In the world of digital marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO) plays a crucial role in helping websites rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). Implementing effective SEO strategies can significantly impact a website’s visibility and organic traffic. But what is the first step in the search engine optimisation process for your website? In this blog, we will explore the key steps to optimise your website and delve into the initial steps that sets the foundation for a successful SEO campaign.

Understanding Keyword Research
Keyword research is the cornerstone of any successful SEO campaign. It involves identifying the most relevant and valuable keywords that align with your business and its goals. By conducting thorough keyword research, we gain insights into what people are searching for on search engines like Google and understand the search volume and competition for each keyword.
The primary goal of keyword research is to find the keywords that your potential customers or website visitors are using to search for your products, services, or information related to your business. By targeting these keywords, you can attract organic traffic and increase your chances of ranking higher on SERPs, and, through this, we can help grow your business.
Steps to Conduct Effective Keyword Research
At Digital Nomads, we understand the constantly evolving world of SEO, and tailor our approach to our clients individually, because no two businesses are the same.
Before we dive into your keyword research, our first step is to gain a deep understanding of your business, and website’s niche. We recognise that every business has its unique space in the digital world. Defining the category or industry in which your business operates is the foundation upon which we build your keyword strategy. By doing so, we ensure that the keywords we identify are not just relevant but tailored specifically to your niche.
Once we’ve established your niche, we move on to creating a list of main topics that are closely related to your business and website. To identify these topics, we conduct thorough research of your competitors’ websites using cutting-edge tools like Ahrefs and Semrush. By examining the keywords your competitors are ranking for on search engines, we gain valuable insights into the landscape. This strategic approach allows us to target similar keywords, providing you with a head start in optimising your website for search engines.
Our goal is to handpick keywords with a healthy search volume and manageable competition levels, maximising your chances of securing higher rankings on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

The Importance of Keyword Research
- Targeted Traffic: By targeting keywords relevant to your business and niche, we can attract highly targeted traffic to your website. This means that the visitors coming to your site are actively searching for the products or services you offer, increasing the likelihood of conversions.
- Higher Rankings: Optimising your website for keywords that have the right intent can help improve your rankings on search engine results pages. When your website appears higher on SERPs, it gains more visibility, resulting in increased organic traffic.
- Understanding User Intent: Through keyword research, we gain insights into user intent. By analysing the keywords people use to search, we can understand what they are looking for and align your websites content to cater to their needs, improving the chances to grow your business.
- Competitive Advantage: Conducting thorough keyword research helps you stay ahead of your competitors. By identifying untapped keywords or targeting keywords with less competition, you can carve out a niche and attract traffic that your competitors may be missing out on.
Additional Steps for Effective SEO
While keyword research is the first step in the search engine optimisation process, there are several other important steps to ensure your website is optimised for search engines.
Create an SEO Friendly Website Structure
Developing an SEO-friendly website structure involves organising your website in a way that makes it easier for search engine crawlers to index your content. This includes using proper heading tag hierarchy, optimising URLs, and enhancing user experience across the plethora of devices used by the public. A well-structured website not only improves your chances of ranking higher but also enhances user navigation and engagement.
Focus on Technical SEO
Technical SEO focuses on optimising your website’s technical aspects to improve its performance. This includes improving your website speed, PSI (Page speed insights) and your Core web vitals outlined in the popular search engine technical documentation. This ensures proper indexation and enhances website crawl-ability. Technical SEO plays a vital role in making your website accessible and visible to search engines, ultimately leading to improved organic traffic and rankings.
Publish High-Quality Content
High-quality content is the backbone of any effective SEO strategy. Creating well-researched, well-written, and relevant content can attract new visitors, engage existing ones, and build a loyal following. Additionally, high-quality content helps improve your rankings on search engines and generates more leads. Regularly publishing quality content is essential for the success of your website and SEO efforts.
Create Backlinks
Backlinks are an important factor in SEO. They indicate to search engines that your website is popular and relevant. At Digital Nomads, our SEO specialists acquire high-quality backlinks from reputable websites tailored to your industry. This can be achieved through guest blogging, creating informative blog posts, participating in online forums, and sharing valuable content that others want to link to. By acquiring these high-quality backlinks it can significantly improve your website’s visibility and authority.

Elevate your business in the SERPs with Digital Nomads
If you are looking to increase your business’s visibility on Google, contact the Sunshine Coast team at Digital Nomads.
Digital Nomads is an award-winning digital marketing agency with a in-house team of SEO experts. Contact us today and find out how we can partner with you to help grow your business online.