This article was published in 2013 and updated in October 2026.
The acronym SEO gets used so often that it’s easy to dismiss it as an annoying buzzword. But love it or hate it, search engine optimization is here to stay — at least if you want people to find your website. The good news: you don’t need to become an expert. A handful of basics covers most of what matters. Here are some SEO tips for site owners who would rather do anything else.
The phrase “SEO” is enough to drive some people insane.
1. Claim your Google Business Profile
In 2013 we recommended a Google+ Local listing. Google+ was shut down in 2019; today the equivalent is a free Google Business Profile. If you have a local business, create or claim it, then add your opening hours, address, phone number, photos and website. Your business can then appear in Google Maps and local search results. Keep it up to date and reply to reviews — it takes only a few minutes a week. Bing Places and Apple Business Connect work the same way.
2. Write for people first
Search engines reward pages that genuinely help readers. Answer the questions your customers actually ask, explain things clearly and keep important pages up to date. Don’t stuff keywords into your text — modern search engines understand synonyms and context, and repetitive, keyword-stuffed text puts readers off.
3. Use descriptive keyword phrases
Single keywords are very competitive; specific phrases are easier to rank for and bring better visitors. If your hobby shop has a website, “trains” is vague, but “HO scale electric trains” describes exactly what a buyer is looking for. Give each important page its own topic and use its phrase naturally in the page title, the main heading, the URL and the first paragraph.
4. Optimise your images
Give images descriptive file names (for example ho-scale-train-layout.jpg instead of IMG_4711.jpg) and add alt text that describes what the image shows. That helps image search and makes your site accessible to people using screen readers. Compress large images so your pages load quickly, and link images to relevant pages where it makes sense.
5. Earn good links — don’t buy them
Links from other websites are still an important signal, but quality matters far more than quantity. A few links from respected, relevant sites — local newspapers, industry associations, partners or well-known blogs in your field — are worth more than dozens from obscure sites. Never buy links or join link schemes: Google’s spam policies forbid it, and it can get your site penalised. Your hobby shop has no use for a link from a mortgage refinancing company.
6. Make your site fast and mobile-friendly
Most searches happen on smartphones, and Google ranks sites based on their mobile version. Check that your site looks good and works well on a phone, loads quickly and uses HTTPS. Free tools such as Google’s PageSpeed Insights show what to improve.
7. Use social media — and Google Search Console
Social media profiles don’t directly boost rankings, but they help people discover and share your content. Fill out the “About” sections, use the words people search for and link back to your website. Finally, set up the free Google Search Console: it shows which searches bring visitors to your site, which pages are indexed and whether Google has found any problems.
There you have it
Seven fairly painless SEO tips for people who can’t stand SEO. Spend half an hour on one tip each week, and within two months your site will be in much better shape — without SEO taking over your life.
Yogita
Oct 24. 2013
Google Authorship is also very important factor for getting more relevancy and traffic.
Karl
Oct 29. 2013
Google Authorship is also very important factor for getting more relevancy and traffic.and also give more trafic on it
Cristina
Nov 18. 2013
is there any new tools to approve the comment for SEO? Thanks Tech Crates!
Houston
Apr 18. 2014
Awesome article. Very much interesting. Thanks for posting.
John
Apr 20. 2014
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Teena
May 01. 2014
Saved as a favorite, I really like your blog! great topics for tech
John
May 02. 2014
Thanks much! Really glad you like it!
devid
Jun 05. 2014
Google Authorship is also very important factor for getting more relevancy and traffic.and also give more trafic on it
Thanks
John
Jun 05. 2014
Yes, definitely! Anything you can do on Google to boost your relevancy will work to your advantage.
Ameer
Aug 02. 2014
cloud backup solutions are up to date 🙂
Faisal Riaz
Oct 23. 2014
This is a Great post for social media.Great SEO guide on social media and getting traffic.
Thanks for sharing this informative article.SEO is for the audience and not for search engines.
If we follow the basics, we can still outrank any website
Mildred
Dec 06. 2014
Thanks for the tips. I always love to check new updates about seo field. But unfortunately, as the time is passing, the seo is becoming just like a rocket science. It is just becoming harder and harder due to often search engine updates. I am just stuck to the social seo for now for my sites. Great info though 🙂
John
Dec 08. 2014
Thanks! It’s true that SEO is an ever-changing, evolving thing, until one day, I’m guessing, the “true” way to do it will be an amalgam of all the advice given since Day One 😉
Joseph A. Wilson
Feb 11. 2015
hy dude…thanks for giving your views..now a days the SEO is very difficult and the competition is very huge. it is very difficult to rank our site…in short thanks for giving information about SEO…..keep sharing posts like that.. 🙂
John Terra
Feb 12. 2015
You’re very welcome!
