Do you want to be at the top of search engine rankings? Can’t keep up with the Google algorithm? Everyone’s always fighting for those top spots in search results and it’s hard to keep up. After all, did you know, the number one result receives over 10 times more clicks than number 10?
Depending on what you type into Google search, you may never find organic company listings on the first page. Instead, you’ll usually find a couple of paid ads, a feature snippet, images, videos, “People also ask”, and top organic blog posts. This means it’s getting harder and harder for your website to show up on that first page.
That’s why we’re here to give you this updated guide on how to get your website to rank high on Google in 2022:
- Answer questions
- Choose keywords wisely
- Use keywords correctly
- Upgrade your content
1. Answer questions and queries
Where do people go to find answers? Google. Google as a company knows this, so they will reward anyone who answers users’ questions in a way that is easy to read and easy to access. If you do this, they’ll put you up there on the ranks.
Studies show users are using voice assistants more and more to search on Google. That means they’re asking questions like “what’s the…”, “how can…”, “who is…”, and “why does…”. The best way to answer these questions is by creating blog posts.
Remember that ‘feature snippet’ we mentioned before? These are snippets of blogs that show up at the top of the search results because Google sees them as providing quick answers to users’ questions. Depending on how you write the blog, you can get a feature snippet of your blog at the top of the page. This will, of course, boost your chances of being clicked on.
2. Choose keywords wisely
Any research on Google rankings will tell you that using keywords is a must. The better keywords you find for your content, the higher you’ll rank in search engine results — and the more traffic you’ll attract to your website.
Think about what your customers would be asking about your products, service or industry. Think of the keywords associated with those queries. From there, you can use tools and plugins that let you analyse the metrics of the keywords. You should look out for whether people are actually using them – whether they have volume.
If you’re just starting out with SEO, use longer specific keywords (AKA long tail keywords). If you’re an air conditioning technician, focusing on the keywords “air conditioning” will probably not get your company in the top ranks. If you optimise it to ‘air conditioning services in Sydney’, for example, you will have less competition and a higher chance of getting clicks from people who are searching for that term.
3. Use keywords correctly
So, you have all the keywords, but you’re still not ranking high enough? You’re probably not using them in a way that Google can find them.
Avoid keyword stuffing. If you use too many keywords, it can read awkwardly and disengage readers. If you write naturally, you won’t need to worry about keyword stuffing.
Use your keyword in your title, URL, meta descriptions, headers and a couple of times throughout the page. Google can figure out what your page is about just by doing this.
Your keywords don’t have to be verbatim if they sound too awkward. For example, ‘air conditioning Sydney’ may be the top keyword, but it’s not natural to read. If you change it to ‘air conditioning solutions in Sydney’, Google will still match it with the original keyword.
4. Upgrade your content
The hard truth: your blogs have to be better than everyone else’s if you want featured snippets, higher rankings and more conversions.
According to Wix, longer posts rank more easily than shorter posts. We’re talking 1,500 to 2,500 words. This gives enough space to go deep into a topic and be authoritative enough to rank on search engines.
Of course, it will depend on what you have to say. While you can go as low as 600-800 words, SEO experts agree that anywhere less than 300 words is not good for SEO or getting social media shares. Readers want valuable content and can’t get that in less than 300 words.
Quality is equally as important. Google is looking for the best content for its users, which means you need to provide original research, in-depth explanations, and insightful information. This will connect and engage readers, bring the Google algorithm in your favour, and give you the authority so that other websites backlink to you. Even if people click on other websites first, it doesn’t matter as much because they’ve backlinked to you anyway.
We know this all sounds like a lot of work, especially for business owners and managers who already have a lot on their plates. Luckily, professional copywriters have Google rankings down pat. Copywriters and copy editors know how to deliver the messages you want clearly and effectively. They create quality content that ranks highly and increases your conversions.
If you need a copywriter and copy editor for your web pages, blogs or social media, Elite Words is here for you. To see how we can help you rank higher on Google, get in touch!
