10 Simple Tips to Improve Your Website SEO (No Tech Skills Needed)
Everything you need to get your website found on Google — explained in plain English.

60%+
of Google searches happen on mobile
60
max characters for a strong page title
3s
load time target before visitors leave
10
simple steps to better rankings
SEO — short for Search Engine Optimisation — is simply the art of helping Google understand what your website is about, so it shows your pages to the right people. The good news? You don't need to be a tech expert to get started. These 10 tips are beginner-friendly, completely free to implement, and they work. If you'd rather hand the whole thing over, see our web design services or transparent pricing.
Use the Right Keywords
A keyword is just the phrase someone types into Google. For example, if you run a bakery in Leeds, someone might search "best birthday cakes Leeds." If those words appear on your website, Google is more likely to show your page.
Think about what your customers would type to find you. Write those phrases naturally into your page text, headings, and titles — without cramming them in unnaturally.
Instead of "We sell baked goods," try "We make beautiful custom birthday cakes in Leeds, delivered to your door."
Use the free tool Google Keyword Planner — or just type your topic into Google and see what "People Also Ask" — those are real keywords your audience is using. Need help mapping keywords to pages? Get in touch.
Write a Great Page Title
Your page title (also called the SEO title or title tag) is the big blue link you see in Google search results. It's one of the most important SEO factors on your entire page.
A good title tells both Google and the reader exactly what the page is about. It should include your main keyword and be no longer than about 60 characters (or it gets cut off).
Home | My Website
Custom Birthday Cakes in Leeds | Same-Day Delivery Available
Every page on your site should have a unique title. Log into your website's backend (WordPress, Wix, etc.) and check that every page has a proper, descriptive title — not just "Home" or "Page 2." Every site we build comes with this done for you — see what's included on our services page.
Craft a Strong Meta Description
Directly below the title in Google results, there's a short paragraph of text. That's the meta description — and while it doesn't directly affect rankings, it hugely affects whether people click on your link.
Think of it like a tiny advert for your page. Keep it between 150–160 characters, include your keyword, and make it enticing enough that someone wants to click.
Looking for beautiful custom cakes in Leeds? We bake to order with same-day delivery. Browse our designs and get an instant quote today.
If your meta description is blank, Google will just grab random text from your page — which often looks messy. Set them manually for your most important pages first.
Use Headings Properly (H1, H2, H3)
Headings are like a contents page for your article. Google uses them to understand the structure of your content — and they make your page much easier to read for visitors too.
Every page should have one H1 (the main title), followed by H2s for main sections, and H3s for sub-points within those sections. Try to include your main keyword in the H1.
10 Simple SEO Tips for Beginners
1. Use the Right Keywords
How to Find Keywords for Free
Never use headings just to make text look bigger. In most website builders, you can highlight text and select "Heading 2" — use this properly and Google will reward you for it.
Write for People, Not Robots
One of the biggest beginner mistakes is stuffing keywords into content until it reads like a robot wrote it. Google is now very good at spotting this — and will penalise you for it.
Write naturally, as if you're explaining something to a friend. Use your keywords where they fit naturally, but prioritise helpful, readable, genuinely useful content. Google's goal is to serve good answers to searchers — so if your page genuinely helps people, it gets rewarded.
Best cakes Leeds. Order cakes Leeds. Leeds cakes delivered. Leeds cakes shop cakes Leeds.
Our Leeds bakery has been making celebration cakes for over 10 years. Order online and we'll deliver across West Yorkshire.
Read your page aloud. If it sounds unnatural or robotic, rewrite it. Good writing = good SEO.
Speed Up Your Website
Google wants to send users to fast websites. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, visitors leave — and Google notices. Page speed is an official Google ranking factor.
The most common culprits for slow sites are oversized images and too many unnecessary plugins or scripts. A fast site improves rankings and keeps visitors happy.
