If you’ve ever felt that search-engine optimisation is a secret handshake known only to coders, take a deep breath. The truth is that Google, Moz, Ahrefs and other industry leaders have spent years demystifying the craft. As a business owner, you don’t need to write code—or even log in to your server—to start winning more free traffic. You simply need to master three pillars: on-page optimisation, keywords, and link building. Nail these, and every Google core update will feel less like a threat and more like a tail-wind.

1. On-Page Optimisation: Speak Clearly to People and Crawlers

Google’s own SEO Starter Guide opens with a comforting promise: a “knowledge of basic SEO can have a noticeable impact” even for small sites
So what are those basics?

• People-first structure. Place the primary topic in the <title> tag, H1, and early body copy. Google’s Search Essentials urges site owners to “use words people would use to look for your content” and to put them in prominent locations.
  
• Crawlable internal links. Every page that matters should be linked from at least one other page on your site. This isn’t just courtesy navigation; it’s how Google discovers and ranks deep content.
  
• Mobile & speed. While not our core focus today, remember that search bots evaluate Core Web Vitals automatically. A lightning-fast, responsive page keeps visitors (and Google) happy.
  

Non-techie tip: Think of each page as a well-labeled file folder. The clearer the label, the easier for Google’s “librarian” to shelve—and retrieve—it.

2. Keyword Research: Hit Problems, Not Just Phrases

Here’s the harsh reality: 96.55% of pages get zero organic traffic.
They’re not necessarily bad pages; they’re just optimised for phrases no one types, or they compete head-on with giants.

Backlinko’s 2024 guide breaks keyword analysis into four sanity checks: difficulty, search volume, conversion potential, and intent.

• Difficulty: If every top-10 result is a Fortune 500 site, target a narrower angle first.
  
• Volume vs. intent: “Best ergonomic keyboards 2025” may get fewer searches than “keyboard,” but visitors are far closer to buying.
  
• Semantic clusters: Map related queries (e.g., “standing desk benefits,” “health impact of sitting”) onto a single authoritative pillar page. Google rewards depth.
  

Non-techie tip: Use free tools like Google’s auto-suggest and “People Also Ask” boxes to eavesdrop on real-world language. Then answer those questions better than anyone else.

3. Link Building: Earning Votes of Confidence

Links are still among Google’s heaviest ranking signals, but the bar for quality is higher than ever. The 2024 Link Best Practices doc steers creators toward contextual links that add value for readers—think citing original research or cross-linking related blog posts—not buying bulk links from random directories.

Why bother? Because links accomplish two things no amount of on-page tweaking can:

1. Authority: A mention from an established industry site signals trust.
   
2. Discovery: External links act as “roads” that lead Google’s crawler to your pages.
   

Ahrefs’ latest statistics reveal that only 5.7% of pages will crack Google’s top-10 within a year of publication—and those winners typically attract natural backlinks via data, tools, or unique insights.

Non-techie tip: Start with internal links. Every time you publish, ask yourself: “Which older post complements this new piece?” Then link both ways. You control those links 100 %.

Staying Ahead of Algorithm Updates

If the August 2024 core update taught us anything, it’s that Google is doubling down on helpful, reliable content. Sites leaning on thin pages or spammy link schemes saw the biggest drops. The silver lining? If you focus on the fundamentals above, updates usually lift—not sink—your visibility.

Action Steps You Can Take This Week

1. Run a quick content audit—are your titles conversational and descriptive?
   
2. List your top five customer questions and turn each into a 600-word blog post.
   
3. Add two internal links from older posts to each new article.
   
4. Reach out to one partner or supplier and suggest a mutually useful guest post or case study link.
   

Set a calendar reminder to review performance in 90 days; you’ll be surprised how much organic traffic compounds when you get the basics right.

Ready to Move Beyond the Basics?

EDMC’s strategists live and breathe ethical SEO. If you’d like a personalised roadmap—or you simply don’t have time to execute these steps—book a free 30-minute strategy call with EDMC today and turn “I hope people find us” into “We can’t keep up with the leads.”