Episode 28: SEO basics you need to know

When a business owner searches for a HR consultant near them or in their industry...

It's important for your website to show up first and not your competitors.

This is where SEO comes in.

SEO is huge topic.

It’s complex..

It’s constantly changing to keep up with the algorithms

And honestly, it can feel really overwhelming.

And that's why in today's main event, I'm going to simplify SEO for you.

I'm going to give you the top level information you need to know.

And I'm going to explain the 3 areas you need to focus on...

To make sure your website has the best chance of showing up first when someone searches for a HR consultant.

***

Okay so let's get started by taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture.

What is SEO really about?

It’s about understanding what business owners are searching for and making sure your website provides the right information to match their needs.

And the best way you can understand this is by completing key phrase research.

This is the first thing you'll usually do when trying to improve your website SEO wise.

And one of your goals is to focus on commonly used searches that have the highest traffic.

So there's lots of ways you can do key phrase research and either myself or an SEO person can help you with that.

From the research I've done in the past though, the following key phrases are the most common and have the highest search volumes.

So you have:

By understanding the actual search terms people are using, you increase your chances of being found when it matters most.

***

Okay, so now you understand what we're trying to with SEO, you now need to understand the different ranking factors Google and other search engines use.

Again, there are lots of ranking factors.

It can get complicated and confusing.

And that's why I'm going to keep it simple and break it down into 3 main areas for you.

***

The first end area we'll describe as back-end SEO.

So when you talk about websites, you'll hear people talk about the back-end and front-end.

Back-end is the stuff that people can't see like your content management system and all of the geeky stuff that creates your website.

Front-end is the stuff that people can see - so the information that's available on Google about your website and of course your website itself.

So when it comes to back-end SEO, there's a technical ranking factors you need to be aware.

These include:

What your website is actually built on.

These are called content management systems.

So while Google isn't meant to favour particular CMSs over others.

CMSs like Wordpress do make it easier to create websites that follow Google and other search engine's guidelines.

Other factors include...

Site speed - so how quickly your website loads and works.

Responsiveness - so how easy it is to use your website across all devices.

HTTPS and SSL security - so these are security things which tells Google that your website is trusted and not going to be spammy.

And that it's easy for Google to crawl your website...

So to do this, you should create a site map and submit this to google via Google Search Console.

So like I said, there are lots of other back-end technical ranking factors that I could go into but these summarise what you need to know well enough.

Think of back-end SEO as your SEO foundation.

You need a good, technical foundation in order for your SEO to grow.

***

Okay, so that's area one.

The second area of SEO I want us to focus on is front-end SEO.

This is the stuff people actually see—both in search results and when they land on your website.

Again, there are lots of front-end ranking factors.

But for today’s podcast, I’m going to focus on the top three you need to know.

The first area is 1 Meta data

When someone searches for your business, the first thing they see is a title and description in Google’s results.

This is called meta data, and it needs to be:

Clear – So people instantly know what your page is about.

Engaging – So they want to click.

Keyword-optimised – So Google understands your content.

Meta data is really important because Google uses it to rank your website and people will read it to decide if they want to click on your website or not.

If you’re using WordPress, there’s a great plugin called Yoast SEO that makes updating your meta data really easy—that’s what I use.

The second area is all about making sure you have the right pages on your website.

Your website needs to reflect what people are actually searching for.

And the best way to do this is by having a dedicated page for  each of your services.

This is the best practice as...

Each page can be optimised for the right keywords.

Google prefers clear, focused pages over one big "services" page

And It increases your chances of showing up in searches for specific topics.

And the third and final area is about keeping your website fresh.

Google loves websites that are active and regularly updated.

And one of the best ways to do this is via blogging.

Posting a weekly blog...

Helps your website rank for more keywords.

Tells Google your site is active and relevant.

And ositions you as an authority in your industry.

And if you’re not sure where to start, I (or an SEO expert) can help you with best practice blogging techniques to make it work for you.

So if back-end SEO is the foundation, then front-end SEO is the storefront—it’s what attracts visitors and keeps them engaged.

When your website has the right content, structure, and keywords, you’ll rank higher, bring in more traffic, and convert more visitors into clients.

Okay, so that’s back-end and front-end sorted.

Now let’s talk about local SEO.

Local SEO if you want to show up in local searches and rank well in Google’s local pack—which is that box of businesses you see at the top of search results when you look for a service near you.

Again, there are lots of local SEO factors, but for today’s podcast, I’m going to focus on the top three you need to know.

The first is your Google My Business (GMB) profile

The first and most important thing you need to do is set up, verify, and optimise your Google My Business profile.

This helps you show up in local searches when someone looks for an HR consultant near them.

It puts your business on Google Maps so potential clients can find you

It gives people all the key details—your services, contact info, and reviews—in one place.

So if you haven’t already, create your GMB profile, fill it out completely, and keep it updated.

The second area is get Google reviews.

Google loves businesses with lots of good reviews—and so do potential clients.

The more high-quality, genuine reviews you have, the more:

Trustworthy you look and likely you are to rank higher in local searches.

So, make it a habit to ask happy clients to leave a review—and respond to them to show you’re engaged.

And the third and final area is get listed on local directories.

Beyond Google, you also want your business listed on other trusted directories to increase your local visibility.

So, if back-end SEO is the foundation and front-end SEO is the storefront, then local SEO is your map—it helps people find you when they’re searching for your services in their area.

If you optimise your Google My Business profile, collect reviews, and get listed in key directories, you’ll increase your visibility and attract more local clients.

Okay so now you know the different ranking factors, I'm going to tell you what your action plan should be.

Step 1: Make sure your website is built with strong foundations 

Okay so that brings us to the end of today's main event.

Like I said at the start, SEO is really big, complex and complicated.

So what I've tried to do today is keep it super top level.

What I've done is put loads of information together for you into a basic SEO pack.

It includes the basic guide to SEO
It includes the checklist that I've just talked you through
It includes key phrase research
And it includes a blogging checklist

If you would like all of this information for free, just send me an emailjames@therhrmarketingguy.com and I'll send it across.

And as always, if you need help with your SEO or any other aspect of your marketing then please feel free to reach out and get in touch.

I'm here to help.