How to Create an SEO Strategy

Why an SEO strategy matters

Search Engine Optimisation is most effective when it sits inside a plan. An SEO strategy gives direction and helps you spend time on the things that move your business forward. It aligns organic search work with your overall goals so you can measure progress and adapt. Google’s guidance explains that SEO is about helping search engines understand your content and helping users find what they need.

Start with clear goals and audience understanding

Decide what you want from organic search. Are you aiming for more traffic, higher visibility for a set of terms, or more enquiries and sales? Once goals are clear, learn what your audience searches for and why. Keyword research helps you find phrases people use, but search intent matters most. Consider whether searchers want information, comparison or to buy.

One short checklist to guide your first actions

A single compact list can help when you start planning:

• Define goals and the KPIs you will track.

• Run a site audit to find technical or content issues.

• Do keyword and competitor research to find gaps.

• Plan content that answers user intent and fits your site structure.

Use this list as a quick framework when you begin the first week of your SEO work.

Audit, content and technical work explained

A content audit shows which pages are working and which need updating. A technical audit checks speed, mobile usability, secure connections and crawlability. Content should be clear, helpful and organised so visitors can find what they need. Use pillar pages for broad topics and supporting pages for specific subtopics. On each page, write clear titles and meta descriptions, use headings logically and keep content concise and useful.

Earning links and reputation

Off-page SEO still matters. High quality backlinks from reputable sites signal to search engines that your content is trustworthy. Good ways to earn links include creating genuinely useful resources, engaging in industry activity, and outreach that offers clear value. Avoid shortcuts that promise instant links; focus on long term credibility instead.

Measurement and iteration

Monitor your chosen KPIs regularly. Use Google Search Console to see which queries bring traffic and which pages perform well. Analytics will show how users behave once they arrive. SEO requires patience. Changes may take weeks or months to show in search results, but regular review and iteration keep your strategy on track.

Plain English and content that actually helps people

Write clearly and keep sentences short. The Plain English Campaign offers practical guidance for clear web copy and straightforward headings, which helps both users and search engines. Follow simple language rules, make one point at a time and avoid jargon to keep your pages accessible.

How I can help

An SEO strategy is a roadmap. It starts with clear goals, uses research to focus activity, fixes technical issues, builds useful content and measures what matters. If you would like help building or refining your SEO strategy I can provide a tailored audit, keyword research, content planning and ongoing optimisation. Contact me and I will review your site and share clear, plain English recommendations you can act on straight away.

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