How to get to top
How to get to top
How to Get Your Post Into Top Posts on Instagram
Do you want your Instagram post to go viral? Every person who adds a new post on the social media platform wishes that more people could see and what is more important to react to it. One of the ways to achieve this goal is to get your post into top posts on Instagram. The platform introduced this feature only a year or so ago but it has encouraged many users to take advantage of this marketing trend. They began to work on their posts more efficiently since it is not that easy to get to the top 9 with over 3 million active users. However, you will agree that it is possible if to follow several important tips strictly.
Look: this article will focus on the most efficient ways how to act so that your posts could get to the top and attract more people interested in this direction.
What Does Top Mean on Instagram?
Instagram introduced Top Posts feature in 2016 and it has become a challenge for marketers to understand the algorithm how these posts are selected. In some time, they have come to the conclusion that every hashtag has the top 9 images selected using a unique algorithm. They are represented in the form of a grid that is offered as a result of a certain hashtag search. It means that a person who wants to see the most popular posts should go to the Explore Tab and enter the hashtag he is interested in.
Moreover, there is a top of posts not only in a certain category by a hashtag but also for the whole year and the total number of likes. The current record belongs to the post of Chris Godfrey who has an account called @world_record_egg and his post description sounds quite simply: Photo of an egg. This post has attracted 54.2 million likes for only a year or so since it was posted on January 4, 2019. Other members of the top managed to reach only an 18-million threshold and lower.
@world_record_egg
How Does Instagram Choose Top Posts?
Since there is still no clear evidence of the way how IG algorithm works, some experts in marketing have come to the conclusion that there are several important factors considered when this choice is made.
The most important feature of a popular post likes. It should collect as many likes as possible during the first hour after it was added and it can help this content get to the desired grid.
However, a very big role, in this case, is played by a hashtag. There is a tendency that it is much easier to get to the winning grid for hashtags with fewer results.
In fact, there is also interdependence between the number of followers and hashtag ratings, since the accounts with more followers can engage a bigger number of people with their posts and they have more chances to be ranked the best.
At the same time, small accounts can also achieve their goal for their post to be recognized as the best selecting less popular hashtags. One more thing to consider is the fact that the best posts in larger hashtag families are changed more often (every 12 or 24 hours), while leaders of small hashtag groups can hold their first positions longer (for about 3-4 days on average).
How to Get your Instagram Post to the Top?
Months of observations and attempts to promote posts allowed experts to determine several ways how to get a post to the grid of 9 best-ranked ones. This is the list of effective solutions that will help accounts with different follower number to achieve their goal and make their post go viral.
Post Attractive Photos
The first thing every user can do to attract followers’ attention is to analyze the content posted and make some changes for it to become more efficient and appealing. For this purpose, it is possible to look through the IG insights and compare which posts have received the highest reach and engagement. It will hint users what kind of content is appreciated by the followers and other people most of all and adjust it to these parameters.
Naturally, most of us enjoy high-quality content with some emotional background and beautiful pictures. It should be both attractive and deep, so it is necessary to make every post well-thought and encourage followers to interact with it too.
How to make posts more adorable? It is important to learn how to use your camera effectively and take advantage of tools that allow editing and manipulating images. Some of them are even provided by Instagram, so why not use them for your own benefit?
Write Engaging Captions
It goes without saying that the first thing that strikes user attention is an image, but you can see that the next thing that users check is the caption of this photo. It is important to understand the message of this image and a heading is a key to this puzzle.
@dean.schneider has more than 24 000 comments under the post about finding name for his cheetah
It is very important to create captivating headings because they can encourage engagement and interaction too. They should be both informative and interesting at the same time. You can ask a special question to get a response in the comments or use a creative phrase that will set the mood of your post.
Use Right Hashtags
One of the most important aspects to consider is the use of suitable hashtags. It is great if you have your own unique word that is associated with your account, but it is not enough. It is necessary to use 5-7 hashtags with different levels of relevance. You can select one highly targeted hashtag and select a couple of more narrow groups to get higher in the rankings. It is important to understand that the more popular hashtag you use, the fewer chances there are to be ranked the best – the competition is tough on the platform. Therefore, you should consider the most relevant but less-targeted hashtags to attract a bigger number of the specific audience that is interested in your type of content.
Use Geographic Tagging
A very effective approach to reach a specific audience to boost Instagram trending is to target it by location. If you have added a post of the sight, it would be great to let people know where it is located. Moreover, geographic tagging allows attracting users located and interested in the events and activities of a certain area. Usually, such local communities tend to be more active and you can count on a higher interaction level thanks to that.
Post at the Best Time
Several years ago, the platform used to add posts in chronological order and it was possible to look through all the posts added one-by-one. Nowadays, the algorithm has changed dramatically and the website decides itself which posts deserve to take the best positions in the feed. Therefore, there are higher chances that your post will be viewed by a bigger number of people and receive higher engagement if you add it in the evening.
