SEO for Beginners: Rank #1 In Google (2025) using Free Tools

The ultimate SEO for Beginners guide on how to rank #1 on Google, even if you’re just starting in the SEO game.

Whether you’re launching a new site or you’re looking to boost organic traffic to an existing website, this step-by-step approach will give you the insights you need to succeed. We’ve used this exact formula to rank countless keywords on the first page of Google and have watched traffic not just increase, but skyrocket as a result!

And don’t worry — this isn’t your average, generic SEO advice. Forget the usual “create great content” and “include keywords” mantras you’ve heard a thousand times. We don’t gatekeep at MRB Creative. We’re all about empowering clients with knowledge, so we’re here to give you strategies to conquer those competitive keywords and outrank your competitors.

So, let’s get right to it.

Why are Keywords Important

The first step if you’re an SEO beginner is learning why Keywords are important.

At it’s core, SEO is about understanding and leveraging keywords — those words and phrases that potential customers are typing into search engines. To edge out your competition and rank on the first page, you’ll need the right keywords. Keywords aren’t just one word either.

Long Tail Keywords

The words and phrases potential customers type into search engines are Keywords. The phrases people type into Google are called ‘Long Tail Keywords’. This is just where the keyword is a couple of words strung together rather than just one word.

How to find the right Keywords

So how do you find the right keywords? There’s multiple ways to find the right keywords, but here’s some easy ways for you to start with.

Using Google Autocomplete

One of the simplest and most effective ways to uncover keywords is through Google Autocomplete. It provides real-time suggestions that people are actively searching for, meaning not only are those searches trending, but they are potentially under-explored by your competitors.

1. Start with a Base Keyword: Type in a basic keyword that your audience might use. Example: If you own a sunscreen brand, you could start with “sunscreen.”
2. Look for Suggestions: Google will offer you a list of longer, more specific terms—these are your long-tail keywords, less competitive and more targeted. Example Suggestions: “Sunscreen for babies”, “Sunscreen for face”, “Sunscreen stick”, “Sunscreen spray”.

Make a list of the Google Autocomplete suggestions.

Digging Deeper with Related Searches

Once you’ve gathered Autocomplete suggestions, if you then actually search your base keyword, and the Google autocomplete suggestions, if you scroll down in the Google search results, you’ll see both “People also ask” and “Google’s related searches“.

Both “People also ask” and “Google’s related searches” are invaluable for uncovering secondary keywords and broader topics your audience might be interested in. You can leverage Google’s “People Also Ask” (PAA) and “Related Searches” features to significantly enhance your keyword research strategy.

These tools provide insights into user intent and uncover additional topics your audience is interested in, enabling you to create content that meets their search needs and improves your search engine rankings.

People Also Ask

The “People Also Ask” section appears within Google’s search results list on the first page, presenting a list of questions related to your original search query. These questions reflect common user search inquiries, so this gives you valuable insights into the information your target audience seeks.

How to Use PAA for Keyword Research:

1. Identify User Intent: Look at the questions in the PAA section to understand the specific information users are seeking. This helps you to tailor your content to address these queries directly.
2. Expand Content Topics: Use PAA questions to discover related topics and subtopics that you can cover in your content, enhancing its depth and relevance. When you click on one of the related topics or subtopics, you’ll find more will then appear.
3. Optimise for Featured Snippets: By answering PAA questions concisely and accurately in your content, you increase the chances of your website being featured in the Featured Snippet sections, which seriously improves visibility.
4. Analyse Competitors: Review the PAA questions your competitors are ranking for to identify the gaps in your content and opportunities that you need to create website content for and when you do create that content, provide more comprehensive answers.

Google’s Related Searches

Located at the bottom of the search results page, the “Related Searches” section offers alternative search terms related to your original query. These suggestions can help you understand the broader context of your topic and identify additional keywords to target.

How to Use Related Searches for Keyword Research:

1. Discover Alternative Keywords: Use related searches to find synonyms and variations of your main keyword, allowing you to reach a wider audience.
2. Understand User Behavior: These suggestions provide insights into what users commonly search for in relation to your topic, helping you align your content with their interests.
3. Enhance Content Relevance: Incorporate related search terms into your content to improve its relevance and increase the likelihood of ranking for multiple related queries.
4. Refine SEO Strategy: Analysing related searches can reveal niche topics and less competitive keywords, enabling you to target specific segments of your audience effectively.

