Let’s be honest, not everyone is an expert on how the Google algorithm works, but what we know is about the SEO Techniques that will surely help us to rank our pages better on Google. If you want to improve your Search Engine Rankings just like me, you might be at the right place. I do read a lot of blogs, as I mentioned in my last blog about search engine optimization, to learn about how search engines like Google work, and how can I take my websites to the place where I want them to be. So, let’s see some of the SEO techniques that I found out which surely will help your webpages rank higher in Google.
So basically the techniques that we use in search engine optimization, are used to increase the number of visitors to a website, to get a high rank on the search result pages of any search engine – SERP – like Google, Bing, and more. The techniques include On-Page and Off-Page practices like content optimization, link building strategies, and more.
Let’s jump right into the ways with which we can improve the rankings of our pages.
Search Engine Optimization Techniques
The first step would be to understand how are things working. The practices you are applying, the results you are getting, how the search engines are working. How do you do that? The best way to know how you should be doing what you want to do is by knowing what the public wants. Even though the results will be provided by the search engine but the source will be you. So, know what your target audience wants and set your goals and strategies accordingly.
How can you gain ranking this way?
By understanding how things are working you are actually taking a note on how your competitors are doing.
Start by searching your target keyword on the search engine, know about its reach and how your competitors (the top sites) are doing, and understand what you need to include in the content to be better than them.
It’s important to understand what your target audience is already experiencing and then provide them something better.
The above tactic was the initial stage and to take a step further, you need to dive deeper into the study of how search engines work. You should have a knowledge of how the various algorithms change and impact the rankings.
Use the right keyword research and speak the language your target audience speaks. Know what they want and provide them just that, but better.
How do you select the keywords that will help you rank?
A quick way would be going to your Search Engine like Google and typing in your target word in the search box. Google will show you the related searches to that query. Try to understand what the users are liking the most, what they want to read, and what is providing them the best solution for their query.
Use the terms that you see in the results, update your list of keywords, and use them in your next blog.
If you want to reduce the work and get better results, you will have to use SEO Tools that will help you filter out any unwanted keywords with low search volume. The tool will show you the most relevant keywords suggestions along with their monthly searches.
Now don’t start using those keywords just anywhere! These keywords must be set organically in the content. Avoid excessively using the keywords, ie, avoid keyword stuffing.
Next thing that will gain you better search rankings will be a beautifully written content with in-depth research. Give your readers a good piece of work to make them stay on your website and reduce bounce rate.
Length of the content should also be kept in mind. A short content for a popular topic might not take you much far unless your link building game is strong. In order to get higher rankings, you need to have a well researched longer content. In research, it was found that the average length of the content on the first page of SERPs is above 1800 words.
So, now you know how much the length of the content is useful. And what about the quality? Of course, the quality of the content matters a lot. Not for Google, but for your readers.
This is not all, keep updating your older contents. Add any new information that readers must know, or remove any outdated information from the website.
Now the content not only includes the article you have written, but it must also include the best images, infographics, and even videos. When you share your expertise through a video, it is easier for the reader to understand you. All this come under on-page SEO techniques that will help you in improving your search engine ranking. Moreover, it gives the users more options, they can read your article or watch your video, or do both.
This will improve your website’s search rankings as more and more visitors will be liking your content, will visit again for your other contents, and will share your content with their friends.
A regular check-up of your website will keep your content fresh and your website will not die. For this, you can either do a manual check or run a tool that will scan your website for you.
To do it manually, start by visiting your most popular pages and reviewing them. Review the content, check for any broken link, check the meta description, correct any errors, and check whether your title matches your content.
You should also compare your page with your competitors and improve if you see any flaw on your page, or you see if anything is left out.
Otherwise, you can use tools that will help you detect any content that needs your attention.
Review who is linking back to you. The backlinks that you get for your site can impact a lot on your website. The quality and quantity of the backlinks that you are getting can have a negative or positive impact on your site based on how good or bad the numbers are.
If you are getting high-quality backlinks, you surely will get a high rank on the search engine. And this one of the off-page SEO techniques that you must consider along with on-page.
Also, keep an eye on any backlink that might be suspicious in the eyes of Google, because they can come under black hat.
The best way to keep your readers on your website is by using internal links. This is because you want users to spend time on your website. Interlinking your pages will also help your pages to be structured and easily crawlable by Google’s bots.
Try to link all your pages, but remember to be relevant. You won’t get any profit by linking a post for car lovers in “How to feed birds” page.
Promoting your posts on social media. To improve your website’s authority, you need to have your website’s presence on social media too. The most obvious solutions would be to have a page on Facebook or Instagram, but there are a lot of other platforms where you can promote your content.
How will this technique help? First, you can improve your website’s visibility by sharing it socially. And second, this SEO technique will help you generate more leads and build a following.
Ever considered what makes you click on that one blog from the list of other websites that you see on SERP? You could say that because it is from this popular blogger who writes amazing content. But we all know, in reality, the title of the page makes us click on that page.
Using a catchy title will not only improve your CTR but will also help your readers to know exactly what they can expect from your post.
Consider using a clear tone, use your keywords, give a glimpse of your content, and use statements that will make your target audience click (even though it sounds clickbaity).
To make the title or headline SEO friendly, use your most relevant keywords. This way you will appeal to both the audience and the search engine.
