If you have an online business or a website, you’re likely aiming to rank higher on Google searches. But one question that may be bothering you is, “how to rank higher on Google?”

Rightly so, because Google is a search behemoth, if you look at the metrics of other search engines, they may seem like tiny stars gazing at a giant galaxy.

Achieving a high Google ranking is akin to entering a marathon with thousands of runners, but only a few will make it to the podium.

Do you know that the top Google result receives 31.7% of all hits, while the second page receives only 0.78% of clicks? 

Yeah, that’s a pretty drastic difference, but let me ask you this: How many times have you gone to Google’s footer and clicked on page two? 

If you’re not visible, your target audience may be snatched up by other sites, possibly your competitors, who have mastered ranking higher on Google.

You need to act quickly; this is the best time because every minute you skip implementing SEO for your site, many of your users are lured by your competitors.

In this blog post, I’ll show you exactly what you need to do to improve and shoot up your current Google ranking.

Here are ten essential tips for getting higher in Google search results.

1. Mastering Keyword Research: The First Step to Google Ranking

Think about it this way: You know people are interested in the product, service, or content you publish.

That’s why you started the website in the first place.

So, what are they doing to access the information they seek? The answer is simple: they Google it.

Now, we have come to the most important question.

What are they typing in that search bar to access the information?

That’s what makes money flow into your pockets. Those strings of words that they use to express what’s on their minds are the building blocks of your SEO strategy.

We call them keywords.

Keyword research should be the essence of every internet marketing strategy because it helps you understand the audience and their interests.

The objective of keyword research is to find out what the target group is looking for and how you, as a website owner, can use these keyword ideas to create content that satisfies the users.

Learn more about keyword research here.

2. Aligning Content with Search Intent for Better Rankings

Now that you understand keywords are the most crucial factor in SEO, let me tell you about search intent.

Consider this scenario:

My new house is nearing completion, and I now want to have the interior design done. The problem is that it’s my first house, and I’m a complete novice when it comes to interior design.

However, I’m not too worried because I have a go-to source: Google.

So, why worry? Here is my thought process to help you understand “search intent.”

Thought 1: The benefits of doing interior design

Thought 2: What are the latest trends in interior design?

Thought 3: How much will interior design cost?

Thought 4: Which interior design firms in Manhattan can I trust?

Thought 5: Contact a design company

Now, imagine you are the interior designer I’m searching for. How can you direct my attention towards your firm instead of your competitors?

The answer is simple. You need to follow my thought process and provide me with relevant information at each stage until I become your client.

To achieve this, you must ensure relevant content satisfies my intent at every step.

For example, if I encounter your service page while searching for the benefits of interior design, I’m likely to hit the back button because I haven’t decided yet.

That’s why tailoring your content to each stage is crucial to maximize SEO’s benefits.

When creating content for each page, you must optimize it with keywords that match my search intent.

Now, let’s define the term “Search Intent.”

The phrase “search intent” (also known as “user intent” or “audience intent”) refers to the goal behind every search query your users enter. Generally speaking, everyone who searches for terms on the internet expects to discover something. 

Types of Search Intent 

Informational Intent

The first type of search intent is informational intent. A large portion of online searches are conducted by individuals looking for information. This could be information about stocks, the weather, SEO, or anything else under the sun. People with informational intent have a specific question or wish to learn more about a topic.

Navigational Intent

The second type of search intent is known as navigational intent. Individuals with this intent aim to visit a specific website. Providing useful and relevant information to those who click on your site can help your website rank higher.

Transactional Intent

Transactional intent is the third category of search intent. Many people shop online and scour the internet for the best deals. When individuals seek to make a purchase, they exhibit transactional intent.

Commercial Investigation Intent

Sometimes, individuals plan to purchase in the (near) future and use the internet to conduct their research. These individuals also demonstrate transactional intent but require more time and persuasion. This search intent is commonly referred to as commercial investigation intent.

Learn More About Search Intent Of Users.

Also, check out this podcast:

3. Value-Driven Content Strategy

Have you ever wondered why 80 to 90% of websites launched don’t survive the fierce competition on Google?

