Google is getting smarter but you still have to do your part or you’re missing out on a huge opportunity for your business! Gone are the days of keyword stuffing pages and shooting up in the rankings but there are things you NEED to be doing to give yourself a chance on Google.
Tip #1 – Get SSL Secured
Make sure your website is SSL Secured or you will get hammered by Google. You know your site is secured if the padlock is locked next to your domain in the address bar of the browser. You can also tell your site is secure if your url starts with https instead of http. If the padlock is not locked contact your domain or hosting provider immediately to get secured.
Tip #2 – Use Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free Google tool that allows you to “see” what information Google is using to understand your website. You can submit all your pages to be listed, see errors, view data about your rankings and more.
Tip #3 – Claim Your Google My Business
If you search your business name on Google, you should see a card on the right side of the search results page with your business information. You need to “claim” your business and add all relevant information for your business: address, hours of operation, pictures, reviews, etc. This is very important to help Google understand more about your real world business to represent it properly online. This is the best way to get on Map Pack (local map on Google search results page) which is huge for traffic and reputation.
Tip #4 – Add Metadata
Metadata is information you add to the backend of your website that helps Google and other search engines understand your site pages better. This content is also used by Google to display your website listing in the search results page with the title and description you add. My favorite way to add metadata is using the Yoast SEO plugin for all WordPress websites. * You have more control with your Google listings than you think!
Tip #5 – Add Videos to Pages to Rise in the Rankings
One of the most powerful factors in Google’s ranking algorithm is “time on site” by visitors. As mentioned above, Google’s customers are the searchers and it’s Google’s job to display the best results. One of the best indicators of a good result is a viewer spending time on the site. The best way to increase time on site is adding videos to your pages, any length video helps. The easiest way to add videos to your page is to add them to YouTube first and then embed them on your website.
Remember to help Google help you by giving them as much information as possible.
Feel free to contact me anytime with questions and I also run free website audits for businesses. If you are interested apply here: https://spredx.com/free-audit/