However, it is a general piece of advice if you have no desire to look closer at your own audience. There are tools that can help you to determine the time when your followers are the most active, so it is better to add a post during this period.
Run Contests to Encourage Likes
It is possible to get artificial inflation of likes or comments to your post by announcing a contest with prizes in it. The best choice of a contest is to ask your own followers to attract other users to your content and your engagement rate per post will increase significantly thanks to that. The same goes for free giveaways when users grow interaction with the content by promising a free gift to one of the participants. It can be not only a physical thing but also a piece of advice from an expert, digital data or a receipt.
Respond to Early Comments
Since the engagement rate plays a significant role in post promotion, a user should encourage others to interact with the content posted. Moreover, it is important not to lose any minute to make this communication live and interesting. Therefore, early responses can be key to your post success. You should not only answer questions but also provide more informative answers and ask questions. It will allow your target audience to feel needed and appreciated as well as be more active each time you add new content.
Collaborate with Influencers
The promotion of new content can be very effective if to team up with other influencers. If you have similar spheres of interest, it is possible to attract followers of another person to your post. You may wonder that social media marketing is not free and requires extra investment.
However, it is possible not only to pay for a shout-out but also to exchange one for another – S4S is incredibly popular with modern influencers. They look for an account with similar content and number of followers, contact a person and exchange posts with links to their own profiles or brands. It will boost traffic to the post making it twice more popular than a usual one.
Join Instagram Pods
One of the most effective ways to get your post to the upper positions is to join Instagram engagement groups known as pods. These are communities of people who have united around a topic of common interest or simply to help each other with IG marketing campaigns. The role of every group member is to like, comment or save other users’ posts immediately after they were added. In return, you will receive a high level of engagement in your own post too.
Pods operate on a free or paid basis. You can find them directly on Instagram (though they are limited in number there) or in such popular messengers like WhatsApp and Telegram. Every person can try to join such a group of interest but it is necessary to follow its rules strictly not to be excluded from it.
Tips & Tricks
It makes no difference whether you are a professional marketer who tries to promote a certain brand or product to Instagram’s top posts or you an ordinary user who wants to attract more followers and become an influencer, everyone can set a goal and achieve it. Naturally, the number of ways of how to make your post one of 9 highest-ranked ones listed above will be very helpful, and experts advise considering undertake several actions simultaneously to be able to get the result you hope for. But there are also some tips from experienced marketers that can be helpful too:
Conclusion
Some people consider it impossible to make a post one of the best ones on Instagram, but it is not a problem if to put some effort. Following these pieces of advice on how to get on top posts on Instagram, there are high chances to get in charge of some hashtag groups. You need to consider the ways and tips provided in the article and analyze in what hashtag group you can achieve this goal. If you are persistent and keep on working on this goal for some time, you will see the desirable result, undoubtedly.
How to Get to the Top of Google Search Results in 2021
7 minutes to read
Answers burning questions, connects customers to products, provides smooth navigation — what do all these things have in common? They’re all benefits of Google’s first search engine results page (SERP). If your site is there to greet searchers at the top of Google search results, you get floods of traffic and major visibility.
It’s the dream for companies who need a strong online presence (which, let’s face it, is everyone these days). Google has changed from its early days, and now it has sophisticated algorithms that judge web pages. If your pages measure up to the ranking factors and beat the competition, you get closer to a prime position in the SERPs.
But the question remains, how do you get to the top of Google search results in 2021? A quick way to find out is by entering your URL here to receive custom recommendations in just 60 seconds — or keep reading!is the way to attain a page one ranking and bring in revenue for your site.
Let’s go over what you need to consider in your SEO strategy to get to the top of Google search this year.
If you need a leading SEO agency to handle your strategy, WebFX is equipped to climb the SERPs for your business. We’ve driven over 255,000 page one rankings in Google for our clients!
1. Concentrate on long-tail keywords
It’s not realistic to try ranking for just any keywords (the words that people enter into search bars). You need to target keywords that interest qualified people who have the most potential to find your site useful. Long-tail keywords are the perfect opportunity to attract the right group of people.
These consist of three or more words, unlike short-tail keywords, which only have one or two. Long-tail keyword phrases are valuable because people with a precise purpose search for them. For example, if someone searches “pad thai” you aren’t sure if they’re looking for recipes, restaurants, or calorie information.
But if they search “quick pad thai recipes,” you have more context and insight into what they want in a result. You have less competition when you adopt a long-tail strategy, which gives you a greater possibility of getting into the top of Google search results.
2. Produce high-caliber content regularly
I won’t spend too much time repeating the SEO adage “content is king,” but without content, you have no material to rank. There’s no denying that you need it to soar through rankings. So, how often should you post content for sky-high SEO results?
