In today’s competitive time, there is a need to rank your website on the first page of Google. It is not an option anymore but a sheer necessity. This can be understood by a study conducted by Backlinko that affirms that the top 3 Google search results get 54.4% of all clicks. It is mind boggling to know that more than half the clicks are taken by the top 3 results on Google.
Sure, it comes with a feeling of doubt in the mind of the website’s owner whether they will be able to rank on Google’s First page or not. But the silver lining here is that if a website happens to feature at the top of Google Search, it will see a significant increase in the CTR of the website.
To put it simply, customers and only customers run your business to profit. And to bring customers, you need to increase your presence on the first page of the Google Search result. So it becomes very crucial for website owners to know what it takes to rank on the top of Google’s First page.
Below we will be discussing some best practices in the scope of SEO that will surely help bring your business to the top!
Let’s Begin!
1. Match your Content with the Search Intent:
Google tends to feature only content that aligns with the search intent of the users. You could be writing high quality content, but if your content does not align with the search intent of the user, it will not feature on the first page. As simple as that. How, you may ask?
Simple by knowing what your target audience is typing when they look for products that you offer. This can be done with the help of keyword research.
Know the same by putting your primary keywords in Google’s search and taking a cue from the LSI list and the related searches to frame your content.
Another way to match your user’s search intent can be by framing it according to the type of content Google prefers to show to its users.
It can be a How-to article with simple-to-follow steps or Comparisons between products and many more.
Note: Try to frame your content with words such as 2023 or beginner guide, as they usually pop up on the first page of Google.
2. Provide a full coverage of the topic:
You might have also gotten in a situation where you happen to find a website that matches your search intent but doesn’t cover the topic holistically. It feels frustrating, right? This incomplete coverage of a topic can see a high bounce rate from the website. How to fix this? Simple by providing what the user needs. For Example,
Let’s say you want to purchase a green T-shirt for yourself within a range of $25-$50. You Searched for the keyword green T-shirt on Google and arrived at a website that sells the same. But here, you do not find a feature that filters green T-shirts in accordance with the price.
This is a classic example of why online businesses are not able to climb to the top of Google’s first page due to incomplete coverage of the topic or product search.
3. Check If Page Optimized for SEO:
If not, have your web page optimized with the following aspects:
- URL: It is advisable to keep your URL short and in a readable format just like this- www.seouniverse.com/blogs/technical-seo/
Refrain from using URLs that are cryptic and lengthy in nature.
Benefits:
- Helps Google understand the structure of the web page.
- Provides easy navigation through the website.
- Makes Sharing easier on social media platforms.
Note: The length of an SEO friendly URL is 65 characters.
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Mention keywords in the Title & Header tags:
Title tags are the short HTML code that is visible in the search engines. It is written in the head of the HTML. Optimizing title tags for the target keywords helps both Google and users understand the content of your website.
If a user sees your content on the search engine result page, Title tags are the first element that they interact with. So, it becomes crucial for websites to have a target keyword in the title tags to help users understand the essence of the content.
Header tags such as H1, H2…H6 also help in the same way as Title tags do. After optimizing for the title tags, Header tags should be next to include the target keywords.
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Use short paragraphs and bullet points:
Users look for content that is pleasing to the eyes, which means content that is structured well. Structured content makes use of short paragraphs and bullet points to convey the information to the user. It is seen that content that is written with big paragraphs and lengthy sentences tends to lose the users between the lines.
4. Link Your Related Web Pages:
This process of linking your related web pages to each other is known as Internal Linking in SEO terms. It helps Google better understand the context and structure of the web pages on your website.
It is a simple concept that if Google understands your website better, it will be in a good position to serve your content to the users.
The benefits that come with interlinking are as follows:
- Help Google Discover new web pages on your website.
- Provides value to the users.
- Enhances the user experience of the visitors.
- Compliments the Backlinks for SEO success.
- Improves the indexing of your website.
- Bring traffic to your internally linked web pages.
- Tell Google which keyword you want to rank.
5. More Backlinks:
Backlinks can be understood simply as a link that directs users from one website to another.
There is a correlation between more backlinks to ranking on Google. The more your website possesses backlinks, the more chance of ranking higher on the first page of Google.
Not any backlinks but high quality backlinks will help to rank better on the search engines. Remember to acquire backlinks from websites that have good domain authority. Avoid the use of backlinks that Google hates.
In simple terms, it is a recommendation that a third party website issue to your website.
The benefits that Backlinks bring to a website are as follows:
- Brings significant referral traffic to your website.
- Improves the ranking of your website on Google’s SERP.
- Support the Internal Linking of your website.
- Build authority and credibility for your website.
- Generates brand awareness among the users.
- Reduces the reliance on paid ads campaigns.
Note: You should make sure to adopt the new SEO practices that have surfaced after Google’s Hummingbird Update.
6. HTTPS:
HTTPS is the more secure version of the HTTP. HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It helps websites prevent malware attacks from hackers. It secures the data transfer between the Browser and the server, particularly in the case of an eCommerce website where you need to put your sensitive data to close the deal.
From a SEP perspective, it is obvious that users will hesitate to click through a website that does not have a secure protocol certificate. This hesitation leads users to click on a website that is HTTPS secure. When a website does not attract clicks from users citing any reasons, it will surely see a dip in the ranking. So it becomes crucial for websites to upgrade your URL for better ranking on Google’s SERP.
7. Mobile-First:
With the majority of people using mobile devices to surf the internet, it becomes crucial for websites to optimize for mobile devices. Websites that don’t have mobile optimized websites will see a huge bounce rate. Why? Because a website that is not optimized for mobile devices is slow to load plus is unable to load the proper interface of the website.
A mobile friendly website can be achieved with the help of a responsive design that adjusts according to the device used by the users.
8. Freshness:
Freshness here means the update to the content of your web page. Suppose your website deals in topics or products that are dynamic in nature which requires regular updates to the content.
For Example, Let’s say you are in the business of writing blogs or articles on the latest movies that get released. Here if your website is not up to date with the current trends, you may fall behind.
If your website is up to date with the current trends, the chance of its going up on the search engine increases considerably.
Final Words!
The path that leads to a rank on the first page of Google may seem overwhelming, but it is very much achievable.
From keyword research to building more backlinks, SEO is the answer to increasing the online presence of your products on search engines.
It should be kept in mind that ranking at the top takes time. But with a consistent effort, one can surely achieve the goal of featuring at the top of Google’s SERP.