SEO Basics You Can Do to Rank Number 1 on Google Search
SEO Basics You Can Do to Rank Number 1 on Google Search
Google: The Beginning of It All
Let me guess
Are you like every other website owner in the world whose dream is to have their website rank on Google and generate traffic?
If yes, then this article is definitely for you.
Research shows that 28.75% — 30.33℅ (depending on the location) of users who search on Google click the first website on the search page result.
Now you must be wondering how the first website got to the first page, talk more of being No 1 on the result page.
Although being on the first page is essential, having a higher ranking is also important. This is because higher rankings give you a better chance of getting clicked.
Having top rankings also equals a wide range of visitors, as well as a high revenue.
The underlying question on your mind right now, must be “Where do I even start”?
There are different steps to optimizing your website to be Number 1 on Google search and all will be discussed in this article.
Let’s get right into it!
Table of Content
- What Is SEO?
- Why Is SEO Important?
- How Does SEO Work?
- Keyword Research
- Types of Keywords
- Match the Keyword Intent
- Check the Keyword
- Check the Content Format
- Visit Top-ranking Pages And Check Content Types
- Value-giving Content
- On-page Optimization
- Backlink Building
- Conclusion
What Is SEO?
It is impossible to talk about ranking on one of the top search engines like Google without talking about Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
This is more like the basics of everything ranking. It explains a huge system of how Google works.
Search Engine Optimization, also known popularly by its acronym (SEO) is a step-by-step guide or process to make a website optimized on a search engine.
This could be based on the visibility of a particular keyword(s) on your website, the number of clicks you get, and other things that will be discussed here.
Why Is SEO Important?
There are a lot of mediums for marketing, but SEO is always advised by digital marketers. Why?
Here’s why
Unlike email marketing and social media marketing that require paid ads most of the time, organic traffic is free.
Organic traffic is a result of people constantly searching on Google for something. Traffic is also consistent when you start ranking high.
Also, Social media is designed for new content to be viewed when you refresh your page. This means that relevant posts can be replaced with other different content immediately after you refresh your page.
Emails can be forgotten, thrashed, or landed in the spam box.
How Does SEO Work?
Here is the important SEO checklist to rank on Google, even as a beginner.
From the first step to the last, and relevant tips, you’ll be a step closer to helping your website get higher rankings.
1. Keyword Research
There is no doubt that Google is the most visited search engine with total visits of 88.6 billion, from people who either want to do something, know something, buy something, or go somewhere.
These are the four main behaviors of searchers according to Google.
This means that every day, people use Google for different reasons. Therefore, whatever word is typed in the search engine box by anyone is called a Keyword.
Keyword research means finding keywords that searchers consistently look for on Google. This will guide you on the type of content to create using specific keywords that complement the theme of your website.
This will define your website’s visibility and relevance.
For example, if you have an e-commerce website that sells products like a Food Warmer. You will have to write blog posts or product descriptions with keywords that will make people looking to buy a food warmer find you.
The content you write could either be informational, transactional, or navigational.
The type of content you write is also a ranking factor because it answers the query of the searcher, thereby bringing traffic to your website.
Below are three things to consider when researching a keyword for your website:
- Niche Down: If you want your website to be optimized for a keyword, you have to niche down to an industry or service.
This way, it’s easier for Google to see your website as a relevant bank of information for that particular industry.
- Volume: Since several keywords pertain to that industry, check how many times some keywords are searched weekly and monthly.
- Acceptable Level of Competition: There are keywords difficult to rank on. Avoid those keywords and rather pick a keyword with low volume and low keyword difficulty.
Using a keyword research tool like Ubersuggest, Semrush, Ahref, and many others helps you check a keyword difficulty.
Types of Keywords
Knowing the type of keywords to pick before writing is important because Google will also rank your website by its visibility of a keyword(s).
This means that certain types of keywords need to be carefully researched and applied to your content.
Applying your keyword strategically in your content will help your target audience to find you easily.