If you consistently publish content on your site, you have more pages available to get to the top of Google search results for various keywords. But your content has to be accurate and helpful to outrank your competition. Set up a detailed content calendar to build your readership and keep them supplied with engaging content.
Whether you publish daily, weekly, or monthly, your audience can grow to recognize you as an authoritative source, which generates traffic. Not sure how to lay out a content calendar? We’ve created a free blogging schedule template just for you.
Download the template now to customize it for your business.
Need help with your SEO, marketing manager?
Check out our SEO Guide for Marketing Managers to start driving more site traffic, leads and revenue!
3. Generate authoritative backlinks
Google has consistently placed a high value on backlinks, and the number and type of backlinks pointing to your site indicate your site’s level of authority. SEO in 2021 relies on credible backlinks, but many link building tactics don’t supply well-respected, rank-boosting sources. The status of your site and the popularity of your pages gives them a higher standing in Google’s eyes, and you need other sites to recommend your posts.
While you might think you don’t have much control over who links to your site — or much of a choice when you’re just starting to generate backlinks — you can influence the quality of your backlinks and aim for reputable sources for a better Google search placement. There’s no point in emphasizing the volume of your links because collecting a large number of backlinks no matter their quality appears deceitful. To push your position up in the SERPs, discover ideal websites that hold sway in your industry and review or round up your type of business.
Look into your competitors’ backlinks to find sites that feature sites similar to your own, and seek out opportunities to promote your content on these viable sources. Use a backlink profile checker like Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker or Neil Patel’s Backlink Checker to examine your competitors’ successful link building partners.
4. Consistently update content
The aging content you have hidden away doesn’t have to be a failed attempt at content marketing. It doesn’t even have to be a trusty-old piece that generates low volumes of traffic. With a facelift, your archived content can rise to the top of Google search results.
The “freshness” of your content matters for users and search engines, because recent data is up-to-date and useful, while stale data creates inaccuracies and misinforms readers. Refreshing your content can give you richer material to appeal to Google and attract visitors. Whether you lengthen your content or swap outdated info, revitalizing your content makes it relevant and worthy of a top Google ranking.
It saves you time and helps your overall site authority to ensure your content marketing strategy is as strong as possible.
5. Track crucial metrics
If you want to know how to get to the top of Google search results, you need to know your current rankings and how users interact with your site. Paying attention to the metrics that matter for a better Google search placement is key for 2021 SEO. If your page is within the first three rankings for keywords, you’re going to see a higher traffic volume than the last result on page one.
However, many metrics reflect more than your current placement — they tell you where you can improve. Track your efforts with Google Analytics to find the on-page elements you need to change to gain a higher ranking in the SERPs. Important metrics for your SEO strategy include:
Get to the top of Google Search Results with WebFX
Reaching that number one spot on Google search results is an objective that takes time and effort. You can’t snap your fingers and appear on page one. But if you put in the work, you can learn how to get your webpage to the top of Google search results and spark a steady flow of traffic.
WebFX is a specialist in SEO, and we’ve served companies from a wide range of industries. Over the years, we’ve driven 255,000 page one rankings on Google for our clients! We are laser-focused on driving results for you.
Contact us online or call us at 888-601-5359 today to speak with an expert and push your pages further up the SERPs.
How To Get To The Top Of Google Search Results
To get to the top of Google search results in a competitive niche you’ll need:
Sounds easy doesn’t it? It isn’t.
Keeping a number 1 ranking is as hard as winning one, too.
Sign up for our Free SEO training course to find out more.
I’ve audited thousands of websites over 20 years as a professional SEO. Here is what you need to know about SEO in 2022 and a free tool to help you manage your projects or learn about SEO: https://t.co/WwZgEa8yBd A thread (1/10) pic.twitter.com/Abh5m3TOi4
There Are Rules When It Comes To Ranking in Search Engines
QUOTE: “I’ve collected a somewhat ordered list of the most important official Google Webmaster Guidelines and recommendations. If you want to rank high in Google, you need to follow the webmaster guidelines.” Shaun Anderson, Hobo 2020
QUOTE: “Creating compelling and useful content will likely influence your website more than any of the other factors discussed here.” Google SEO Starter Guide, 2020
The terms and conditions Google lay down in their webmaster guidelines documents clearly indicate that if you try to manipulate your rankings in ways Google disapproves of they will FILTER your site or worse, remove it entirely from its ‘index of the web’ (and sometimes for a long time).
Google is incredibly focused on delivering high quality sites to users:
QUOTE: “Google aims to rank pages where the author has some demonstrable expertise on experience in the subject-matter they are writing about. These ‘quality ratings’ (performed by human evaluators) are based on (E.A.T. or EAT or E-A-T) which is simply ‘Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness‘ of the ‘Main Content of a page’” Shaun Anderson, Hobo, 2020
Google disapproves of a LOT of, if not MOST old SEO tactics and comes down hard when it detects ‘deceptive’ practices.
