Introduction:
SEO for Beginners: How to Rank Websites the Right Way.
What is the first step in Search Engine Optimization?
If you ask me this question, my answer is simple: first understand what Search Engine Optimization actually means, and only then move on to the different steps.
Today, many people mention “SEO Specialist” or similar titles in their profiles. But the reality is very different.
Most of them do not understand the proper way to optimize a website or articles. Their primary goal is often just to bring traffic to a website—without focusing on quality or user intent.
In this article, I don’t tell you types and all, but I will give you basic but solid information about Search Engine Optimization.
What Is Search Engine Optimization?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to improve relevance and increase authority by solving user queries.
The most important part of this definition is “solving user queries.”
SEO is not just about optimizing your website for search engines.
It is about solving real user problems through valuable content.
If you want to know how to create an Valuable content then click here, you will get deep knowledge about the content marketing.
My mentor Sanjay Shenoy says:
“SEO is NOT a knowledge problem. It’s an execution problem.”
I completely agree with this.
If you only learn SEO but do not implement it, you will never see results.
Most people consume SEO tips and tricks, implement them quickly, and sometimes even get short-term results. But those results don’t last.
One Google update can push your website to the second page of Google.
And as the famous quote says:
“You can hide a dead body on the second page of Google.”
Very few people visit the second page. That’s why your SEO foundation must be strong.
How Search Engines Work?
Before learning how to do SEO, you must understand how search engines work.
Search engines work in three simple steps:
1. Crawling
Google crawlers (or bots) scan the World Wide Web to discover websites and content.
They collect:
- New content
- Updated content
- Existing pages
And store this information in Google’s system.
2. Indexing
Once the content is crawled, Google tries to understand:
- What the content is about
- Which topic it belongs to
- The context and meaning
After understanding this, Google organizes the content in its index.
3. Ranking
Finally, based on:
- Relevance
- Authority
- User behavior
- And more than 200 ranking signals
Google decides where your website should appear in search results. Remember you should always create an content which is more relavent and problem solving content for the readers. so create an quality content.
Important SEO Factors
Although Google has over 200 ranking signals, they can broadly be grouped into three core factors:
- Relevance – How closely your content matches the user query
- Authority – How trustworthy and credible your website is
- User Signals – How users behave on your website
All ranking signals fall under these three categories.
How to Check User Behavior on Your Website?
Google Analytics
Google Analytics helps you understand:
- Where traffic comes from
- How users interact with your site
- Time spent, bounce rate, and more
Google Search Console
Google Search Console shows:
- Organic search performance
- Keywords you rank for
- Clicks, impressions, and indexing issues
Both are official Google tools, so you can trust the data completely.
What Is a Keyword?
A keyword is simply a user query—the word or phrase a user types into a search engine.
Keyword research is the first practical step in any SEO project.
Types of Keywords
There are three main types of keywords:
1. One-word keywords
Example: SEO
- Very high competition
- Very high search volume
2. Two to three-word phrases
Examples:
- SEO tools
- SEO online tools
These have:
- Medium competition
- Decent search volume
3. Four or more-word phrases (Long-tail keywords)
Example: Most popular SEO tools online
These have:
- Very low competition
- Low search volume
- Very high user intent
Example search volumes:
- SEO – 13.4K
- SEO tools – 3K
- Most popular SEO tools online – 10
Even though the volume is low, user intent is strongest in long-tail keywords.
Search Commercial Intent Funnel
This funnel represents the user’s search journey.
Top of the Funnel – Informational & Navigational
- 80–90% of total searches
- Low competition
- Users want information
Middle of the Funnel – Research & Discovery
- Medium volume
- Medium competition
- Users compare tools or services
Bottom of the Funnel – Purchase / Transactional
- Low volume
- Very high competition
- Users are ready to buy
Which Keywords Should You Target First?
If you are starting a blog from scratch, do NOT target transactional keywords first.
Why?
- Big websites already dominate them
- They have strong authority
- New websites rarely rank for them
Recommended Strategy:
- Start with informational keywords
- Build traffic and authority
- Move to research & discovery keywords
- Finally, target transactional keywords
Types of Keywords Explained
Informational Keywords
Users want knowledge.
Examples:
- What is SEO?
- Why is SEO important?
- How does SEO work?
These help build trust and authority.
Research & Discovery Keywords
Users know the problem and look for solutions.
Examples:
- Best SEO tools
- Best SEO services
Users compare options and read reviews.
Purchase Keywords
Users are ready to buy.
Examples:
- Buy SEO services
- Buy SEO tools
These keywords convert well—but only after authority is built.
How to Do Keyword Research
Step 1: List Topic Ideas
Write down all topics related to your niche.
Step 2: Find Seed Keywords
Choose broad keywords with good volume but unclear intent.
Step 3: Choose a Primary Keyword
Select one keyword with:
- Good volume
- Low to medium competition
Step 4: Find Secondary & LSI Keywords
LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) keywords help improve content context and relevance.
Consistency Is the Key
Publishing four articles in one month and staying inactive will not give results.
SEO requires consistent content creation and optimization.
Recommended Keyword Research Tools
- Ahrefs (Highly recommended)
- Ubersuggest
- Keyword.io
Final Words
This article covers the fundamentals of SEO.
In the future, I will publish more in-depth articles on advanced SEO topics.
If you want to follow me then click here.
Until then,
Take care.
Prashantkumar
Frequently Asked Question
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to improve relevance and increase authority by solving user queries.
We use a huge set of computers to crawl billions of pages on the web. The program that does the fetching is called Googlebot (also known as a crawler, robot, bot, or spider). Googlebot uses an algorithmic process to determine which sites to crawl, how often, and how many pages to fetch from each site.
Relavency
Authority
User Signals
High Quality Content
User Experiance
Domain Authority
Informational Keywords
Research & Discovery Keywords
Purchase Keywords