With over 200 million active websites on the internet, making your site stand out on Google can seem like a mammoth task. However, by implementing a few strategic techniques, you can significantly improve your website’s visibility on the world’s most popular search engine. In this post, we’ll provide some important tips to help you get started.
- Ensure your website is indexed
The first step in getting found on Google is making sure Google knows you are there. Without this, it cannot index your pages or list them in search results. Indexing can happen organically, as Google sends out search crawlers looking for new websites. However, the quickest and most effective way to do this is to set up a free account with Google Search Console and add your site’s details to it. Once this happens, you can even upload sitemaps to Google so that it is always aware of any changes you make to your website. - Carry out keyword research
When people want to find something on Google, they’ll type what they are looking for into the search bar. Google’s algorithm then takes these search terms and looks for websites that contain them. Those sites it considers most relevant will usually rank better in the results.To make sure you get found by the people you are targeting, it’s important to know the search terms they will use. Including these keywords or key phrases on your website will be vital in helping your site rank when people search for them. While in some cases it can be easy to guess what those keywords might be, it is usually considered a wise decision to carry out keyword research first, as this can provide some unexpected insights into terms that might be better for you.
Remember that more established websites might always outrank you for the most common keywords, so for smaller websites, it can be easier to rank if you use fewer common terms or longer phrases known as long-tail keywords. To help with this, you can utilise tools like Google’s Keyword Planner.
- Optimise your content
Effective SEO is an ongoing process that works to ensure every element of your website is optimised. When it comes to content, every page needs a unique title that clearly and succinctly describes what it is about and includes your primary keyword. The same applies to the URLs that you create. You’ll need well-crafted meta descriptions too, as ranking isn’t enough to drive traffic, you must also get people to click on the link.Structuring your content is also vital so that Google understands the relevancy of different parts of the page. To help with this, you’ll need to use subtitles, however, Google will only know that they are subtitles if you create them using header tags such as H1, H2, and H3.
- Create high-quality content
While keywords are important for getting the Google algorithm to notice your website, if you want it to rank your pages highly in the results, the content should be of good quality. The better the quality and relevance of your content, the more chance you have of being found. Content therefore needs to be fresh, relevant, informative and most of all, offer value to those who read it. Think depth and detail and include images, infographics and even video in addition to text. You must also avoid duplicating content. Put the same content on multiple pages and Google will not know which one to rank. - Prioritise mobile users
As more people search using mobiles than computers, Google now employs mobile-first indexing. In other words, it mainly uses the mobile version of your content when deciding whether to rank it in results. If there are issues with how your site functions on mobile phones, this could have a negative effect on your visibility. Check your website’s mobile responsiveness using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool. - Secure your website
It is not in Google’s best interests to send its users to insecure websites, so you need to take action to ensure it is secure. This means choosing a web host that will protect your site with a firewall to defend against hacking and malware, updating your software to eradicate vulnerabilities and installing an SSL certificate to authenticate your site and encrypt any personal or financial information that your users send to you. Installing an SSL will also mean your site gets labelled as secure on users’ browsers, increasing their trust in you. - Improve page loading speed
Google has taken loading and response times into account for years when ranking sites. As faster sites provide a better user experience, Google is more inclined to rank them than slow websites. Fast loading times begin with choosing the right hosting solution for your website’s needs. If it doesn’t give the performance you require, it might be an indication you need to upgrade. You can also tweak your speed using caching, script minification, image optimisation and getting rid of unnecessary plugins.
Conclusion
Getting your website found on Google doesn’t happen overnight. It requires commitment and a strategic approach. By implementing the tips mentioned in this post, not only will you improve your site’s visibility on Google, but you’ll also provide a better experience for your visitors.
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