QUOTE: “We strongly encourage you to pay very close attention to the Quality Guidelines below, which outline some of the illicit practices that may lead to a site being removed entirely from the Google index or otherwise affected by an algorithmic or manual spam action. If a site has been affected by a spam action, it may no longer show up in results on Google.com or on any of Google’s partner sites.” Google Webmaster Guidelines 2020
Their terms and conditions cover a lot of different areas and this is on top of a requirement for technical excellence in many areas.
Making a claim for a top spot IN A COMPETITIVE industry without quality links and relevant content over a PERIOD OF SUFFICIENT TIME, in a vertical with relatively stable rankings, can raise a red flag to Google, or your competitors. Neither is good.
QUOTE: “There are 2 main types of unnatural links. Links you made yourself and the links you didn’t. If you didn’t make any of the links then you don’t need to worry about manual actions for unnatural links, and you very probably don’t need to ever use the disavow tool. If you have a manual action for “a pattern of unnatural artificial, deceptive, or manipulative links pointing to pages” then you will very probably need to use the disavow tool to clean up the links you commissioned or made yourself.” Shaun Anderson, Hobo 2020
I’ve seen sites promoted using ‘lower quality’ techniques rise and rise and rise and when they get to the top, they get slapped back 40+ places. Sometimes immediately – sometimes a few months later. Sometimes they get de-listed, sometimes they get a manual action.
If you are at the top of competitive results you can bet Google will take a closer look at your site.
QUOTE: “If Google can detect investment in time and labour on your site – there are indications that they will reward you for this (or at least – you won’t be affected when others are, meaning you rise in Google SERPs when others fall).” Shaun Anderson, Hobo 2020
That might mean a deeper algorithmic analysis of your site or even a manual review. Google has tens of thousands of manual reviewers who rate the quality of their results pages, and the sites that feature in them.
Even today, I am cautious about all of a sudden appearing near the top of results, especially with a lower quality page.
QUOTE: “At least for competitive niches were Google intend to police this quality recommendation, Google wants to reward high-quality pages and “the Highest rating may be justified for pages with a satisfying or comprehensive amount of very high-quality” main content.” Shaun Anderson, Hobo 2020
Sometimes, it is shortly followed by a big drop, if the methods used were a little ropey.
If I win a top ten ranking, I don’t usually push for number 1 in Google anymore – not without a strategy based entirely on making things better – low-quality link building or content production, for instance, is just not a long-term plan I want to invest my energies in anymore.
I normally concentrate on other keywords when I get into the top set of results, and on building domain quality, and usually only focus on the main term if I have a solid gold linking opportunity on a site with mega trust.
I can also say I am very careful with conversion rate practices on sites I work with today.
QUOTE: “Google has a history of classifying your site as some type of entity, and whatever that is, you don’t want a low-quality label on it. Put there by algorithm or human. Manual evaluators might not directly impact your rankings, but any signal associated with Google marking your site as low-quality should probably be avoided.” Shaun Anderson, Hobo 2020
I can say this online strategy has proved prudent, long-term, and still fruitful.
QUOTE: “There are a plethora of human-rated site quality ratings to be met and hundreds of granular ranking signals that we know of only in the abstract.” Shaun Anderson, Hobo 2020
I have avoided low-quality techniques since April 2012, and I’ve been learning and practicing SEO since 1999.
Sign up for our Free SEO training course to find out more.
Why Is A Top Ranking On Google So Valuable?
QUOTE: “Google is “the biggest kingmaker on this Earth.” Amit Singhal, Google, 2010
Organic traffic is still the most valuable traffic in the world with search engines recently rated the most trusted source for finding news and information:
A number 1 ranking in Google still:
Of course, that’s assuming your search engine results page (SERP) snippet is as ‘clickable’ and ‘relevant’ as the competing pages’ snippets for that search query. This is really important – as is the quality of the page your unpaid visitor lands on.
Organic listings get more the clicks than a sponsored ad listing attracts but it suits Google to balance that out in the future as they have done in the past (because Google makes more money from advertising).
I would be more specific with the numbers, but I don’t trust most stats out there these days about such things.
Everyone wants to know:
How to get to number 1 on Google?
…but the truth is Google changes what is number 1 in SERPs pretty often.
Typically there a few obvious ways to get to number 1, and you will do well to abide by Google best practices for each medium.
Sign up for our Free SEO training course to find out more.
‘White Hat‘ SEO
QUOTE: “Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a technical, analytical and creative process to improve the visibility of a website in search engines. The primary function of SEO is to attract more unpaid traffic to a site that converts into sales (for instance).” Shaun Anderson, Hobo 2020
Search engine optimisation is the process of making pages ‘as relevant as they can be” for search engines to believe they are valuable enough to be considered for top rankings for as many key phrases as possible in organic or natural listings.
