How do I rank higher on Google?
Increasing your rankings to appear as high as possible in Google’s SERPs (search engine results pages) is the ultimate goal of SEO. But it’s not a one-click solution (otherwise everyone would be doing it!).
But in short the key areas to focus on are: creating high quality with user-focused content to match the intent of the searcher’s intent. Then optimise your content to include relevant keywords, but don’t forget usability factors such as page load speed and mobile-friendliness. Finally, build high-authority backlinks and optimise your user experience to build your rankings and visibility.
Actionable SEO Tips to Enhance Optimization & Traffic
If you want to get started, here are the ten essential SEO tips to help grow your website traffic.
Tip 1# Use Relevant Keywords
Keep your content in line with your marketing strategy and find the right keywords for your website. Basically, keywords are phrases and buzzwords that people are searching for online, and effective use of these keywords can bring the right audience to your platform.
Using keywords in website content, meta tags, URLs, and alt attributes can help your website to align with your target market searches easier and more quickly. Always use long-tail keywords to boost the relevance of the common keywords for specificity.
Tip 2# Be Consistent with Posting Quality Content
Content brings users to your website, but publishing engaging content will have them returning repeatedly. Posting original content consistently communicates the expertise and uniqueness of your business, and your target market is more likely to develop a long-lasting relationship with your brand.
Google’s algorithms sift out unhelpful content to display helpful content that addresses user queries. Ensure your page can engage your audience with videos, images and content presented in an SEO-friendly way. Your content will be likely to get more clicks and will increase the probability of getting more ROI.
Tip 3# Use Featured Snippets for Content
Featured snippets have become a norm on SERPs. When users search for specific keywords, these summarised answers appear above the result pages. Google’s algorithm scans through websites to display an answer relevant to the search query. Snippets must be stylised to feature on search engine result pages.
Some formats include using bullet points, answering questions directly, or including infographics. Once an answer from your website comes up at the top in search results, chances of getting clicks increase and you generate more leads. Our digital marketing services can help you find the right snippets for your business and services.
Tip 4# Optimise for Voice Search
Internet users’ habits will continue to evolve, particularly when it comes to searching for products and services online. Due to the current inclusion of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in search engines, voice searches have become more popular than ever before. Optimising your website for voice search results is a great way to get traffic quickly and easily.
The rise in voice searches also stems from the increased number of smart speakers in our homes. When optimising a website for voice search, select the right keywords and add personality to your content. The more your website enhances user experience, the more traffic you drive from voice searches.
Tip 5# Optimise Your Website for Mobile
There are many types of phones with distinct orientations and screen adaptations. Building a worthwhile user experience starts with being present where your audience is. Optimising your website to be mobile-friendly will increase your rankings in the search engine.
The optimisation will also improve website page loading speeds to reduce bounce rates and increase retention rates. In addition, your content should also adapt to the different screen sizes with appropriate text sizes and images.
Tip 6# Include Multiple Media Types
The type of content you post will directly impact your rankings on the SERPs. Having a mix of media drives more traffic by engaging different types of audiences. Some audiences value images and videos, while others prefer blogs, eBooks, and quizzes.
To attract different audiences, a mixed-media marketing strategy that will use images, audio, eBooks, videos, and animations is ideal. As a result, the time users spend on your website will help decrease the website bounce rate. For example, you could complement your blogs with video content. Around 84% of brands recognise that video content has helped them generate leads. If you are looking for the right time to optimise your videos for better ranking, do it now.
Tip 7# Leverage Internal Links
Besides the click-through rates, Google also ranks websites by the time users spend on different web pages of a website. In addition, the time your audience spends on your website also improves rankings. This means you should aim to keep users on your website for longer.
Focus on linking to existing content on your website for users to interact with relevant pages. The more they explore your website, the more they will go through the funnel. These metrics signify that your website has high-quality and relevant content.
Tip 8# Build More Relevant Links
Link building is a smart SEO strategy that improves ranking and increases traffic. Backlinks are links posted on other pages which lead users to your website. A website gains more authority by generating links from other authoritative and reputable websites.
When your content is informative and backed by infographics and other visual elements, more websites will link your content to theirs. When their visitors scroll through the content, they click your link, which directs them to your site. The more links people click on, the more leads you stand to generate.
Tip 9# Repurposing Old Content
Posting content consistently is a successful marketing strategy to get more traffic. Over the years, your website has accumulated numerous types of content like blogs, videos, and more, but the rule of thumb is always to keep that content up to date. The business landscape constantly changes, and your content should also reflect these changes.
Repurpose old content by updating information and republishing it to your sites. You can still generate qualifying leads and improve website traffic from the content you posted earlier.
Tip 10# Decrease Site Loading Speeds
Many brands and businesses require assistance with SEO; however, they often prioritise content over technical SEO aspects. Irrespective of the services and content offered, a website must load swiftly. Users tend to abandon slow-loading pages within seconds, leading to lost opportunities for businesses.
If the bounce rate on your website is higher, it will affect your website ranking result. Delete broken links, resize images and ensure your content is high-quality and from there, user retention increases on your website with fast-loading pages.
While SEO goes beyond just the points highlighted above – you could break down each point into a whole topic of its own – using these tips will impact how your audience consumes content on your site and help you generate more leads with higher conversion percentages. But don’t forget to continue learning SEO strategies and staying up to date with all current trends, as the landscape is ever changing.