6 Ways to Increase Your Google Rankings
These days you simply can’t run a business without having a strong online presence. That being said, the online space is incredibly contested. You’re going against all kinds of competition, which makes reaching desired results difficult, to say the least.
Increasing your Google rankings is a process that requires both skill and know-how. Here are 6 tips on how to get it done and push your site to the first page of Google results!
Strong On-Site Optimization
Google is extremely picky when it comes to how it positions search results for any given keyword. There are many things you need to do in order to even become an option in Google’s eyes, and the absolute first thing is to perform thorough on-site optimization.
On-site optimization is a major part of SEO or Search Engine Optimization. The idea is to make sure that your website’s code, and organization, are fully compliant with Google’s standards. That means ensuring that your loading times are quick, that your images are optimized, that your content is well-structured, and more!
Even though Google’s algorithms are very secretive, a good SEO specialist will know how to optimize a website to meet Google’s demands. Depending on your business niche, a well-optimized site can actually put you ahead of the competition. That being said, in some niches, it merely gets you a seat at a table, a very large table.
Good Local SEO
There are many types of businesses out there. For some, growing their business in 2021 means casting a wide net, while for others, it’s a matter of dominating the locale. If you’re selling consulting services that require little to no fieldwork, you can sell them to a client in Toronto or Ottawa. However, if you run a construction business, chances are you’ll want to focus on your immediate area.
This is where Local SEO comes into play. Becoming a dominant result on a local level can be easy, or hard depending on your competition. Doing proper local SEO Vancouver wise is doable, but expect it to be much more difficult than it would be for a smaller city in Alberta. Still, there’s a chance you’ll catch a break and reach that top spot for your keyword in your ear with little to no hassle.
Create Quality Content
Content is everything these days. Google has more or less put a stop to all kinds of get-ranked-quick schemes that were possible 5 or 10 years ago. These days the best way to rank fast and retain your ranking position is to offer value to your visitors.
Google values quality content. Let’s say you’re running a financial consulting agency that deals with both businesses and individuals. A good way to make a dent in your niche and get your name on the radar would be to put together several guides on how to invest money, or how to get the best return on your investment.
When Google recognizes you as an authority in your niche, it will start showing your website for a complete range of keywords you might be interested in. Sure, ranking through content takes longer than running ads, but it’s a much better long-term strategy.
Proper Keyword Research is Essential
Putting together quality content isn’t easy, even if you know all there is to know about your specific field. You still need to make sure that you’re hitting all the right keywords. If you’re wondering what keywords are, they are phrases people type into Google when they need to find something.
By doing proper keyword research, you’re essentially recognizing what keywords are relevant to your niche, and more importantly, which ones give you the best chances of ranking well. As it turns out, some keywords are more competitive than others.
If 100 businesses are competing for “best carpenter Vancouver” and only 10 are targeting “carpenter shops YBR”, you’re much better off targeting the latter in your content. But wait, what if “carpenter shops YBR” has only 200 monthly searches and “best carpenter Vancouver” has 2000? Then you might want to join the race for the more competitive keyword.
This is just a simplified example, but one that shows you exactly why proper keyword research is essential.
Reach Out
Another way to improve the ranking for your website is to have as many quality inbound links as you can get. Inbound links are a metric that Google’s algorithm uses to tell whether your site is offering quality content or not. If you’re a true authority in your field, then your work will be cited by others. Or at least that’s the idea.
You can get inbound links in two ways — organically, or by reaching out to other site owners. Organic link building takes time, and it definitely requires you to have strong content. Reaching out to other site owners is a faster way, but one that could potentially cost you.
More often than not, you’ll need to offer something of value to the owner of another site. In most cases, they will ask you to write a guest post where you can insert a link that leads to your website. As the size and reputation of the site you’re contacting increases, so will their demands. That being said, link building is an essential part of SEO.
Buy Ads
Purchasing ads is a legitimate strategy, but one that can quickly become incredibly expensive. Buying ads will put you as a top result for the keyword you select. However, all your competition needs to do is pay more than you for the same ad, and you’ll lose your ranking. Advertising works in certain niches, but proper SEO is almost always a much better option.
Search Engine Optimization Is an Ongoing Process
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that ranking on Google is not something you achieve and then forget. You’ll need to work hard to achieve a good rank for desired keywords, and then work even harder to maintain your rank. It’s a process that continues for as long as you want to maintain your online presence.
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