Ranking on Google, otherwise known as search engine optimization (SEO) is about more than using the right keywords. In fact Google has more than 200 factors that can influence how your website shows up in search results. This means there’s a lot more going on than keywords.
In this episode of 5 Business Rules, Monika Jansen and I talk about some important parts of your SEO strategy. Spend 4 minutes watching the video, or read on for the tips.
# 1 Get more Links
Search engines put weight into the idea of page authority, a measure of how strong your web page is. The idea is that if other sites are linking to your website, than you are a credible business and your page authority rises.
Remember though, not all links are equal. Links from high quality sites, such as Huffington Post, can boost your page authority. On the flip side, purchased links from spammy sites can kill your search engine rank.
#2 Page Speed
No one wants to wait for a page to load, and user experience makes a difference to Google. So if it takes 20 seconds for your page to load, chances are you’ll fall behind faster sites in the search results.
Google recommends a page load time of 2.5 seconds – which is almost instantaneous.
#3 Visuals
Back to the user experience: having a solid page of text is no fun. Visuals help break content up to be more consumable, and this usability helps you in the rankings.
#4 Traffic
The higher your traffic, the higher your page authority. If you have a lot of visits to your website, search engine can assume that you have high quality content that people want to see. This success begets more success in your search engine rankings.
This one can be a challenge for new sites, or businesses that trying to build momentum. If this is the case with you, consider some advertising to help bring in more traffic and supplement your numbers.
#5 Time
Search engines look at the history of your website as well as how often content is updated.
If your website has been around for five years, that can indicate Google you’ve got staying power and your site is a good resource for users.
BUT. If you haven’t updated that site for four of those five years, that can be a red flag. You’re telling the search engines you’re not bringing anything new to the table, and may even have outdated content.
Every time you publish something new on your site you’re pinging the search engines and reminding them your site is around. This is why blogs are such a great tool for SEO because you continue to add content regularly and keep your site fresh.
Seem overwhelming? Give us a shout if you need help!