How to add SEO to your website

TL;DR: how to add SEO to your website

How to add SEO to your website: a practical guide for Irish business owners

Struggling to make your website visible in search results? You are not alone. Many small business owners face the same challenge, but learning how to add SEO to your website can change that.

Search engine optimisation(SEO) helps your website appear in search engines like Google when people look for products or services you offer. By improving how your website is built, written and linked, SEO makes it easier for the right customers to find you online.

This guide explains the key steps to add SEO to your website, even if you are just starting out. You will learn how to research keywords, optimise your content and structure, improve your site’s speed and mobile experience, earn backlinks and monitor your performance — all with clear, actionable advice.

Whether you are building a site for the first time or want to improve an existing one, these steps will help you increase your visibility and attract more visitors.

Let’s get started.

Key takeaways

• SEO is a long-term strategy that helps your website rank higher in search results and attract more potential customers.

• You do not need to be an expert to get started with SEO. Focus on small, consistent improvements that align with how people search.

• The foundation of good SEO is understanding your audience, choosing the right keywords and creating useful, relevant content.

• Technical elements like mobile responsiveness, site speed and security also play a big role in how search engines rank your website.

• Building backlinks from trusted websites and regularly updating your content will help build authority and maintain your rankings.

• Using tools to track your SEO performance helps you understand what is working so you can focus your efforts where they matter most.

What is SEO and why do you need it?

Search engine optimisation(SEO) is the process of improving your website so it appears higher in search engine results, like Google or Bing. When people search online for products or services related to your business, SEO helps your site show up before your competitors.

For business owners in Ireland, this means your website becomes easier to find by customers actively looking for what you offer without needing to pay for ads.

SEO works by making your website easier for search engines to understand and more useful for visitors. This involves:

• using the right keywords in your content

• improving your website’s structure and performance

• earning links from other trusted websites

• publishing content that answers common customer questions

The higher your pages rank, the more clicks you are likely to get, which means more visitors, leads and potential customers.

Investing in SEO helps build your online visibility over time, making it easier for people to find and trust your business.

How to optimise your website for SEO: key steps explained

Improving your website for SEO starts with understanding the key areas that search engines look at — from your content and site structure to speed and backlinks. Each step you take helps make your website more visible, user-friendly and trustworthy in the eyes of both search engines and visitors.

In this section, you will learn the most important SEO actions to focus on, starting with keyword research. These steps are designed to be practical and achievable for Irish business owners, whether you are building a new website or updating an existing one.

Let’s go through them one by one.

Step 1: Conduct keyword research

Keyword research is the foundation of any successful SEO strategy. It helps you identify the words and phrases your potential customers type into search engines when looking for products, services or information related to your business.

To get started, think about the questions or terms people might use when searching for what you offer. Then use keyword research tools like:

• Google Keyword Planner (free with a Google Ads account)

• Ubersuggest

• AnswerThePublic

• Semrush or Ahrefs (paid tools with free trials)

These tools can show you:

• how many people are searching for specific terms each month

• how competitive each keyword is

• related keyword ideas or questions (e.g. “how to optimise a website for SEO”)

Once you’ve selected a list of relevant keywords, use them strategically across your website:

• In your page titles and headings

• In the first 100 words of your content

• In image alt text and URLs

• In meta descriptions and internal link anchor text

Avoid “keyword stuffing.” Focus on using keywords naturally within content that genuinely answers the user's intent.

Choosing the right keywords and using them effectively helps search engines understand what your content is about — which improves your chances of ranking higher in search results and attracting more relevant traffic.

Pro Tip: Focus on long-tail keywords — specific search phrases like “best accountant for small business in Cork” rather than just “accountant.” They tend to have lower competition and attract more qualified visitors who are closer to making a decision.

Step 2: Optimise your URLs and site structure

Your website’s URL structure plays an important role in how search engines and users understand your content. Clean, descriptive URLs help improve crawlability, boost click-through rates and support higher search rankings.

A well-optimised URL:

• is short and easy to read

• includes your target keyword

• avoids unnecessary numbers, symbols or filler words

• uses hyphens to separate words (not underscores or spaces)

Examples

• Good: yourbusiness.ie/services/web-design-dublin

• Poor: yourbusiness.ie/page?id=12345 or yourbusiness.ie/servicepageweb123

Consistency is key. Use a logical folder structure across your site that reflects your content hierarchy. For example:

• yourbusiness.ie/services/

• yourbusiness.ie/services/seo/

• yourbusiness.ie/contact/

Clear and consistent URLs improve the user experience and make it easier for search engines to index your pages correctly.

