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The Right Way to Get Your Website Ranked

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Posted by Oluwole Israel . Posted on: at .

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How do I rank number one on Google?

We’ve all asked this question before – right? Well, not to be a Debbie Downer, but there is no secret formula or recipe for achieving a number one ranking. (Or even a page one ranking, for that matter.) It’s equal parts science, creativity, and chance.

Having said that, there are certain steps you can take to increase your likelihood of ranking for particular keywords and search terms. How high you’ll rank is anyone’s guess, but you can do your part to amplify your odds. And in this article, we’re going to explore some of the key factors.

3 Tips to Rank Higher

While Google purposefully keeps the specifics of its search algorithm under wraps, there are some things we know to be true about the search rankings. If you want to increase your odds of ranking well, you should do the following:

  1. Publish High-Quality Content

It’s impossible to rank well on Google if you don’t have high-quality content. High-quality content is content that’s relevant, keyword-rich, and in-depth. (We’re talking 1,000 to 5,000 words in length.)

In terms of keywords, there are a number of tools you can use to conduct your research. The top ones (as voted by search marketing experts in the industry) include SEMrush, Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, Keyword Tool.io, and Search Console.

  1. Build Backlinks

Backlinks are one of the top signals Google uses when determining how to rank web pages. All else created equal, a website that has more backlinks from high authority websites is going to outrank a website that has little or no links pointing back to it.

There are two major types of link building. You have earned link building, which is where you develop content on your site and wait for other people to find the content and link back to it. (Slow and difficult, yet free.) Then there’s manual link building, which is where you go out and make things happen. (Guest blogging, broken link building, etc.) However, as effective as backlinks are, you have to use them in conjunction with other strategic SEO principles.

“While links are one of the stronger signals in search engine algorithms, we recognize they’re not the only signal,” Link.Build explains. “A focus on backlinks without the other critical on and off-site elements can cripple even the best link building campaign. If your site is failing to rank, there are likely multiple factors – not just your backlinks – weighing you down.”

And this is why the backend website factors we’re going to discuss are so very important.

  1. Optimize Your Site’s Backend

Backend SEO optimization refers to all of the small technical details that impact your website’s searchability and user experience. Here are some things to pay attention to:

  • Site speed is very important. If your pages take more than a couple of seconds to load, you’re going to see a drop off in visitors. This high bounce rate tells Google that there’s something people don’t like about your website and the algorithm won’t be friendly to you.
  • More than 60 percent of online searches now take place via a mobile device. (And in some industries, it’s as high as 72 percent.) Thus, your website needs to be mobile-friendly. Responsive design is the gold standard.
  • Invest in HTTPS security to keep your website safe. Google now officially considers HTTPS a ranking signal.
  • Use structured data to help search engines understand your website and the content included on your site.

This is just the start. A professional SEO audit will help you identify some of the areas where you might be coming up short.

Build the Right Foundation

The problem with SEO is that there’s so much misinformation online. Not only that, but people approach it from a totally incorrect angle. They invest money into advanced tactics without ever getting the foundational principles right. This leads to a top-heavy strategy that crumbles as soon as any pressure is applied.

If you want your website to rank, start with the basics, and build up over time. There is no overnight success story or get-rich-quick scheme. You have to make the right investments and trust the process. That’s how you methodically climb the search rankings (and stay there).