There are various types of keywords; but the five major types of keywords in SEO are: short-tail, long-tail, niche, intent targeting, and low-competition keywords.
2. Match Keyword Intent
As mentioned earlier, this means knowing people’s intent behind their search queries and making sure your page fulfills their search intent.
It could seem difficult. Like how can one possibly know the reason behind a billion people’s search queries?
But it’s easy when you know how and what needs to be done to achieve that goal. Below is how to deliver the best and most relevant results for any search query:
- Check the Keyword: You have to check the keyword you want to rank for on Google and analyze the top-ranking result.
- Check the Content-Format of the Keyword: When writing blog posts or landing pages, the content format could be How-to guides, list posts, step-by-step guides, opinion editorials, tools, and calculators.
For example, if you search for the best food warmer. Most of the blog posts are list posts. The idea is to help the searchers pick from a variety of food warmers.
- Visit Top-ranking Pages And Check Content Types: For the keyword, you want to rank for, there are different forms to which it could rank. Some contents rank for e-commerce pages while some rank for Youtube videos.
Visit some ranking websites and check their content types.
This will guide you to model your content the same way.
3. Value-giving Content
“The best practice for SEO is to use natural language that answers people’s questions.” — Matt Bailey
The goal of SEO is to write content as if you’re writing for humans first instead of stuffing keywords unapologetically in your post for only Google to see and rank you based on that.
You also do not want to create content just because SEO says you should prioritize some things and voom! you’ll be on your way to being the first website on the first search page result.
If you’ve been doing or considering that, it will only get your website penalized if not banned.
Writing valuable content is important to attract visitors.
While writing blog posts for your website, be sure that your content will be valuable to whoever reads it and that it has a good structure with the right headings.
This tells Google your website is relevant.
Here are a few tips to write good blog posts:
- Prioritize long-form blog posts
- A catchy headline and unlicensed images.
- A hook so readers keep reading. This could be an introduction that features the pain point of your readers.
- The body with your headings, short paragraphs, subheadings, bullet points, and important links.
- A short conclusion with your copy or summation of the post. More like a call to action.
4. On-Page Optimization
It all gets interesting in this part of search engine optimization or in other words, ranking your website. On-page optimization is everything you do on your website to get it optimized.
Here is a short checklist of the activities done on the website to achieve that high ranking:
- Right Keyword Application: Make sure your keyword is in your Meta title, meta description, body, headings, 2 or 3 subheadings, image, and URL.
- The Long Tail: In SEO, this is as important as the first step to brushing your teeth in the morning.
Here, you’re looking out for long-tail keywords with low competition. Using tools like Ubersuggest, and Keyword Surfer will be of great help.
- Keyword Density: This is the number of times or percentage the keyword should appear in your post.
Your keyword density should be between 0.5℅ to 1.5%.
- Be careful not to plagiarize other people’s works. Create original and relevant content.
With these, you’re on the right track to getting that website optimized.
4. Off-Page Optimization
This entails activities done outside the website. This could be social media, link building and other things that will be solely discussed in the next post.
5. Backlink Building
If an authoritative website links to you, it shows Google that your website consists of valuable content.
The same goes when you also link to an authoritative website, it gives the same response to Google about that website.
Backlinks are an important aspect to rank on Google. There are two types of links; Internal links and external links.
Internal links are links you add from previous content on your website. It takes your reader back to a page on your website.
This could be a different topic from the main page or it could be connected to the topic on the main page.
External links are relevant and trusted links from websites with high domain authority. Linking to their page could also help you lead them to your page. This is called Link Juice.
They could also link back to your page knowing that you’d do the same.
Conclusion
Ranking on your website is not as difficult as people make it look. It is 95℅ of you carefully applying the step-by-step guide listed above.
Well, the 5℅ is for Google to see and approve your efforts. That way you’re 100℅ on your way to getting your website a high rank on Google.
So, which technique from this guide are you going to try first?
