Ranking on the front page of the Google Search results can net your website substantial traffic. And if you target the right searches and your website is built effectively, that traffic can be converted to leads and sales that can help reach your marketing goals.
Sounds simple, right? If you have any experience with search engine optimization (SEO), you know it’s a lot more complex than that. The Google Search algorithm is a highly intricate computer program that uses hundreds of individual factors to rank the more than 1 billion websites that are now on the internet.
What’s more, the exact ranking factors and how they’re weighted are a closely guarded proprietary secret by the search giant. This leaves SEO researchers to test, tinker and speculate with different tactics and strategies to determine what makes a website rank. Yet another challenge is that Google is constantly updating its algorithm as technology changes and to respond to adaptations, and even exploitations, that marketers and SEOs have implemented.
So this still leaves the question of how to get your website to rank on Google. The simplest answer is to build a good website with good content that is targeted for your audience.
Improve your Google Search ranking by focusing on fundamentals and long-term growth
While Google does keep the exact ranking factors a secret, it doesn’t mean it wants to make things hard for webmasters. In fact, it has a very helpful guide for webmasters looking to understand how to build a website that is optimized for the Google search engine. It breaks its advice down into three broad categories:
- Make it so Google can find your pages — Google has computer programs that are always crawling and indexing the entire internet. If your pages aren’t easily accessible to these crawlers, they will not appear on the rankings.
- Make it so Google can understand your site — With machine learning, search algorithms are getting better at reading like people. This makes the need for clear, concise and natural content more important than ever before. Google is getting better at distinguishing quality from junk.
- Make it so visitors can easily use your site — At the end of the day, your website is for people, not a search algorithm. Google’s stated mission is to deliver the best and most useful content when people perform a search, and your website should always keep this in mind.
Enlist the support of SEO and digital marketing experts
It’s tempting to go after quick wins and take shortcuts to improve your Google Search ranking, but there is no substitute for building a high-quality and high-functioning website. At Burg & Co., we combine SEO expertise, exceptional digital storytelling and a collaborative approach with our partners that helps us understand your business objectives and your audience. We’ll help you improve your ranking on Google, but always in the service of reaching the right people and achieving a return on your marketing dollar.
To learn more and schedule a free marketing consultation, contact us today.
