Search engines want to show results that match a user’s search terms. Therefore, you need to ensure that you use the right terms to help users find your content fast. By getting found by your target users, we mean landing on the first page of Google and if possible among the top three positions.
Otherwise, your content may never gain visibility. Think of it this way… how many times do you check content found on the second or even the third page on the SERPs? Most likely never, right? Similarly, other online searchers tend to only click on pages appearing in the top five positions and on the first page of Google.
While SEO is not rocket science, it can be a challenge for most business owners. Here we got you covered with things you can do to improve your SEO rankings.
1. Understand your Audiences
The first step in optimising your website is understanding your online customer. You need to know the search intent of anyone looking for products or services like yours. For example, some customers may be seeking information or education, while others may be ready to make a purchase. In order to achieve success with online marketing, the content you create must align with the user’s intent.
2. Check your website loading speed
How fast or slow your site loads will determine your traffic and consequently the rankings. Research has shown that a 2-second delay in website loading time results in abandonment rates of up to 87%. Moreover, 40% or consumers will abandon the site if a webpage takes longer than 3 seconds to load.
You want to ensure that your visitors have a great experience by optimising your website’s loading speed. The best way to do this is through:
- Compressing all images (check your theme for image size recommendations)
- Hosting your website with a reliable company
- Avoid using very heavy code
- Reduce the use of unnecessary plugins
3. Rank for featured snippets
To earn your site a featured snippet, you first need to identify a keyword you want to rank for. Type that keyword on Google to see what featured snippets are ranking in the top positions – a snippet could be a definition, a list, or a table. Lastly, create your own snippet following the character limit on the ranking snippets.
4. Use the right keywords
Keyword research plays a vital role in achieving a high ranking on search engine result pages (SERPs). To rank effectively, you must identify keywords that are relevant to your business and that you can realistically rank for. This is especially important for startups with a low domain rating. In such cases, it is advisable to target low-difficulty keywords that are easier to rank for.
However, one common mistake that many business owners make is solely targeting keywords based on their search volume. It’s important to note that most keywords with high search volumes are also highly competitive. Therefore, it’s important to strike a balance between keyword relevance and competition level when conducting your research. By finding the sweet spot, you can maximise your chances of ranking on the SERPs while also driving targeted traffic to your website.
Check out this post to discover what keyword research tools you can use!
5. Include Statistics
To acquire backlinks in a natural way, there is a secret that can help – including statistics on your pages. Websites tend to link to pages that provide reliable and accurate data, which makes including statistics a powerful way to attract backlinks.
In addition to including statistics, it’s important to create unique and in-depth content that stands out from what’s already available online. When other sites are looking for content to link to within your niche, they will be more likely to link to your site if you offer unique insights or perspectives that can’t be found elsewhere.
By combining these strategies, you can increase the likelihood of acquiring high-quality backlinks from authoritative sites in your industry. This, in turn, can boost your site’s authority and search engine rankings over time.
6. Refresh Old Coent
Creating high-quality and seo-friendly content remains a crucial aspect of search engine optimisation, and despite the cliche, it still reigns as king in 2023. However, creating unique content alone is not enough; it’s important to revisit and update old content as well.
Even if you feel that the old content is still solid and ranking well, it’s a good idea to update any outdated images or embedded videos to ensure that the content is up-to-date and visually appealing. When updating content, you should also take the opportunity to identify any gaps in the original content and add any relevant keywords that were missed the first time around.
By consistently updating your content, you can improve its quality and relevance, making it more attractive to both search engines and users. This, in turn, can lead to improved search engine rankings, increased website traffic, and ultimately, greater success for your online business.
7. Repurpose Your Content
If you already have written content, you can repurpose it into videos, audio, or even emails. You can also convert your videos into blog posts. By doing so, you will spend less time thinking of what content to write about or what video content to create.
8. Optimise Your Site for Mobile
Did you know that over 60 percent of Google searches are on mobile devices? If you want a share of these searches, you need to ensure that your site is mobile friendly.
Enhancing your website for mobile-friendliness involves placing your images or videos in a vertical format. You should also have visible CTA buttons directing your visitors through the buyer’s journey on their mobile devices. Finally, your fonts should be easy on the eye for your mobile users.
Having a mobile-friendly website is critical for achieving a strong online presence. By prioritising mobile optimisation, you can attract more mobile users to your site and improve your overall search engine rankings.
9. Create Catchy Headlines & Titles
Keep your headlines short and sweet! If you exceed 65 characters for your headlines, they will get cut off which beats the logic of having them. Ensure that within the 65 characters of your headlines, the user can determine what your page is about.
Within the 65-character limit, make sure that your headline clearly conveys what your page or content is about. Additionally, be sure to include your target keyword within the headline to help improve your search engine rankings.
Finally, to capture the attention of online searchers, your headline should be catchy and compelling. By crafting headlines that are both informative and engaging, you can pique readers’ curiosity and encourage them to click through to your content.
10. Optimise Meta-description
In 160 characters, you need to answer questions such as “Who? What? Why? When? Where? How?”. While you summarise what your content is about, you should also include the main keyword within your meta-description.
Improve Your SEO Ranking Today
SEO is an ongoing and long term strategy that could help your website achieve a top position on the search engines. While it could be overwhelming to get everything right especially with the many Google updates, you can start slowly optimising one element at a time.
As you continue improving your SEO, you will notice improved rankings, traffic, and of course revenue. If you need to outsource SEO to experts, we are your go-to SEO agency on the Gold Coast.