Practical Steps to Implement These SEO Keyword Strategies:

1. Conduct Manual Searches: Enter your base keyword into Google and note the PAA questions and related searches that appear.
2. Use Specialised Tools: Google free tools, especially when combined with Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner are more than enough for SEO Beginners. You can also use paid tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, AlsoAsked, and Keywords People Use to gather more data efficiently.
3. Analyse and Integrate: Incorporate the gathered questions and related terms into your content strategy, ensuring you provide comprehensive answers and cover related topics thoroughly when you write your content.

Creating Amazing Content

Having chosen your keywords, the next step is to create content that’s not just good, but outstanding.

Address Search Intent

Search intent reflects the purpose behind a user’s search. Recognising and meeting this intent is key to ranking.

• Informational Intent: Users are seeking knowledge. Provide detailed comparisons and insights. Example: “Best organic cat food” may imply researching and comparing brands.
• Transactional Intent: Users are ready to buy. A product or service landing page fits well here.

Originality is Key

Ranking high means offering something distinct. Your content should be unique in a way that it provides additional value not found elsewhere.

“For you to stand out and create something that deserves to be on the first page, you need to bring something really different to the table that the results don’t already have.”

On-Page SEO Optimisation

Quality content isn’t enough on its own. SEO tweaks are crucial.

• Keywords in Key Places: Include your main keywords in the title, the first sentence, the last paragraph, and naturally throughout the page.
• Focus on Content Quality: Don’t stress about exact keyword density. Quality, relevance, and user satisfaction should be prioritised.

Avoiding Common SEO Mistakes

Understanding common pitfalls can help beginners navigate the SEO landscape more effectively:

• Overlooking Mobile Optimisation: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as a significant portion of users access the internet via mobile devices.
• Ignoring Content Freshness: Regularly update your content to maintain relevance and improve rankings. Google isn’t going to serve up old content to users when it has more up to date content available.
• Neglecting User Experience: Prioritise user experience by improving site speed, navigation, and overall usability.

Leveraging Local SEO

For businesses targeting local audiences, making sure you optimise for local search is very important.

Local Search Engine Optimisation focuses on increasing your business’s visibility in geographically related searches. This involves optimising your website and online presence to appear prominently in local search results, so as to connect you with potential customers in your vicinity.

Key components of Local SEO include ensuring your business information is accurate across all platforms, acquiring local backlinks, and maintaining a strong presence on local directories. Implementing these strategies can significantly enhance your local search rankings, making it easier for customers to find and engage with your business.

Customer Reviews

Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews, to boost local credibility. Encouraging satisfied customers to leave positive reviews not only boosts your local credibilit,y but also enhances your online reputation.

Positive reviews act as endorsements, influencing potential customers’ decisions and increasing trust in your business. Search engines consider the quantity and quality of reviews as ranking factors, meaning that a robust collection of positive reviews can improve your position in local search results.

It’s also important to engage with every single review by responding promptly and professionally, which demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction and can further enhance your reputation

Google My Business

Claim and optimise your Google My Business listing to enhance local visibility.

Claiming and optimising your Google My Business (GMB) listing is a pivotal step in enhancing local visibility. An optimised GMB profile ensures that your business appears in relevant local searches and on Google Maps, making it easier for potential customers to find you.

To optimise your listing, ensure that all information is accurate and up-to-date, including your business name, address, phone number, and operating hours.

Regularly updating your profile with high-quality photos, posts about promotions or events, and promptly responding to customer inquiries can improve engagement and your local search ranking.

Local Keywords

Incorporate location-specific keywords to attract local traffic.

Incorporating location-specific keywords into your website content, meta descriptions, and titles is very important for attracting local traffic. This strategy helps search engines understand the geographical relevance of your business, increasing the likelihood of it appearing in local search results.

For example, if you operate a bakery in Brisbane, using keywords like “Brisbane bakery” or “best cakes in Brisbane” can attract local customers searching for those terms.

Conducting keyword research to identify the most relevant local terms and naturally integrating them into your content can enhance your local SEO efforts.

Enhancing User Experience

Google’s algorithms now heavily weigh user experience. Your site’s usability can impact how well it ranks.

Make Information Accessible

Users must find what they’re looking for quickly once they land on your website page.

• Front-Load Value: Essential information must be visible without scrolling.
• Clear and Readable Layout: Break up text with headings, bullet points, and other formatting tools.

