When it comes to content online, ranking on the search engine results pages is everything. You might have the most beautiful and well-designed website, or the best products and services but lose it all if you do not appear on the first page. If you are not on the first search engine results pages (SERPs), there are high chance that you will not get much traffic online. While there are many ways to enhance your Google ranking, none beats creating people-first content. Here are a few tips to use your content to your advantage!
1. Find Your Primary Keywords
The first step to ranking higher on Google is by performing keyword research. You need to know what your potential clients are looking for when shopping for products or services like yours. For instance, if you are into selling winter jackets, check your competitors selling winter wear or outfits to know what keywords they use.
One of the most important types of keywords you cannot miss in your content is the primary keyword. This is the main phrase you want to use to point readers or site visitors in your direction. The best thing about primary keywords is that you can use keyword search tools to identify those with the most potential. Ensure that your selected primary keyword is relevant to your content and has a decent search volume.
2. Choose Secondary Keywords
Now that you have the primary keywords, your next step is finding secondary keywords. These are words or phrases closely related to your selected primary keywords. They may be synonyms or subtopics under the primary keywords appearing as a string of three or more words. If your niche is plumbing, consider the secondary keywords as ‘Plumber in X’ (X should be the city or area).
Using the right secondary keyword is vital as it enhances your chances of ranking higher on search engines. You can also find the secondary keywords on free and paid keyword programs. These programs such as Google Adwords Keyword Planner allow you to research keywords on their monthly search volume at a fee. They are usually easier to rank for as they attract less competition as compared to their primary counterparts.
3. Make Sure the Keywords Satisfy the Search Intent
After identifying and finding your desired keywords, your new focus is on satisfying the search intent. This revolves around why internet users search for particular keywords. It may be that they are looking for a particular service product or information.
If you want your blog website to rank higher, you must offer value to your informational content. The readers want to learn something about a particular topic. You can structure your content to how-to guides, list posts, tutorials, or definitions. On the other hand, if it is an e-commerce website, focus on using the keywords on your product descriptions and guides on how to use them. Doing this enhances your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and ranking on search engines.
4. Create Quality, People-First Content
For successful Search Engine Optimization, you must write quality content. It would be very unfortunate if your website is well optimized but your content falls short of the required quality. No amount of optimization will rank you higher with crappy content.
So, what exactly is quality content? Quality content needs to be accurate and provide value to your readers. It must also be original and unique thus prompting engagement. With more people interacting and engaging with your content, you can rank high on search engines. If you have trouble writing captivating people-first content, consider getting in touch with a reputable content marketing agency for assistance.
5. Leverage Your Keywords in Your Content
Having keywords through around in your content is not enough. You must incorporate them organically into your content so that visitors get a natural feel when reading through. Search engines such as Google have algorithms that look at the words in your content for ranking.
While using the keywords is a great decision to help your page rank, you need to be careful not to stuff them. Keyword stuffing makes your content seem spammy to search engines as well as your readers. This will result in serious repercussions, including ranking last. Find a content marketing or SEO agency to lengthen you on the best ways to utilize your keywords.
Remember that in business everything is about retention. If you are unable to retain your first ten clients, you might miss the point when dealing with a hundred of them. When reading what is SEO and the strategies to employ, most people forget about retention marketing. Retention marketing is an element in relationship marketing that focuses on existing clients and repeat purchases. The aim is to make the clients visit your website more, buy your products, and enjoy them even more.
6. Add Internal and External Links
The links you use play a vital role when optimizing your content and website for SEO. As mentioned above, there are two major types of links you can use; internal and external. Internal links will point to other pages within your website while the external ones point to other reputable and high-authority websites. Be careful not to link to your competitors.
Internal links work magic in distributing link equity so that your other content pages can also rank high. Since you are hyperlinking (not using the actual link but anchor text), ensure you words you use are relevant to the linked content.
7. Optimize Your URL Slug
Most people work so hard on their domain names and extensions. While this works as an identifier online, the URL slug must also be optimized depending on the content you are about to post. It is the last part of the page’s URL. Google checks the slug to know what you are talking about thus the need for optimization.
To make it more impressive, include your target keywords and use hyphens to separate words. Instead of using long statements, consider conciseness for clarity. Having the right slug will not only help your article rank higher on Google but also drive more traffic.
Conclusion
And there you have it! The above 7 tips are a sure way to improve your rankings on Google while focusing on a user-first approach. You need to begin by getting the right keywords, primary and secondary. When settling for these keywords, ensure they satisfy the search intent. Don’t forget to also use internal and external links and optimize your URL slug. If you feel stuck at any point, sign up now on a reputable content and marketing agency like Penmo.