QUOTE: “Search engine optimization (SEO) is often about making small modifications to parts of your website. When viewed individually, these changes might seem like incremental improvements, but when combined with other optimizations, they could have a noticeable impact on your site’s user experience and performance in organic search results.” Google Starter Guide, 2020
Nobody knows for sure how to get to number 1 on Google, not exactly anyway. Getting to number one in Google is largely down the reputation of your website and how relevant and user-friendly your content is.
Typically you get to number 1 by having a good online reputation. Well-known brands have good reputations. These brands rank at the top of Google, too. Reputation is increased by the number of quality web pages that link to any page on your site. Typically relevant pages with the most high-quality links rank at the top of Google listings.
If users actively SEEK OUT YOUR WEBSITE ON GOOGLE using brand identifiable terms Google will recognise this and probably use it as a proxy for “quality” and relevance.
QUOTE: “One piece of advice I tend to give people is to aim for a niche within your niche where you can be the best by a long stretch. Find something where people explicitly seek YOU out, not just “cheap X” (where even if you rank, chances are they’ll click around to other sites anyway).” John Mueller, Google 2018
Instead of focusing on number 1 in Google, your focus should be to appear in as many Google properties as possible, to give your business as much opportunity as possible to appear for as many searches as possible that are relevant to your business.
For instance ranking for ‘how to get to number 1 on search engines like Google, Yahoo or Bing‘ might well be valuable to me.
How hard is it to get to number 1 Google? Ultimately this depends on the competition for the keyword or keyphrase and the reputation of your website. New websites typically find good rankings hard to come by in Google in competitive verticals. Placing number 1 on Google and getting no traffic? You must be number 1 for a keyword that is not widely searched for.
You searched for ‘how to get to number 1 on Google’ and I hope this article has shed some light on this – at least you know you should be asking:
You can get to number 1 in Google for free if you know what you are doing, and if you don’t, you can pay Google Adwords or find a search engine optimiser like me who can consult with you to help you rank no1 in Google, Bing & Yahoo search engines’ organic listings.
QUOTE: “You can manually submit your site and other content directly to various Google services including Search, Maps, Video, Podcasts, Images, News and shopping to name a few. Google has lots of ways to help businesses get online.” Shaun Anderson, Hobo 2020
Beware those who promise no1 ranking guaranteed. No one can guarantee no 1 rankings on Google.
Sign up for our Free SEO training course to find out more.
Get Top Ten Rankings In Google With Simple, White Hat SEO
Simple SEO is just that. Simple. You can get top ten rankings in the SERPs in many industries just by following some very basic (on the whole, onsite) SEO tips:
It’s worth pointing out that you *typically* have three chances to tell Google what a page is about, and how important the page is.
OK – You’ve got your site….. it’s got the usual stuff – home page, contact page, about us, map, products – but you have a blog! A blog lets you easily add pages. That’s all you really need, although you can do this without a blog of course, but then you need to know a bit about website design.
You are reading a blog, of course.
QUOTE: “I started blogging in the SEO industry in 2007, when blogging was the new “in thing”, and I used it to power visits and sales for my company a bit before it was commonplace. Google (I include Google Feedburner in this) has sent this site almost 8 million unpaid organic visitors since I started blogging. There’s no single way to blog but here’s what I learned and how I did it if you are totally new to blogging.” Shaun Anderson, Hobo 2020
There may be some evidence that the more you link to a page in your website navigation structure, the more important Google seems to think that page is, in relation to the rest of your site at least.
Pages that aren’t linked to frequently may not have enough link equity to make it into Google’s main SERPs.
Thinking: A well-optimised page followed with a few incoming links from external sites will perform very well in Google, and is boosted when you tell Google “Hey – This page is important”, by linking to it from other pages on your site. Not linking out to any other page (from the target page) with the exact term you are targeting tells Google as far as this page is concerned, it’s the authority document on the matter (which is the aim of SEO). You would think.
Warning: This works well for small sites, with a few products. Using this strategy on a site with a lot of target pages will have mixed results, and you risk making the site look spammy. Simple SEO might be all your website needs to get better rankings in Google.
Always remember not all links are equal. Nothing helps an individual page more than on-topic links from reputable websites, but it’s clear you don’t need thousands of links to get top rankings in Google.
QUOTE: “Link building is the process of earning links on other websites. Earned natural links directly improve the reputation of a website and where it ranks in Google, and other search engines. Self-made links are risky and come with them the risk of penalisation by the Google webspam team.” Shaun Anderson, Hobo 2020
Make a relevant, well-optimised page that is well linked to in your internal site structure, and back it up with a few anchor text rich links from external sites. This strategy helps leverage the overall authority of your domain to rank specific pages, ideal if you’ve not a lot of authority to begin with.
Tip to Remember – Give Google what it wants – Optimise your page, and always link generously to your important pages within your site navigation and content.