The answer lies in their inability to provide valuable content that differentiates them from competitors.

When Google discovers that a new website doesn’t offer additional value compared to already ranked sites, it sees no reason to rank the newcomer.

Unfortunately, most new websites attempt to mimic their competitors’ strategies without truly understanding them, often leading to their downfall.

To ascend in Google’s rankings, websites should focus on discovering the hidden gems their competitors have overlooked.

This approach makes their content more in-depth and adds significant value for readers, aligning with Google’s criteria for top-ranking sites.

While there has been a surge in creating long-form content to achieve higher rankings, Google has clarified that it will not favor content elongated for length.

The merit of an article does not hinge on its length but on the depth and relevance of its coverage.

Essentially, if a topic warrants extensive discussion, long-form content is appropriate. However, artificially expanding a topic that could be succinctly covered in a few paragraphs might be perceived by Google as an attempt to manipulate rankings.

Moreover, incorporating relevant infographics, images, and videos into your pages can significantly enhance user engagement and break up textual monotony, both of which Google values for higher rankings.

Utilizing internal linking effectively lays down a trail for readers, guiding them through related topics and pages on your website.

This improves user experience and bolsters your site’s SEO framework.

Each internal link creates a pathway for search engines to crawl and index more of your site, recognizing the cohesiveness of your content.

This dual-purpose strategy enhances user discovery while signaling to search engines the comprehensive nature of your content ecosystem.

4. Technical SEO and Mobile Optimization

I have encountered multiple website owners who do much chest-thumping about their flashy websites.

Once I checked the website, it looked more like a Tesla Model 3 from the outside, but with a One-Litre Petrol Engine.

These websites take a lot of time to load, forcing users to wait until the heavy payloads start functioning.

Most website owners forget that their websites must be fetched, crawled, and indexed before appearing on Google.

If Google crawlers find the website taking a long time to load, its ranking will drop.

Additionally, Google has confirmed that compatibility with core web vitals is now a ranking factor. This means website owners must consider mobile-friendliness and other technical SEO aspects as critical goals to achieve.

A website that isn’t HTTPS certified lacks speed and has an endless loop of 301 redirects will not reach the top of Google.

Additionally, if intrusive interstitial elements pop up occasionally on the site, this again lowers the rankings.

As a website owner, you must know what’s happening under the hood and ensure your site’s backend is well-lubricated with essential technical SEO optimization for faster website results.

That said, if the website’s content and authority fail to meet certain standards set by Google, no matter how fast your website loads or how effectively you have improved the backend, the site will fail to rank.

SEO success is more or less like making an Oscar-winning movie; all departments must work with one vision to achieve success.

Here is a complete checklist of technical SEO techniques.

If you are interested in knowing how to optimize your website for speed or making it accessible to users and search engines without them fumbling on an error page, click the links below.

How to Optimize Your Page Experience 

How to Optimize Your .htaccess file

Podcast: Technical SEO Tips For Startups

5. Identifying and Resolving Google Penalties to Boost Rankings

Numerous obstacles must be overcome before you can rank #1 on Google. Most of these challenges can be easily addressed with the assistance of a reputable SEO agency.

However, sometimes, ghosts from the past may haunt websites. We refer to this ghost as the Google Penalty.

It’s the worst nightmare for most SEO professionals and website owners alike because once a website is in Google’s bad books, ranking it becomes a Herculean task.

You don’t have to worry. You are generally safe if you have purchased a new domain, not an expired one.

Also, it’s important to note that the SEO agency you are currently collaborating with must be top-notch and should not engage in any black-hat SEO practices that could land you in serious trouble.

Checking for a Google Penalty history is straightforward using any SEO tool.

Look for a steep decrease in organic traffic; this is the first indication that Google may not favor your site for some reason.

The most common culprit for this is unnatural backlinks that violate Google’s guidelines.

Here’s how you can check for unnatural backlinks:

Analyze All Your Backlinks:

Review the number of links pointing to your site and determine if they are genuine links from contextually relevant sites. If not, it means your agency is building links detrimental to your site, undermining it with your resources.

