How to do SEO. A Beginners Guide to Search Engine Optimization
If you’re new to SEO (search engine optimization), it can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.
Whether you want more eyes on your blog, more traffic to your business website, or simply want to understand how to show up on Google and in AI-powered answers, this guide breaks down the most important things to focus on first.
What SEO Is and Why It Matters
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of improving your website so it ranks higher in search results and brings in the right visitors.
When done right, SEO helps search engines—and AI-powered tools—understand your content, what questions it answers, and why it’s helpful. This isn’t just about showing up on Google anymore. Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews pull from well-optimized, clearly structured content when generating results.
On-page SEO
On-page SEO focuses on elements you control directly, like your content, page titles, page architecture , meta descriptions, URLs, and internal links. These help search engines understand what each page is about and improve the user experience (UX) make it easier for visitors to find and navigate your site.
Off-page SEO
Off-page SEO is all about how your site is perceived across the web. It includes backlinks from other trusted websites, online reviews, directory listings, social shares, and brand mentions—all of which help build authority and improve visibility in search results and AI-generated content. It also includes activities on platforms you don’t own, like YouTube video optimization, where titles, descriptions, and tags influence both YouTube and Google rankings and drive traffic back to your site.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO focuses on how well search engines can crawl, index, and understand your website. It’s the behind-the-scenes work that ensures your site is structured for performance, security, and discoverability. While users may never see these elements, they directly impact visibility, load speed, and usability.
Key elements of technical SEO include:
- Site speed and performance – Fast-loading pages improve UX and are favored by search engines.
- Mobile-friendliness – Ensuring your site looks and works great on all devices.
- Crawlability and indexing – Proper use of robots.txt, XML sitemaps, and canonical tags helps search engines navigate and prioritize your content.
- Structured data (schema markup) – Adds context for search engines, which can lead to rich snippets in search results.
- HTTPS and site security – Secure sites (using SSL certificates) are considered more trustworthy and are prioritized in rankings.
- Core Web Vitals – A set of performance metrics that Google uses to measure real-world user experience, including load time, interactivity, and visual stability.
- URL structure and site hierarchy – Clean, logical URLs and navigation help both users and search engines make sense of your content.
Strong technical SEO creates a solid foundation that supports your on-page and off-page
Start with Keyword Research
Before creating content, think about what your audience is actually searching for. Use tools to discover common phrases, questions, and topics that people are actively looking for.
Focus on long-tail keywords—specific phrases that are typically easier to rank for and more aligned with what users actually want. These types of keywords are also more likely to be pulled into AI-generated search answers.
Example: Instead of “shoes,” a phrase like “best running shoes for flat feet” is more specific and more useful to someone searching with clear intent.
ArtForm Tip: Do you know which keywords you are currently ranking for? Fill out this form and we will let you know – for free!
Optimize Your Website Content
Once you’ve chosen your keyword or phrase, use it naturally across your content in the following areas:
- Page Title
Aim for 50–60 characters. Keep it clear, compelling, and front-load your keyword if possible. This is what shows up as the clickable link in search results. - URL
Keep URLs short and descriptive—ideally under 60 characters. Use hyphens to separate words, avoid unnecessary numbers or filler words, and include the main keyword.
Example: yourwebsite.com/seo-for-beginners - First Paragraph
Try to use your keyword naturally within the first 100 words. This helps search engines and readers understand the topic right away. - Headings and Subheadings
Use your keyword or variations in at least one H2 or H3 heading. This reinforces relevance and helps structure your content for both users and search engines. - Meta Description
Aim for 150–160 characters. Write a short summary that includes the keyword and encourages clicks. While not a direct ranking factor, a good meta description can improve your click-through rate.
Write for real people first, then make sure the content is structured in a way that’s easy for search engines and AI tools to understand. Consider using bullet points, FAQs, and summaries to improve scanability.
Create Helpful, Original Content
Search engines and AI platforms prioritize content that is useful, original, and clearly written. Make sure your pages solve a specific problem, answer a common question, or provide relevant information in a format that’s easy to consume.
