It doesn’t take more than a few seconds to see how important ranking high on Google is for an online business. Without proper SEO and the resulting page ranks, nobody will know your site exists. You won’t get traffic and therefore no sales or communication with consumers.
Don’t know how to get your website on top of Google? Uncertain about how SEO works or the different tactics to rank higher?
Worry no further, we’ve got a list right here to teach you how to rank higher on Google. Read on below to discover more:
1. Prioritize UX
Over the years, the different updates Google released for its search algorithm focus on two things: relevance and user experience (UX). When a site ranks high on SERP, it should only do so because the content is relevant to the query and because previous visitor behavior proves it’s a site worth exploring.
For a start, menus shouldn’t be confusing to navigate. People should be able to find information quickly and anchor text for links should be relevant to the pages they lead to. Pages should load smoothly and information should display neatly.
2. Mobile-Friendly Design
Did you know more people rely on smartphones to access the Internet compared to people on desktop computers or laptops? Since the crowd is on mobile, you have to make sure your site caters to their viewing and navigating experience. Even Google acknowledges this with its mobile-first algorithm update.
Using the built-in responsive web design feature on WordPress isn’t enough.
Make sure you keep paragraphs short so that the text won’t appear as intimidating walls when viewed on a tiny smartphone. You need to make sure you space buttons well enough so people with stubby fingers won’t make mistakes when tapping on their phones.
3. More Backlinks
Backlinks are among the most important ranking factors in your repertoire. Google looks at your backlinking profile as a way to gauge your authority over a topic. Your backlinking profile can let Google know whether or not other websites trust or like your content.
How do you get more backlinks?
Start by creating evergreen content like how-to guides or top 10 lists. Learn to diversify your work. Upload blogs, video content, infographics, and charts.
Soon enough, people will start linking to your pages. Don’t stop there, though, and approach other sites for guest posting opportunities.
Related Article: What is SEO? / Search Engine Optimization
4. Speed Matters
Most guides online state your web pages should load in 3 seconds or less. Any longer than that and people might go back to the results page and click on another website. But what drives this kind of behavior?
Keep in mind there are thousands of other websites out there. If your page is too slow, what’s to stop people from picking a faster option? They might be faster than your site and still provide the answers people seek.
If you want your website to get on top, you need to optimize pages for speed. Start by reducing the file size for images, remove Flash content, and clean up your CSS or HTML code.
5. SEO-Optimized Content
Content is king but this goes beyond good writing. Your content has to be relevant and should be SEO-optimized.
Use the tools available like Google Keyword Planner to find keywords you can base content around. Get on Reddit or Quora and Facebook to find out what specific, niche topics and questions people want you to answer. Creating content this way ensures people actively seek the answers and information on your pages.
6. On-Page Efforts
Content and backlinks won’t do much good if your on-page SEO isn’t on point. Unfortunately, some people forget about on-page SEO because of the technical know-how required.
Start by including keywords in your titles, tags for your images, and the meta description for the page. Keep titles brief but to the point, guaranteeing the whole title appears when viewed on the search results page.
Don’t forget to spend time on your schema markup and break your content up with H2 and H3 headers. Both of these helps Google and users understand the structure and content of your pages.
7. Aim for Position Zero
Quick: type a question on Google search. When you see the results, you’ll likely find a boxed answer sitting at the top, right above the organic search results. That box is a featured snippet and many refer to it as “position zero.”
You should aim for position zero. It’s the first answer people see and it often drives people to click on it for further reading.
How do you get there? Try to anticipate the kind of questions people might ask in regards to the topics you cover. Make sure your content, particularly the intro or first few paragraphs, provide a specific, straight-to-the-point answer that can fit into a featured snippet box.
8. Check the Competition
Despite all your efforts, does your competitor still rank higher than you? It’s time to bust out some tools like SpyFu and discover how and why the competition found success. Look for the kind of content they prioritize and use the tool to check the keywords they rank highly for.
Now it’s up to you to decide if you want to go head-to-head and use the same keywords or if you will focus on creating content around the keywords your competitor ignored.
Master How to Get Your Website on Top of Google Now!
Learning how to get your website on top of Google isn’t simple. It takes time and a lot of patience to finally see results. However, if you follow this guide, you’ll eventually find yourself on the right track.
Of course, it’s a good idea to avoid doing all this by yourself. Hire the best SEO experts to guarantee you get the job done right.
That’s why we’re here. If you want professional SEO consultants to give you a boost, feel free to get in touch with us here! Work with us to formulate the right SEO strategy for your business!
