7 ways to improve your position in Google search results
With advances in technology, it’s simple to create a website at a low cost. This means that most businesses have many competitors when trying to sell their products and services online. We all know that Google is the main search engine used so it can be difficult for businesses to be noticed in search results. These tips listed can give you some guidance on how to improve your position in Google search results.
- Assess your current page ranking
It’s important to know your current position in Google search results, even if your site is new. Google Search Console can assess your ranking, which is pretty much based on popularity. For guidance, having a Google Page Rank of 4 is great for a local business. The higher your page rank, the better your position in Google search results will be.
- Inbound links
How do I increase my page rank? You will need to increase the number of inbound links which can be done through creating content, reaching out to website owners or even asking people who mention your company to add a link. However, the best way is to have inbound links on other websites with high page ranks. Local or regional websites such as www.visitsuffolk.com or newspaper websites are good places to have your links. Try and get in touch with them – it may cost you a small fee or even nothing at all!
- Google Business Profile
When you search for businesses, you’ll often see a Google Business Profile. This profile offers customers quick access to essential information like opening hours, contact details and a website link. Make sure your profile is complete and up-to-date. Gathering reviews can also increase your ranking. Remember the more detailed your profile, the better your chances of improving your visibility.
- Keywords in the URLs of your pages
Having keywords in your URLs is a way for search engines to find your site and they also look clearer for your customers to see. For example, the web address for my Web Development service page is https://belluber.co.uk/website-development-bury-st-edmunds-suffolk-uk/ which contains keywords that people may search for when looking for this type of service. If my URL was belluber.com/website-development it isn’t going to appear in the top results of search engines for the user’s location.
- Keywords in your content
Not only is it important to have keywords in your URLs, but in your content on your web pages too. Google uses Google spiders (Googlebot) to position websites in their search results. Every time somebody makes a search, these spiders crawl the internet for the keywords and phrases which have been put into the search bar. Consider what your potential customers are likely to search to find you, and make sure that those words and phrases are throughout your online pages in your content and headings.
- Site loading speed
Google doesn’t like waiting, just like we don’t. What used to be the 15 second rule, is now the 3 second rule – to win a visitor over with your website before they click the ‘Back’ button and go to one of your competitors’ sites. Statistics show that it takes roughly 3-10 seconds to win a visitor over with your website. Make sure most of that time isn’t waiting for your site to load. The biggest cause of a slow loading site is video and image sizes. Check that your videos and images are optimised for the web. Don’t test your customers patience or Google’s!
- Keep your content fresh
Your customers like to see fresh content and so do search engines. Regular content updates are essential to rank high on search results so keep your website updated! Simple ways to do this include uploading blog posts, articles or latest news and keep it relevant to your industry.
For more tips and advice on improving your position in Google search results, email me at steph@belluber.com and I’ll send you a PDF with recommendations to improve the SEO for your website.