BIGGER TIP – DO NOT OVERDO IT. Keep it simple.
Sign up for our Free SEO training course to find out more.
Top Rankings Are Never Guaranteed
Rankings in Google search are going to fluctuate depending on many factors including:
What Do You What To Rank Top On Google For?
Some organisations want to rank for different things and this can be achieved in many different ways. Always ask yourself; “What specific keyword phrase do I want to rank no1 on Google for anyways?”
How To Rank On Google For Your Brand or Company Name
Registering your website and configuring it with Google Search Console and Google My Business is a prerequisite for website owners. Telling Google everything you need to tell them using the channels they provide is a first prudent step for any business.
The more non-specific term you want to rank for and the wider the geographical area you want to rank in will determine the level of competition you are up against. This competition that you are up against is what you are going to be rated against by Google.
Sign up for our Free SEO training course to find out more.
‘Black Hat‘ SEO
QUOTE: “SEO is an acronym for “search engine optimization” or “search engine optimizer.” Deciding to hire an SEO is a big decision that can potentially improve your site and save time, but you can also risk damage to your site and reputation. Make sure to research the potential advantages as well as the damage that an irresponsible SEO can do to your site.” Google Webmaster Guidelines, 2020
I do not discuss this type of SEO on this blog. I am no longer experienced in it.
A weight of crap links built (by an experienced black-hat SEO) over time can STILL beat even a relatively trusted site in Google. However, it’s these type of ‘link-schemes’ Google has a lot of brainy people working on attempting to nullify.
If you are not VERY experienced in black-hat SEO, I would avoid it. It is far too easy for competitors to call you out for me to invest a lot of time and effort in it, especially when employed by a client and considering just a few links from one trusted site can transfer instant ranking ability and trust to another site.
Finding such sites can be a full-time occupation though, but that is the game we play.
QUOTE: “Blackhat SEO fads: like walking into a dark alley, packed with used car salesmen, who won’t show you their cars.” Matt Cutts, Google 2014
Deciding what you want to rank for and how you want to do it are at the core of any strategy. If you choose to employ black-hat SEO techniques, I think you will find it a short-term strategy with longer-term consequences.
Sign up for our Free SEO training course to find out more.
Number 1 Ranking In Google, Bing & Other Search Engines
The number 1 reason a lot of sites get number 1 places in Google listings are they are good enough. It really is this simple:
Round that off with some killer, original content that is of at least similar quality to other sites and pages competing for the desired terms and you know what, after rinsing and repeating ad nauseum, you’ll probably rank in Google for desired terms.
I am often bemused when I visit Webmasterworld and see Webmasters who’ve been banned by Google (which i suspect happens a lot less than people think) or have completely lost previously high Google rankings.
I automatically think to myself, if I visit these sites, will I be disappointed? Do they have the content or is their position “link generated”? If they do have the content, have they screwed up the simple stuff? Have they made a big mistake, somewhere critical?
Google doesn’t owe anybody good rankings. Just because you’ve been number 1 for years doesn’t mean the position is unmovable, either.
And anyway, is there such a thing as “Number 1 in Google” these days? Rankings Ever flux and constant Google Core Updates ensure a freshness to the top ten, so in reality, nobody can guarantee any website prolonged number (insert number or page) listings – although many do.
QUOTE: “One way to think of how a core update operates is to imagine you made a list of the top 100 movies in 2015. A few years later in 2019, you refresh the list. It’s going to naturally change. Some new and wonderful movies that never existed before will now be candidates for inclusion. You might also reassess some films and realize they deserved a higher place on the list than they had before. The list will change, and films previously higher on the list that move down aren’t bad. There are simply more deserving films that are coming before them.” Danny Sullivan, Google 2020
Every position in Google is up for grabs. Instead of buying links, mass link-bombing of key terms, mass registration of fake domains or trying to “game” Google, why not just add high-quality, unique content to your site and make your site “better”? Don’t worry – with practice, it gets easier. In time, rankings come – but only with good content.
Sure, some sites bend the rules and get good rankings. They may even keep these rankings for some time. But in the end, they are generally hit by changes in the way Google deals with things.
That’s what we help customers with. We consult with them to try and make sites better. For Google and visitors. It’s a long-term strategy, takes a lot of hours, but surely it’s the only sustainable method for Google success for most companies.
And you know what? It works.
Despite my success ranking many sites, I don’t know exactly how Google works. Nobody does or can know (and if they did, believe me, they are too busy making money for themselves to help your business rank high). We are successful because we know the kind of sites that Google prefers and I help clients to try and develop these.
Sometimes it’s knowing what not to do rather than what to do that gets listed at the top of Google.
If you want me to do your SEO, you’ll need to understand this. If you have a one-page website, basically an advert for your company, I’m not willing to spam the search engines for you, as this isn’t common sense sustainable business for you or us.
