It can be extremely frustrating to see your competitors ranking high on Google’s search results. Getting to page one is no easy job. It takes time and an understanding of what Google’s algorithms are looking for. Making sure that your website is ranked high up in the search involves a process known as Search Engine Optimization.
So, What Is Google Looking For?
Simply uploading your website onto the internet doesn’t necessarily mean that Google knows it’s there. Apart from knowing that it exists, Google needs to know what your page is all about and what searches it should show up in. For example, you don’t want your plumbing business to show up when someone searches for ‘animal rescue’. Since plumbing and animal rescue are terms that wouldn’t necessarily go on the same page, the chances of that happening are pretty much non-existent – but you get the picture.
Google’s algorithms typically crawl through websites reading every word, indexing images, and other content to determine where the website should be placed and for which searches. However, this is a simplified version of SEO practices.
Read on to learn some of the reasons why your website isn’t on page one of Google’ Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
- Google doesn’t know your website exists
For Google’s algorithms to assess your website and rank it, they need to know its there. If you have a brand-new website, you simply need to have patience. They’ll discover it soon. Searching for ‘site: yourwebsite.com’ will let you know if it does. If there’s a result, it means Google knows its there and you need to have a little patience and implement SEO best practices to drive your website ranking up.
If there are no results, then creating a site map and submitting it on the Google Search Console can help hasten the discovery process.
- Keywords can change the world
Google’s web spiders are hard at work reading and categorizing every single bit of your website. Incorporating the right keywords into your content can help them know where to place your page. Make sure they are used in meta titles, meta descriptions, URLs, alt-text for images, and the actual content too. It can be a good idea to start by incorporating keywords that have lower competition and boosting your rankings with those before moving on to keywords with higher competition.
- Backlinks
Not many people realise it, but backlinks are vital to how well your page ranks on Google. Having high-quality websites in similar fields talking about your business and linking back to it can make a huge difference when it comes to how well your website is ranked by Google’s search algorithms.
- Pay Attention to Local SEO
This is especially important if you run a business that serves a particular area or region. Letting Google know your area of operation and the type of business you run can mean that your website features on the first page when potential customer’s in your area look for businesses like yours. Read this article to know what you need to do for local SEO optimization.
- Google Ads
The quickest way to get to page one of Google’s SERP is by placing a Google advertisement. You need to bid for the right keywords by stating how much you’d like to pay every time your ad is clicked on (pay-per click). The higher your bid, the higher your ad is ranked. Be warned though certain keywords can be very expensive. On the other hand, certain keywords can be relatively cheaper and deliver great ROIs. You need to really know what you’re doing and stay on top of the game all the time.
A professional agency like Agency Media can take the burden off your shoulders. creating and managing a Google Ads campaign for you as well as taking care of all the other nitty-gritties of Search Engine Optimization.
Intrigued? Contact Agency Media today and let’s talk!