Most business owners want more visibility on the web. Dominating the first page of Google requires an understanding of what Google is looking for and how to take advantage. Below is a checklist of 10 things you can do to increase your search engine rankings.
1. Is your website optimized for Google?
Find out which keywords you would like to be ranked for in Google. Search for these keywords in Google and look at the top 10 rankings. The blue text above each search position is called the “Title Tag”. Count the number of top 10 positions that have your keyword in their title tags.
Check your website now. Do you have your keywords in the title tag? The title tag is regarded as one of the most important in Google’s on-page SEO factors. Read about heading tags, meta tags and keyword density for more help.
2. Does your website load quickly?
Google likes sites that load quickly. Slow websites have a significant impact on your search results. Check your load speed here:
https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights
3. Is your website mobile friendly?
Google wants sites to pass their mobile-friendly test thereby providing a better overall experience for their search engine users. Go to
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/.
Test your website at this URL to find out if your site is mobile friendly.
4. Do you have Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & YouTube pages setup?
Google favours websites that are in these top social networking sites for two reasons:
1. A business that takes the time to set up their profiles on these sites appears to be more brand aware and Google loves brands.
2. These social media sites will send traffic to your website as Google looks at referral traffic to determine rankings.
3. Another benefit of being on these social sites is that your customers are more likely to share your business with their friends.
5. Is your website listed in the top 100 local business directories like Yelp?
Google prefers sites that have a listing in the top local business directories for two reasons:
1. A business that takes the time to create a listing appears to Google as a business that will be around for a long time.
2. These local business directories will send traffic to your site. Referral traffic is one of the factors Google uses to determine rankings.
6. Do you have an “About Us” page?
A page that introduces your business properly will build rapport and hopefully will convert your visitors into customers. You have only a few seconds to convince your visitors and turn them from just browsing into someone that wants to use your services.
7. Can visitors find your contact information quickly?
Make sure you have a Contact us page with your company name, address, telephone number and a contact form.
8. Do you have testimonials on your website?
Think back to the last time you picked up a book, or researched the next television you wanted to buy. Where did your search start? It probably began with looking at reviews.
Having testimonials on your website will improve your chances of making a sale as people like to read what others have to say about your business.
Remember, there is an advantage to having visitors on your site as time spent on your site is a ranking factor in Google.
9. Do you have a video on your website?
Visitors love to watch videos on websites. A video on your website will keep your visitors on your pages longer. Google tracks the time people spend on your page to find out how good your website is compared to others. Having a video about your services or a welcome message from the owner of the business will prevent visitors from leaving quickly
10. Do other sites link to your website?
This is an important ranking factor. Having another website link to yours is like getting a vote. Make sure you get high quality links to your website. Use http://ahrefs.com to check sites linking to your site. Find out how many incoming links you have. Check out your competitors’ link profiles and find out which sites are linking to them. Build links on the same types of sites they have links from.
To recap….
Your business needs a website that:
1. Is optimized for Google
2. Loads quickly
3. Is mobile friendly
4. Is in the top social media sites
5. Is listed in the top local directories
6. Has an About page
7. Has clear contact information
8. Has testimonials
9. Has a video
10. Has great backlinks
Need assistance?
If you noticed that your website hasn’t passed, don’t worry. InterDream Designs can help you fix any or all of these site issues. If you would like our assistance, contact us at nina@interdream-designs.com.