Avoid duplicating content from other sources. If you’re covering a common topic, try adding your unique insight or organizing the information more clearly.
Make Sure Your Site Is Easy to Use
A fast, mobile-friendly website improves both user experience and search performance.
Check that:
- Your site loads quickly
- It works well on all screen sizes
- Pages link to each other logically (internal linking)
- Your content is accessible and easy to navigate
Set Up Google Search Console and Google Analytics
These two free tools help you monitor performance and identify areas for improvement:
- Google Search Console shows how your site appears in search results and flags potential issues
- Google Analytics tracks user behavior so you can understand how people find and use your content
Both are essential for improving your SEO over time and seeing which pages are performing well.
Start Building Backlinks
Backlinks—links from other websites to yours—remain one of the most important signals of authority in SEO. They also help your content get discovered and cited by AI tools that scan trusted sources.
Beginner-friendly ways to earn backlinks include:
- Sharing your content on relevant platforms
- Getting listed in trusted directories
- Several business directories stand out as beneficial. Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Bing Places for Business are crucial for local SEO. Other valuable options include Facebook Business Pages, Yahoo Local, Superpages, Manta, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). These directories offer free listings and can significantly improve your online visibility and search engine rankings
- Several business directories stand out as beneficial. Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Bing Places for Business are crucial for local SEO. Other valuable options include Facebook Business Pages, Yahoo Local, Superpages, Manta, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). These directories offer free listings and can significantly improve your online visibility and search engine rankings
- Writing guest articles for reputable sites in your niche
- Earning mentions (also called Earned Media) from partners or industry blogs
The goal is to show that others see your content as useful and trustworthy.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Simple and Be Consistent
SEO doesn’t have to be technical or complicated. If you focus on clarity, quality, and user experience, you’re already doing more than most.
To start, concentrate on:
- Writing helpful, original content
- Google’s main goal is to serve the best possible answers to searchers. That means your job is to create content that is genuinely useful. Think about the kinds of questions your audience might have, and write answers in a way that’s clear, easy to understand, and based on your own experience or expertise. Don’t copy what’s already out there—try to add something new or explain it better.
- Google’s main goal is to serve the best possible answers to searchers. That means your job is to create content that is genuinely useful. Think about the kinds of questions your audience might have, and write answers in a way that’s clear, easy to understand, and based on your own experience or expertise. Don’t copy what’s already out there—try to add something new or explain it better.
- Using keywords that match real search behavior
- Instead of guessing what people type into Google, do a little research. Look at autocomplete suggestions, “People Also Ask” boxes, or use free tools like Ubersuggest or AnswerThePublic. These give you real search phrases you can include in your titles and throughout your content. The goal is to match how your audience talks and searches, not just throw in random buzzwords.
- Instead of guessing what people type into Google, do a little research. Look at autocomplete suggestions, “People Also Ask” boxes, or use free tools like Ubersuggest or AnswerThePublic. These give you real search phrases you can include in your titles and throughout your content. The goal is to match how your audience talks and searches, not just throw in random buzzwords.
- Making sure your site is fast, well-structured, and mobile-friendly
- Search engines care about user experience. A slow, cluttered, or hard-to-use site can hurt your rankings—even if your content is great. Use simple menus, organize your content with clear headings, and make sure your site loads quickly and looks good on phones and tablets. Tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights or Mobile-Friendly Test can help you check.
- Search engines care about user experience. A slow, cluttered, or hard-to-use site can hurt your rankings—even if your content is great. Use simple menus, organize your content with clear headings, and make sure your site loads quickly and looks good on phones and tablets. Tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights or Mobile-Friendly Test can help you check.
As AI continues to change how people search and find information, content that’s well-written, clearly structured, and genuinely useful will continue to stand out.
Ready to Improve Your SEO?
Whether you’re just getting started or want to take your SEO to the next level, Artform can help. Explore our SEO services to learn how we drive real, measurable growth through smart content and strategy.
