Congratulations! You've built a beautiful website with Oniva.net. Your homepage is ready, you've described your services, and you've added your contact information. So, what's next? Remember, even the most stunning website is like a fantastic shop on a deserted island if no one can find it.

This is where SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, comes into play.

"SEO" might sound intimidating and technical, but don't worry. At its core, SEO is simply the process of helping search engines like Google find, understand, and show your website to potential customers when they search for what you offer. And the best part? You don't need to be a coding expert to get started!

Here are 5 simple SEO steps you can apply to your Oniva.net site today.

1. Speak Your Customer's Language: Keyword Research

The foundation of SEO is understanding what your customers type into Google when they're looking for your product or service. These are called "keywords."

• Example: If you're a boutique baker in a local town, your customers are probably searching for things like "birthday cakes in [Your Town]," "custom cake orders," or "where to find vegan cakes."

• How to do it: Ask yourself, "If I were a customer, what would I type into Google to find my business?" Write down these words and phrases. This is your starting list. You should use these words naturally in your website's headings and texts.

2. Design the Book's Cover: Page Titles (Title Tags)

The blue, clickable headline you see in a Google search result is your page's "title." It's the single most important element that tells both Google and users what that page is about.

• Bad Title: "Homepage"

• Good Title: "Delicious Boutique Cakes | Jane's Bakery | [Your Town]"

• How to do it: In your Oniva.net site editor, go to the settings for each page. You'll see a field for "SEO Settings" or "Page Title." Write a descriptive title for each page that includes its main topic and your primary keyword.

3. Make Your Storefront Appealing: Meta Descriptions

The short, 1-2 sentence description that appears under your page title in search results is the "meta description." While it doesn't directly affect your Google ranking, it greatly influences whether a user clicks on your link. Think of it as the sign in your shop window that says, "Come on in, we have great things inside!"

• How to do it: Again, in the page settings in your Oniva.net editor, find the "Meta Description" field. Write a compelling summary (around 155 characters) of what's on the page, and if possible, include a call to action (e.g., "Discover our designs today!").

4. Make Your Address Easy to Read: URL Structure

A URL is the address of a web page. Clean, easy-to-read URLs are loved by both users and search engines.

• Bad URL: www.janesbakery.com/page_id=123?cat=products

• Good URL: www.janesbakery.com/birthday-cakes

• How to do it: When you create a new page in Oniva.net, it usually gets its URL from the page name automatically. You can check and edit this URL in the page settings to ensure it's short, clear, and reflects the content.

5. Don't Forget that Content is King: Quality Text and Images

All these technical settings are important, but none are as crucial as valuable content. Google's ultimate goal is to give users the best possible answer to their search.

• Your Text: Describe your services in detail. Answer the questions your customers might have. Writing a blog post with useful information about your industry is one of the most effective ways to do this.

• Your Images: Upload high-quality photos of your products. When you save your images, give them descriptive filenames like birthday-cake.jpg. After uploading to Oniva.net, go into the image settings and write a short description in the "Alt Text" field (e.g., "Creamy strawberry birthday cake"). This helps Google understand what your image is about.

  
  

Conclusion: It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

SEO isn't a magic wand that delivers results overnight. After you implement these steps, it can take time for Google to process your site and for the changes to appear in search rankings. But remember, with these simple steps, you are building a solid foundation for your business's digital future.

Be patient, keep feeding your site with valuable content, and enjoy watching potential customers begin to find you.

Start taking these steps today with Oniva.net's user-friendly SEO tools and make your website shine on Google!