{"id":82621,"date":"2020-07-20T09:27:39","date_gmt":"2020-07-20T16:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/?p=82621"},"modified":"2023-09-03T23:28:43","modified_gmt":"2023-09-04T06:28:43","slug":"seo-plan-for-beginners-that-gets-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/blog\/seo-plan-for-beginners-that-gets-results\/","title":{"rendered":"A 16-Step SEO Plan for Beginners That Gets Results"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Person<\/p>\n

Launching a new website?<\/p>\n

First, and maybe most important, there is no \u201ceasy button.\u201d<\/strong> There are hundreds of algorithm variables, trillions of websites, and more keywords with variable intent than we can count.<\/p>\n

There are far more than 16 steps followed by a seasoned SEO expert. But to keep this simple for you, I have laid out a series of steps with detailed articles on each. This SEO plan for beginners will guide you in the right direction and help you get the ball rolling with your search engine optimization. Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Do keyword research<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Refine the keywords set<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Finalize the keyword set\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Do a competitive analysis<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Structure the website<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Follow technical SEO strategies<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Optimize the site for mobile<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Write the content<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  9. Optimize the content<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  10. Create and optimize rich media content<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  11. Create an XML sitemap<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  12. Submit the website to search engines<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  13. Attract quality links<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  14. Avoid search engine penalties<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  15. Monitor backlinks and remove as needed<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
  16. Monitor progress<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    FAQ: Can you explain the key steps in an SEO plan for beginners? <\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/a>1. Do Keyword Research<\/h2>\n

    Use SEO tools and analytics to discover what people are typing or saying as they look for the information, products, or services you offer.<\/p>\n

    Learn more about keyword research.<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/a>2. Refine the Keyword Set<\/h2>\n

    Evaluate your potential keywords by finding the websites currently ranking for those terms. If the websites that show up in the search results have similar information, products, or services as you, the keyword is likely relevant enough.<\/p>\n

    Learn more about evaluating keywords by looking at the competition.<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/a>3. Finalize the Keyword Set<\/h2>\n

    Organize your keywords by category (topics, products, services, etc.). Once you do this, it will be a guide to organizing your website and its content. (I\u2019ll touch on that soon.) Have a good mix of broad and long-tail keywords. And think about how you will combine keywords on pages.<\/p>\n

    Learn more about choosing keywords.<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/a>4. Do a Competitive Analysis<\/h2>\n

    Analyze the webpages and sites that are ranking for your desired keywords to find out what they are doing so you can meet or beat them.<\/p>\n

    Learn more about competitive analysis.<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/a>5. Structure the Website<\/h2>\n

    Organize your website content in a way that communicates your expertise and authority on a topic to search engines, and allows your audience to find what they need.<\/p>\n

    Learn more about structuring a website through siloing.<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/a>6. Follow Technical SEO Strategies<\/h2>\n

    Make sure your site is set up for search engines to crawl and index easily. (And to create a good user experience). This cannot be overlooked.<\/p>\n

    Learn more about technical SEO.<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/a>7. Optimize the Site for Mobile<\/h2>\n

    Create a mobile-friendly site so that you offer a good experience to mobile users and have a better chance of ranking.<\/p>\n

    Learn more about mobile SEO and UX optimization.<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/a>8. Write the Content<\/h2>\n

    Write original and compelling content that your audience (and Google) will love and want to share.<\/p>\n

    Learn more about key considerations when writing content.<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

    <\/a>9. Optimize the Content<\/h2>\n

    Make your content perform even better with some best practices in content creation, SEO copywriting, and page optimization.<\/p>\n