Experts claim that most people rarely go beyond the first page or two of results when using search engines. This is why getting your website ranked as high as possible when someone searches for your type of business is important.
The most common way to increase these rankings is through using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies. SEO breaks into the algorithms that search engines use to rank websites. Because these algorithms are so complex, some businesses bring in specialists to handle their SEO, while others do it themselves. Either way, the following are some basic principles you can apply to boost your ranking.
1) Look at Companies That Are SEO Specialists
A solid SEO campaign by a company that specializes in digital marketing is probably the best way for a small business to increase their Google ranking. It is a great idea for business owners who don’t understand how different search engines work and need help growing online.
Respected companies will have employees that are up to date with Google, Yahoo, or Bing. They’ll have a history of bringing businesses onto search engine algorithms. Some SEO specialists will even go as far as offering a refund of their fees if they are unable to boost your rankings. While a good campaign can cost anywhere between $1,500-$10,000 a month, it will be money well spent if they can get your business listed on the first page of a Google search. Always research a company’s website to see how they advertise. A trustworthy site will have a polished site (https://goldminddigital.com/) with testimonials, and detail about their SEO strategies.
If hiring professionals to create a SEO campaign for your business isn’t possible, there are still ways to improve your search engine rankings. Again, the results won’t be happen overnight, but following these practices should increase where you are positioned on search engines.
2) Use Google My Business
Once you put a website up, you should go to Google My Business, Yahoo Local or whatever similar function the different search engines have. Start by verifying and claiming your business before filling out any questions. Adding videos and pictures of your business will also help strengthen your ranking.
Make sure that you are listed under the correct category for the type of business you have, as this is a common error. The question-and-answer section can help too. Posting your own questions and answers gives prospective customers a better idea of the services your company provides.
3) Make Sure to Optimize Your Web Pages
This is more than just making sure you have the right keywords in your copy. You not only have to provide relevant and quality content regularly, but you should try to incorporate the keywords as often as it is naturally possible.
Care should be taken with titles and body content to keep them relevant to the overall subject of the page. For instance, if a business is in St Petersburg, FL but operates throughout the Tampa/St Pete/Clearwater area, then using Tampa Bay in a title or in the copy will help make the page more relevant to searches for your type of business in the bay area.
4) Pay Attention to Meta Descriptions
Meta descriptions are 150-320 character sentences that tell the search engine and visitors what is on a page. A good meta description will describe exactly what to expect to find on a page. Because algorithms work from reading sentences, it is important to use natural-sounding speech. It is also important to not stuff meta descriptions full of keywords. Try using one keyword for each page and use it once in the meta description.
With most people rarely going past the first page or two of a search engine’s results, it’s important to get your website ranked as high as possible. Improving the ways that you use SEO strategies will help make your websites and content more relevant to search requests and that in turn will boost your rankings. Whether you go with a professional or you handle it yourself, this is the best way to organically boost your ranking in search engines results.