It’s not easy to rank on Google. Think about it. There are millions of marketers, bloggers, and Fortune 500 companies competing for the same spot you are.
So, how do you get to the top of Google Search and stay there?
In this post, we will reveal the proven strategies that help improve your chances of ranking highly and hopefully give you the advantage you’re looking for.
Let’s dive into one of the most important lessons in search engine optimization (SEO).
Top rankings are never guaranteed
When it comes to achieving the top rankings on Google search results, it is important to understand that doing so is never guaranteed.
There are numerous factors (some of which we probably don’t even know about) that influence the ranking of a website. Some factors include optimization techniques, link quality, competitors, user intent changes, graphical user interface changes, Google tests, and algorithm tweaks.
While it is true that optimization techniques such as keyword targeting, internal linking, and the creation of high-quality and relevant content are essential for ranking well on Google, these things alone do not guarantee top rankings.
Even with the best SEO tactics, no one can guarantee that a site will rank number one on Google for competitive terms.
So, the first thing we want you to remember in this game of SEO is this:
No matter how much effort you put into optimizing your site, paying attention to competition, and Google’s algorithm changes, one of the best ways to rank is to just make content that helps people find what they are looking for.
There is no magic bullet.
But, if there was, it would be satisfying user intent and working towards building an impressive online reputation.
With that said, let’s get into the other factors that help you rank at the top of Google Search.
First page of Google = more exposure
The first page of Google is where the bulk of web users will turn when conducting a search. In fact, research indicates that only 0.63% of users ever click on links past the first page.
Therefore, appearing on the first page of Google search results is the ultimate goal for any individual or business looking to drive organic traffic and gain exposure.
Google’s Helpful Content update
Google’s Helpful Content update, also known as the “Medic” update, was one of the significant algorithm updates that Google rolled out in August 2018.
Its primary focus was to improve the reliability and relevance of websites that lacked E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) qualities.
The update was designed to identify and demote websites that had low-quality or irrelevant content, particularly in areas related to health and wellness, which could negatively impact users’ quality of life.
We’re telling you this because regardless of the industry you’re in, creating high-quality, relevant, valuable, and informative content has become a crucial factor in achieving top rankings on search results pages.
Keeping this in mind will help prevent you from creating sporadic content that only ranks occasionally. Remember, if your website offers expert advice, opinions, and analysis, then you need to ensure you have the relevant expertise and credentials to support your content or you might be at risk of creating content that doesn’t meet the requirements Google has set.
Getting started
The first step is to create a solid SEO plan that includes defining your target audience, identifying your primary keywords, creating a content plan, understanding search intent, and setting realistic goals.
Once you have a plan in place, you can begin to do a few things.
You can:
- Begin optimizing your website’s on-page and off-page elements to improve your organic search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site.
- Start creating content and testing how it performs.
- Create a rich social media strategy that is laser-focused on your ideal follower.
If you want to start your SEO journey with a slight advantage, then you have got to get a grip on search intent.
So, let’s break that down first.
Understand search intent
Understanding search intent is an essential aspect of any successful search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
Search intent refers to the reason behind a user’s search query. It helps you understand what a user is looking for, so you can create content that matches that person’s needs.
Here are the different types of search intent:
- Informational
- Navigational
- Transactional
- Commercial
Informational search intent is when a person is looking for information about a specific topic or question. An example of an informational search query would be “How to bake a cake.”
Navigational search intent is when a user is looking for a specific website or web page. A navigational search query would be something like “Google My Business Profile login page.”
Transactional search intent is when someone is looking to purchase a product or service. “Buy Nike shoes online” is an example of a transactional search query.
While commercial search intent is when you’re looking for information about a specific product or service before making a purchase decision, like “best microwave for under $100 bucks.”
Google prioritizes content that matches search intent
They use a machine learning algorithm called RankBrain to identify the relevance of content to a search query. RankBrain analyzes search queries to provide the most relevant results to users.
This is where the featured snippet comes in handy. It’s pretty much saying you have the fastest and best-organized way to give an answer.
If your content matches the intent behind the search query, then it is more likely to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
Create your content strategy
Once you nail down search intent and have a good grasp on how to leverage it, you can start creating a content strategy that feeds your optimization (SEO) plan.
The right content strategy helps you attract and retain potential customers by providing them with high-quality, informative content that answers their questions and solves their problems.
