SEO For Dummies: How To Rank Your Website On Google

Search Engine Optimization is an important tool available to help businesses that are using the internet. When learning to master SEO, more viewers will see your company’s website, and this ultimately leads to more customers. Here is everything you need to know about ranking your website on Google.

What is SEO?

SEO is the process by which google ranks websites. The closer a website is to the algorithm that Google uses, the website appears closer to the top of the page or within the first few pages of the search. This is important because the earlier that your website comes up in search results, the more views that your website will receive as most people don’t really go past Google’s second page of available websites that match their search. The more views that the website receives, the more potential customers.

How does it work?

Google uses the keywords of your search as well as other factors, including your search history, to try its best to find the content that matches a person’s search. Understand that SEO is a computer system that has been designed by Google experts to try to help people achieve the search results that they are seeking. Therefore, it is a complex process but it is the best that we have to help people navigate the multiple websites of the internet.

What are the steps that I can take to rank my website?

While Google experts set the algorithm, there are some steps that you can take to make your website become more SEO appealing.

1. Have a Helpful Web Design

If a website is not easy to use, then regardless of what content is on the website the users will not use it. Users should be able to look at a website and see a clear layout. There should be sections based on the websites purpose and when the user clicks the header, they should be directed to the information that they are seeking. Failure to have easy navigation on your website will hurt your SEO ranking as Google tracks the accessibility of the website.

2. Provide Good Titles and Headers

Please remember that SEO is done by a computer system, so it will not be perfect. A computer may not fully understand what you mean if you do not clearly spell it out in the title of your article or header on your website. All titles should be clear and concise. Too many words can be confusing to understanding the point of the page. The tile should also include keywords. For example, if you are selling oranges on your website, a header saying fresh fruit doesn’t identify that its only about oranges. So, if people are getting on your site based on a search for fruit and your title comes up, this may ultimately lower your ranking if the search wasn’t what they needed given your site only has oranges. The goal of SEO is to help people get what they are looking for, and providing clear headers and titles is one way that you can help.

3. Provide Quality Content on the Website

Internet users search for information to solve a problem or because they need the information generally. Your website should have helpful information that users can only find with you. At a minimum, ensuring that the information is up to date will have provide better quality content. Likewise, the manner in which the content is presented is also important to users. Additionally, he information that your website is providing should be accurate. Google will rank your website higher based on providing good, accurate, and readily accessible content.

4. Having Your Website Linked in Other Pages

Have you ever been reading an article on the internet and within that article there are blue lined words that will take you to another website to provide further information about that underlined word? If so, this is a tool of SEO. When users click that link, SEO systems like Google can see that a particular site or website link is ranked higher. One way you may be able to get your website linked on another page is by paying for the advertisement, as that is essentially what the linking does. It provides a direct link for a user who many have never found your website on their own.

While you can’t control whether another blog or article links to your webpage, you can link to other powerful webpages on your website. By linking those pages, your website becomes tied in some way to that article and depending on the search your website will have a higher chance of being visible to more users. As with things such as newspapers, some websites and articles carry more credibility than others. So, it is important to use good reputable sources.

Are there any helpful tools to show how my website is doing?

Yes, there are many tools online for your to use to see how your website is ranked and viewed online. Google Analytics is a free tool that tracks how many people view your website and what are the most popular pages on your website. Google PageSpeed Insights is another great tool that allows you to enter a URL and then tests the speed that it takes to login to the website, and then gives areas for improvements to the site. One final example of the types of tools available is the Answer the Public website. This site allows you to enter any keyword and then the site provides a list of common questions asked. All these examples help you to make your website better which improves its SEO ranking.

Can I make SEO on my own?

As with anything in life, some people can figure out how to do SEO and others cannot. Some people do not do anything with their website, but has a company run it for them. If you are one of those people that are not comfortable with providing a high-quality website, then it is probably best to hire a SEO company to make your website the best that it can be.

Conclusion

Leaning about SEO can seem pretty confusing upfront. The bottom line is that your website should provide what people are looking for in a simple and convenient manner.