Visit PageSpeed Insights (free at pagespeed.web.dev) and enter your URL. It'll give you a score and tell you exactly what to fix. The most impactful fix is almost always compressing your images. Our hosting & support plans include performance tuning out of the box.
Make Sure Your Site Works on Mobile
More than 60% of all Google searches are done on a mobile phone. Google also now uses "mobile-first indexing," which means it judges your site primarily based on how it looks and works on a phone — not a desktop.
If your site looks broken, tiny, or hard to use on mobile, your rankings will suffer significantly.
Open your website on your phone right now. Can you read it easily? Can you tap links and buttons without zooming in? Also check Google's free Mobile-Friendly Test tool for an instant report. If it fails, request a free review and we'll tell you exactly what to fix.
Use Internal and External Links
Internal links are links from one page on your site to another (for example, linking from a blog post to your services page or pricing page). They help Google discover all your pages and understand how your content connects.
External links are links out to other trusted websites. Linking to a credible source (like a government site or well-known authority) shows Google that your content is well-researched.
"For more information, read our complete guide to LPA services."
"According to the NHS, regular health checks are recommended for over-40s."
When you write a new blog post, link to at least two other relevant pages on your own site. This also keeps visitors browsing longer — which signals quality to Google.
Optimise Your Images
Google can't "see" images the way humans do. Instead, it reads the file name and alt text (a short description) to understand what an image shows. This is also important for accessibility — screen readers use alt text for visually impaired users.
Two simple rules: rename your image files descriptively before uploading, and always fill in the alt text field.
IMG_20240312_084523.jpg
chocolate-birthday-cake-leeds.jpg
"image1"
"Three-tier chocolate birthday cake with gold decorations"
Use a free tool like Squoosh.app or TinyPNG to compress images before uploading — smaller file size, same quality, faster loading.
Get Other Websites to Link to You (Backlinks)
A backlink is when another website links to yours. Google treats these like votes of confidence — the more reputable sites that link to you, the more trustworthy your site appears. This is one of the most powerful SEO signals of all.
You don't need hundreds of backlinks to make a difference. A few good ones from relevant, trusted websites go a long way.
- 1
Write guest posts for other blogs in your industry and include a link back to your site.
- 2
List your business on directories: Google Business Profile, Yelp, Yell.com, and industry-specific directories.
- 3
Create a genuinely useful resource (like this guide!) that other sites naturally want to link to.
- 4
Ask partners or suppliers if they'd be willing to link to your site from theirs.
Your SEO Starter Checklist
Save this and tick off each item as you go. Small, consistent improvements add up fast.
- Research keywords your customers actually search for
- Every page has a unique, descriptive title (under 60 chars)
- Every page has a compelling meta description
- Each page has one H1 and clear H2/H3 structure
- Content reads naturally and helps the reader
- Website loads in under 3 seconds
- Site looks good and works well on mobile
- Blog posts link to other pages on your site
- Images have descriptive filenames and alt text
- At least 3 quality backlinks from relevant sites
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SEO in simple terms?+
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the process of helping Google understand what your website is about so it can show your pages to the right people when they search. It covers things like keywords, page titles, mobile-friendliness, site speed and backlinks.
Can I do SEO myself without any tech skills?+
Yes. The 10 tips in this guide are all beginner-friendly and free. You can make a real difference by writing clear page titles, using headings properly, optimising images and making sure your site is fast and mobile-friendly.
How long does SEO take to work?+
Most websites start seeing improvements within 1–3 months, with bigger results over 6–12 months. SEO is a long game, but the traffic it earns is free and compounds over time.
Do I need to pay for ads if I do SEO?+
No. SEO is about earning free organic traffic from Google. Ads can complement SEO if you want quick results, but a well-optimised website can bring in customers for years without ongoing ad spend.
Want a Free SEO Review?
Not sure where to start with your own site? Get in touch and I'll take a look at what's holding your website back from ranking on page one. You can also browse our services and pricing.