8 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. Now that Google is the main search engine used, 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.

1. Assess your current page ranking

It’s vital to know your current position in Google search results, even if your site is new. Google Page Rank can assess your ranking – this 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.

2. Inbound links

How do I increase my page rank? Having inbound links on other websites with high page ranks is the best way. 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!

3. Meta tags

Meta tags are a smart way to provide search engines with information about their sites. They contain information for the title, description and keywords of each page on your website, and they are what search engines look at when finding relevant search results. For more information on meta tags, click here.

4. 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 another one of my blogs is https://belluber.co.uk/2015/11/30/how-to-use-instagram-effectively-for-business/ which contains keywords that people may search for when looking for this sort of article. If my URL was belluber.com/dtk4e-fn2 it isn’t going to appear in the top results of search engines.

5. 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 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 are throughout your pages online – in your content and headings.

6. Site loading speed

Google doesn’t like waiting, just like we don’t. Statistics show that it takes roughly six seconds to win a visitor over with your website – so ensure that they aren’t spending most of that time waiting for your site to load. The biggest cause of a slow loading site is the image sizes – make sure they are optimised for the web. Don’t test your visitors’ patience, or Google’s!

7. Keep your content fresh

Search engines like to see fresh new content posted regularly; you’re not going to rank high on search results if you don’t keep your website updated. Simple ways to do this include uploading blog posts, articles or latest news – keep it relevant to your industry.

8. Put your business on the map

Whether customers are trying to find you on Search, Maps or Google+, Google My Business connects you with customers directly on any device that they’re using.

Not only can people see exactly where you are based on a map, but they have your contact information, reviews to look at and a link to your website. Plus it’s free!

For more assistance on improving your position in Google search results, email me at steph@belluber.com