In this section, we’ll explore the steps you can take to create a content strategy that will help you rank higher in search engine results pages and attract your target audience.
You may even get a featured snippet or two.
Select your keywords (the cornerstone of a strong SEO strategy)
If “content is king,” then the strategy is what keeps it on the throne.
When planned and executed effectively, keywords can help your website rank higher on the SERPs, drive more organic traffic to your site, and potentially win over potential customers. Hence, selecting the right keywords should be the cornerstone of your SEO strategy.
One vital aspect of keyword selection is identifying which sets of keywords you want each page on your website to rank for. Just pick your favorite keyword research tool and get started.
By clearly defining the keywords for each page, you avoid competition and help search engines understand the focus of each page on your site.
Yes, that’s right. You’re not supposed to just start writing your webpages. You need to do keyword research for them as well.
Pro tip: It’s important to provide a clear site structure and a map of your keywords to each page.
You should also research:
- Whether the search intent of the keyword matches your web page or content idea
- Search volumes
- The competitiveness of your chosen keywords
- Related keywords
By analyzing the search volumes and the difficulty of ranking for specific keywords, you can make informed decisions about which keywords to incorporate into your content.
Plus, you can use related keywords to create topical authority content. You can also use them within pillar page content to boost opportunities for more traffic when people search for those related keywords.
Concentrate on long-tail keywords
If you want to increase your chances of appearing at the top of Google search results, then you should focus on long-tail keywords.
These are specific phrases with three or more words potential customers enter into Google’s search bar.
It’s natural language people use when searching for something. For example, a local business owner may type “What is Google My Business?” instead of “Google business profile.”
The first example is more natural. The second is robotic.
You can attract a more qualified group of people who are searching for products or services like yours when you use long-tail keywords.
Two questions that help you focus on finding keywords:
When thinking about your audience, ask yourself:
- What are the questions they’re asking?
- What problems are they trying to solve?
Once you have a clear understanding of your audience and their needs, you can start conducting keyword research.
Use tools like the Free Google keyword tool to identify qualified search phrases that have high search volume but low competition.
This will allow you to target the most relevant and niche-specific keywords for your business, ensuring that you attract potential customers who are looking for exactly what you have to offer.
Create your own SEO checklist or download one from a trusted source to help organize this process for you.
Here are some notable SEO checklist options:
Develop content that provides value and encourages link building
Understanding search intent? Check. Finding keywords that match your audience’s search intent? Double-check.
Now, it’s time to engineer the right information to put into that content so you speak to the right group of people searching for a solution.
Valuable information that attracts links and solves customer problems is what most of us want when we create content.
To do this, you must transform all your research into a structure Google likes. Then, you need to write or record this content in a way that speaks to your target audience.
To ensure that your content is more valuable, unique, and engaging than your competitors’, you should pay close attention to what they publish and employ strategies that set your brand apart.
You can do this in one of three ways:
- Research social media manually and look for the top shared pieces of content.
- Use a tool like BuzzSumo to determine the content that has the most shares and is currently popular.
- Conduct polls and surveys to solicit direct feedback from your audience.
These are effective means of differentiating your content from your competitors and satisfying your audience’s needs. However, #1 takes the most effort.
In addition, creating informative, easy-to-read, and unique content that generates link-building opportunities is a big part of how you earn a place at the top of Google’s search results.
For example, using anchor text for internal links to help users and Google navigate your site efficiently is also essential to improving your site’s overall value.
Finally, avoid keyword stuffing. It’s an old tactic, but some people still use it, especially if you’re trusting ChatGPT to optimize your content—which is not a good idea.
Accurately summarize the page content
To effectively communicate the topic of your page’s content, it’s vital to use title text that is both clear and concise. This will improve relevant search results for your pages and posts.
It doesn’t matter if it’s long-form content or short. You want visitors to be able to easily understand what the page is about at a glance.
Additionally, organizing topics clearly on the page itself can make it easier for visitors to find the information they need, which can lead to increased engagement.
Cover the topic in full
To effectively cover the topic, you should conduct thorough research and analysis of top-ranking pages in the same niche.
This research will provide insight into the common themes and subtopics that are relevant to Google’s search algorithm.
The golden advantage to this process is not to copy your competitors, it’s to find topic gaps that top-ranking content missed. This is where answering your audience’s questions in detail makes your content helpful and unique.