There are too many customers out there who are willing to spend the time required making their website quality for visitors and Google. I’m busy helping them.
If you’re one of these clients who want to make their website better contact me.
Sign up for our Free SEO training course to find out more.
How Much Traffic Will I Get From A Number 1 In Google?
QUOTE: “There aren’t any quick magical tricks that an SEO will provide so that your site ranks number one. It’s important to note that any SEO potential is only as high as the quality of your business or website so successful SEO helps your website put your best foot forward.” Maile Ohye, Google 2017
I’ve been asked the following questions many times: How much traffic can you guarantee I will get from a number 1 spot in Google natural (unpaid) listings?” and this seemed like the most accurate answer I could give; more traffic than you would get if you were in number 2 position.
Most third-party keyword data tools are inaccurate, but at least something to go on.
Without actually being number 1 for a term, it’s impossible to say for sure. Google Adwords, of course, is very useful (the best keyword research tool?) but you’re paying a pretty penny for all that intel and often, the client has no data to share.
If you’re an SEO with a few number 1 terms, you can look see what traffic you get and compare it with any keyword data tool for that key phrase, and then make some assumptions from any normalised data. You can also mine for opportunities in your niche comparing keyword volumes with keyword competition etc.
I use SEMRUSH and Google keyword tools to give myself an idea of the most popular keyterms, but then again, I am a search engine optimiser, not a “keyword monkey“, or a soothsayer.
I only need to do the easy bit – change rankings for as many keyword terms as possible – usually by improving page-experience, as Google calls it.
When I am speaking to potential clients, I’m usually in, just after some swanky salesman from another company, has hit the prospect with GUARANTEES and FIGURES I think to myself “I’m not even bothering trying to compete with this because most claims like this in SEO are nonsense – a best guess at the very best”.
And I’m not saying keyword research isn’t important. It is a fundamental part of any campaign – perhaps the most important part. It’s just not my favourite bit of SEO (getting real links to relevant pages is), and I hate making any kind of predictions in any market I don’t have years of experience in – and there’s a lot of markets out there that change all the time.
Sign up for our Free SEO training course to find out more.
How Many Clicks Does A No1 Ranking In Google Get Compared To No2, 3, 4 & 5?
A LOT more, that’s the only thing that can be bet upon. It really does depend on a multitude of variations, from what Google displays around your listing, to the nature of the query itself.
Google Search Console (formerly Google Webmaster Tools) now shows click-through rate and position in SERPs – so you can work this out on your own site. Not that it’s accurate – but what else do you have?
QUOTE: “You can submit your website and verify it in Google Search Console. The procedure to connect your website is very simple with a little technical knowledge.” Shaun Anderson, Hobo 2020
I picked a term I know I have had the top 5 positions at various times, and it’s interesting to see the click-through rate on particular keyword searches…. and how many clicks the top position in Google gets compared to the number 3 position, no4, and no5.
Position 1 | 58 | 46 | 79% |
Position 2 | 91 | 46 | 51% |
Position 3 | 210 | 73 | 35% |
Position 4 | 260 | 46 | 18% |
Position 5 | 110 | 12 | 11% |
This is just one example – it will take a while to look into the new data and look at an average – but it shows a number 1 getting nearly 30% more of the clicks than a no2 ranking. You might find some useful nuggets of information at Google Search Console for your own site…..
Of course, click-through rate can be skewed by any number of factors – the nature of the query or how compelling your call to actions are in your title and your meta description, to name just a couple.
Sign up for our Free SEO training course to find out more.
How To Check Your Rankings On Search Engines
Don’t get too fixated on your rankings – rankings fluctuate – Google Search is designed that way! And don’t just try to rank for just a few terms. It’s better to rank for lots of different keywords than have a business based on one competitive keyword.
To check your rankings fairly accurately with non-localised or non-personalised search results, you may need to use tools like:
These tools can also indicate where you rank (at least periodically) in other countries. The Google Ad Preview Tool from Google also shows organic search results and how they look to users around the world. You can see just how rankings differ from country to country and place to place – worth considering when researching keywords. Geolocation and personalisation really mixes Google rankings up.
I usually use SEMrush to check my rankings in other countries.
Sign up for our Free SEO training course to find out more.
Google Rankings Are Different Computer-to-Computer
QUOTE: “Nobody will always see ranking number three for your website for those queries. It’s always fluctuating.” John Mueller, Google, 2015
A big misunderstanding of Google and search engines like Yahoo & MSN is to view them as one simple server. In fact, they are tens of thousands of servers, located in different “datacenters” (DCs) all over the world.
And they do not get updated all at the same! Instead, changes are rolled out slowly, a few data-centers at a time, and a few machines per datacenter at a time.
As a result of DNS-based load-sharing, the “Google” you connect to right now is not the same “Google” you connected to five minutes ago — It is a different machine at a different IP address so different set of results.
