Being able to type anything into a search engine and instantly get pages upon pages of information is incredible. So how do you get your website to the top of the result page? You could have a sleek, intuitive and informative website, but if you have poor search engine optimization, then your website will just get buried. SEO ranking factors will determine whether or not your website will be one of the first to appear in the search results. So let’s review those factors to make sure you have the best chance possible to get to the top and stay there.
SEO Ranking Breakdown
As you likely know, SEO stands for search engine optimization. SEO is a series of techniques and practices to help bring more and better quality visitors to your website, and essentially, rank higher in the organic search engine results. If you want all the details about how everything is connected, check out this in depth
Starter Guide that Google put together.
So how do you make sure that your website lands at the top on the search results page? As you can imagine, there are numerous SEO ranking factors to take into consideration when you’re trying to optimize your website.
- Make sure your website is easy to find and read by search engines. Before your website can show up in the search results, the search engine has to be able to find your website and know what it’s about.
- People want to have answers as soon as possible so make sure your page speed is fast. Google isn’t going to put a slow-to-load, lagging website ahead of one that loads quickly. Your mobile site speed needs to be just as fast.
- Your site also needs to be mobile friendly. No one wants to navigate a web page on their phone that isn’t formatted for it.
- The content on your website is just as important as everything else. Use keywords in whatever content you’re sharing on your website (and other platforms) in order to optimize it. If you’re wondering what keywords you should use, Google Trends is a solid place to start. You can see what people are looking for and cater your content to that.
- Back up your content with links to reputable sites. Search engines look for inbound, outbound and internal links within your website. You also want to show the people visiting your website that you’re a reliable source by linking to other trusted sites. Links also help connect pages, making it easier for people to find your website.
- Everyone is using multiple social media platforms regularly, so try to share your content (and link it back to your website) on as many platforms as possible to reach more people.
- Share your business information – who you are, what you do, where people can find out (online and/or physical location) and any other relevant information. If you have very little business information displayed, another local business will likely be listed before you.
These are only some of the many and always changing factors that decide which websites will appear on the first search results. Always keep these SEO ranking factors in mind when you’re trying to optimize your website. After all, there’s no point in having a great website if your target audience is unable to find it. A proper website with these key components will give you the best chance to reach the most people.
Get in touch if you’d like to learn how we can help your site gain rankings!
