When it comes to ranking your website on Google, it’s all about Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

If you want to boost traffic to your website, you have to improve your web pages and your content so Google’s algorithm can more easily read it and thus, rank it higher. And doing that requires the use of SEO.

If you simply create a website and content with no consideration for how the information will be read by a search engine, your web pages will fail to rank in comparison to all the other brands that are using SEO. It doesn’t matter how good you think your website looks; if it lacks the technical aspects needed to help it be read by Google’s search algorithm, then the aesthetics won’t get you anywhere.

And not only do you need to use technical SEO, but you also need to make sure your content marketing strategy is well-written, too. Content with grammatical errors or is unclear and hard to read, for example, will lower your search engine rankings.

So let’s take a look at some of the best ways you can improve your SEO and content to boost your Google search rankings:

1. Use Keywords Appropriately

Keywords are vital in SEO as they help you rank for specific topics so users can more easily find the content they are looking for. For example, if you provide metal roofing services, you want to include metal roofing keywords. This ensures that your content will rank for people who are searching for information about metal roofing, such as a company that installs metal roofs.

However, simply stuffing your content with the words metal roofing over and over again won’t necessarily help you rank. Google’s algorithm is smart, and it knows how to tell if content is actually informative and answers the question that someone might have typed into a search engine, like “Best Metal Roofing Company in Indiana.”

So it’s essential to do keyword research to find the right keyword phrases to use in your content. It’s also important to use the keywords in the right places, such as right away in the first paragraph, scattered throughout the body of the text, and in titles and subheadings.

Keep in mind, however, that you don’t want to just use keyword titles and subheadings that are the same as what everyone else is using. It’s important to use ranking keywords but to create unique titles and subheadings with them, so you aren’t just copying what everyone else is doing.

2. Don’t Skip the Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions are like tags that allow search engines to identify what your content or page is about so they can rank it in search results appropriately. These descriptions are also often used as snippets that Google shows beneath your link when it pops up in a search result so the person doing the searching can also easily tell what your page is about.

Thus, meta descriptions are essential and should not be overlooked. Without them, Google won’t be able to find and understand your content as easily to rank it in the right place.

3. Use Structured Data Markup

Structured data markup is similar to meta descriptions in that it helps describe your content to search engines. But it is embedded in the structure of your markup code. Search engines can then use that code to display your content in search results in a more useful way.

For example, if you are an e-commerce store and you want to have a specific product page that you want to rank, you can markup the code on that page so that it helps Google know that the page features a certain product. For example, you can highlight a featured lawnmower, the price of the lawnmower, and the customer reviews for the product.

As a result, Google will put that info in the snippet for more rich search results. So instead of the snippet just being a general description of your site selling lawnmowers, it would include the name of the specific lawnmower on that product page, the price, and the customer ratings.

4. Optimize Pages for Quick Loading and Easy Navigation

Part of SEO is ensuring that your website provides good page experiences. In other words, they are structured well and use the right elements so that they are easy to navigate and access.

For example, if your website menu is confusing and your pages aren’t titled appropriately, it can be hard for users to navigate and find what they are looking for. Also, if you use large file sizes or don’t utilize browser caching, it can take longer for your pages to load, which is not ideal for the user.

And if your pages aren’t optimized for easy access, navigation, and loading, they won’t rank as well in search engines.

5. Use Internal Linking and Anchor Text Strategically

Internal linking can help you boost your page authority, which in turn can improve your search rankings. For example, using links in your content that lead to other important pages that are relevant can overall make your content seem more authoritative, which is something Google’s algorithm looks for. The higher authority a page has, the better.

However, it’s important to be mindful of your anchor text—a.k.a. the text you use for the links in your content. You don’t want to use a whole sentence or a long phrase as your anchor text, as this is harder for search engines to understand. Instead, use concise and specific anchor text.

For example, if you are linking to a page about lawnmower maintenance, “best lawnmower maintenance tips” would be better anchor text than “here are the best lawnmower maintenance tips you should follow.”

6. Optimize Images and Videos

Using media in your content can also help improve your search rankings as this is seen as content that is more eye-catching, useful, and engaging. However, you still need to optimize the media you use, such as images and videos.

File size and type, for starters, are important. You want to use more universal file types that will load on most users’ computers. And you also want to make sure the file sizes aren’t too large so that they don’t take forever to load.

It’s also important to use Alt text for your media files. Your alt text helps search engines know what the media is showing so they can rank your page in the right place. For example, if you have an image of a construction worker installing a metal roof, the alt text can say, “metal roof installation.”  

7. Create Clear, Informative, and Engaging Content

Lastly, your content needs to be well-written and give users what they are looking for. Google’s search engine prioritizes content that is written well, meaning it is easy to understand, it’s informative and answers the question the user is searching for, and it is engaging and enjoyable to read.

If your content has a lot of grammatical errors, for example, it will not rank as well. Also, if your content is titled something like “What is the Best Roofing Material?” but your content doesn’t adequately answer that question, then Google might not see it as relevant or informative, and it will lower your ranking. 

Your content should also be easy and enjoyable to read. If it’s overly complex or dull, then users won’t want to read it, and thus it will affect your rankings.

EverEffect: Your Premier SEO Partner

If your search engine rankings are struggling and you need help with your SEO, EverEffect has got you covered!

Though SEO might be easy to understand in theory, it can be complicated to execute and get just right. EverEffect is a full service digital marketing agency and we know what it takes to create a superior SEO strategy to boost your rankings. We will continuously monitor your content to ensure everything keeps working according to plan.

Our SEO experts have the skills it takes to help your company achieve success.

Contact us today for a free site evaluation or call us at 888-506-2183.