11 Useful Tips to Help You Rank on Google Page One

If you want to get on Google page one, there are some key things you must do in order to rank highly. You may have a very relevant business and an accompanying website that you think is giving you the exposure you need, but then discover that your website really does not do much to drive traffic to your business.

It could be that your site lacks certain key elements. Making use of these elements will give you the best shot at ranking well. Google makes use of many algorithms and tools which determine how well a website ranks. This may sound complex or even overwhelming but following the key guidelines will help you to learn how to get on page 1 of Google.

1.) Ensure that your website is well optimized for search engines (SEO).

In order for your website to be found it must be designed in such a way that search engines will favour it. Whenever users enter a phrase or word into the search box, Google sends out crawlers which will search for the site most relevant to the searched for terms.

Additionally, since mobile devices are now used more often than desk or laptop computers, Google tends to favour mobile-friendly websites. Mobile-friendly websites generally tend to rank higher than even a really responsive non-mobile site. Thus, a wise thing to do would be to ensure that your website is cross-compatible meaning that it works great across various devices.

Search engines look for four key things about a website:

  • Does it have original (unique) and quality content?

  • How well does it perform, and how quickly do the pages load?

  • Does it have links to authoritative websites or is the content good enough to be linked to those sites?

  • Does it look appealing, and is it easy to navigate?

Bear in mind that using a combination of these factors in developing your website will set you well on your way to get Google page one.

2.) Produce quality and original content.

To get your page noticed by search engines, your content is a weighty determinant of your ranking. You must give keen attention to grammar and spelling which also adds to the credibility of your site. Your content must also directly relate to what users would have seen in the preview if you want to not just attract traffic but sustain it. It goes without saying that plagiarism and even duplicating your own content will cause your ratings to plummet.

Regarding the content you publish to your website, you will need to put in the time to supply fresh content that will be relevant to your prospective customers. If you are at a loss as to what to write, you may think of questions they may have about your products or services and address those. Provide them with valuable information that will help and inform them.

As you continue to add relevant information to your site, Google’s crawlers will take note of your site and this will help to boost your ratings.

3.) Make Smart Use of Keywords.

An effective keyword is one that people are most likely to search for. This is something to think carefully about in order to have your website rank at the top. There are several tools offered by Google such as Google Analytics, Google Keyword Planner, and Google Trends which give excellent assistance in determining a relevant keyword when you are considering how to rank on page one of Google.

How to Use Google Analytics

How to Use Google Keyword Planner

How to Use Google Trends

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In addition to appropriately distributing the keyword through the textual content of the article (keyword density) you can also smartly use the keyword in other ways. You would be wise to include the keyword in your domain name if possible, in your page headings, and also in your page description (Meta tags).

An important thing to avoid doing is overusing the keywords, also known as stuffing. Google penalizes heavily for this. There is no ideal keyword density recommended by Google to rank well … however, experience has shown that between 1 and 3% is not a bad figure. This percentage is arrived at by dividing the number of keywords by the total number of words in your article, times 100. A safe place to stay with the suggested range would be in the middle, at 1.5%.

When using the keywords ensure that your sentences read as naturally as possible. Even though you are writing to have search engine rank you well, you are also writing for your potential clients or site visitors. Try not to lose the balance between the two.

4.) Utilize Quality Images.

An image or a picture is one of the elements Google will use to rank your website. Therefore, it is important to consider using images that are closely related to your subject matter.

Use good quality images that you have a right to use. Stealing images will adversely affect your ratings so it is best to carefully research images you can legally use … or have professional photos taken so you can use your original and personally owned photographs.

Allowance is also made for tagging or labeling your images (better known as the ALT tag), whether visible or hidden so this is another opportunity to make use of your keyword(s).

Give attention also to the size of your image, by ensuring that the size of the image displayed on your site matches the actual dimensions of the image. If both do not match up then you will need to make sure that all of your images are properly scaled.

You may also want to caption an image so that visitors to your site can readily see how the image relates to the article. It creates a double impact since they will both be able to see it as well as read it.

Finally, when adding an image to your article ensure that the placement of it is correct. Do not randomly insert your image any old point. Good placement contributes to the flow and appearance of your article.

5.) Make Use of Google AdWords.

Google AdWords can be a more than useful platform to employ in your efforts to figure out how to rank on page one of Google. This tool charges you on a per click basis, by displaying your website ad on page one of Google’s search results. Whenever someone clicks on your ad that is the point at which you are charged.

The Google AdWords Keyword Suggestion Tool allows you to input the phrases you think people are most likely to search for in relation to your business. Google will then churn out phrases which are similar or related and provide you with information regarding the frequency with which people search for those in particular.

You will also be provided with the cost of using each keyword, enabling you to forecast and set your budget. Some people prefer to use this method as a faster way to boost the visibility of their website especially when they are just starting out.

Since this is a Google tool it is quite effective in helping you to get noticed on Google’s search engine results page. The payoff is not automatic though, so do your due diligence in ensuring that your site quality is worthy of high ratings.

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6.) Leverage Backlinks to Your Website.

