We all know that being on the first page of Google can be the difference between a huge amount of visitor traffic and a trickle of visitors, and with only 10 free positions available, it may seem impossible, but it’s not.
I’ll cover 10 tips on how to get your website ranking on the first page of Google fast:
1. Optimize Your Title Tags
Google now gives more weight to the title tag than any other element on a webpage. The title tag is what appears in bold (usually the very first thing someone sees when they click on your ad) on the top or side of their browser window. It should be concise but descriptive. The ideal length for a title tag is between 30 and 60 characters. Here are some tips to help you optimize your title tags: Use the right tense – Don’t use the word “will” in your titles because that implies a future tense which tells Google your content will change over time. Instead, use “is” or “are” because those imply a present tense which tells Google your content is exactly as it is now.
Thereafter, it is best to keep your title short and sweet and describe the main point. Don’t repeat yourself – If your website has a lot of pages, don’t put the same title tag on each page. It is OK to have the same descriptive words (with different case) on every page as long as they make sense. Use a little discretion here. If there is absolutely no way to re-title your page without repeating yourself, then use the original title. But don’t do it too often or your site will be perceived as having multiple, incoherent titles and your site will be devalued by having a confused “mind set”.
2. Maximize Your Unique Titles
Google prioritizes websites with unique titles. A unique title is one that hasn’t been used before on another website. Google looks at how many other websites are using a certain title and ranks them accordingly. So, if there are hundreds of thousands of websites with the exact same title, then that title isn’t very unique and Google won’t rank your website highly in search results for that particular phrase. On the other hand, if only a few websites have that exact title, then that title is very unique and Google will give your website high rankings for that particular phrase. So, how do you find out how many other websites use a certain title? There are several tools you can use. One of them is called “Ah-ha”. Just type in your keyword(s) into this tool and you’ll get a breakdown of how many websites (hundreds or thousands) have that exact same title as you do.
3. Use Longer Titles When Possible
Longer titles tend to be more unique so they rank higher. However, there is a limit to how long a title tag can be. If your title tag is longer than 60 characters, Google will truncate the extra characters and display only the first 60 characters. So, if your title is 62 characters, Google will only display the first 60 characters. This is why it’s important to use the right tense in your titles. A few examples: As opposed to: I think therefore I am – William Shakespeare Once upon a time there was a boy named Bob who liked to surf the web – Unknown
4. Include Related Keywords In Your Titles
Related keywords (not exact matches) also help your website rank higher. Some related keywords are: crisp, clear, concise, descriptive, detailed, distinct, explicit, familiar, for dummies, for beginners, for professionals, for real, simple, short, snappy, straightforward, tidy, to the point, uncomplicated, useful. 6. Optimize All Your Headings And Bullets All headings and bullets on your website should be optimized. Here are a few guidelines: Headings – Use large, bold, blue letters on a dark background. Make them easy-to-read and as uncluttered as possible. Use more than one level of headings. Don’t feel compelled to use subheadings or micro headings. It’s fine to have a few words of subheadings if it makes your writing more clear. But, don’t stuff your headings with meaningless words. Bullet points – Use short, dot points instead of sentences or paragraphs. Long, drawn-out sentences and paragraphs make your website hard to read.
5. Get good backlinks
Backlinks are still an important element of building your authority ranking, and the quality of links that point to your site is invaluable.
6. Optimize All Your Images
Images on your website should be optimized. Here are a few guidelines: Use descriptive alt tags – Don’t use the default “alt” tag which is usually just a short snippet of your website’s URL.
7. Optimise the loading speed of your website.
Page Speed Matters! Page speed is one of those “little known” factors that has a dramatic impact on your rankings. A couple of years ago, Google released an update to their algorithm and one of the changes was to give higher rankings to websites that have fast loading times. How does Google measure website speed? It uses a complicated algorithm but, basically, it measures how long it takes for your browser to display the words “Hello World!” on a certain website. The shorter the time, the faster the page speed. If you want to learn more about how Google measures page speed, I suggest you read this post: http://www.seoconsultants.com/blog/top-5-ways-to-improve-google-speed/ There are several things you can do to make your pages load faster. One of them is to use fewer graphics and less-detailed images. Use CSS and JavaScript sparingly. Keep your page as lean and clean as possible.
Optimise your image sizes and don’t forget to gzip your static files. Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to find out what needs to be optimized on your site. You’ll get instant recommendations on what to improve.
8. Optimize Your Website For Mobile Devices
Many people now surf the web using their mobile devices instead of their computers. That means they type in search queries into a small keyboard instead of a large computer keyboard. They click on links instead of clicking on buttons. And, their screen is much smaller than what we are used to seeing. When you are creating a website for mobile devices, you must optimize it for both iPhone and Android phones. Here are a few tips: Use short paragraphs instead of long ones. Make all your graphics as simple as possible – Don’t use drop shadows, gradients, fancy button effects or anything else that will make your graphics look more detailed than they need to be. Keep your page speed as fast as possible. Use images only when absolutely necessary. If you use CSS, make sure it’s as light-weight as possible.
9. Use Google Search Console
It’s free and has a comprehensive database of keywords and phrases which Google uses for ranking websites. You can also use this tool to find out how many times people are searching for certain words. This will help you decide what kind of content to put on your website. 1
10. Build your authority ranking
By posting blogs regularly on your website and social media. It will help to establish you as an expert. If you don’t already have one, create a simple signup form on your website and collect email addresses from people who want to sign up for your list. Give them value by sending them valuable information which they didn’t ask for. This will build trust and show them you are a legitimate expert.
You should also read these two books: “The Dark Side Of Success: Why Most Entrepreneurs Fail To Maximize The Lifetime Value Of Their Customers” By Paul Bencivenga http://amzn.to/2wC4qY6 “Duh! Marketing Sucks… But That’s OK! Because It Has A Silver Bullet That Can Make It Worth While!” By Paul Bencivenga http://amzn.to/2qkTpj7 These two books will change the way you look at marketing and business. They will open your eyes and challenge all your current beliefs. If you only read one book, read this one! If you already have a successful website or blog, you must be getting at least a few visits each day. You should be collecting at least a few email addresses from people who want to sign up for your list.