Keep Users Engaged

The more time users spend on your site, the better your site will perform in rankings. Avoid quick bounces:

• Concise, Effective Introductions: Introduce your content succinctly—let users know they’re in the right place.
• Clear, Readable Fonts and Layouts: Large easy-to-read fonts, simple organisation, and easy navigation make it easier for website visitors to comprehend content, reducing frustration and increasing engagement.

Embracing AI and Automation in SEO

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation are here to stay, and are now revolutionising SEO by streamlining tasks and providing deeper insights. Leveraging these AI technologies can enhance your SEO efforts:

• AI-Powered Tools: Use AI-driven platforms for keyword research, content optimisation, and performance analysis to gain a competitive edge.
• Automation: Automate routine tasks such as basic website audits and performance monitoring.

Building Backlinks

Backlinks remain extremely important for SEO. They signal to Google that your content is credible and worth ranking.

Be the Source Backlink Building Strategy

Being the source is a beginner-friendly technique that leverages niche stats that writers and journalists can link to as sources.

1. Identify Unique Data: Find a specific statistic or insight within your industry.
2. Create a Standalone Resource: Develop a dedicated page that highlights this data clearly. Example: How much data is generated per day.

This can establish your content as a go-to resource, earning organic backlinks and enhancing your authority.

What if your Website is Brand New and has no Authority Yet?

Launching a new website without established authority can be challenging, but with strategic efforts, you can enhance your site’s credibility and search engine rankings.

Here are key strategies to consider if your website is brand new, or yet to build some Authority with search engines:

1. Develop High-Quality, Research-Driven Content

Creating valuable, informative, and original content is essential. Focus on producing in-depth articles, guides, or research that provide unique insights or data. This approach encourages other websites to link to your content, enhancing your site’s authority. For instance, developing comprehensive statistics pages can attract backlinks from reputable sources.

2. Implement Effective Link Building Strategies

Acquiring high-quality backlinks is crucial for improving domain authority. Consider the following methods:

• Guest Posting: Contribute articles to reputable websites within your industry. This exposes your content to a wider audience and provides opportunities for quality backlinks. Ensure your content is unique and relevant to the target site’s audience.
• Resource Link Building: Create valuable resources that others in your industry will find useful and link to, such as comprehensive guides or tools.

3. Optimise On-Page SEO

Ensure your website is optimised for search engines by focusing on:

• Keyword Research: Identify and incorporate relevant keywords that your target audience is searching for.
• Internal Linking: Link related content within your site to help search engines understand your site’s structure and to distribute page authority.
• Meta Tags Optimisation: Craft compelling and keyword-rich meta titles and descriptions to improve click-through rates.

4. Enhance User Experience (UX)

A positive user experience can indirectly boost your site’s authority. Focus on:

• Mobile Optimisation: Ensure your site is responsive and functions well on all devices.
• Page Load Speed: Optimise images and use efficient coding practices to improve loading times.
• Clear Navigation: Design an intuitive menu structure to help users find information easily.

5. Leverage Social Media and Online Communities

Promote your content across social media platforms and engage with online communities related to your niche. This increases visibility, drives traffic, and can lead to natural backlinks as more people discover and share your content.

6. Monitor and Analyse Performance

Regularly assess your website’s performance using analytics tools. Monitor metrics such as organic traffic, bounce rate, and backlink profile to understand what’s working and where improvements are needed.

By implementing these strategies, you can gradually build your website’s authority, even starting from scratch. Patience and consistency are key, as establishing authority is a long-term endeavor.

Monitoring and Adapting to SEO Trends

The SEO landscape is dynamic, with trends evolving regularly. Staying informed and adaptable is key:

• Continuous Learning: Regularly consult reputable SEO sources to stay updated on the latest trends and algorithm changes.
• Flexibility: Be prepared to adjust your strategies in response to new developments in the SEO field.

Key Takeaways

To successfully rank your site on Google, remember these foundational steps:

1. Start with Low Competition Keywords: Focus on emerging, long-tail keywords first.
2. Create Value-Focused Content: Satisfy search intent thoroughly.
3. Optimise for On-Page SEO: A few well-placed keywords go a long way.
4. Prioritise User Experience: Ensure users find value quickly and don’t bounce.
5. Leverage Backlinks Concentration: Position your content as an undeniable resource in a specific niche.

By implementing this step-by-step approach, you’ll be on your way to boosting your site’s visibility and attracting more visitors.