How to Improve Your SEO Ranking on Google

SEO isn't only for attracting users to your website. It's also about getting search engines to understand your content. 

SEO stands for search engine optimisation. As its name suggests, it optimises your website for search engines. In other words, SEO makes your website search engine-friendly. 

When we say search engines, we are almost always referring to Google. 

Whereas there are many search engines you can use, Google is the most popular one. With almost 92% of the search market, Google is, without a doubt, the go-to search engine for everything. 

Google has its own ranking algorithm, which may not be important for users, but it is important for you. As a website owner, you must know how to optimise your site for Google in order to achieve high rankings. 

If you want to know how to improve your SEO ranking on Google, this article is for you. 

🤔 How Does Google's Algorithm Work?

Before we can talk about how to improve your SEO ranking, you need to understand how Google even works. 

Google's algorithm isn't easy to understand, which is why we'll break down the ranking process for you. 

Google ranks websites in search results using these three steps:

1. Crawling. Google uses automated programs named "crawlers" or "spiders." Google crawlers scan the web and collect information from different web pages. They follow links from one page to another, gathering data about each page they visit.
2. Indexing. After crawling, Google organises the information it collects into a huge database. This database is also known as the "index." It includes a copy of every web page the crawler has found.
3. Ranking. When users perform a search, Google's algorithm goes through the index to find the most relevant results. It considers hundreds of factors to determine which pages are the best matches for your query. 

This is where SEO comes into play. By optimising your website for Google, you will increase your chances of getting ranked. 

The goal of SEO is to put your website on the first page of search results. But why? Because only 0.63% of users continue to the second page. Not only that, but the website that is lucky enough to score first place on the first page gets 27.6% of all clicks.

As you can see, optimising your website for Google is more important than you might think. 

🌐 Google Ranking Factors

Another aspect to consider is the ranking factors Google uses to rank various sites in search results. 

Google is responsible for sorting through billions of web pages to give users the most accurate results. Even though this process is automated, it isn't random.

Google uses specific ranking factors to determine which web pages are relevant and which aren't. 

Some of the most important ranking factors include:

• Content relevance
• Content quality
• Mobile-friendliness 
• Page speed
• User experience
• Backlinks 
• Page-level signals
• Domain authority
• Keyword optimisation
• Technical SEO
• Social signals

The list goes on and on. What's important to note is that Google's algorithm is always changing. Google has to regularly update its algorithm in order to improve search quality and combat spam. That's why it's important to keep up with these changes. 

The most important piece of information to take away is that Google prioritises high-quality, relevant content. 

Your content must also match the user's search query. This includes factors like keyword usage, topical relevance, and context.

When developing your website, you need to keep user experience in mind. As you may have already noticed, Google puts user experience first. 

All these ranking factors can be optimised with SEO. 

⬆️  How to Increase SEO Ranking on Google 

We can finally move on to how to actually improve your Google rankings. 

Note that there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. SEO includes a number of different tactics and techniques. You need to come up with a tailored strategy to improve the relevance, quality, and authority of your website. 

The most effective ways to increase your Google ranking include:

1. Doing keyword research and optimisation
2. Writing relevant, high-quality content
3. Using on-page optimisation tactics
4. Building backlinks from authoritative websites
5. Improving user experience
6. Doing technical SEO
7. Creating a local SEO strategy (if applicable)
8. Monitoring and analysing your performance

🗝️ Keywords 

Keywords are the building blocks of SEO. 

A good keyword strategy consists of two steps: research and optimisation. 

To do keyword research, you must understand your audience. This includes their demographics, preferences, pain points, and language. 

You can also brainstorm seed keywords. Start with a list of broad, general keywords related to your business, products, or services. These are your seed keywords, which you'll use as a starting point for further research.

Using keyword tools is another good idea. For example, Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz Keyword Explorer, or Ubersuggest. These tools can aid you in discovering relevant keywords, competition, and trends.

Don't overlook long-tail keywords. They are longer, more specific phrases that typically have lower search volume. They have a higher conversion rate, which makes them a better choice. 

If you have a local business, be sure to use location-based keywords. This will help you attract local traffic. 

Once you're done with keyword research, you can move on to optimisation. The idea is to add those keywords to different areas of your site. This can include:

• Content 
• Meta tags and meta descriptions
• Titles and headings
• Website URL
• Image ALT text
• Inbound links

For bonus points, make sure to add the keywords naturally. Keyword placement is more important than frequency. If you add too many keywords, it can make your content unreadable. 

💬 Content

Content is another essential element of search engine optimisation. 

Content on a website refers to all the information, media, and resources presented to visitors. It isn't just the text on your blog. It can also refer to:

• Product and service descriptions
• Images and videos
• Audio content
• Infographics
• Downloadable files
• Social media posts
• User-generated content
• Interactive content
• Navigation menu and headers
• FAQs

Content doesn't only communicate your brand's message and convey information about your business. It also plays an important role in shaping user experience. 

Thus, it can drive engagement and conversions to your website.

Writing content isn't as easy as it seems. It's not enough to just provide random information. Your content must be engaging, relevant, and high-quality. 

Content is also important for SEO because it's a ranking factor. How you write your content will determine your search engine rankings.

If you feel like this is outside of your capabilities, you can always hire professional content writers. Another option is to work with an SEO agency, as they will handle the entire SEO process for you from start to finish.

🖼️ On-Page SEO

On-site or on-page SEO refers to the practice of optimising individual web pages. The goal of on-page SEO is to boost your visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs).

