Solopreneurs are one-person armies; hence, they do wear multiple hats for their business. SEO basics for Solopreneurs is one of the topics every Solopreneur in the digital world should be aware of. As a Solopreneur, you may say, ‘I‘ll hire a freelancer or a digital marketing agency; why do I have to learn the basics of SEO?’ The answer is that if you know the basics of SEO, you can engage with your freelancer more effectively and understand the outcomes provided.
In this guide, we will cover SEO basics for Solopreneurs, which are as follows;
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What is SEO and Why Should Solopreneurs Care?
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How Search Engines Work
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Core Components of SEO
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How to Do SEO When You’re a One-Person Army
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Common SEO Mistakes Solopreneurs Should Avoid
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Basic SEO Tools for Solopreneurs
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Conclusion: SEO is a Marathon, not a Sprint
Let’s start –
What is SEO and Why Should Solopreneurs Care?
Simple definition of SEO
SEO – Search Engine Optimization is a process of making your site visible to search engines. One of the definitions provided by Neil Patel (Co‑founder of NP Digital) is “SEO is the art of ranking high on a search engine in the unpaid section.” Anyone who has a website, SEO is for them.
Difference between organic vs paid search
Organic search is like a marathon; you have to keep building your brand, increase your credibility, and compound web traffic over a sustainable period. SEO is part of an Organic search strategy; one has to optimize content, improve site architecture and speed, backlinks, and user experience so that you get regular visitors and finally turn them into your long-term visitors.
Paid search is like a sprint; it is valid for a certain period or an event. It is like renting an audience for this period, and once you stop paying, the audience disappears. Google Ads, Facebook Ads are forms of paid search where you pay these firms a certain amount, and visitors to Google/Facebook are shown your ads, and they visit your site.
Benefits of SEO for Solopreneurs
- Build Authority
- Attracts Quality Traffic
- Cost-Effective Marketing
- Understand your audience better
How does a Search Engine Work
The Internet being a big library of websites, a search engine (Google) is the one that searches and finds exactly what you are looking for. Every search engine follows 3 steps – Crawling, indexing, and ranking.
A search engine follows 3 steps –
Crawling – Discovery Phase
This is the information gathering phase, a search engine sends spiders that navigate through various websites and identify the pages.
Indexing -Organizing
This is the categorization phase where the identified pages are organized into categories.
Ranking – Result
This is the final stage, where the user receives the result based on their search query.
Core Components of SEO
There are 3 main components of SEO which are called as the “Core components of SEO”. They are (1) On-Page SEO (2) Off-Page SEO and (3) Technical SEO.
1. On-Page SEO
What is On-Page SEOIt’s all about optimizing the page so that the search engine understands its purpose and ranks it accordingly. It is about organizing the page so that it has the relevant details for a search engine visit.
Download a free On-Page SEO checklist for Solopreneurs.
On-Page SEO includes the following –
Keyword Research –
Every Page on your website should have a focus keyword. Use the free tool provided by Google for Keyword research – Google Keyword Planner.
Optimized Title, Header, and Meta Description –
Include the Keyword in the Title of the page. Create a Header that gives an understanding to the reader that what you have covered on the page. Include a meta description, which is a summary of the page.
Internal Links –
Include internal links to enhance engagement with your visitors. If you see the link above, ‘Download a free On-Page SEO checklist for Solopreneurs,’ this is an example of an Internal Link.
Image Optimization –
Ensure that you compress the image before you upload it to your website; this will increase your website’s speed. Use alt text on images.
Off-Page SEO
What is Off-Page SEO
Simply put, it is all the activities done outside the website. It is the effort to bring visitors to your website via other websites/social media/forums/customer reviews/PR/Directories, etc. It includes backlinks (getting a link from other prominent websites), Social Media Marketing (getting links from social media like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter), and Guest Blogging (getting links from other websites by posting blogs)
Backlinks –
Links from other authority websites to your website are called backlinks. As a Solopreneur, create a brand for yourself by providing quality content, tips, ideas, insightful thoughts, and hacks that will eventually build your authority. This will attract other websites to link to your website.
Social Media Marketing –
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Reddit are the prominent Social Media Platforms; however, there are many other platforms for Social Media Marketing. YouTube is a great place to get traffic to your website. Social Media outreach is huge; this is a place to get your targeted customers easily. Select 2-3 social media platforms for your social media marketing.
Guest Posting –
Write a guest post on a related authority website and get a link to your website; this will boost your website traffic and visibility. For Example, You are a Wellpreneur, identify websites in the Wellpreneur space. Reach out to the identified Wellpreneur and ask if you want to write a guest post, which should have a link to your website.
Technical SEO (Don’t Worry—Just the Essentials)
What is Technical SEO
According to backlinko.com, “Technical SEO is the process of ensuring that a website meets the technical requirements of modern search engines with the goal of improved organic rankings.”
Components of Technical SEO
HTTPS –
In simple words, HTTPS makes your website secure. If your website does not have HTTPS, many visitors won’t come to it as they feel it is unsafe.
Page Speed –
In this current world of Shorts and Reels, the focus time of visitors is shrinking. Page Speed is one of the key elements in technical SEO; if your visitors have to wait for your page to load, they will leave your website. Ensure that the Page Speed of the website is fast.
Mobile-Friendly website –
Considering the usage of mobile phones, it’s a no-brainer that your website should be Mobile-Friendly.
Web Architecture –
A simple and easy-to-navigate website makes it easy for visitors.
Sitemap-
A Sitemap is a file that has information about your website, including he web pages, so that a search engine can crawl the website.
Intent is that as a Solopreneur you should have an idea about technical SEO.