How to Improve Your Website SEO: 12 Practical Steps That Work

You don't need to overhaul everything to improve your SEO. Most websites have obvious issues that, once fixed, deliver noticeable results. Here are 12 practical steps you can take—starting with the changes that typically make the biggest difference.

We've ordered these by impact and difficulty. Start at the top, work your way down. You'll see improvements before you finish the list.

1. Fix Your Page Speed Issues

Slow websites lose visitors and rankings. This is often the highest-impact fix you can make.

Run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights. Anything below 50 on mobile needs immediate attention. Common fixes include compressing images, enabling browser caching, and removing unused plugins or scripts.

Google's Core Web Vitals—LCP, FID, and CLS—are now ranking factors. Your Largest Contentful Paint should load within 2.5 seconds. If it doesn't, you're losing both rankings and customers who won't wait.

2. Optimise Your Title Tags

Title tags appear in search results and browser tabs. They're crucial for both rankings and clicks.

Each page needs a unique, descriptive title under 60 characters. Include your primary keyword naturally. Make it compelling—this is your headline in search results. "Home - Company Name" wastes an opportunity. "Emergency Plumber Truro | 24/7 Callouts | Company Name" tells users and Google exactly what the page offers.

3. Write Meta Descriptions That Get Clicks

Meta descriptions don't directly affect rankings, but they affect click-through rates—which indirectly affect rankings.

Keep them under 160 characters. Include your keyword. Focus on benefits. Tell readers what they'll get by clicking. "We provide comprehensive services across multiple sectors with years of experience" says nothing. "Fix your boiler today. Local engineers, fair prices, available 7 days. Call for free quote" gives people a reason to click.

4. Add Internal Links Between Your Pages

Internal links help Google understand your site structure and spread ranking power between pages.

Every page should link to at least 2-3 other relevant pages on your site. Your homepage should link to your most important service pages. Blog posts should link to related articles and service pages. Check our SEO fundamentals guide for more on site structure.

5. Make Sure Your Site Works on Mobile

Google uses mobile-first indexing. If your site doesn't work on phones, you're in trouble.

Over 60% of searches happen on mobile devices. Google now primarily uses the mobile version of your site for ranking decisions. Test your site using Google's Mobile-Friendly Test. Fix any issues it identifies.

6. Claim and Optimise Your Google Business Profile

For local businesses, your Google Business Profile often matters more than your website.

If you serve local customers, this is essential. Claim your free listing at Google Business. Fill out every section. Add photos weekly. Respond to reviews. Post updates. An active profile signals to Google that you're a legitimate, engaged business. See our local SEO guide for detailed optimisation steps.

7. Create Content That Answers Questions

The best SEO content directly answers questions your potential customers are asking.

Think about what people ask before hiring you. "How much does X cost?" "What's the difference between Y and Z?" "How do I know if I need..." Create content answering these questions thoroughly. This builds trust and captures search traffic from people researching before they buy.

8. Fix Broken Links and 404 Errors

Broken links frustrate users and waste your site's "link equity."

Use a tool like Screaming Frog (free for up to 500 URLs) to crawl your site and find broken links. Fix or remove them. Set up proper 301 redirects for pages you've moved or deleted. Every broken link is a missed opportunity.

9. Add Alt Text to All Images

Alt text helps Google understand images and improves accessibility.

Every image needs descriptive alt text. Don't stuff keywords—describe what the image shows. "Blue kitchen renovation completed in Falmouth showing new cabinets and island" beats "kitchen renovation Cornwall kitchen design Falmouth." Be descriptive, be natural.

10. Use Headers Properly (H1, H2, H3)

Headers structure your content for both readers and search engines.

Each page needs exactly one H1 tag—usually your page title. Use H2s for main sections, H3s for subsections. Include keywords naturally but don't force them. Proper header structure helps Google understand your content hierarchy.

11. Get More Quality Backlinks

Links from other websites signal authority to Google. Quality matters more than quantity.

Focus on earning links naturally through great content. Get listed on relevant industry directories. Ask suppliers or partners to link to you. Avoid buying links or joining link schemes—Google penalises these practices. One link from a respected industry publication beats 100 from spammy directories.

12. Monitor Your Progress

You can't improve what you don't measure.

Set up Google Search Console (free) to track your search performance. Install Google Analytics to understand your traffic. Check monthly: which pages rank for which keywords, where traffic comes from, what content performs best. Use this data to inform future improvements.

For more tools you can use without spending money, check our guide to free SEO tools. If you want professional help implementing these changes, our SEO services cover everything from quick audits to ongoing optimisation.