I think you’ll agree with me when I say:
Increasing traffic to your website can MAKE or BREAK you. However, in order to succeed you don’t have to spend thousands on Google Adwords or Facebook ads to achieve business goals.
Using the following advice, you’ll be able to optimize your website so it can compete in your niche. The following SEO ranking factors will benefit the novice and the professional alike.
Strengthen Your Backlink Profile & Improve Domain Authority
Having a strong backlink profile is one of the essential elements of a good SEO strategy. A consistent stream of links (aka “internet votes”) is a critical step in creating website authority in the eyes of search engines. Keep in mind that all search engines calculate rankings by placing a strong emphasis on quality backlinks.
The On-Page Ranking Basics
First and foremost You want to make sure the KEYWORD is in the PAGE TITLE. Adding the keyword to the title tag will alert Google of what your page represents.
Be sure to optimize the H1 tag as it should also be related to the target keyword. Next, you should include the keyword on the body of the landing page at least once. No need to keyword stuff as Google has come a long way and is excellent at understanding language.
Don’t forget to optimize the images with search-friendly file names and ALT tags.
Topics and Relevancy
Make sure you understand what Google expects of top performing content. Tools like ntopic.org will show you the spectrum of keywords that your top competitors are using to rank on the first page of search results. This tool will provide insight into the primary and secondary keywords you should be using.
Content-Length Never Fails
Google favors web pages that are thorough and provide the user with the best experience possible. This is why it makes sense to create content that is lengthy and informative. Providing readers and search engines with great content will increase the time on site, and will also result in a robust likable asset.
User Experience: It’s All About the User
On a fundamental level, Google can see how happy users are when they visit your website. This means that when users reach your site and stay for a long duration, Google understands that the user is generally pleased with their landing page experience.
Bottom line? Make sure you continue to find ways to keep the reader interested so that they remain on each on the page longer. And remember; You only have a couple of seconds to convince your readers to stay on the site.
Secure Sites Now Provide a Boost
In July 2018 Google announced the deadline for switching to HTTPS. After this date, Google has begun sharing a warning to your website visitors that your site is not secure.
As a result of this update, this feature has become a small feature of the Google Ranking Algorithm. Remember; if Google recommends something, you’ll want to listen. To learn more, check out HTTP to HTTPS Migration: The Ultimate Stress-Free Guide here.
Website Architecture
Good website architecture makes it easy for people and Search engines to navigate through websites. Websites should be laid out as simple as humanly possible, and it should only take a few clicks to reach all the web pages on a site.
Page Speed - Don't Waste Time
Page speed is a measurement of how fast the content on your webpage can load. Google has indicated that website speed and page speed is a part of their ranking algorithm. This fits in with Google’s goal of creating the best user experience possible. With users wanting information fast, the target page speed goal is under two seconds.
Mobile Friendliness
Mobile first is a rule of thumb for good product design. This was echoed by Google CEO, Eric, Schmidt in 2010and this vision has come to fruition. Google recommends responsive design as the industry standard, and it's more accessible than ever to build mobile-friendly websites. Considering that a substantial majority of people now use mobile devices for Google searches, it’s easy to understand why Google was selling this vision years ago!
In short, these are among the highest priority SEO ranking factors. This small group of recommendations can drastically improve your website and your business. Be sure to do plenty of research and remember to consistently enhance your web presence as long as you’re in business. Never Stop Improving!