SEO guide for beginners
- Lucy
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
There are few things more confusing to small business owners than SEO. And honestly? That’s kind of by design.
Because for years, SEO has been treated like some mysterious dark art. You’ve probably seen the posts: “Top-secret SEO hacks!” or “How we got to Page 1 of Google in 24 hours!” And maybe you’ve even been pitched by an “SEO bro” trying to sell you a £3,000/month package to do... what, exactly?
But here’s the truth: SEO isn’t that complicated. It’s just about nailing the basics, consistently.
So in this post, I want to cut through the noise. Whether you’re a service-based business, freelancer, or just trying to make your website work harder for you, this beginner SEO guide will walk you through:
What SEO actually is (and what it isn’t)
Why it matters for your website
How to set up Google Search Console
10 genuinely helpful, clear SEO tips you can action today
If you’re looking for jargon-free, non-scary, not-trying-to-sell-you-a-course SEO advice, you’re in the right place. This is a very bullet-pointy post but that's on purpose to make it as easy as possible. And if you're still feeling lost after this? You can check out my SEO strategy service.
What is SEO, really?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. In simple terms: it’s how you help your website show up when someone Googles something relevant to your business.
If someone searches "life coach for creatives," and that’s what you do—you want your website to show up. That’s SEO.
At its core, SEO is about helping search engines understand what your website is about, and why it’s helpful.
Search engines (like Google) want to serve users the best, most relevant answers. Your job is to make it easy for Google to realise that your content is one of those answers.
Why does SEO matter?
If you’ve built a website and you want it to actually bring in new clients or customers, SEO helps people find you organically (without relying entirely on social media or paid ads).
Good SEO brings in traffic consistently, even while you sleep. It’s a long-term marketing strategy that builds over time.
But, and this is key, SEO results don’t happen overnight. You might tweak your site today and not see movement for weeks or even months. That’s totally normal. Think of SEO like planting seeds. They need time to grow.
How to set up Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool from Google that helps you see:
What keywords people are using to find your site
How many clicks and impressions your pages get
If there are any technical issues with your site (like broken links)
How to set it up:
Click "Start now"
Sign in with your Google account
Choose "URL prefix" and enter your full website URL (e.g. https://www.yoursite.com)
Verify your site ownership (Google gives you a few options—you can usually verify via your website builder like Wix or Squarespace)
Done! It may take a few days for data to show up.
Check in once a week to monitor your traffic, keywords, and any issues flagged by Google.
10 SEO tips beginners can actually action
Here’s where we get into the good stuff. These are the tips I use for my own site and my clients'. They're straightforward, measurable, and they work.
1. Write enough content on every page
Each website page should have at least 300 words.
Blogs should aim for 500+ words (longer if possible).
Google sees anything under 100 words as “thin content,” which can hurt rankings.
But—quality still matters. 300 words of waffle won’t help you. Write something valuable, useful, or interesting for your reader.
2. Make your content easy to read
Use a mix of short and long sentences
Break things up with headings and bullet points
Avoid jargon or overcomplicated language
You can use tools like https://readabilityformulas.com/flesch-reading-ease-score.php to check your readability. Aim for a Flesch Reading Score of at least 65+. (But this is industry dependent. Selling kids toys? Aim for 80. You're a business consultant? 60 should be fine.)
3. One H1 title per page
This is your main page headline. Each page should only have one, and it should:
Be between 20–70 characters
Use relevant keywords naturally (e.g. “Brand Photography for Coaches”)
In Wix or Squarespace, you can usually set your H1 by highlighting text and choosing "Heading 1."
4. Use H2s to structure your page
These are your sub-headings. They make the page easier to skim (for both users and search engines).
Use multiple H2s to break up long pages
Keep them between 15–90 characters
Make them descriptive and unique
Example: instead of "More Info," say "What You’ll Get in This Package."
5. Don’t skip your meta descriptions
This is the short snippet that appears under your page title in Google. It doesn’t directly affect rankings, but it impacts whether someone clicks.
Keep it between 140–160 characters
Include a keyword
Make it enticing
Example: “Discover brand design packages for coaches ready to stand out online. Custom visuals, strategy-first design, and fast turnarounds.”
6. Optimise your URLs
Keep them short and clear
Use keywords where relevant (e.g. /brand-photography-coaches)
Make sure they’re indexable (a 200 status code)
If you're using Wix or Squarespace, check your SEO settings for each page and make sure “Hide from Search Engines” is turned off.
7. Use descriptive alt text on all images
Alt text helps visually impaired users—and gives search engines extra context.
Describe what’s in the image and why it’s there
Don’t keyword stuff
Example: “Lifestyle branding photoshoot for female founder in London”
Bonus: Alt text helps your images show up in Google Image Search.
8. Make sure your site loads quickly on mobile
Google uses mobile page speed as a ranking factor. Use:
Tips to speed up your site:
Compress your images (or even just using jpgs over pngs helps as these are smaller file sizes)
Limit autoplay animations
Remove unnecessary plugins or add-ons
Aim for your mobile load time to be under 3 seconds.
9. Link between your pages
Internal links help Google understand your site structure, and help users find more of your content.
From each blog post, link to 1–2 related posts or pages
From your homepage, link to your key service pages
Don’t overdo it. Just make it natural.
10. Make sure every page has a unique title tag
This is the clickable headline in search results.
Keep it under 60 characters
Include a keyword
Make it something people want to click
Examples:
"Custom Website Design for Coaches | Elevating Ecom"
"Squarespace SEO Tips for Service Businesses"
Avoid generic titles like "Home" or "Welcome." Be specific.
Need more help with your SEO?
If you're still feeling a bit like this....
Then don’t panic. You don’t have to do everything at once. Pick one or two tips, implement them, then build from there.
And if you’d rather have someone walk you through it, or create a strategy that’s actually tailored to your business, that’s what I’m here for.
Check out my SEO services here and let’s get your website working harder, for longer.
You’ve got this!