It involves optimising various elements of a web page. This includes title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, content, images, and internal links.

Some common on-page SEO techniques include optimising:

1. Keywords - Identifying relevant keywords that users are searching for and adding them naturally to your content.
2. Title tags - Creating concise and compelling titles that accurately describe the content of each page.
3. Meta descriptions - Writing clear and informative meta descriptions that provide a brief overview of the page's content.
4. Header tags - Using header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content. This makes it much easier for users and search engines to understand your content.
5. Content - Writing high-quality, informative, and engaging content that answers users' queries.
6. Images - Optimising images by compressing them to reduce file size and adding alt tags to describe the images for accessibility and search engine indexing.
7. Internal links - Linking to other important pages on your website to improve navigation, user experience, and search engine crawlability.

On-page SEO is important for your website because it directly affects how well your pages rank in search results.

Optimising on-page elements leads to better organic visibility. Your website will thus appear in relevant search results, leading to more organic traffic.

It can also result in much higher click-through rates. Well-optimised title tags and meta descriptions can capture users' attention. 

Most importantly, it improves user experience, which is a key ranking factor for search engines.

📎 Backlinks

This type of link takes a user from another website to your website. 

Backlinks are important for SEO because they are a sign to Google that your website should be trusted. 

The more high-quality backlinks you collect, the higher your website will appear in search results.

Backlinks can help improve your SEO ranking on Google through increased credibility and authority. 

Google perceives backlinks as a vote of confidence from other websites. The more backlinks you have from high-quality websites, the more credible your website will appear to Google.

Backlinks also help to improve your website's authority. Google uses various factors to determine a website's authority. This includes the number and quality of its backlinks. The more authoritative your website is, the higher it can rank in search results.

Backlinks can also help increase traffic coming to your website. If users click on a backlink, they will be taken to your website. Doing this can help send more traffic to your site and increase your rankings in search results.

 👍 User Experience

One of Google's most important ranking factors is user experience (UX).

It refers to the experience a user has when interacting with a website. A positive user experience can help you increase your rankings on Google search results. 

With a positive user experience, you can count on:

• Improved bounce rate
• Increased time on page
• Better click-through rate 
• Increased conversions
• Better social signals

A user-friendly website with a high-quality user experience will make people stay on your site longer. 

This reduces your bounce rate. Google views a low bounce rate as a signal that your site is relevant and engaging.

The amount of time users spend on your page is also a ranking factor. A well-designed website will keep users on your site longer. This signals to Google that your website is providing valuable information.

Your website must have a clear hierarchy and easy-to-read content. Users will more likely click on your website in search results.

Google uses CTR as a ranking factor, as it indicates how many people click on your site. A positive UX can increase conversions. For instance, sales, leads, or sign-ups. 

Social sharing is another benefit of a positive user experience. People are more likely to share content that they find valuable and engaging. 

Social signals like shares, likes, and tweets can also be a ranking factor for Google.

🔧 Technical SEO

This type of SEO refers to the optimisation of your website's technical aspects. It makes sure search engine crawlers can effectively crawl, index, and understand your website. 

The most important elements of technical SEO are:

1. Organising your site structure
2. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly
3. Optimising page speed
4. Securing your website with HTTPS encryption
5. Implementing schema markup 

Technical SEO is very important for your website. It refers to what happens "behind the scenes" of your website. 

Doing these steps ensures your site works perfectly. It also makes your site easier to crawl and index by search engines. This can lead to more visibility on search engines.

 🏬 Local SEO

Businesses with a local audience can benefit from local SEO. 

It focuses on optimising your online presence to attract more customers from local searches. For instance, "restaurants near me" or "plumbers in [city]."

Local SEO includes the following elements:

• Google My Business. Make and optimise your Google My Business listing with accurate business information. This includes your address, phone number, and business hours.
• Local citations. Make sure your business is listed accurately on local directories, review sites, and online maps. For instance, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Apple Maps.
• Local keywords. Include location-specific keywords in your website content, headings, and meta tags. This will help you target local search queries effectively.
• Local content. Create content tailored to local interests, events, and news. This allows you to engage with your local audience.
• Online reviews. Encourage positive reviews from satisfied customers on platforms to build trust. This includes Google Reviews, Yelp, and Facebook.

🔎 Monitoring and Analysing

Monitoring and analysing your SEO strategy is very important for improving your Google rankings. How else would you know your SEO strategy is performing well?

You will be able to track your website's performance over time. By analysing key metrics, you can assess the effectiveness of your SEO strategy. 

Doing this lets you make informed decisions about your website.

Monitoring allows you to quickly detect and address technical issues that may negatively impact your Google rankings. 

You must regularly check for crawl errors, broken links, orphan pages, duplicate content, and other issues. This allows you to make sure your website remains in good standing with search engines.

Google's search algorithm is constantly evolving. Regular updates and changes can impact your search rankings. 

That's why you must stay informed about algorithm updates and analyse their effects on your website's performance. This lets you adapt your SEO strategy to maintain or improve your rankings in search results.

📌 Knowing How to Rank High in SEO

Google can be the gateway to success for your business. If done right, it can bring you new customers, organic traffic, and quality leads. 

Ranking well on Google is not an easy step-by-step process. It requires the combination of many different SEO tactics. But once you get there, the results will make all your efforts worth it. 

If you need some help improving your rankings on Google, you might need a specialist like RankRise. 

As an expert SEO agency, we can help you increase your search engine rankings and put your business on the map. If you have any questions about this process, feel free to reach out to us.