Ranking on the first page on Google is the dream of every website owner. However, as the most popular search engine only shows ten websites per results page, only a few businesses can enjoy the benefits of this exposure. But what can you do to gain control over your website’s destiny?
In this article, experts from the Alpha Efficiency will give you the list of necessary steps you have to take in order to improve your website ranking.
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Produce high-quality content
Gone are the days when you could improve your website ranking just by stuffing keywords across your pages. Today, the algorithms search engines use are much better in deciding which page has high-quality content that will best satisfy the user’s search intent. That is why creating engaging content your visitors will enjoy should be one of your top priorities when trying to rank better. Carefully studying what web writing techniques can be helpful, but you need to understand your target audience in the first place.
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Target relevant keywords
Think about all the different ways people try to find a solution for their problems in search engines. What keywords and search phrases do they use? Brainstorm ideas, and then check different keyword parameters by using keyword research tools. Many online tools allow you to perform keyword research for free, but premium tools (like the ones SemRush, AhRefs, MozBar, and other popular SEO companies provide) will give you a much more precise insight, so we recommend paying for them.
Many SEO experts advise targeting keywords with high search volume and low competition. However, do not hesitate to use long-tail keywords with lower search volume – especially for long-term SEO strategy. Even though fewer people use such keywords on a monthly level, they can help you not only increase the number of visitors but also improve the traffic quality.
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Optimize meta descriptions
A meta description is a text that appears below the title on SERP. It impacts your website ranking because search engines use it to understand your content. But in order to write meta descriptions that truly shine, you have to think about people too. Including a clear Call to Action in the description of a page is one of the most popular ways experts attract more visitors to their websites. Also, the length of meta descriptions is another factor to consider. It should not be longer than 155-160 characters, otherwise, it will not be fully shown. We advise you to write meta descriptions that are between 50-150 characters (including spaces) just to be sure.
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Use alt tags
Describing videos and images by writing alt tags is essential if you want search engines to understand visuals on your website. Use descriptive text and include keywords. This will also help you rank better on Google Images. In addition, the descriptions you have written will show to users in case the website does not load fully.
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Write better title tags
If you are not satisfied with the current results you are getting from SEO efforts, one of the first elements you should pay attention to is title tags. Writing a great title tag is vital, as it is the first thing users read on a search engine results page. Try placing the most important keyword as close to the beginning of the title tag as possible. This way, you will help crawlers better understand the content of your page. However, the significance of writing quality title tags extends beyond satisfying algorithms – if the titles of your pages are attractive, you will gain more clicks. Optimized title tags and content that delivers on the promise is a winning combination that will help you improve the ranking of your website.
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Increase page speed
Did you know that 75% of visitors will leave if the website does not load within four seconds? This is more than a strong reason to optimize your website for quicker load times. If your website is slow, images are the first thing you should check on, as they are usually the biggest resource for consumers. Luckily, there are many different techniques for optimizing images to increase page speed. Also, you can try uninstalling unnecessary plugins in your CMS or finding a better hosting option. But if none of this helps, it might be best to hire a developer to check on your code.
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Make your website mobile-friendly
As the volume of mobile traffic rapidly increased over the past decade, the most popular search engine, Google, announced a mobile-first indexing policy in 2019. What does this mean for your website? Well, if it does not provide a good user experience on mobile devices, chances are it will have a hard time ranking high on Google. When it comes to making your website mobile-friendly, you can utilize either responsive or adaptive design. Web design agencies will tell you which option suits your business better.
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Build backlinks
A strong link-building strategy might prove essential for your website ranking. When a website with a high Domain Authority links to one of your pages, Google sees it as a vote of confidence and awards you with a better ranking. Also, as search engine crawlers check links, they will index your website much faster if you have backlinks. There are many different strategies SEOs use for obtaining link juice. Here are some of them:
- Guest posting
- Finding and replacing broken links
- Writing high-quality content others will link to on their own
- Skyscraper technique
- Commenting on forums
Final thoughts
It takes between 3 to 12 months to see the results of your hard work, for competitive industries even longer sometimes. So there is no need to panic, especially if your website is new. Follow the best SEO practices and you will improve the chances of ranking your website high in search engines.