Pro Tip: Avoid changing existing URLs unless absolutely necessary. If you must, always set up a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new one. This preserves your SEO value and avoids broken links.

Step 3: Use headings and image alt text effectively

Clear headings and descriptive image alt text help both users and search engines understand the structure and content of your web pages. They make your site easier to navigate, more accessible, and more likely to appear in relevant search results.

Headings (H1, H2, H3…)

Use headings to break up content into sections and guide the reader through your page. Each page should have one H1 tag (the main title), followed by H2s and H3s for subheadings.

Headings should:

• reflect the topic of each section clearly

• include relevant keywords naturally

• follow a logical order (avoid skipping heading levels)

This helps search engines "chunk" your content for retrieval and may increase your visibility in AI-powered search answers.

Image alt text

Alt text (alternative text) is used to describe images on your website. It improves accessibility for users with screen readers and helps search engines understand the visual content of your site.

Write concise alt text that:

• accurately describes the image

• includes relevant keywords when appropriate

• avoids keyword stuffing or vague phrases like “image1”

Example:

• Good: "Screenshot of Google Keyword Planner showing search volume for 'plumber in Galway'"

• Poor: "image123" or "SEO" alone

Pro tip: Use headings to answer specific user questions. For example, instead of writing “Our Services,” use “What SEO services do we offer in Dublin?” This makes your content more likely to be surfaced by AI search systems when users ask related questions.

Step 4: Optimise for mobile users and site speed

Most website traffic today comes from mobile devices, so your website must perform well on smartphones and tablets. Search engines like Google prioritise mobile-friendly and fast-loading websites in their rankings.

Mobile responsiveness

A mobile-responsive website adapts automatically to different screen sizes, providing a smooth experience across devices. If your site is hard to navigate on a phone, users are likely to leave— and search engines take note.

To check your site’s mobile usability, use tools like:

• Mobile-friendly test
  

• Browser testing tools like BrowserStack or responsive mode in Chrome DevTools

Make sure:

• menus and buttons are easy to tap

• text is readable without zooming

• content doesn’t require horizontal scrolling

Site speed

Fast websites deliver better user experiences and tend to rank higher in search results. Even a one-second delay can increase bounce rates and reduce conversions.

Improve speed by:

• compressing images (use tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh)

• limiting heavy scripts or unnecessary plugins

• enabling browser caching and minifying CSS/JavaScript

• choosing fast, reliable hosting

Use these tools to test and monitor performance:

• Google PageSpeed Insights

• GTmetrix
  

• Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools

Pro tip: aim for a mobile load time under 2.5 seconds and keep your Core Web Vitals in check — especially Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). These metrics directly impact your rankings and user satisfaction.

Step 5: Maintain and update your content regularly

Keeping your website content fresh signals to search engines that your site is active, trustworthy and relevant. Regular updates also help improve rankings and give visitors a reason to return.

Why it matters

Search engines prioritise up-to-date information, especially on topics that change frequently, like service offerings, pricing, or regulations. Updating old content with new insights, updated keywords and clearer formatting improves both user experience and SEO.

It also shows your site is being maintained, which can increase your credibility with both users and algorithms.

What to review and update

• Outdated information: Replace old stats, links, screenshots or examples

• Keywords: Refresh keyword usage based on current search trends

• Headings and structure: Improve formatting for better readability and AI chunking

• Internal links: Add links to new or more relevant pages

• FAQs and featured snippets: Update or expand to match common questions

Use tools like Google Search Console or Google Analytics to identify top-performing and underperforming pages — then start with those.

Pro tip: Add a “Last updated” date to your blog posts and evergreen content. This builds trust with visitors and helps AI search engines identify your content as current and more likely to be used in results.

Step 6: Build high-quality backlinks

Backlinks — links from other websites to yours — are one of the most important factors in SEO. They act as signals of trust and authority. When a reputable site links to your content, it tells search engines that your site is reliable and worth ranking higher in search results.

