Keeping up with the Google algorithm is important because it helps with knowing what currently determines search engine ranking. There are many factors that Google looks at before they can rank your site. As an online business owner, you would of course want to be among the first results when a searcher is looking for something that is related to your niche market. In this piece we are going to look at the top 10 things that you should focus on so that your page gets favored by Google’s algorithm for better ranking.
1. User Experience
How did users react to your content? You can easily gauge the users reaction by checking their bounce rate. If you had content that was useful to them they would spend more time browsing through your site. If however you find that most users are hitting the back button after a few seconds on your page, it means that either the load times were too lengthy or they did not find anything useful at first glance. Sites that give their users a good experience on any device will always be favored.
2. Keywords and Key Phrases
The importance of having keywords in your content is that you will be putting yourself on the search engine map. When a browser keys in these words that you have strategically included in your content, Google will be able to rank you as a provider of the same. It actually goes beyond including keywords to adding key phrases. When you are writing, ensure that you have considered what your searcher will be interested in.
3. URL Structure
Your URL should be simple and self explanatory. This way, you will provide clarity to both your readers and the search engines. One of the best ways to optimize your URL is to keep the characters between 30-50 inclusive of keywords. Did you know that the order in which your keywords appear in the URL will affect your ranking? Write naturally, but put your keywords at the beginning. You will rank higher than the ones who have included their keywords at the end of their URL.
So we can conclude by saying that page optimization includes having a simple URL, with a keyword or key phrase included. Remember to also use a hyphen instead of an underscore for better readability.
4. Your Site’s Crawlability
When we talk about crawlability, we simply mean the ease with which a user navigates through your website. A crawlable site has a well placed sitemap for easy navigation. Google’s spiders will also find your site easily and rank you among the top when you have optimized your site for better crawlability.
5. Content
Let’s start with the most visible part of your content, that is the headline. It should be relevant to the content you are providing. Google will not rank you well if your headline does not match the rest of the content that follows. If you keep your headline within 70 characters long, you will be on the safer side for better ranking since you will effectively include your keywords without being too lengthy.
The next step is the length of your content. Do not limit yourself when writing because you need as many keywords and key phrases as possible for crawlability purposes. The more your keywords, the better your chances of ranking higher. Longer content will give you the chance to write for your reader’s benefit and to naturally include keywords in your content. As long as you do not go off topic or stuff the material with keywords, you will attract more readers and rank well with the search engines.
Another important question you need to ask yourself, are you writing fesh content? Is the quality good enough for your readers and search engines? Always update your site with content that enriches your keyword capacity while staying relevant to your audience.
The last thing we are going to focus on with regard to content is proper grammar. It puts you on the map as a provider of valuable information and a trendsetter. Google will trust your content and your sharability will increase, which bodes well for your search engine ranking!
6. Site Speed
This is one area you cannot compromise on. A user will decide whether they want to spend time on your site or not based on the amount of time it takes to load. Is it fast or slow? Get a web designer who will optimize it for fast loading times! If a user enjoys the experience they got from your page, they will back and would even share your content. These are all factors that determine your search engine ranking capabilities.
7. Image Count
If you include to many images in your content you would affect the page’s loading times, but then if the images are very few you might bore your readers. Find a way to strike a balance between your image count and the amount of written content that you provide. If you browse through our Chicklet Marketing blog you will notice that we have broken our content with relevant images that are captioned accordingly. The captions are also determinants in ranking since they are helping with explaining what your site is all about.
8. The CTR or Click-Through Rate
How many visitors are constantly checking your website? How many are interested in your links? The more the clicks you get the better your ranking. Google favors sites that get more visitors because it shows authenticity. One of the best ways to increase your click through rate is by coming up with a killer meta description for your content. If you answer a searcher’s question in your meta description, you will prompt them to click on the link for more.
This is also why we always encourage the use of professionals for online marketing campaigns. If you cannot generate interest for your content do not be shy to employ some help to kick start the growth of your website for better ranking.
9. Social Signals
Never underestimate the importance of getting social media shares! One share could be the one you needed to go viral. We all know how this would affect your website’s ranking, especially considering that the clicks you would get would be on a whole new level. So always ensure that besides providing value, you are also giving your readers the option of sharing your content on their social media sites.
10. Internal linking Factors
Ensure that you are naturally including links in your content to generate interest in your old posts. This way, if your post goes viral, you will also get readers for the posts that did not have so many readers before. Getting more post clicks will of course increase your aggregate clicks which favors your ranking with the search engines.
As you strive to get better ranking, always remember to keep your posts original and valuable to the reader. Your website will rank well if you have included relevant keywords, although they shouldn’t be overly used to avoid penalties from Google. Internal linking should also be kept to the minimal.
Do you have any questions on how to boost your online business and get better search engine ranking? Do not hesitate to call us at Chicklet Marketing. We shall be happy to help.
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