So you’ve kept your website up to date and followed some of the latest SEO best practices, but you’re still not happy with your standing in Google’s search results? You’re not alone.
When a client asks me why their company isn’t ranking higher in SERPs (search engine results pages), the last thing I want to say is, “because Google can—and does—do whatever it wants.”
But it’s true.
Rank Factors Aren’t Always Obvious (or Impressionable)
Every day, this most commonly used search engine receives an average of 63,000 searches per second. With that kind of volume, there’s really no room for error. And the minds behind Google have worked to continuously perfect the search engine’s algorithm to produce accurate results, taking into account as many as 200 rank factors.
You’re likely aware that keywords are important, but did you know that site security, image tags, and even spelling and grammar can impact results as well? While not much can be done about some of Google’s rank factors—like the age of your domain name versus that of a competitor—you can make adjustments to less apparent on-site elements and off-site influences.
7 Tips to Help Improve Your SERP Position
Keep Content Fresh: Consider frequent blog posts, seasonal home page updates, and dedicated pages for new products and services you offer.
Switch to HTTPS: Add an SSL certificate to your site so that Google sees it is secure. (Your visitors will appreciate it, too.)
Audit Your URLs: Shorten the URL slugs for site pages, especially if they are deep within your site structure, and include an appropriate keyword that relates to the page content.
Scan Site Metadata: Missing any title tags, page descriptions, heading tags, or image alt text? Are there duplicates? These are quick fixes that can go a long way.
Check Your Backlinks: Who and what are linking to your website? Are they quality links or spam?
Learn to Like👍 Facebook: Having an active Facebook presence shows Google that web users real people are already engaged with your business on at least one well-known and legitimate online platform.
Get More Reviews: It probably does not come as a surprise that Google takes Google My Business pretty seriously in its algorithm these days, especially for service-area-based companies. Want to show up higher than your competitors in local search? Up your review quantity and rating.
Ready to take the next step in improving your search engine rank? Contact us about a website upgrade, local SEO services, social media management, or online review management today!