The quick fix is to immediately sever ties with that agency and find another trustworthy SEO agency that can assist you in removing the spammy links through a disavow process and then build quality backlinks.

Anchor Text Analysis:

Anchor text is the clickable text in a hyperlink that links to your page. If you discover that most of your anchor texts are identical, you must immediately adjust your strategy.

Exact match anchor text is a hallmark of low-quality link building, and Google detests it. It’s one of the factors that can lead to Google penalizing your site.

Check if the Site is Hacked:

Another reason Google may stop directing users to your site is if it has been hacked. If Google detects malicious codes on a site, it temporarily removes it from search results.

You can check if your site is hacked by analyzing it with the Google Safe Browsing test.

Once you eliminate the malicious codes and resubmit the sitemap to Google, your pages will reappear in search results as and when Google’s spiders visit your site.

Learn More About Google Penalties.

Here are Google’s guidelines for fixing penalties that affect your Google rankings.

6. Strategies to Decrease Bounce Rate and Increase User Engagement

Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave a webpage without taking any specific action, such as clicking on a link, filling out a form, or purchasing.

If your site receives many visitors who quickly leave, Google may not view it favorably.

However, a high bounce rate should not be a cause for concern if your website primarily focuses on delivering content. When users find all the information they need on a single page, they have no reason to visit other pages.

Despite this, monitoring the time visitors spend on a page closely is important. If the duration of their visit does not align with the length of your content, this could indicate an issue worth addressing.

Learn how to reduce the bounce rate of your website.

7. The Power of High-Quality Content in Achieving Top Google Rankings

Because, in the immense expanse of the internet, content that aids in improving your Google ranking gleams like satellites.

By high-quality content, I mean not just material that is free from grammatical mistakes and is relevant and informative but also shareable and desirable content for other sites to link to.

Considering that backlinks are pivotal for securing high rankings on Google, you simply cannot ignore them. Moreover, many leading websites are now adopting the Pillar-Cluster Content Strategy to achieve higher placements on Google.

Learn more about pillar cluster content strategy.

Long-Form Content

Although there is no definitive “ideal” word count for blog articles, it has been observed that content exceeding 3,000 words tends to excel in link acquisition. Such in-depth pieces often provide comprehensive insights, making them valuable resources that other websites are more likely to reference and link to.

Visual Content

In addition to text, incorporating visual elements into your content can significantly enhance its appeal and effectiveness. Maps, videos, flowcharts, and infographics not only make the information more accessible and engaging for readers but also increase the likelihood of shares and backlinks, further boosting your content’s visibility and impact.

Uniqueness 

Try to be original when creating content.

Easy to Read; Free from Grammatical Errors

Ensure your content is straightforward and devoid of grammatical errors. Clear and error-free writing makes your message more accessible and credible to your audience.

Content Freshness

Google favors regularly updated content. Consistently refreshing your site with new and pertinent information can improve your ranking position.

This involves publishing new content and revitalizing existing pages with updated information or insights previously overlooked.

Maintain the relevancy of your content to signal to Google—and your visitors—that your site is an up-to-date and valuable resource.

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

Google values content that reflects experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). Crafting content that exhibits your in-depth knowledge and credibility in your domain can provide a competitive advantage.

Consider exploring our detailed guide for comprehensive strategies for optimizing your website for E-E-A-T.

Check out our podcast episode with Brandon Doyle, Founder – of Wallaroo Media, about creating evergreen content that drives consistent traffic. 

8. Enhancing Other On-Site SEO Factors

On-page SEO (sometimes called “on-site SEO”) and technical SEO are crucial elements that work behind the scenes of your website. Combined with stellar content, they create the perfect recipe for ranking success on Google. Common on-page SEO tactics include optimizing title tags, content, internal links, and URLs.

Eliminating Dead Links and Duplicate Content

Websites often contain dead links due to ongoing updates and changes. Tools are available to help identify and fix these broken links. Additionally, duplicate content across multiple pages or sites can confuse search engines, leading to lower rankings. Technical solutions can address duplicate content issues caused by URL variations.

