It is the question we are asked more than any other, “How do I get my website on the first page of Google?” and as we previously mentioned,there is more than one way to reach Googles front page. In this installment we will look at gaining first page Google access both through paid ads and organic searches.
Let’s start by talking about paid advertising, more commonly known as Google Ads. This is the quickest method in which companies can get their website to be viewed on page one of the Google search engine for particular keywords and phrases. One of the easiest ways to describe Google Ads is to compare it to an auction. Once you have created and set up a Google Ads account you will create bids for targeted keywords and phrases. This bid is the amount you are willing to pay for ad positionings for your targeted keywords. Pay per click as it is referred to allows higher bids to appear closer to the top of the page with all other elements being equivalent.
There is a lot more that goes into paid per click advertising on Google. This is however a very simplified approach to introducing the concept of paid advertising. Website owners will choose a daily budget that they don’t want to go over and once this amount has been spent your ads will stop showing. Ad scheduling helps to narrow down the time frame which your ads are shown. It is important to note that you will have more ad impressions than ad clicks. In pay per click advertising you are only paying for those clicks to your actual ad. Setting up campaigns with quality ads and keywords will lead to a higher quality score, further enhancing the positioning of your ads.
There can be a large difference in campaign costs between industries. For highly competitive industries such as construction, legal firms, and IT companies commonly have bids ranging from $1.00 up to $100.00. Paid advertising can be cost prohibitive especially when not properly managed.
CPS has a Google Ads expert on staff. It is common for companies to set up a Google Ads account without professional assistance. Google has made it very simple to sign up and create ads on their platform. Bing has a similar product as well. The problem is that if you don’t know what you are doing you can easily waste hundreds of dollars.
I suggest all companies hire a professional that is certified in Google Ads to create and manage your account. They will be able to optimize Google Ads and your company’s website to work together to create the best experience for your paid advertising campaigns. Certified Google Ad specialists often charge a one-time account set up fee and monthly maintenance. You can expect to easily make up the cost of professional services with the benefits you receive in increased traffic to the site within the first few months if not the first month.
In conjunction with paid advertising it is important to have your site ranking organically on Google and other popular search engines. Organic rankings are the listings on the SERP that are found underneath paid advertising and business listings. Often more paid ads are seen again after organic listings. Organic rankings cannot be bought and must come naturally. This is done through a practice known as Search Engine Optimization, SEO. Many factors influence the positioning of your website on Google. Some of those include:
Page Content Quality and Length
The pages throughout your website need to be full of content that is easy to read, informative, and unique. The on-page content must be beneficial to the reader. Your content should be only as long as it can be while maintaining quality. Create content that your target audience will find useful.
Inbound Links Quantity and Quality
Google ranks your website higher than similar websites when other sites link to yours, especially large scaled, relevant websites. When other websites, third party links, show acceptance by creating inbound links to your site Google sees that as a signal that your content is worthy and therefore can have a higher SERP.
Mobile Presence
With the increase in the number of people accessing the internet via smartphones and tablets, Google is placing mobile-friendly websites ahead of those that aren’t. Websites need to be optimized for mobile devices so that they are easy to navigate. Users on all platforms should access the desired information with speed and ease.
Page Speed
No one notices the speed at which pages load unless they load slowly. Well, no one except Google that is! Web pages must load quickly no matter what device they are being viewed on. Patience is a virtue that most internet users don’t have therefore in order to provide the best sites possible within SERP the loading speed of pages is measured.
Keyword and Phrases Within Page Content
Another element that is considered important in SEO is using the keywords and phrases you desire ranking for within your sites on page and off page content. These should be used not only within the content of the page but also the headers and meta details. It is important to not overdo their usage as this is known as “keyword stuffing” which Google will penalize you for. Content should be written in language that is easy for humans to understand. Keywords should be used sparingly and kept as natural sounding as possible.
Domain Name Authority
This is something new companies don’t have a lot of control over however, the longer you have owned a domain the better. The more pages that contain your domain name along with quality content the better for ranking. Using keywords within your domain can impact traffic and therefore rankings because users are more likely to click a relevant domain name vs a competitor’s domain that shows little relevance to the search.
Site Security
Google places priority on secure sites vs non-securesites. A website should load via https. Not only does Google give placement preference to secure sites, site visitors prefers to visit secure sites as well. This is true even if you are not obtaining critical information such as credit cards. Google wants all sites to have an SSL installed in order to load website pages in a secure format.
Along with on page elements there are a number of off page features that, when done correctly, work to enhance your rankings on search engines. Some of these essential tasks involve:
Creating a Google My Business Listing
Business listings are one of the best FREE ways to“advertise” your business. Take time to claim and optimize your business on Google (and other major searchengines). Business listings are listed right after Google Ads, pay-per-click, and before organic searches on the SERP. This listing allows clients to leave reviews, see your business on a local map, and shows all relevant business information like hours of operation, address, and more.
Create and Maintain a Blog
Blogging is one of the best ways to create a buzz about your company. If you want to rank on Google,start a blog and post regular articles and company updates. Blog ideas can be difficult to come up with,so my advice is to consider the top 5 questions customers would ask you if they were in front of you. Then write a detailed answer to satisfy each of these questions, one blog post per questions. Make sure to note the title of your blog; it is a crucial element to each blog post.
Quality Link Building
Quality link building can be done in a number of ways. Guest article writing is one of the best ways that businesses can build links. Write an article for a local paper, industry blog or magazine, or whatever reputable source you can find to publish you. At the end of your article add in a bio with a link to your website and information about your company.
Submit your Business Information to Directories
Create listings of your business on local and industry directory sites. Sites like Yelp, Foursquare,and Angie’s List, some of which charge a small fee, are great sources to create business listings. Creating a healthy online profile through trusted directory domains send a trustworthy signal to search engines like Google. If other sites trust yours this will only help your SERP.
Just remember that you are never done! In order to get to the front page of search engines and maintain your placement it is critical to remain persistent in your efforts. Staying one step ahead of the competition is what will ensure your placement at the top!
Creative Programs and Systems, CPS, is an all-inclusive IT solutions company offering a variety of services including: managed IT services, IT consulting, residential computer services, custom programming,website design, iphone & android app development, and more. More information can be found at https://cpsmi.com.