Figuring out why SEO matters starts with understanding how search engines work. Whenever you type an inquiry into Google, there are over 200 factors playing a role in determining what pages will display on your screen. Google scans entire websites – both their content and their structure. While these scans look at everything from keyword usage to interstitial pop-ups, it’s important to focus on the factors that play the biggest role in determining your rankings.
Improving your rankings is an evergreen practice. Start with optimizing a few key factors.
When ranking your site, Google gives preference to responsive design, a fast page speed, internal and external links, desirable content, an accessible website, and a high amount of traffic. Improving these factors will boost your rankings on Google.
Where to Begin With Your SEO
Making sure your website design is responsive to different platforms, including screen sizes such as mobile, tablet, and desktop, is a good first step. You can evaluate your mobile responsiveness by simply going to your website on your phone. Are there things that are hard to click? Is it taking you too long to find something? Over 58% of website traffic is mobile. Nowadays, people have smaller devices and want to find things quickly.
This leads us to the next factor: speed. Speed is crucial to your site’s ranking and conversions. Ever been on a site that just doesn’t load? It is likely you considered leaving before being able to scan all of the information available.You can greatly improve your page speed simply by optimizing the size of the images you use and the interactive elements on your site. You can use Google Page Insights to test your page speed and the optimization of your site.
What else can you do to improve your site?
As you enhance your design and structure, you can also focus on your content. This goes beyond just providing valuable information for readers. Google is looking at related keywords to the topic you are writing about, links to internal and external pages, and even when other sites reference yours.
Here are some of the factors that go into evaluating content:
- Keyword use
- Title tag optimization
- Originality and usefulness
- Linkage
- Multimedia accessibility
Keyword Use
By targeting popular keywords in your industry, you can attract potential customers through Google and other search engines.
Title Tag Optimization
Properly structured content can improve your rankings on Google. Use title tags to separate sections of your posts and pages.
Originality and Usefulness
You should create content that uniquely answers specific questions that readers are asking about your offerings.
Linkage
Google bots scan for both external and internal links. Focus on developing content that links to other sites and that outside creators will want to reference.
Multimedia Accessibility
Your images and videos should have descriptions that explain what the multimedia shows and is accessible to those who may not be able to view the media in its entirety.
While it would be nice to produce a brand new assortment of high-ranking content over night, it’s not a feasible option for improving your SEO. It is often good practice to revisit existing content and blogs. By reworking text or paying close attention to content hierarchy via organization of your headers, you can make the text more scannable by both search bots and readers. Here’s a quick 101 on headers:
- The title of the entire page with related keywords should be an H1.
- Subsections of the page should use H2 tags.
- You should use H3 tags to highlight sub-points within your sections.
The optimization of your site shouldn’t end with content and structure but should extend into enhancing your intake forms, expanding your offerings, and finding new ways to connect with your customers. However, if you can boost the time your consumers spend on your site, you are more likely to convert them into customers.
Does SEO really matter?
In short, yes. It’s estimated Google receives about 40,000 searches every second, which results in about 5 billion searches per day and about 2 trillion global searches per year. Therefore, finding your way to the top of these searches can drive your business exponentially. If you think users will find you regardless of your ranking, you may be disappointed. The first five organic results account for 67.60% of all the clicks from searches.
Improving the factors that increase Google rankings combined with following best practices for design will lead to having a site that users will not only find but also want to stay on. Google values websites that serve as subject matter experts. As you develop that reputation with both search engines and your users, you will build your customer base and your ranking.
Ultimately, moving up on Google’s results means more users will see your site. This can have an exponential effect on your business. Increased exposure leads to more potential customers looking at the site. As more people view the site, Google gives you more preference and your rankings improve even more.
Even though it can be tedious to adjust the structure of every page, it will be beneficial in the long run to meet Google’s everchanging standards. It’s not possible to bring all your pages to the forefront of every Google search. However, you can continuously improve your rankings by optimizing individual pieces of your site. Search engines will drive your business, and with Tiergether’s help, you can optimize your pages to best improve your rankings.
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