Have you ever wondered why your site is struggling to get more visitors when your competitors appear to be thriving? While this can be due to a myriad of reasons if you have a well-regarded product or service the chances are that your site is not getting the visibility it needs.
Think of it this way, consumers rarely look past the first three organic site results that pop up on Google. Those top three spots are highly coveted positions, reserved for those sites that not only follow the search engine’s rules but optimize their sites to enhance them.
Losing out on a high-ranking position could impact your consumer reach and your sales, putting your business at risk. Therefore it’s important to understand how Google determines your site’s position and what you can do to improve your current ranking to secure more leads and turn them into cash.
Having a fully-optimized website is essential nowadays, more so if you’re a business owner. Sure, UX and UI are fundamental factors to take into consideration. But planning, implementing and executing an effective SEO strategy is imperative. Google can be your best friend or worst nightmare – it all depends on how well-versed you are in its algorithms, intricacies and how you’re able to bounce back from those much-dreaded updates.
Oh, and make no mistake: this search engine takes no prisoners when it comes to punishment – so you better be sure you have an airtight plan of action. Trust us when we say, established companies hailing from all sorts of industries have suffered the brunt of Google’s wrath. Believe it or not, even highly-reputed, top tier online casinos offering the best no deposit bonus codes have had to experience repercussions in the form of harsh penalties.
How it works?
Google’s ranking system is designed to sift through billions of web pages and determine which are the most useful and relevant for users. This is done through a series of algorithms which assess the site on a number of factors ranging from quality of content to user experience. The sites are then given scores which determine their place on the search engine’s list.
However, trying to decipher how to become one of the chosen sites to sit at the top can be a very frustrating experience, especially since the search engine does not reveal which factors are the most critical for their search algorithm. While there may be over 200 ranking factors from on-page and off-page, here are a few you need to pay attention to.
Mobile friendliness
In today’s digital age, it is essential to ensure your site is optimized for mobile phones. This means users can enjoy the same great user experience on their phone as they would on a computer. This will allow potential customers to access and navigate the site on the go, increasing engagement and their overall experience.
SSL certification
Short for secure sockets layer, an SSL certification ensures that there is a safe connection between a user’s browser and the website they are visiting. It appears as a lock before the website’s address and prevents the interception of data during transmission, keeping it protected and out of the hands of unsavory practices such as identity theft..
SSL certificates are also good for brand perception as they serve to alert consumers that your site is secure and has been validated by a trusted third party. This will put their mind at ease and allow them to engage with your product or service offerings more effectively.
Quality content
When it comes to improving your ranking on Google content is king. Google undoubtedly has proven to favor sites that produce original content written by humans which it deems to provide value to users. Google wants to push sites that users will respond to as such it is important to continuously update your site with relative and informative content that is both engaging and attention-grabbing.
Penalties
While Google rewards sites that abide by the search engine’s rules, it also penalizes those that go against them. While the guidelines may sometimes be difficult to interpret it is the site owner’s responsibility to stay informed and up to date on the latest practices to ensure their site is respecting the rules.
Remember achieving a good ranking on Google is a marathon, not a sprint as such, when employing the search engine optimization tactics we discussed, make sure you put in the work and do not try to engage in any fraudulent practices such as keyword stuffing and link-building to reach the top quicker.
