If you are trying to get your business to rank on Google, you probably know that there is no magic button to push or process that will propel you straight to the coveted position #1. You also likely know that you can’t pay to show up in organic results on Google like pay per click ads.
So, somewhere in between “no magic button” and “coveted position #1” has to be some skill, best practices, and things that are likely to work well right? Yes. We often say on our site that there is no magic way to instantly get results on Google. We also say that if you apply best practices based on what we know to work well, you are more likely to rank high on Google. We’ve seen it happen over and over again. So, what SEO tips and tricks will Google love?
Think About the Customer
Google will tell you this, and it’s true – its algorithm may be top secret but is designed to provide the most relevant results for searchers. In other words, what Google aims to show in search results is what people want, plain and simple. That’s the general idea at least, and as Google continues to tweak its algorithm it is getting more efficient at figuring out what constitutes good content and relevance.
So, what should thinking about the customer include? These things at the least:
- Write good content – Write content that answers questions and write it frequently.
- Make your site easily accessible – Doing this will help people find what they need (a good navigation structure allows search engine spiders to crawl your pages and know what you are offering).
- Develop a social media presence - Promote your site even further and help people become aware that you exist.
- Get quality links – By creating content that people want to read and share, you will naturally get quality links to your site over time.
Basically, create content your customers want and help them to find it. Not so hard, right?
Think About Google Too
This SEO tips and tricks list wouldn't be complete if we forgot about Google specifics. You should always optimize for your customers first, but paying attention to details can help you in Google rankings as well. There are things that are more technical that you should be intentional about with your content and website in order to make it obvious to Google (as well as your customers) what you are offering. These include:
- Research Keywords - Do some research and choose keywords that aren’t too difficult to rank for (i.e. competitive) and have the potential to get you some traction. This is especially helpful if you are a smaller site or are trying to establish yourself. One of Google’s own recommendations is to go for longer tail keywords when starting out, since they are less competitive. An example of this would be a shoe company writing content that includes the term “women’s green running shoes” as opposed to targeting only “shoes”.
- Target for Context - As Google continues to improve in its ability to contextually tell what you are talking about (synonyms, related topics, etc) it is important to write content pertaining to an overall topic. For example, if you write content that talks about various types of running shoes, based on those keywords you are targeting Google will also recognize that your topic is running shoes. Your site will then start to rank for terms that you aren’t even focusing on because Google knows what your topic is and ranks you for related searches.
- Avoid keyword stuffing (stuffing keywords all over your page to get Google’s attention) - This is considered a black hat tactic (one that generally doesn't follow search engine guidelines) and won’t help you out anymore, but will actually look very negative in Google’s eyes.
- Tell Google what your page is about - This includes:
- Page Title – Create a title within the character guidelines that Google recommends (up to about 55) and with your targeted keyword towards the front of the title. This helps Google to know what you are talking about.
- Headers – Headers, especially the H1 header, are the next most important spot to place your targeted keywords.
- Get some attention with your meta descriptions (the text that shows up under your site URL in Google search results). This won’t help with Google rankings, per se, but having a well written meta description will help users know what your site offers. If you write a particularly good one, you can get higher click through rates and more people to your site.
So there you have it, some SEO tips and tricks that Google will love. Keeping your focus on customer satisfaction is always good for business. Being smart about optimizing Google and getting the technical elements down is also essential. If you would like to learn more about how an internet marketing strategy can help get SEO results, download the free offer below:
Since 2002, Half a Bubble Out has been dedicated to providing marketing, advertising and small business consulting that meet the needs of our clients. We specialize in powerfully telling stories through Inbound Marketing to grow your business filled with more passion and provision. Based in Chico California, we serve clients throughout Northern California and across the country to New York.