Why backlinks matter

Backlinks can:

• increase your site's domain authority

• improve rankings for competitive keywords

• drive referral traffic from other websites

• help search engines discover your content faster

However, not all links are equal. Focus on quality, not quantity. A few strong backlinks from trusted, relevant websites are more valuable than dozens of low-quality ones.

How to earn backlinks

For Irish business owners, some effective backlink strategies include:

• Guest posting on relevant blogs, especially local industry sites

• Getting listed in Irish business directories (e.g. GoldenPages.ie)

• Earning mentions from local news sites, chambers of commerce or event sponsors

• Creating shareable content, like how-to guides, infographics or checklists

• Collaborating with partners or local influencers who can reference your site

You can also use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush or Google Search Console to monitor existing backlinks and identify new opportunities.

Pro tip: Avoid buying backlinks or joining low-quality link schemes — these can harm your rankings and lead to penalties. Instead, build relationships and let your content earn links naturally through value and relevance.

Step 7: Track and measure your SEO performance

To improve your SEO, you need to know what is working and where to focus your efforts. Tracking your website’s performance allows you to measure progress, identify opportunities and make better-informed decisions.

Key metrics to monitor

Use free tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track:

• Organic traffic: how many people find your site via search engines

• Bounce rate and session duration: how users engage with your content

• Keyword rankings: how well your pages rank for target terms

• Click-through rate (CTR): how often users click your pages in search results

• Pages indexed and crawl errors: technical issues that might impact visibility

For small business owners in Ireland, these tools provide a clear view of how your website is performing without needing advanced technical knowledge.

How to use insights

Once you have data, you can:

• identify which pages bring in the most traffic

• spot content that needs updating or expanding

• find high-performing keywords to focus on

• adjust your content strategy based on what users search for

Regular tracking helps you stay ahead of competitors and ensures your SEO efforts are paying off.

Pro tip: Set up monthly SEO performance reports in Google Looker Studio to visualise trends and share progress. It’s free, customisable and ideal for monitoring long-term growth.

Why quality content matters for SEO

High-quality content is one of the most powerful tools in your SEO strategy. It helps your website rank higher in search results, keeps visitors engaged, and encourages other websites to link to your pages — all of which improve your visibility and authority online.

Search engines prioritise content that is useful, accurate and relevant to the user's intent. That means your content should not just include the right keywords, but also answer questions clearly and provide genuine value to your audience.

Let’s break down how to do this well.

How to write content that ranks and builds trust

Relevant, helpful content builds trust with both users and search engines. The more your pages reflect what your audience is looking for, the more likely they are to rank and perform well.

Tips to create authoritative content:

• Focus on topics your customers frequently ask about

• Use plain, accessible language — avoid jargon

• Add practical examples, checklists or visuals where possible

• Include original insights, statistics or quotes where relevant

• Keep content structured with clear headings and logical flow

Google and other AI search systems favour content that demonstrates experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). Regularly updating your articles with new data or perspectives helps reinforce that trust.

When users find your content valuable, they are more likely to share it or link to it — which boosts your SEO further.

Where and how to use keywords and metadata in your content

Using the right keywords in the right places helps search engines understand what your content is about. But it’s not just about quantity — placement and relevance are key.

Here’s where to include your primary and secondary keywords:

• In the page title and meta description

• In the H1 and H2 headings

• Within the first 100 words of content

• In image alt text and internal links

Also, make sure each page has well-written metadata:

• Title tag: under 60 characters, includes your main keyword

• Meta description: under 155 characters, summarises the page and encourages clicks

• Open Graph tags (for social sharing): help display your content attractively when shared

Good metadata improves your visibility in search results and helps drive more clicks from users who see your site in listings.

Pro Tip: Use tools like SurferSEO or Clearscope to help structure content around semantically related keywords — not just your primary keyword. This improves topical relevance and helps your pages perform better in AI-powered search results.

How to improve your technical SEO

Technical SEO ensures that your website can be easily accessed, crawled and understood by search engines. It also improves user experience by making your site faster, safer and easier to use — especially on mobile devices.

While it may sound complex, many of the most important technical SEO improvements are simple to apply using modern website tools.