I tend to see SEO along the same lines as taking out the garbage. You have to keep doing it, it sometimes stinks, but it’s totally necessary! 😉
Sarah Gondal
Jun 12. 2015
Thanks for Great Post. Very knowledgable and informative.
Sarah Gondal
Aug 30. 2015
Thanks for the tips about seo. For my point of view, Seo was never been so tough as it is now a days. And is becoming more and more advanced with the often search engine algorithm updates. The one that keeps himself and his sites according to the coming updates and algos, is the king now. Great tips though.
aisha
Sep 24. 2015
Thanks for the tips about seo. For my point of view, Seo was never been so tough as it is now a days. And is becoming more and more advanced with the often search engine algorithm updates. The one that keeps himself and his sites according to the coming updates and algos, is the king now. Great tips though 🙂
john terra
Sep 25. 2015
Thank you! And you’re right about how it’s getting tougher. Just have to keep hanging in there and coming up with new and different approaches. right?
Sadia
Mar 18. 2016
Hi admin
Thanks for the tips about seo. For my point of view, Seo was never been so tough as it is now a days. And is becoming more and more advanced with the often search engine algorithm updates.
Thanks
Fiana
May 31. 2016
Very informative article. Glad to know about this. Thanks for posting
Ragni
Jun 11. 2016
I am very glad to see your article, Very interesting to read this article, thanks for sharing this article.
Aqsa
Jun 17. 2016
Thanks For Sharing this good Information strategy i feel glad because i get knowladge i don’t waste my time thanks Admin
Fiana
Jun 23. 2016
Thank’s for sharing this information, very useful
bloomy
Jul 22. 2016
as we early learned that long tail keywords are useful but now google limited the url length for only 35 alphabets u can check it on any blogspot url by using long tail keyword when u will open the url after posting to view it then it will show up to 35 alphabets only(4 to 5 words just)
shrey
Aug 05. 2016
Nice tips.. Very inspiring.. Your post shows all your effort and great experience towards your hard work Your Information is Great if mastered very well, I like the fact that you add Social Signal to it Thanks a lot for Sharing.
seo to follow
Aug 18. 2016
Thanks for sharing your SEO tips. Your topic is informative. please keep sharing, looking forward for your next article.
8construction
Aug 23. 2016
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Cleaners
Aug 25. 2016
Nice tips…Link building is more popular technique to build ranking and domain authority as well. To improve ranking and getting visitor onsite and offsite factors need to be considered.
Celine
Aug 26. 2016
Nice tips…Link building is more popular technique to build ranking and domain authority as well. To improve ranking and getting visitor onsite and offsite factors need to be considered.
zoho
Aug 29. 2016
Nice tips…Link building is more popular technique to build ranking and domain authority as well. To improve ranking and getting visitor onsite and offsite factors need to be considered.
Oliver
Aug 30. 2016
Nice tips…Link building is more popular technique to build ranking and domain authority as well. To improve ranking and getting visitor onsite and offsite factors need to be considered.Thanks for sharing.
Lena
Aug 31. 2016
Nice tips…Link building is more popular technique to build ranking and domain authority as well. To improve ranking and getting visitor onsite and offsite factors need to be considered.Thanks for sharing.
Zeeshan Yousaf
Sep 26. 2016
Awesome article. Very much interesting.in SEO abovr all tips like (link building,social media) and other factors are cery important
thanks for sharing
Justine
Sep 29. 2016
thank you for posting! this very useful for us.
Anna
Sep 30. 2016
Its really very interesting,thank you posting!
John
Oct 05. 2016
This article is more informative one. Do you have any others on this topic?THANK YOU
Autumn
Oct 14. 2016
Niceee Tips…………..Thanks, I have found your site through Google while chasing down a related point, your site came up, it looks incredible. I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
garry
Nov 30. 2016
Excellent blog post. thanks for posting!
david choi
Dec 22. 2016
Great, thanks for sharing this blog article.Thanks Again. Much obliged.
cshmaintenance
Feb 17. 2017
its really very interesting,thank you for posting!
meeronamac
Feb 24. 2017
This article is more informative one
romenmark
Mar 10. 2017
This post gives truly quality information. Thank you so much.
Gina
Apr 08. 2017
no one hates seo and its very effective for website and thanks for sharing this information with us
Tech Crates
Apr 10. 2017
We know a lot of webmasters and their efforfts/fight with SEO 😉
Dennis
Apr 13. 2017
yesh that’s good
ohad
Jun 08. 2017
Nice information…thank you sharing it.
clayton
Jun 16. 2017
Nice Tips………….
Owen Leigh
Jul 18. 2017
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Berry
Sep 05. 2017
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syrainfotek
Jul 11. 2019
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