SEO Doesn’t Have to Be Hard: Tips for Beginners Who Just Want Clarity
SEO felt like a tangled mess when I first started my website. Every article said something different, every tool gave mixed signals, and I was left more confused than before I’d begun. If that sounds familiar, this post is for you. I'm not here to sell an expensive strategy — just to show you how I simplified my own SEO approach using a few basic strategies and a little common sense.
This updated version first appeared on my original blog at davidcondonwoodcraft.ie. (linked below)
What Even Is SEO? (And Why It Was So Confusing at First)
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) was a complete mystery to me when I first got serious about improving my website performance. In simple terms, SEO is the information Google and other search engines use to understand what your website is about.
It wasn’t until I got some solid, straightforward advice that things began to click — and I’ll share that with you here.
The Basics I Wish I’d Known
I use a Wix website, and by default, the SEO page titles looked something like this:
Page description | Website name | Location
For example: Home | David Condon Woodcraft | Tralee
Meta Title is marked Red below, yellow is the meta description.
If you hover your mouse over any browser tab with your mouse, you’ll see the meta title appear. Most people edit these fields to help Google rank their site more accurately — and that’s your first real step into SEO.
What I aim to do here is give you a very quick, beginner-friendly introduction to SEO. Nothing too complex. If you can:
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Access your website editor
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Locate where to edit your SEO basics
Access to Google Search Console
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And spare a bit of time for one or two key pages...
...you’re off to a great start.
If you already know your way around SEO, feel free to skip ahead and check out some of my other blog posts!
What I Got Wrong at the Start
When I started out, I used loads of free tools to scan my web pages. I won’t list them here — there are too many, both free and paid. The problem? Every single blog or tool gave me different “rules” for meta titles and descriptions and different advice for best practice.
Some said the meta title limit was 80 characters, others said 70 or 60. Most of these articles were written at different times, based on outdated or evolving Google preferences.
What advice is correct?
Honestly — I fell into the trap of listening to all of them because I didn't know any better. Many of those sources are also actively trying to sell you something, so their “SEO reports” may be exaggerated or skewed to show you are worse of than you actually are. You need to be careful. I have nothing to sell you here other than the price of a coffee or two if you choose to support me at the end. Meta Titles should be no more than 60 characters, this includes spaces. Meta Descriptions should be no more than 160 characters including spaces. Sometimes a 'call to action' or CTA is good. eg. Shop Online! Don't feel like you have to use all the character spaces though, make sure your meta titles are as informative as they need to be and leave it at that. Same with your meta description, give as much relevant information about your page while making it sound interesting and add a good CTA.
When It Finally Made Sense
Wix initially suggested that every page use the same basic SEO layout. That didn’t seem logical, and it certainly wasn’t effective. This meant that only the page name would be different, how was that going to help me? After a lot of trial, error, and reading, I finally simplified things.
A helpful person “in the know” also pointed me in the right direction with simple advice. I then came up with a much more streamlined, easy-to-understand approach. Good enough for all Newbies!
Now, SEO is no longer a mystery. It’s just about staying consistent, relevant, and clear — which is exactly what I’ll continue to share in the rest of this post. 20 minutes a week, 3 or 4 pages to optimise at a time and you are in great shape. It also helps to think like a buyer and go forward based on buyer needs. eg. I love to do Woodturning. Meta title suggestion: Woodturning Classes in Tralee | Woodturning near me These might get customers to click the link. Apply that logic to your own website pages and you should see improvements.
Real-World Examples From My Website
It also helps to use images that support your Meta Title, Meta Description, H1 Header, and main page text. For example, I might include a photo of a woodturning class in progress, and name the image file something like woodturning-classes-in-tralee.jpg. Then I’d add a clear caption and alt text using related keywords I’d like to rank for. This not only reinforces the topic of the page but also increases the chances of your images appearing in Google Image search results.
Anyway, moving on. From the images above you can tell that I have tried to remain consistent. I have edited these several times as my website has changed and I have tried to grab better and more relevant keywords. Have a play around with your webpages to make a similar structure. I have strayed a bit from my original keywords recently but my homepage is well indexed at this stage and features well on Google.