Sometimes, long-form content isn’t necessary, depending on the topic. But oftentimes you need to roll up your sleeves and put in the work.
Optimize your meta description
You might not have heard this, but your meta description is an important part of search engine optimization.
Meta information includes your:
- Meta title
- Meta description
There are various strategies for creating meta titles that can increase your pages’ and posts’ odds of ranking higher. However, meta descriptions often don’t get the attention they deserve.
But, this is the place your copywriting prowess needs to shine bright, because this one area holds the power to get more eyes on your content.
Three tips that improve your meta description
You need to make sure your meta descriptions are top-notch because they can help drive clicks even though they don’t directly affect rankings.
Insider news: According to Google Search Central, Google sometimes uses meta descriptions as featured snippets.
Here are three tips for improving your meta descriptions:
1. Identify your target audience and search intent
Before you write your meta description, it is important to understand your target audience and their search intent.
Analyze the keywords that your target audience is searching for and focus on the ones that are most relevant to your content. This will help you to create a meta description that not only grabs their attention but also aligns with their search intent.
2. Follow best practices for creating meta descriptions
When creating your meta descriptions, it is important to follow these best practices.
- Keep your meta description to roughly 155 characters.
- Include your target keyword.
- Make sure your target keyword is relevant to the content on your page.
It is also a good idea to make your meta description compelling by highlighting the benefits of your content.
3. Test and refine your meta descriptions over time
Creating an effective meta description takes time and effort.
It is important to test and refine your meta descriptions regularly to see which ones are driving the most clicks. Use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track your results.
Look at your click-through rate (CTR) and see how your meta descriptions are performing compared to similar pages. By analyzing this data, you can refine your meta descriptions over time and improve your search rankings.
Optimize for mobile
If your website isn’t mobile-ready, good luck ranking.
With most internet searches being performed on mobile devices, having a website that is a mobile version of your website is a vital factor in improving your chances of appearing on top of Google search results.
A mobile-optimized website provides an effortless and seamless user experience and can often increase CTR because of a responsive design.
Reading entire blog posts is done on mobile devices. You might be reading this one right now on your phone.
The main point is this. Your website needs to automatically adapt to any screen size, enabling users to access your content across all devices.
To determine whether your website is mobile-optimized, you can use tools such as Google’s Mobile-Friendly test. This free tool helps you identify mobile usability issues and provides personalized recommendations aimed at enhancing your website’s mobile friendliness.
For additional help, if you use WordPress, you can install the WPtouch plugin, which makes turning your website into a mobile masterpiece quick and easy.
The best thing about WPtouch plugin is it instantly turns your website into a mobile-friendly experience. Plus, according to the WordPress website, this plugin ensures “your SEO rankings do not drop due to not having a mobile-friendly website.”
Create an engaging social media environment
With platforms that have billions of users worldwide, social media is ideal for building your online brand, increasing your website traffic, and connecting with potential customers, which ultimately generates revenue.
By actively engaging on social media platforms, you can drive engagement and attract a loyal following.
Creating shareable content that incites audience interactions and engagement is key to building a strong and active social media following. With the rise of user-generated content (UGC) like reviews and testimonials, businesses can also leverage UGC content to build a trustworthy and authentic brand.
Earn online reviews
One often-overlooked tactic for building SEO strength is doing something that has nothing to do with keywords; it’s the art of earning online reviews.
Here’s the thing: Not only do online reviews influence your ranking, but they also provide potential customers with valuable information about your business.
Reviews are the definition of social proof to potential customers, but they can also serve as a source of feedback to improve your business.
How do you earn more reviews?
Consider following up with customers after a service, either via email or a phone call, to request a review. This simple step can make a significant impact on the amount of feedback you receive.
While Google My Business is the most popular review site, other platforms such as Yelp or Facebook can also impact your ranking.
It’s not enough to simply earn reviews, though. Customers need to see you’re listening to them. So, follow up on every review, good or bad because failure to respond can make customers think you don’t care about making them happy. Take the extra time to respond to reviews, demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction and potentially improve your ranking.
Keeping records and monitoring results
Without measuring your results, it can be hard to get better at something.
So, learn to love the analytic side of things or you won’t know if your SEO strategy is bringing in more organic traffic, generating leads, or ultimately improving your bottom line.
Fortunately, there are several tools available that make it easy to keep tabs on your SEO metrics.
Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. These are two essential resources that should be in any SEO arsenal.
They enable you to track crucial metrics like:
- Organic traffic
- Click-through rate
- Time on page
- Bounce rate
These are all key performance indicators (KPIs) you need to become intimate with if you haven’t already.
For example, if you notice that your bounce rate is high, it may be an indication that your website isn’t delivering the user experience that visitors expect. On the other hand, if your click-through rate is low, you may need to adjust your content strategy or meta descriptions to make your pages more enticing to users.
What you’re looking for is a steady flow of an increasing click-through rate.
How online reputation management helps SEO rankings
Online reputation management (ORM) is an essential aspect of any successful search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional firm, ORM involves monitoring and addressing negative mentions or feedback about your brand online, which can help with personal branding, search engine results, and more.
By proactively managing your online reputation, you can improve your SEO rankings, as a good reputation shows search engines that you are a trustworthy and authoritative website.
Customers are increasingly turning to the internet to research brands and make purchasing decisions.
Negative online reviews or comments can have a detrimental impact on a brand’s reputation and ultimately affect its search engine rankings. On the other hand, being proactive in addressing negative feedback can enhance a brand’s credibility and authority in the eyes of search engines.
Additional resources
We believe the right resources get the best results, so having access to additional resources can be an invaluable asset in improving your website’s search engine rankings and online reputation.
Google resources:
Google offers a suite of resources for website owners, marketers, and content creators to help you stay up to date with the latest search engine updates and optimization tips.
These resources include:
- Google Search Central blog
- Google Search Central Help Community
- Google Search Central Twitter
- Google Search Central YouTube channel
- How Search Works guide
The Google Search Central blog is an excellent resource for getting an in-depth understanding of search engine optimization (SEO). The blog offers information on a range of topics, including how Google’s search algorithms work, SEO best practices, and updates to search features.
The Google Search Central Help Community provides you with a place to ask questions and get support from Google’s Webmaster community and their team of experts. You can find answers to frequently asked questions, participate in discussions, and connect with other website owners facing similar challenges.
Google Search Central Twitter is a great way to stay informed about the latest news and updates in the world of search engine optimization. You can follow the official Google Search Central handle to get insights on SEO trends and updates, as well as tips and tricks for improving your website’s search engine rankings.
The Google Search Central YouTube channel is another valuable resource for website owners and content creators. The channel offers a range of videos on topics related to SEO, including how to optimize your website for search, how to choose the right keywords, and how to use Google’s various tools to improve your website’s search engine ranking.
Finally, the How Search Works guide provides a wealth of information on how Google’s search algorithms work, including how they determine search rankings and relevant content.
By taking the time to read through this guide, you can gain a deeper understanding of how to optimize your website for search and improve your search engine rankings.
Online reputation management resources
Here are some resources that you can use right now to gain deep insights about improving your online presence:
- Online review management: The complete guide—This guide contains a wealth of information about online reviews. If you want to understand how to turn negative reviews into a positive, this post is for you.
- Free eBooks and case studies—There’s a lot of information out there, but it’s not all accurate or good. This resources page gives you full access to five different eBooks and four case studies about online reputation management. These in-depth case studies show you how ORM services transformed these businesses.
- The definitive guide to online reputation management—Throughout this guide, we talk about using keywords and other SEO techniques to curate what content appears in the search results for your name.
- Free online reputation report card—If you ever wanted to know how others who search for you see you, our free reputation report card can give you answers.
Final thoughts
So now you know the steps to improve your chances of getting to the top of Google.
But remember, your work doesn’t stop after the strategy has been set in motion. To achieve continued growth and success, you must monitor and review your SEO strategy on a regular basis.
This process can be time consuming and has a considerable learning curve. But it can be done.
It’s just that SEO is not a one-time fix; it requires ongoing effort and attention to detail to achieve and maintain high search engine rankings.
One advantage in implementing effective SEO strategies would be proactively partnering with a specialized online reputation management company such as ReputationDefender.
With over 15 years of expertise when it comes to online reputation management and leveraging SEO techniques, we can help you achieve your marketing goals and increase organic rankings over time. By working with a team of experts, you can take advantage of a range of benefits to help build your online reputation and increase SEO ranking opportunities.
This post was contributed by Rockey Simmons, founder of SaaSMarketingGrowth.com.