Another important strategy to use when trying to figure out how to get on Google page one, is to employ backlinks. Backlinks are simply hyperlinks from websites that are more popular and hence more authoritative than yours, which link back to your website. This means doing the research to find out which websites are related to yours, and have a high number of page views.

If you a lot of backlinks from several unrelated sites it is easy to see how your ranking will be jeopardized. This will also drive traffic away from your website, which you don’t want.

To get backlinks, your content needs to be excellent so that people will want to link to your posts and/or pages. Your articles must be well researched and well-written if you want authoritative sites to be able to use your articles as references.

You can reach out to these authority sites to find out if they would be willing to engage in mutually beneficial cross-promotion. Bear in mind that it is not the sheer number of backlinks which matter but rather the quality of those backlinks.

Resist the urge to pay for backlinks just to get a lot of them. Google’s backend works diligently to detect anything that may seem underhanded in your practices and you may end up being penalized rather than getting the result you were aiming for.

Your online reputation is a very important factor in determining how well your website will rank. It is already challenging enough to build a high rank, so always keep your practices above board.

7.) Be active in Social Media and the Online Community.

In order to get your website noticed, your social media and online presence are very important. While social media popularity does not impact your Google ranking, it will help to direct traffic to your website. Creating social media accounts for your website will help to generate followers for your business and also encourage those followers to share your posted information with their contacts on their social media accounts. It is a great means for staying in touch with your client base, as well as a perfect means of keeping your feeds alive. So, be ready to share positive reviews that you have received and any other relevant information.

To keep current in the online communities you will also want to give your website regular attention. Always update your website with new content, photographs, etc., anything that will let your clients know that it is not an untended website. There are online tools you may want to make use of which can assist you in keeping your website up to date with current trends.

One of these online tools called Infinigraph, helps you to keep up with what is happening in your social media circles, and what is trending with them, so that you can generate content accordingly.

You will also want to ensure that you enable commenting on your website so that visitors can leave their feedback. Be sure to keep the conversation going with them by responding as quickly as you possibly can. If you receive valid negative feedback you will want to tactfully address these, and also use them as stepping stones to make improvements … so, do NOT look at negative feedback as an attack but rather a means to improve on your business.

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8.) Google Maps

If your business has a physical location, it is an excellent idea to add it to Google Maps. Google does use this information in its rating of websites, and you will further benefit by being found when people search for businesses in a particular location or region. Though you do need to understand, your business MUST have a geographical address to register with Google like this.

9.) Register Your Business on Google MyBusiness

Google MyBusiness is a very useful resource to get on board with and have your website ranked high on Google. This goody allows you to input your business information and have your details appear in Google search results along with your Google Map making your business more visible to your potential clients.

In addition, it allows this allows your customers to leave their reviews which will benefit others who might be contemplating using your services. Whenever you make edits or updates to your information, it is automatically updated on Google search results and Google Maps. You also have the advantage of being able to see what people are saying about your business and you are able to respond accordingly and it is recommended that you DO respond within a short period of time to any negative review.

How to Use Google Maps and Google MyBusiness

10.) Register Your Business with Online Directories

For example, Yelp is an online resource that has been around for more than 10 years. It is a go to site for many people who are trying to find local businesses with high credibly.

Yelp features honest unpaid customer reviews which are true to life and should give other potential customers the confidence to trust a referral from someone who has already had an experience with the particular business or service. For this reason, Yelp is a great resource to have your business noticed in a positive light and to help drive traffic to your website … and ultimately your business.

However, there are advantages to being listed on online directories other than just Yelp, so don’t stop getting your business listed only on this one!

11.) Be Consistent With Your Business Details

This is better known as NAP or … your business Name, Address, and Phone. No matter whether you are sharing this information on your social media accounts, your website, or your many online directory listings, make sure you are consistent with your business details. The video below explains this in more detail.

These are some of the more effective ways to get your website to become more visible. If it all seems daunting to you, you might consider hiring a professional who has proven expertise and knowledge to help you get to the top and keep you there.

It is quite rewarding when you get out of your business all that you have worked hard to invest. By following these tips, they will help you get to Google page one the right way.

Hope you found this post helpful. If you did, please help us by sharing with your friends. Also, we would love to hear any comments, questions or feedback about this post.

Trish

Website Designer for Parr's Publishing. As a full certified Internet Specialist, I help business owners and organizations increase their profits by providing them with a fully managed, custom designed website as well as basic Search Engine Optimization.

4 thoughts on “11 Useful Tips to Help You Rank on Google Page One”

  1. Hi Trish,
    I love your site and it is also the best site that I have come across with very informative articles about SEO and website tips for online businesses. Loads of great information. Keep up the fantastic work. I entered my email for future posts.
    Donna

    Reply
  2. Actually, this is more of an advanced post for affiliate marketers, along the 11 special tips use to explain the things have behind our affiliate markets. That is very great. Some of these tips, I’m learning for the first time, as I had never heard about these.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Hey Samantha, think you will be surprised to learn that many helpful SEO tips work wonders for ANY website, be they for local marketing or affiliate marketing. Thanks for stopping by and I’m happy to learn that you enjoyed this post as it has taught you more SEO techniques.

      Reply

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