Three Tools I Actually Found Useful
There are so many tools out there that promise the sun, moon & stars and most of them tell you that there is something wrong with your website. Many will tell you something different with each scan. Most require that you register first which is probably fair since you are using their services. Gimmicks to get you using their tools mostly although it is possible that there is something wrong with your website. I use multiple tools at all times and the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.
I am going to pick 3 webtools here which I have used and which have been helpful. I am not going to grade or review them, all 3 have their pros and cons and it is up to you to choose what you want to use going forward. I should add that I still use them for quick references and using all at the same time is smart thinking. Google is free 24/7/365 advertising for your business so it is worth paying for an SEO optimizer tool if you are really serious about your business. Free will only get you so far!
Ubersuggest: You have to register first to use it, it has some good tools that go beyond SEO stuff. I bought a lifetime membership around Christmas a few years back, the price and time was right and the tools are good. Neil Patel, the owner; has plenty of YouTube videos that you can watch too.
DIIB: You have to register for free site check, has some helpful insights. I felt the pricing was a bit unclear and each product fix led you down a rabbit hole of text which outlined what you should do. I does give you a quick overview analysis of your website which is a handy reference.
Sitecheckerpro: You have to register for free site check. I found this site gave some new helpful tips and insights on my website. It goes beyond most SEO tools and can be quite good to use.
What to Watch Out For With SEO Scanners
My one gripe with all of these tools is they don't seem to differentiate between regular website pages and product pages. They often tell you that you don't have enough text on a page, then that there is too much, meta titles too long or too short, etc etc ad nauseum. I suspect that they give you so much so that you will book in a face to face (over internet) paid meeting to discuss your strategy.
It's good to believe that no software company is on your side or have your best interests at heart before you start. They might be helpful but they still need your money!
Final Tips for Starting Your SEO Journey
If you’ve made it this far and you’re completely new to SEO — well done! The screenshots and examples above should help you get your bearings. They certainly helped me when I first overhauled my entire website.
The key takeaway: Make sure your Page Title, Meta Description, H1 Header Title and Main Page Content all relate to each other. Keep them relevant and consistent — that’s how you build trust with both Google and your readers.
Be aware: SEO is a long and winding road. Google regularly updates its algorithm, so what works today may need tweaking later. You can absolutely do most of the basics yourself without hiring an expert — but down the line, it might be worth investing in help if your business grows.
Also, don’t expect instant results. It can take weeks for Google to pick up your changes. You can speed this up slightly by asking Google Search Console to re-index your pages — but even then, updates won’t appear overnight.
And yes — sometimes Google will rewrite your Meta Titles or Descriptions based on what it thinks is most accurate. Don’t panic. Just focus on writing naturally and clearly, with helpful keywords in the right places.
Also, always aim to be truthful in your content. Don’t claim to be based in a big city if you’re actually in the countryside just to chase traffic — not only can it confuse or mislead customers, but over time, search engines can pick up on inconsistencies between your content, location data, and user behaviour. It’s better to build trust with accuracy than risk penalties by stretching the truth.
One final tip? Open your website in one browser tab, and open three of your competitors in others. Look at how they structure their SEO. Then use what you learn as inspiration to build your own style.
Once you get started, it’s not as scary as it seems. Best of luck on your SEO journey!
Thanks for reading, David
You may be interested in reading this post too, Why Google Ads Is So Hard for Small Businesses: An Open Letter to Google
💬 Feel free to leave a comment if you found this interesting or have an opinion.
💬 Blogger-Specific Ending Note
This post was originally published on my main website, but I've moved it here to keep my affiliate and pop-culture musings separate from my woodcraft work. If you like this kind of content, check out some of my other posts — and thanks for reading!
🔗 Want more? Check out my full blog archive over at David Condon Woodcraft where I share woodturning tips, craft ideas, and more personal reflections on Ireland and Craft in general.
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