Top SEO ranking is the end goal of any business. After all, that’s why we go through so many team meetings and digital marketing strategies. But as said hundreds of times, there is no secret formula to rank first on the search engine page. But that doesn’t mean, there’s no special path to follow too. If done properly, your chances of ranking higher definitely increase.
Let’s take a look at the steps to improve your Google rankings (without using any black hat SEO tricks or getting penalised).
Table of Contents
Know About the Google Algorithm
Google keeps on changing its algorithm. And Google executives have confirmed that they constantly keep changing the algorithm, even though, they don’t make an accouchement of the same. In fact, according to Moz, there are nearly 500-600 changes each year to Google’s algorithm.
Now, if you want to climb the ladder of rankings, you will need to crack these algorithms. But how will you keep track of them? You can get updates about the algorithm on Moz’s Google Algorithm Change History page or can also track changes from Google’s blog page.
Check Your Current Rankings
Now that you are aware of the basics related to Google’s algorithm, it’s time to check where you stand in search engine rankings. To determine your chances to rank well, you need to know where you are at the present (even the new websites need to follow this step).
Luckily, there are quite a few SEO tools to check your site’s ranking. For example, you can use SERPs to check your ranking for any particular keyword. When you go through your search for a specific keyword, you will find:
- The rank of your website
- The first page that comes up of your website
- The average monthly searches
- The cost-per-click
Measure Metrics
Next, you need to track the right metrics for your website’s data. In short, it’s time to make Google Analytics your friend. This step is to understand where your site is lagging and what you need to work on.
Here is a list of the most important metrics you need to keep eye on:
Organic Traffic
Start with the most basic and vital one, the percentage of organic traffic to your website. Why is organic traffic important? Because according to a study, organic search is the highest source of revenue.
Organic Traffic Conversions
Now that you are already taking a look at the organics traffic, why not also look at the content and keyword that brings you that traffic. There are many free SEO tools available for checking this.
Keyword Ranking
The top issue with keyword research is that people often do not spend enough time to gauge keyword competition. You need to understand the difference between informational keywords and commercial keywords. And also, a measure which keywords bring you traffic and conversions more.
Mobile-Friendly Website
Around 63% of Google searches are done from mobile devices. With that being said, Google is clear with its algorithm and has stated that websites that aren’t mobile-friendly will suffer in SEO rankings.
So, run a mobile friendly test and check if your site is up-to-the-mark. If not, then this should be your priority as we are sure that mobile compatibility is a high-ranking factor.
Fix Your Penalties
You have done all the basic things to understand and track the important metrics of the website. Now, it’s time to dig a bit deeper. Check whether you have any penalties on your website. Because if you have, then no matter how hard you try, it won’t help with your rankings.
So, before you get any further down the road, fix any penalties on your website. And also, make sure that you won’t have any in the future.
There are two major factors that can cause you a penalty and hamper your rankings.
- Using manipulative methods for improving rankings (black hat SEO tricks)
- Providing poor experience to visitors (On-page and Off-page)
You can eliminate first by simply following the right track. Whereas, for the second factor, improve your content and check your backlinks for any spammy ones. You can use the Link Explorer tool for checking all the external links and disavow them.
Improve Keyword Research
While correcting the on-page SEO, pay special attention to the keywords you use. Researching keyword difficulty is one of the important aspects of SEO. You won’t be able to rank better without understanding the keyword competition.
Here are some tips for you to improve your keyword research process.
- Use SEO tools to find about the searcher’s intent. Your keyword and content should reflect the core of your audience’s searches.
- Spy on your competitors and look for the keywords they are using to rank better in the SERPs.
- Boost pages with lower-ranking keywords by improving and promoting them.
Keep Your Focus On ‘On-Page SEO’
Now you have a list of keywords that you need to focus on. So, update your strategies to improve and maximise your performance. Although, on-page SEO is a very deep subject with different factors to look after for earning excellent points, here let’s just focus on the top important ones.
- Optimise your titles, tags, and content.
- Use schema markup to help Google understand you better.
- Create and submit a sitemap for your website.
Build Links and Earn Backlinks
Another element that gains you a boost in search engine rankings is your backlinks. Google itself agreed to the fact that they give preference to the website with high domain authority (DA). And how do you get there? By link building and backlinks quality.
You can build links by using anchor keywords or also images at times. But be careful to use the keywords naturally in the content to avoid any kind of penalty from Google.
Some tips for you to follow start with link building:
- Build relationships
- Ask for backlinks
- Approach the local directories
- Invest in a guest post
- Give a testimonial
- Start a blog
Final Thoughts: It Works Only If You Are Consistent
It is called search engine optimisation because it needs improvements and changes over time. It isn’t something that you do once and leave. You need to be consistent and persistent about repeating the entire process every few months to stay up-to-date with the algorithm and reap the prizes.