There are approximately approximately 620.5 million websites in existence to date, most of which are hoping to appear on page one of Google or the other search engines for their chosen search terms.
So, with all this competition, what can be done to maximise your chances of getting a good ranking for your own site? Is there a a quick and easy way to the top?
The answer to that is clearly …. No! Promoting your website takes time and effort and is an ongoing process. Take your eye off the ball and your ranking will almost certainly drop.
1: There is no way to outsmart Google or the other search-engines!
It’s not possible to click a button and have your website on the first page of Google. Anyone claiming to be able to do this for you is using pay per click advertising. The tools that offer an automated way to get your website on Google aren’t a wise move as these types of submissions can be considered an attempt to spam Google. There is no substitute for adding high-quality content to your site on a regular basis and waiting for Google to index it.
2: Realise that normal business rules apply equally to the Internet
It seems as if some people think that on the Internet everything should be free and simple to achieve, but with millions of companies online, all competing for top ranking in the search engines, the reality is that you have to spend time and/or money to attract customers to your website. You also have to offer a good product and great service or visitors won’t convert to customers.
3: Make sure that your website is easy to navigate and visitors can find what they are looking for easily.
A poorly designed website won’t yield good results. If you are trying to achieve high rankings, you need a website that loads quickly and is error-free so that Google can index your pages easily. Equally important, visitors need to be guided around the site clearly to allow them to see all the content that’s of interest to them. Online visitors are very impatient. They do not browse in the way they might in your shop on the high street. They want to find what they are looking for…. NOW! If they can’t they will be off your site and onto another one within a matter of seconds.
4: Take responsibility for your own website content
Stop looking for quick and easy tricks that promise to give you great results with little effort. They really do not work in the long term. You, the site owner, are in control of your online success. You should work out your USP (unique selling point), work out your target audience and make a plan for how to promote yourself online.
Create a website with great content that your target audience will find valuable and you’ll have a popular site that is visited often. The more visitors your site gets, the better your ranking will become. Anyone who likes your website is likely to share it with their friends, so add social media share buttons to make this easy for them.
Advertise your website: online doesn’t mean free! You can try PPC advertising, social media profiles and also promote your site offline through networking or printed media.
5: Decide on the right goals for your online profile
SEO is not about getting high rankings on Google, rather it’s about generating sales and finding new customers. Getting a good ranking may well help with that, but only if you know your target audience and can offer great service. Spend time researching what people are looking for in relation to your business when they search online. It is not a good idea to just guess what search terms are being used or to simply target what you personally would search to find your company. There are specialist tools to help with this process. At the very least, take a look at the Google Adwords keyword tool.
Remember: avoid offers that seem to be too good to be true. Spend your time and effort on adding new, high-quality content on a regular basis and you are far more likely to achieve success..
