SEO is a fundamental part of marketing, it helps to improve your site's visibility for relevant searches. If your site is not appearing on the first page of search engine results pages, something is wrong. This article provides a solution to that problem.
If you want your website to be the benchmark for search engines and users, then check out these top 10 SEO tips that will help you rank your website at number 1.
We recommend you check out our Complete Guide to Search Engine Optimization.
So let's take a look at the first tip.
Tip #1 Optimize for Voice Search
Over the years, there has been a huge change in the way people search for information online, and if you haven't done so already, it's time to get up to speed on the current state of Google Voice Search optimization.
Voice search will impact search queries in 2021. According to dailogtech.com, 55% of households in the US will own a smart speaker by 2022. If that’s the case, then follow these steps if you plan to optimize for voice search.
- Consider choosing your keywords wisely
- Remember to always create persona-based content
- When searchers ask a question, they start with words like “when,” “what,” and “who,” so create web pages that answer common questions.
According to Forbes, voice search significantly improves the user experience. As voice search becomes more widely used, search engines like Google will focus on optimizing for voice search.
Fast-loading websites rank higher in Google Voice Search, so you should always ensure that:
- Your website has a responsive design
- Website images are optimized
- Always choose long-tail keywords
- The site loads in the shortest time
- Slow server response time
Tip #2 Mobile Optimization
A good user experience on your website means that users can easily find your website. For marketers to understand the importance of making their site mobile-friendly, it is essential to know the 8 tips for mobile-friendly optimization. A mobile-friendly website will definitely help you improve your rankings.
SEMRush predicts that “by 2025, approximately 73% of internet users will access the internet via mobile devices.”
Google’s mobile-friendly update has brought about major changes in website rankings.
Use Google's free Mobile-Friendly Test to see how effective your mobile website is, and also take a look at the “Mobile Usability” report in Google Search Console.
Tip #3 Google's E-A-T Principle
Google acknowledges that “content quality is an essential factor in ranking on search engine results pages.”
But what does “quality” mean to Google?
In simple terms, Google ranks content higher if it meets the E-A-T principles. E-A-T stands for expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. These factors help Google determine if a web page has high-quality content.
Google uses algorithms to provide users with the best results.
For example, Google Panda is one of the well-known algorithms that ranks websites based on the quality of their content. It excludes web pages with low-quality and duplicate content from its index.
Another example is the RankBrain algorithm. RankBrain uses AI to interpret the search queries that users search on Google.
For example, if you search for chocolate cake recipes, the search engine results page will also show results for chocolate truffle cake recipes.
Google Panda and RankBrain send out spiders to crawl your website and as a result, display the most relevant and high-quality search result content at the top of the search engine results page.
Tip #4 Featured Snippets
These results are displayed at the top of the page, and Google programmatically selects the best answer from third-party websites to display in the featured snippet.
I want to understand how featured snippets work and how important they are.
The featured snippet looks like this:
According to Ahrefs, “For a given search query, almost 99% of web pages that appear in featured snippets are already ranked on the first page of the SERPs.”
Here are the main ways to optimize featured snippets:
- Organize your content in a structured way
- Try to answer many similar questions in one article
- Choose an eye-catching image
- Choose to create your answer using a table
- Create dedicated headlines that answer hot snippets like, “Is red meat healthy?”
Note: When creating snippets, plan to create question-based questions along with relevant keywords. Also look at the Google search options “Questions other people are asking” for ideas.
Tip #5 Image Optimization
According to SEMRush, “image optimization plays a key role in search,” meaning that if the images on your website aren't optimized, you definitely need to do so.
Make sure to use high-quality images, relevant images, and proper labels for your image files.
Including images in your sitemap makes them easier for spiders to crawl, and using alt tags helps crawlers categorize your images easily.
Note: If an image cannot be loaded on a user's screen, the web page will display alternative text.
Google uses alt text to understand the context of an image.
Well-optimized images increase the rank and user engagement of your web pages. Image optimization also helps your web pages appear in search engine image carousels.
Semantically related keywords are interpretations of words.
For example, for a keyword like “chocolate cake,” semantically related keywords might be chocolate recipes and chocolate truffle recipes.
Learn how to research keywords for your SEO strategy from scratch.
Semantic keywords have a significant impact on your website rankings. Linking semantic keywords to your primary keywords helps you get relevant traffic on search engine result pages.
You can also check the Google SERPs for LSI keywords.
Want to know how to choose the right semantic keywords?
- Instead of targeting keywords alone, optimize your content using topic clusters.
- Select Structured Data and then select Semantic Keywords.
Alternatively, you can use a comprehensive keyword tool to help you with this process.
Tip #7 Build Quality Links
If marketers are looking to focus on a successful long-term SEO strategy, they can’t neglect building quality links.
In 2016, Google declared that building quality links is one of the top three ranking signals.
When building links to your content, always prioritize quality over quantity. Follow these steps to build high-quality links to your product and category pages for improved search engine rankings:
Here are some effective strategies to dramatically increase the number of links to your website.
- Get backlinks from relevant and authoritative web pages
- Promote your content regularly on social media
- Opt for guest blogging and influencer marketing
- Utilize social media platforms
- Reach your target audience through online forums
- Engage your target audience with valuable content
Tip 8: Local Search Listings
Local SEO focuses on optimizing your website to appear in the SERPs for a specific location. Optimizing for local SEO can increase your website traffic and conversions by making your strategy more relevant to local users.
This strategy is a great way to market your products to customers based in a specific location. Use these local listing SEO tips to help your business stand out.
According to Google, “local search results are based on relevance, distance, and importance. These factors help Google find the best matches for your search,” so it's essential that your NAP details are accurate and consistent.
SEMRush asserts that “local search listings will play a bigger role in your SEO strategy” If you're planning on getting your business into the local pack, head over to your Google My Business page and create your own.
Note: Google My Business requires a strong backlink profile.
Tip #9 Improve User Experience
“Simplify navigation” means “improve user experience.” Site navigation is a key factor for search engine rankings.
UX has become a key ranking factor for Google over the past few years.
To understand this concept more easily, think of Search Engine Optimization and User Experience working together like this: SEO focuses on search engines, while UX focuses on website visitors. Hence, they both share a common goal of providing the best results for users.
Content King App states the following about the user experience:
Here are some practical examples of how you can effectively use UX design to improve your site’s SEO performance.
- Simplify site navigation
- Improve your UX design for an SEO-friendly layout (make content easy to understand, include images and videos wherever possible, use CTAs wisely, etc.)
- Optimize your site's loading speed and choose a mobile-friendly design. Today, more than 50% of traffic comes from mobile searches. If your site is not mobile-friendly, you will experience poor user engagement.
Tip #10 Use Schema Markup
According to Searchmetrics, “36.6% of search keywords display at least one featured snippet derived from schema markup.”
Many marketers believe that schema markup is a great opportunity to rank their web pages on the first page of the SERPs.
Schema markup is microdata added to websites to help Google return relevant results to searchers. If you've used rich snippets, you'll know what schema markup is.
In simple terms, schema markup is widely used to define the content of a website. Adding structured data improves the visibility of your website in the SERPs and also boosts your site’s ranking.
Some examples of schema markup include:
- Ratings & reviews
- Image Thumbnail
- Product Availability
- Site Links
These are the SEO tips you need to know to rank higher on Google.
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Conclusion
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