Search Engine Optimization [SEO] is the technical term for the ways in which we can design a website to maximize its potential to appear at the top of Google’s organic search results. Organic search results are the results that are presented on a page that are not ads.
SEO is a technical marketing tool in its essence. Not all businesses will rely on customers finding them on the web but at the very least you will want someone Googling your name to find you easily.
Should I just use Google Ads?
Maybe. It depends on the level of competition for your industry. Other considerations:
- Ads cost money (a minimum of $100 a month)
- You need to monitor and manage the ad campaign (or pay someone to do this) and adjust for optimum results
- Many users have ad blockers and the some of us are prone to dislike ads generally and avoid them to not feel “sold”.
- Google Ad placement fluctuates so you can’t guarantee you will be at the top of a search result whereas if your SEO gets you to the top of organic search results then you will be there consistently (more or less)
So how do I get my website to appear on the top of Google search results?
There are levels to SEO maximization so let’s start with looking at what is possible.
SEO tips from UNIVERSE
Basic
- Your website is built in Wordpress with proper header coding in cascading order (this is key for accessibility purposes as well)
- Your website is up to date and using a theme that is regularly updated. Same for all plug-ins and code
- You have keywords throughout your site that apply specifically to your ideal search acquisitions
- You have a search engine optimization plug-in (Yoast SEO) with all fields ideally filled
- You are using popular social media platforms and linking your content back to your site
Mid-level
- You have a homepage that is extensive, capturing a ton of keywords and heading tags
- You have in and outbound links of related topic significance
- Every image has an alt tag attribute that accurately describes it, incorporating as many keywords as possible
- You have a Google My Business account maximally set up and you update it’s posts regularly
Advanced
- You have a blog where you are regularly adding in content that relates to your keywords and has commonly used search questions
- You have incorporated links to and from your website to communicate relevance
- You are regularly evaluating your search keywords and adapting your content to improve your results
- You have all the key social media accounts created and are sharing related content
So how do I get my website to appear on the top of Google search results?
Search Engine Optimization content writing tips straight from Google:
- Make sure the writing on your website is clear, helpful, and descriptive
- Explain your topic in simple, easy-to-read language
- Include relevant keywords, which are words you think a user might search for when looking online for what you offer
Tips for hiring an SEO specialist
Advice about details to consider about your SEO expert from Google Search Console.
It’s important to know that hiring the wrong SEO developer who is using outdated or not Google friendly practices can harm your website ranking permanently.
Let us help you improve your SEO ranking or create a search engine optimized website
We have the experience, patience and passion needed to guide you through the process to create search engine optimized content and to analyze and refine your results over time.
