5 Ways to Improve Google Rankings Today
by Paul
Achieving a page one ranking on Google is more competitive than ever, however there are at least 5 things you can do today to start pushing your small business up the search engine rankings.
Please find below 5 ways to improve your Google Ranking today...
1. Is your site mobile friendly?
Google now prioritises mobile versions of a website over a desktop version.
It is essential for websites to be compatible with all devices as the number of people using smartphones to access the internet is increasing.
A fully responsive website will adapt and work on every type of device so whether your website is viewed on a PC or an iphone the website will fit perfectly to the screen size ensuring best possible viewing.
In 2017, Google announced this switch to a “mobile-first index” which is geared towards the increasing number of searches on mobile devices. Companies need to ensure there website is designed to be mobile friendly with searches now optimised for mobile first in order to maximise a good Google ranking.
2. Google Loves Quality Content
What Google does like is quality content. We have seen the rise in importance of content creation over the last few years and customers use the web to find information they are looking for which is why Google is putting such a high emphasis on unique quality content.
But quality content is primarily content that achieves its marketing goal. For example:
• Increasing brand awareness
• Ranking well on search engines
• Improving click-through rates
• Generating leads
• Getting social shares
Aim to create blog posts that relate to your business which will encourage people to share it on other sites and marketing platforms.
GOOGLE SAYS: “Creating compelling and useful content will likely influence your website more than any of the other factors.” Google, 2017
3. Fix Your Technical SEO Issues
Some of the most common technical SEO problems have to do with:
• Speed
• Duplicate content
• Broken links
• Improper use of canonical link elements
• Un-optimized pages
4. Optimize Your Pages
On-page optimization is more than just putting keywords on the page. You must develop quality content that is properly structured using natural characteristics for the targeted keywords.
In other words, you must optimize your:
• Titles
• Meta descriptions
• URL struture
Title Tag
The Title Tag is used in the search engine results as the “title” for the page.
Below shows a screenshot of how Google shows a page result when a matched keyword is searched - I have highlighted the title tag in red:
Meta Description
The meta description gives you space to write a more detailed description of that page. It is recommended from 50–300 characters is the maximum advisable length.
Below shows where the meta description appears within the Google search:
URL Structure
URL Structure allows the search engines to easily identify what the page is about.
Below shows where the URL Structure appears within the Google search:
Let's take for example two URL's below:
www.domain.co.uk/company-services.html OR www.domain.co.uk/12345678.html
Which of the above do you think is more search engine friendly??...
The answer is the first URL as it easily explains what the page is about therefore optimises better in search results.
5. Optimize Google My Business
Google My Business should be a focal point for any small business. It’s free, easy to update, and can make a big impact to local search results
The first step toward optimizing your Google My Business listing is claiming and verifying it: https://www.google.com/business.
Be sure to fill out as many fields as you can and include photos and videos to enhance your listing. Your category selection is also important and be sure to choose the correct categories for your business.
About Dsgn One
Dsgn One have been building and designing custom websites for organisations in Bath & London for over 6 years. Our friendly, highly experienced team of web designers are here to help you.