Let’s look at three key areas to focus on:

1. Make your website mobile-friendly

2. Secure your website with HTTPS

3. Choose an SEO-friendly website builder

Make your website mobile-friendly

More than half of all web traffic now comes from mobile devices, and Google uses mobile-first indexing — meaning your mobile version is the primary one used for ranking.

To optimise your site for mobile:

• Use a responsive design that adapts to all screen sizes

• Ensure text is legible, buttons are easy to tap and navigation is simple

• Avoid horizontal scrolling and pop-ups that block content

• Test your site using mobile-friendly testing tools or Chrome DevTools

• Mobile-friendliness helps reduce bounce rates and improves dwell time — two indirect SEO signals that can impact your rankings.

Pro tip: Use lazy loading for images on mobile pages. This defers image loading until the user scrolls, which improves page speed without sacrificing quality.

Website security is critical not just for protecting user data, but also for your SEO. Google considers HTTPS a ranking signal, and secure sites are more trusted by both users and browsers.

Steps to improve your website security:

• Install an SSL certificate (HTTPS) if you haven’t already

• Keep your CMS, plugins and themes updated

• Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication where possible

• Set up regular backups in case of failure or attack

• Use a trusted security plugin if you’re on platforms like WordPress

A secure, well-maintained site supports long-term SEO growth by reducing downtime and improving reliability.

Pro tip: Avoid mixed content errors by ensuring all internal links and media use HTTPS, not HTTP. Mixed content can trigger browser warnings and undermine trust.

Choose an SEO-friendly website builder

If you’re building or redesigning your site, using an SEO-friendly website builder can give you a strong head start. The right platform simplifies optimisation and helps you implement best practices from day one.

Look for a builder that includes:

• Customisable title tags and meta descriptions

• Clean, crawlable URL structures

• Mobile-optimised and fast-loading templates

• Access to alt text, heading tags and schema markup

• Integration with tools like Google Analytics and Search Console

Popular options for small business owners in Ireland include WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace and Wix — all of which offer SEO-friendly features with minimal technical setup.

Pro Tip: Before choosing a builder, check how well its templates score on Google PageSpeed Insights. Fast-loading templates can make a real difference to your SEO performance.

How to promote your content and track your SEO success

Even the best-optimised website needs visibility. Promoting your content and tracking your performance ensures that your SEO efforts reach the right audience — and keep improving over time.

This section covers how to share content, build backlinks, measure results and keep your site in top shape.

Share your content to expand reach

Promoting your content increases its chances of being seen, shared and linked to — which are all strong signals for SEO performance.

Effective ways to promote your content include:

• Sharing on social media (e.g. LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram)

• Emailing your audience with links to new blog posts or updates

• Engaging in relevant online communities (e.g. local forums, Reddit, Quora)

• Repurposing articles into visuals, videos or infographics

When posting, include clear calls to action and target relevant hashtags or groups to reach the right audience — especially if your business is focused on a local area in Ireland.

Build backlinks from trusted sources

Getting backlinks — links from other websites to your own — is one of the most valuable SEO tactics. They improve domain authority and signal to search engines that your content is credible.

To build backlinks:

• Offer to guest post on Irish business or industry blogs

• Create useful tools or guides others will want to reference

• Collaborate with local influencers, associations or partners

• Submit your site to relevant Irish business directories

• Reach out to websites that have mentioned your brand without linking and ask for a link

Focus on backlinks from reputable, relevant and non-spammy websites. Quality beats quantity every time.

Pro Tip: Use a tool like Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker or Ubersuggest to see which websites link to your competitors. These can be great starting points for your own outreach.

Measure and track your SEO performance

Tracking your SEO results is essential to know what’s working and where you should focus next.

Use tools like:

• Google Analytics — to monitor traffic, bounce rates and user behaviour

• Google Search Console — to check keyword rankings, impressions and click-through rates

• Looker Studio — to visualise key trends over time

Key things to monitor:

• Which pages attract the most traffic

• What search queries bring users to your site

• Which backlinks drive referral traffic

• How long visitors stay and what they do on your site

These insights help you refine your strategy and allocate resources more effectively.

Pro tip: Set up monthly automated reports using Google Looker Studio. This helps you identify trends, spot drops early and present results to stakeholders.

Keep your website updated and optimised

A well-maintained website supports both user experience and SEO performance. Regular updates show search engines that your site is active, relevant and worth ranking.

