Ranking on the first page of the Google search results has always been tricky to achieve and is a testament to a business’ digital marketing prowess. In this blog, we’ll show you how to improve your Google ranking to increase your brand’s visibility, score more clicks to your website and attract new customers.
Discover how to improve your Google ranking
Studies show that the first page of Google results receives over 91% of clicks. So, it’s easy to see why so many businesses want to get to Page 1 of Google. Not much web traffic makes it past the first page and if you’re on the third or fourth, your business will definitely struggle to gain visibility, traffic and leads.
SEO is a long-term game. It does require dedication and cost, but there are ways to increase your ranking without spending exorbitant amounts of time and money.
Follow the below steps to help your business get found in Google.
1. Assess your site’s current ranking
To understand how to improve your Google ranking, you first need to discover where your site currently sits. To start, find out which keywords your site is already ranking for to determine what you need to improve on. To do this, you can use free tools like the AHRefs SERP Checker.
While you’re assessing your site, you may also want to check your site’s overall health and site speed to ensure other Google ranking factors aren’t affecting your site. For instance, perhaps a recent algorithm update has slowed down your site or Google has deindexed your site altogether. You can use tools like BEAM Creative’s Free SEO Checker to check site speed and diagnose any site issues. (The tool will also provide suggestions on how you can improve your site speed.)
2. Understand Google ranking factors and algorithm updates
To improve your Google ranking you need to better understand Google ranking factors. Some factors will have a large impact on your site’s ability to rank, for instance, having a keyword as the first word in your domain name. But many experts agree that using keywords in other important areas is also crucial. On the other hand, you don’t want to stuff each page with keywords (Google will detect that tactic!). Ideally, your content should be high-quality and in-depth, with keywords in the right places. Your site should be optimised correctly, from image tags to headlines and everything in between.
3. Submit your site’s URL to Google
You’d be surprised at just how many business owners (and even web developers!) overlook this simple step, particularly when setting up a new site. As a result, many of these businesses fall completely off Google’s radar. Ensure your website’s URL is submitted to Google, or you will be invisible to all but yourself!
4. Conduct thorough keyword research (and create compelling content!)
When considering how to improve your Google ranking, improving your on-page SEO is crucial. This involves conducting thorough keyword research and then implementing those keywords within your site. This research can also be helpful in discovering what your audience is interested in.
Your chosen keywords should be both informational and transactional keywords. Informational keywords are more commonly used when a user is still researching what to buy. These potential customers may use question keywords such as “how,” “what,” or “where”. Transactional keywords can reveal more targeted users who are ready to buy.
For instance, for an accountant, an informational keyword might be “tax return checklist” whereas a transactional keyword might be “tax returns near me”. Once you have collated your target keywords, use them to create content!
5. Ensure your site is mobile-friendly
Up to 60% of all searches are now conducted on mobile. If your site is not mobile friendly, you may be bypassing a large proportion of your audience. In fact, Google now penalises sites which are not mobile friendly. Ideally, your mobile site should load quickly, have working internal links and should not hide any content that is visible on desktop.
We hope this guide has helped you understand how to improve your Google ranking. Diagnosing your exact site issues and implementing changes may take time, but you’ll be rewarded in the long term with improved visibility and sales or leads to your site. We highly recommend taking the time to understand your target audience’s search terms and creating compelling content that will keep users coming back for more!
BEAM works with businesses to help increase their marketing’s overall effectiveness to gain brand awareness, drive interest in products/services and generate quality leads for sales.
To find out how to get found on Page 1 of Google, or improve your brand’s performance overall, contact us today.
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