Did you know that Google uses over 200 ranking factors to determine your website’s position on the search engine results pages (SERPs)? That’s a lot of things to keep track of if you’re trying to optimize your site for better search engine visibility.
Fortunately, you don’t need to memorize all 200 of these factors (or even understand them) before you can find success with the search engines. And while Google’s ranking algorithm is very complex, there are a few simple things you can do to give your website the best chance of ranking higher and driving home more traffic.
Ensure your website is well-designed, user-friendly, and accessible
If your website is difficult to navigate or isn’t aesthetically pleasing, users are likely to click away quickly (otherwise known as bouncing).
This will tell Google that your site isn’t worth ranking high on the SERPs since it doesn’t satisfy user needs. To avoid this, make sure your website is designed with the user in mind. Use clear and concise text, easy-to-navigate menus, and attractive visuals to keep users engaged.
Additionally, you need to make sure your site is accessible to users with disabilities. Not only is it a legal obligation in many countries, but it’s also good for your website’s ranking since many of the factors that make your website accessible are also key ranking factors for Google (e.g., having alt text for images).
To see if your site meets the various standards, you can use a website accessibility checker tool. This will highlight areas where you need to make improvements, so you can ensure your site is as accessible as possible.
Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions
When it comes to on-page optimization, your titles and descriptions are some of the most important pieces of text on your website. That’s because they give Google an idea of what your website is about, which helps the search engine determine whether your site is a good match for a particular query.
To make sure your titles and descriptions are optimized for the SERPs, include your target keywords where it makes sense (but don’t stuff them in there). You should also aim to keep your titles and descriptions under 55 characters, so they don’t get cut off on the SERPs.
Get quality backlinks from other websites
Link building is still a significant ranking factor for Google. In general, the more high-quality backlinks you have from other websites, the better your chances of ranking high on the SERPs. Of course, it’s not just about the quantity of links you have, but also the quality. Google puts more weight on links from websites that are relevant to your site and have a high domain authority.
There are a number of ways you can get high-quality backlinks. One is to create valuable content that other website owners will want to link to. This could be in the form of a blog post, an infographic, or even a video. You can also reach out to other website owners and ask if they would be interested in linking to your content.
Promote your website through social media channels
Social media is a great way to promote your website and its content. When you share your content on social media, you’re essentially giving it a second chance to rank on the SERPs. That’s because if a lot of users see your content and click through to your site, Google will take notice and may give your site a bit of a ranking boost.
Not only that, but social media can also help build relationships with other website owners and influencers in your industry. These relationships can eventually lead to backlinks and other opportunities to promote your website.
Ensure your website loads quickly
Google wants to provide its users with the best possible experience, which means delivering results that load quickly. If your website takes too long to load, Google is likely to lower your ranking as a result. In fact, research has shown that website speed is a major ranking factor for Google, so it’s something you need to take seriously if you want to rank highly.
There are a number of ways you can improve your website’s speed, such as optimizing your images and using a content delivery network. You can also use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to get a detailed report on your website’s speed and what you can do to improve it.
Regularly upload high-quality content
As mentioned, Google’s main goal is to deliver the best possible results to its users. That means it puts a lot of weight on the quality of the content across your website. So, if you want to rank highly, you need to make sure you’re regularly uploading high-quality content that offers a valuable and direct answer to each search query you are targeting.
To ensure your content is high quality, make sure it is well-researched, well-written, and informative. You should also aim to make it as shareable as possible by including images, infographics, and videos.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly
With more and more people using mobile devices to access the internet, it’s important to make sure your website is optimized for these users. Google has said that mobile-friendliness is a major ranking factor, so you can’t afford to ignore this.
There are a number of things you can do to make sure your website is mobile-friendly, such as using a responsive design and making sure your pages load quickly on mobile devices. You can also use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool to see how well your website stacks up.
Final word
These are just a few of the many things you can do to improve your website’s ranking on the SERPs. Of course, there’s no guarantee that you’ll rank number one for your chosen keywords, but by following these tips, you will be giving yourself the best possible chance at success. Just remember to focus on creating high-quality content and building backlinks from relevant and authoritative websites, and you should see your ranking improve in no time.