Mobile Optimization: A Necessity, Not an Option

With the rise of mobile browsing, Google has emphasized mobile-first indexing. Today, top-ranking pages on Google are invariably optimized for mobile, highlighting the necessity of a mobile-friendly website design that adapts to various screen sizes, improves user engagement, and reduces bounce rates.

Voice Search Optimization: Meeting the Natural Language Trend

Optimizing for voice search doesn’t require special tactics beyond producing high-quality, informative content. Incorporating conversational phrases and directly answering common queries can enhance your visibility in voice search results.

Featured Snippets and Structured Data: Standing Out in Search Results

To capture ‘position zero’ in search results, leverage structured data (schema markup). This organizes your content in a way that’s easily understood by search engines, increasing your chances of appearing in these coveted spots.

Local SEO: Your Gateway to Local Audiences

For businesses targeting local customers, optimizing for local SEO and maintaining an up-to-date Google My Business profile are essential. Local SEO improves your visibility in location-based searches, connecting you with nearby customers.

Learn more about On-Page SEO Techniques

Technical SEO, on the other hand, is often discussed along with the speed of your website and its accessibility. However, unlike the other SEO techniques we discussed till now, technical SEO isn’t that easy to implement, provided you have the right resources or expertise. 

9. Navigating the Google Algorithm: Insights for Better SEO

Google frequently updates its algorithm, necessitating continuous adaptation and implementing new techniques and strategies recommended by Google to enhance the search experience for its users.

Before 2012, Google’s algorithm was susceptible to manipulation by websites that employed shortcuts like spammy links and content to gain undue ranking advantages.

To combat these vulnerabilities, the search engine giant introduced two significant updates in consecutive years: the Penguin and Panda. These were designed to penalize websites using such practices and improve the quality of search results.

Learn more about the recent Google Algorithms.

10. Effective Tracking and Monitoring: Key Metrics for SEO Success

Monitoring specific metrics is essential to understand adjustments needed to enhance your website’s performance. Here are crucial metrics to focus on:

Organic Traffic

Understanding how your site ranks through organic search is vital. Historically, organic search was the primary source of page traffic, surpassing non-organic sources like paid search and social media. However, in today’s digital landscape, the influence of social media, email marketing, and paid advertisements on driving organic traffic can vary significantly by industry.

Access your Google Analytics account and examine the acquisition channels report to gauge your site’s performance. This will show the volume of visitors visiting your site through different channels.

Keywords Driving Visitors to Your Site

Attention to the keywords that attract visitors to your site is also crucial. Although assessing this has become more challenging compared to the past, valuable insights are still attainable.

Google Search Console is an indispensable tool for anyone aiming to improve their Google rankings. It provides data on the number of clicks your site receives in organic search results for specific keywords.

Furthermore, many tools exist to help you identify which keywords are most effective at driving traffic to your pages, offering a deeper understanding of your website’s performance in search engines.

Check out top SEO Tools for 2024.

Consider Setting Up An SEO Dashboard 

Google Analytics is highly recommended for those seeking a cost-effective SEO dashboard. However, consider investing in advanced tools like SEMRush or Ahrefs if your budget allows.

These platforms enable you to track your website’s performance over time and assist in formulating strategies for upcoming months. SEMRush and Ahrefs offer alerts on keyword ranking drops for your projects.

Both tools boast free integration with Google Analytics, ensuring you receive nearly precise data.

Don’t miss our engaging podcast with Matthew Forzan, Co-Founder and director of Yoghurt Digital, where he shares insightful tips for ranking smartly on Google.

The journey to securing a top position on Google’s search results is multifaceted. It requires a blend of strategic keyword research, content alignment with search intent, and vigilant monitoring of Google’s ever-evolving algorithms.

By creating high-quality, relevant content and adhering to best practices for on-page and technical SEO, you position your website not just as a beacon in the vast internet galaxy but as a leading source of information and services.

Remember, the race to the top is ongoing, and staying updated with the latest SEO trends and tools, such as Google Analytics, SEMRush, or Ahrefs, is crucial for maintaining and improving your rankings.

Let this guide be your roadmap to outshining competitors and making your website a shining star in Google’s search galaxy.