Online searches have helped people find answers to all types of questions they have. Whether you have a lyric stuck in your head and can’t remember the song or you want to do a detailed research on a particular topic, you can rely on Google.
Most of us find the information we need in the first Search Engine Results Page (SERP). That’s how streamlined things have become with the help of technology. If you are running a small business and want to gain a wider audience, the most economical and strategic way to market your brand is by grabbing one of the top three Google or Bing search results spots. You can use the following guide to improve your website’s ranking:
1. Focus On Content
Content marketing has evolved over the years into something of high importance. People generally stay on websites that have engaging content which is easy to read and comprehend. Even if you have a four-page website with just two to three paragraphs on each page, whatever you have on the site should have the total essence of what your page has to say.
Furthermore, no one’s going to benefit from outdated or limited information. If your website is more fact-driven, it is important to update the information every day.
2. Make Your Website User-Friendly
Your website design and layout also play an important role in getting the viewer’s attention. Ensure your website has a reliable sitemap so that the user can navigate through it easily. No one likes to be on a site that has slow and unresponsive web pages. Before your site goes live, perform a speed test to see how the pages and site loads. If you are including videos, ensure the plug-ins work well.
Most people today prefer using their smartphones instead of desktops and tablets for browsing. That’s why it is important to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly.
3. Implement The Right Keywords
Improve your site ranking by introducing relevant keywords on each page. For instance, if you’re offering home decoration services, you can use keywords such as home improvements, home decoration, wallpapering, painting, decorating, etc. on your website with the right amount of keyword density.
However, make sure that you do not stuff the same keyword many times on a page, as your content will read oddly. You can improve your site’s ranking with the help of alt tags and Metadata as well.
4. Guest Blogging
When you add guest posts on a variety of websites, you get access to a much larger audience. Create well-written content for different websites and add relevant hyperlinks in your blogs redirecting the user to your website. This increases organic traffic and gives your website credibility. The more hits you get on your website, the higher your site goes up, as far as SERPs are concerned.
5. Hire A Reliable SEO Agency
Let’s face it, running a business is a Herculean task. If you don’t have enough time to work on your website’s ranking, you can hire an agency to handle it for you. Experienced SEO agencies will understand your business and use the right keywords to get the target audience on your page. You can also rely on them for Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns as well as other SEO tools. These campaigns give you exceptional results quickly and efficiently.
6. Avoid Getting Penalized By Google
Google has never mentioned on what grounds they rank websites. However, they are aware that most website creators want to be on the first page on SERPS. Google has a set of webmaster guidelines, which they expect all websites to strictly comply with. If you do not follow these guidelines your website could get penalized. Your page might not even appear on any of the search results pages.
Never use unnecessary hyperlinks, especially ones that redirect to broken and unreliable links. Also, ensure that you do not have any malicious links on your website. Content theft is taken very seriously.
If your content has been plagiarized from another website, there are strong chances of getting penalized. Furthermore, if your website is too slow to load or has keywords stuffed all across the page, you can expect a penalty.
By following the above tips, you can expect to see your company website appearing on the first page on SERPS. If you have been penalized, don’t worry. You can make use of this guide to see where you’re going wrong and fix your website.
