Perhaps one of the most effective marketing strategies in this day and age of smart is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Seeing as how people have become increasingly reliant on search engines, it only makes sense to work to have your website appear in the top results. And rank top 5 in Google search results is best. The fact of the matter is, there is a mountain of competition that each website is up against, which is all the more reason you should look to invest in SEO.
However, the strategies, although not difficult, require a careful approach. Typically, they include restructuring the content and design of your website, as well as a few other things. Since Google is the most popular search engine, you will need to work on having your website rank high, preferably in the top 5 Google search results, when using their search feature.
SEO Ranking Factors
Although all search engines employ a meticulous system known as “ranking signals,” you should look to focus on the “ranking signals” used by Google. These factors are made up of a complex equation incorporated in Google’s algorithm, and they determine how relevant a webpage is to a user. By understanding how these factors work, you will be able to adapt and take advantage of Google’s algorithm. Typically, you will need to turn your attention to both the architecture and content of your website for it to land in the top spots. Collectively, these factors tell Google that you are a trustworthy, relevant, safe, and useful webpage.
Factors to Optimize
Ideally, you will need to focus on four major factors to make it into the top 5 results on Google. These factors are authority, trustworthiness, relevancy, and engagement. Google uses unique metrics that analyze each of these factors. For example, authoritativeness measures the length of your content. Additionally, you will need to build your ranking signals for your website’s “Pages per session” and “dwell time.” But you will need to do more than just that.
Here are some tips to help improve your ranking:
1. Increase Word Count
To achieve authoritativeness, you should work to increase your web pages’ word count. Many reports have proven that there is a direct correlation between increased word count and ranking. Typically, any top 3 results will, more often than not, have 45% more length than the 20th ranked webpage. This is due to word count proving not only authoritativeness but also relevancy and trustworthiness. It is strongly recommended that you write no less than 3000 words. As you will find, short blogs rarely, if ever, make it into the top 5 Google search results.
2. Link Building
Just as is the case with any search engine, link building in Google should be made a priority. This factor is critical for your webpage’s success. There are two approaches that must be used in conjunction: organic and non-organic. You will need to start by attaching links from reputable sites.
For the most part, seek to attract links from bloggers, publishers, webmasters, and many other sites. However, this feat is not one easily conquered, as it will require some outreach. Although, to maximize the benefits, look to create a balanced ratio. The best way to do so is to use an anchor text generator, which can help you avoid the drawbacks of unnatural SEO.
It looks at your immediate backlink profile and helps readjust it to fit Google’s requirements. In addition, they inform users exactly how much anchor text you need and which ones you need to use. In return, your webpage will appeal to Google’s algorithm and rank higher.
3. Improve Dwell Time & Reduce Bounce Time
The time users spend on your site says a lot about your authoritativeness but, more importantly, it means your webpage is meaningful and useful. The reason behind this is that Google wants to share relevant information. Naturally, the longer a user stays on your page, the more relevant your page is. The average consumer spends about 6.2 seconds on a website before navigating elsewhere. To combat such an outcome, experts advise the use of long-tail keyword searches, as it can result in 58% longer time spent on a site. Moreover, look to constantly update the content on your webpage as it is your best source for driving revenue or new users. This is especially true for online-based businesses since there is no alternative for users to reach you. By doing so you will have also reduced the bounce time, which, again, shows reliability and trustworthiness.
4. Increase Organic CTR
Click-Through Rate (CTR) is one of the key features Google looks at. Essentially, Google favors websites that utilize high CTR across keywords, as they find these pages to be more reliable and relevant. To take full advantage of this factor, look to use bold title tags, meta descriptions, and make sure your page jumps out on the search results page.
5. Images Play a Major Role
Studies have proven that when you add at least one image to your webpage, your Google ranking can drastically improve. A few reasons weigh into making this true. Firstly, it can help reduce bounce rates and it can also be optimized with keywords. Images can influence your bounce rates, seeing as people are more keenly drawn to aesthetics, whereas a plain or text-heavy website may deter people. You should also look to fully utilize images by adding an additional layer of keyword optimization which can give you the boost you need.
Adopting all these factors and carefully applying them to your webpage, will cause a steady rise in your ranking. However, this is not an overnight feat and demands a lot of time and effort, so be patient as all great things take time. You should also look to regularly update your page while making sure it complies with Google’s algorithm, which can be tricky at first but should get easier with time. Remember to use an anchor text generator, since it can give you an edge over other competitors by presenting you as more favorable to Google’s algorithm.