Google is a beast, but one that we need to work with in order to be successful in gaining access to our target markets. Most consumers, after all, will use a search engine to look up what they are trying to find, whether it be advice, local products, or services. But how can you make sure that your web page will rank higher on Google search results pages?  

Let’s rank higher on Google and get in front of more potential customers! 

Search engine results pages (or SERPs for short) are notoriously tricky. They contain ads, sidebars, a list of search results and a few other tricks. Although you can purchase ads, which you will see rank toward the top of the page with the word “sponsored” in bold, we want to try to get you there organically … meaning without spending your hard-earned bucks.  

But how can you do it? Isn’t that, like, the Holy Grail of marketing or something? 

Actually, it is quite doable, especially with a seasoned seo pro behind you. Here is what we suggest: 

SEO 

In our first blog of the month, we broke down the importance of SEO (or search engine optimization) and how to make it work for you. SEO is all about choosing the right keywords. You need to do background research to understand the phrases and words your target market might be plugging into their search engine. The more on-point you are, the more likely your page will show up in the first page of search results.  

We can’t stress enough how important this step is. It should, in fact, take you some time. But, in the end it is time well spent when you have a good handle on what your target market is looking for, their intention behind their searching and key phrases they may be typing into that Google search bar. We always recommend Search Engine Optimization go hand-in-hand with website development. Retrofitting your SEO is frustrating, costly and … unnecessary. (IF your Web designer says “SEO isn’t in their bandwidth or we’ll do that later” STOP, DROP & ROLL. Please find someone who puts it all together with UX and your brand strategy!) 

Optimize your pages 

Once you have your keywords, you will want to make sure to optimize the pages on your website, including copy, blogs and more. In general, plugging keywords into certain areas will help your content to rank higher on a Google search. This includes: 

• Page title 
• Header tags 
• URL structures 
• Meta description 

This is where things can get tricky because, although you want to add your keywords in, it must be done with finesse. Otherwise, your content won’t make sense and probably won’t sound very good to the reader. Having the help of a strategic marketing firm who knows their stuff can come in super handy. (Wink, wink) 

Create quality content 

That brings us to our next step, creating quality content. Not only do you need to use keywords in just the right places, but you also need to make sure your content is interesting. Is your article, blog, or webpage copy relevant and engaging? Is it useful to your audience and providing a good user experience? Google will use certain methods to determine content quality as part of the search results they return to the user.  

Make it mobile-friendly

Optimize your website so it is mobile-friendly (responsive!) if you want to rank higher on Google searches. Why? Because we all carry a supercomputer around in our pocket and, even when people are at home, they are most likely searching on their handheld device instead of a laptop or desktop. Your website is mobile-friendly if users can read the content well, view any images and navigate without trouble.  (This is not the same as viewing a teeny-tiny mini website; photos should automatically stack and text adjusts.) 

There are a plethora of other, more advanced, ways to get your foot in the door of Google. But, by starting with these tips, you will find yourself crawling up the search results in no time!  

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