authoritative within its field.
14. Make Content Mobile Friendly
Mobile search accounts for a significant proportion of all online searches. Ensuring that all content is responsive and loads quickly on mobile devices is essential for both user experience and search rankings.
15. Build with SEO in Mind
If starting or redesigning a website, ensuring that SEO best practice is built in from the beginning will save significant time and effort later. Clean code, fast load times, logical URL structures and proper use of heading tags all contribute to strong organic performance.
The Don'ts of SEO
1. Avoid Irrelevant Links
Links from irrelevant websites will not help and can actively harm search performance. Search engines are sophisticated enough to identify when links are unnatural or from unrelated sources, and they may penalise sites accordingly.
2. Do Not Obsess Over Backlinks
The number of backlinks matters far less than the quality of those links. A handful of links from authoritative, relevant sites is worth far more than hundreds of links from low-quality sources.
3. Do Not Use PageRank to Compare
Google stopped updating the public PageRank tool some time ago. Using it as a benchmark for comparing sites or measuring SEO progress is therefore unreliable and not recommended.
4. Do Not Milk Keywords
Too much dependency on keywords or stuffing them unnaturally into content will not help search rankings and may actively hurt them. Content should read naturally for the user first, with keywords incorporated in a way that feels organic.
5. Avoid Sitewide Backlinks
Sitewide backlinks — for example links that appear in the footer or sidebar of every page of another website — are easily detected by search engines and are not considered a sign of genuine endorsement. They can even be seen as manipulative.
6. Do Not Use Hidden Text
Hidden text and links are a tactic that search engines can quickly detect and will penalise. Using white text on a white background, or hiding links behind images, are examples of practices that should never be used.
7. Avoid Crowded Backlinks
Having too many outbound links on a single page dilutes the value passed to each linked page. It can also make the page appear spammy to both users and search engines.
8. Do Not Backlink More Than the Homepage
When building backlinks, vary the pages being linked to rather than directing all links to the homepage. Linking to relevant inner pages helps search engines understand the depth and breadth of the site's content.
9. Do Not Over-Optimise Anchor Text
Over-optimising anchor text — for example using the exact same keyword phrase as anchor text across all backlinks — can be flagged as manipulative by search engines. Natural variation in anchor text is a healthier approach.
10. Do Not Ignore SEO Email Offers
Chances are that unsolicited emails offering guaranteed SEO results or top rankings are not legitimate. Be cautious about any service claiming guaranteed positions, as no ethical SEO practitioner can promise specific rankings.
11. Do Not Spam Other Websites
When link building, spamming other sites with low-quality or irrelevant links will do more harm than good. It wastes time and energy, and risks damaging the site's reputation with both search engines and other webmasters.
12. Do Not Over-Submit
There is no need to submit a site to search engines repeatedly. Search engines find and index sites through crawling. Excessive submission requests add no value and are not a recognised SEO best practice.
13. Do Not Copy Content
Duplicate content — whether copied from other websites or repeated across pages within the same site — creates confusion for search engines and can result in ranking penalties. Original, unique content is always preferable.
14. Do Not Publish Bad Content
It is important to ensure all content published is useful, accurate and well written. Poor quality content reflects badly on the brand, discourages return visits, and signals to search engines that the site is not a valuable resource.
15. Do Not Delete Spammy Blog Comments
Approximately 50% of blog comments can be spam. Rather than deleting them, marking them as spam helps train filters and protects the site. Outright deletion without moderation can leave the site vulnerable to further spam activity.
The Benefits of Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing — the practice of attracting customers through relevant and helpful content rather than interrupting them with paid advertising — works hand in hand with good SEO. The key benefits of inbound marketing include increased brand awareness, stronger customer retention, and cost-effective lead generation compared to traditional outbound approaches.
The main channels that support an inbound marketing strategy include paid search, email marketing, SEO, social media, and landing pages. Each channel plays a different role in attracting, engaging and converting the right audience at the right time.
How Professional Academy Supports Your Journey
Professional Academy offers a range of CIM marketing qualifications covering digital marketing, SEO, content strategy and more. With over 27 years of experience in professional development, Professional Academy supports marketers at every level in building the skills needed to succeed in an increasingly digital world.
To find out which qualification is the right fit, use the Qualifications Navigator or book a call with an advisor today.