Focus on:

• Adding new content, blog posts or product updates regularly

• Fixing broken links and redirecting outdated pages

• Refreshing outdated information or media (e.g. replacing old screenshots)

• Optimising images, headings and meta descriptions

• Reviewing site speed and mobile performance periodically

Ongoing optimisation helps retain rankings and prevent performance drops.

Common SEO mistakes to avoid

Even with the best intentions, it’s easy to make SEO errors that can hold back your website’s performance. Here are the most common mistakes small business owners in Ireland make — and how to avoid them.

Ignoring keyword intent

Not all keywords are equal. Targeting broad or irrelevant terms may bring traffic, but not the right visitors. Focus on keywords that match what your ideal customers are actually looking for — whether that’s information, a service or a specific product.

Do this: Choose long-tail, locally relevant keywords that reflect user intent.

Keyword stuffing

Overloading your pages with keywords makes content hard to read and can trigger penalties from search engines.

Do this: Use keywords naturally in headings, opening sentences, alt text and meta tags. Prioritise clarity over density.

Neglecting mobile users

If your site doesn’t work well on smartphones, you’ll lose visitors — and rankings. Google indexes mobile versions first.

Do this: Test your site on different screen sizes and use responsive design.

Skipping meta descriptions and title tags

These short snippets are what people see in search results. If they’re missing or poorly written, your click-through rate can suffer.

Do this: Write clear, compelling meta descriptions and include your target keyword in the page title.

Not building backlinks

Backlinks are one of the strongest ranking signals, yet many small websites overlook them.

Do this: Reach out to relevant blogs, partners or directories and create shareable content worth linking to.

Failing to track performance

Without data, you’re flying blind. You won’t know what’s working or where to improve.

Do this: Set up Google Analytics and Search Console from the start. Review your reports regularly.

As search engines become increasingly AI-driven, your SEO strategy needs to adapt. Traditional ranking signals like keywords and backlinks still matter — but modern AI search systems also evaluate context, structure, user intent and content clarity to generate their results.

This shift means your content must be optimised not just for search engine crawlers, but also for large language models (LLMs) that power tools like Google Search Generative Experience (SGE), Bing Copilot and ChatGPT.

Here’s how to optimise your website for AI-powered search:

Structure your content for chunk-level retrieval

AI models extract answers from sections of your content, not always full pages.

Do this:

• Break content into short, focused sections with clear headings

• Use consistent heading levels (e.g. H2 for main sections, H3 for subpoints)

• Add summaries, FAQs and pro tips for better extractability

Align content with natural language queries

AI search responds to how people speak or type questions — not just keywords.

Do this:

• Write headings that answer common questions (e.g. “How do I optimise my homepage for SEO?”)

• Include variations of phrasing, synonyms and related terms

• Add examples, lists and comparisons — formats AI tends to surface

Improve topical depth and breadth

AI favours content that thoroughly covers a topic and anticipates user intent.

Do this:

• Cover related subtopics, not just the primary keyword

• Add internal links to supporting content (e.g. “Learn more about keyword tools”)

• Use visual elements like infographics or tables where helpful

Optimise for credibility and clarity

AI models tend to surface content that is trustworthy and easy to interpret.

Do this:

• Write clearly and avoid unnecessary jargon

• Include references, tools and sources where relevant

• Ensure spelling, grammar and formatting are consistent

Use metadata and structured data

Metadata still matters — especially when AI systems rely on multiple signals to determine relevance.

Do this:

• Write custom meta descriptions and title tags that match user questions

• Implement FAQ schema and HowTo schema where applicable

• Add alt text to all images using descriptive keywords

Pro Tip: AI search results are more likely to feature content that shows expertise and clarity, not just keyword optimisation. Consider publishing opinion pieces, how-to guides or real-life case studies to build trust and provide unique value.

Getting your website to rank well in search results does not happen overnight, but with the right steps, it’s entirely achievable. Whether you're a small business owner in Ireland or growing your online presence for the first time, SEO helps people find you when it matters most.

By applying what you've learned — from keyword research and content structure to backlinks, mobile optimisation and AI SEO — you’re building a website that not only performs better in search engines, but also delivers real value to your visitors.

Start small, stay consistent, and track your progress. Every improvement you make helps increase your visibility, grow your traffic and support your long-term business goals online.