So, you are simply seeing results on different Google machines, depending on when you connect (and where you connect from).
How Long For A New Site To Get Stable Rankings?
QUOTE: “I think if your website is just, let’s say, a couple of months old, maybe 8 months, maybe a year, then that’s still very fresh with regards to the rest of the internet. So that’s kind of a time where our algorithms are still trying to figure out how and where we should show your website in the search results overall. So that’s something where it would be normal to see some kind of fluctuations around how it’s being shown in search. Sometimes things go up for a while, sometimes they go down for a while. And then, I’d say over the course of a year, things settle down in kind of a stable state.” John Mueller, Google 2020
Black Hats, for a long time, have complained about the Google “sandbox”. The statement above kind-of sounds like a confirmation of the sandbox for new sites, of sorts.
A brand new site will take a while to get motoring in Google, so to speak.
If you see your brand-new site appearing and disappearing, but ranking well with increasing frequency, that is potentially good news.
On the other hand, if you see your well-ranked site dropped with increasing frequency, then that is bad news.
QUOTE: “Google has a history of classifying your site as some type of entity, and whatever that is, you don’t want a low-quality label on it. Put there by algorithm or human. Manual evaluators might not directly impact your rankings, but any signal associated with Google marking your site as low-quality should probably be avoided.” Shaun Anderson, Hobo 2020
It is however possible that you’re connecting to only partially-updated servers (computers), and your data isn’t loaded yet.
It doesn’t make sense to panic until your site disappears completely, because it might drop, or it might pop back — You just can’t tell.
The best you can do, I think, is doubling down on improving content-quality and focus on providing a better page-experience for your Google visitors:
QUOTE: “We will introduce a new signal that combines Core Web Vitals with our existing signals for page experience to provide a holistic picture of the quality of a user’s experience on a web page.” Sowmya Subramanian, Google 2020
Those Who Guarantee Number 1 Rankings Are Lying To You
Matt Cutts of Google explains a bit why persons are lying to you when they claim they can guarantee number one rankings in Google for competitive terms….
What Matt didn’t touch on was diversity in search results Google aims for, or geolocation differences, personalisation re-ranking, or what the competition is doing, or tweaks to the algorithm, etc etc etc…. but it’s true no-one can guarantee no1 rankings in Google, so don’t be duped.
Taking the analogy of a Horse Race, even if you know where the finish line is, even if you have spent ages examining the competition, and even if you have ‘fixed’ the race so that every other jockey is in on it……what if happens if your horse falls at the second last fence? What happens if it breaks a leg? What happens if it drops dead? What happens if another faster horse enters the race at the last minute from left-field? You’re No2.
And if you’re caught cheating – you won’t even be allowed to race.
Google is like a horse race, with hundreds of potential participants. It’s a horse race where;
Matt Cutts of Google is also on record as saying;
Even the cleverest of the black hat SEO brigade can’t capture very competitive key-terms for long. Google will eventually catch up – Google manually checks some of the most competitive ‘money terms’ when the algorithm misses it and if they don’t pass a human review – the site will be penalised, along with every other site in that bad neighbourhood.
A SEO can’t ever guarantee you top results just in the same way as an advertising agency can’t guarantee that next advert in the local press will get you sales. If you’re paying good money to a SEO, you should expect good positions, but that’s it.
To guarantee anything you need to know all the variables – even SEO who claim you can guarantee no1 listings on less that competitive terms are fooling themselves. Google can take these positions away from them as quickly as a better SEO with a better site with a better back-link profile.
No1 in Google is evidently not stable nor guaranteed under any conditions.
Sign up for our Free SEO training course to find out more.
Using Google To Find A Company
Google search engine results pages have always made for an interesting review as many are using tactics they can’t use on your site. These companies do not expect to rank for very long, so it’s common practice to spam a shell site into the top of results to get new customers.
I remember examples where all you could find in Google for certain search results were foreign businesses (mostly) that were using low-quality techniques:
Google UK SERPS have got much better since then.
Although I see they still rank sites like Topseos:
TopSEOs gets decent rankings even today, though nowhere near as much as years ago, despite the outcry a few years ago from many professionals about these review companies. I see also that there is a new crop of SEO review directories that rate the SEO firms they list. I am not a part of ANY of these SEO lead generation sites, have refused “awards” and many of the legitimate SEO I know aren’t on them either.
Historically to compete for particular keyword rankings in search engines, you had to employ the same tactics that will eventually lead to penalties further down the line. I stopped bothering with that a long time ago, but now it appears you just pay to join an SEO review directory to get an “award” you can show on your site and a place on these top 100 listings.
I won’t be bothering.
Sign up for our Free SEO training course to find out more.
Beware Cold-Calling Sales Persons or Email Spam
If you run a business online, you can safely ignore every cold call or email you get about your website that is not from Google, your website development, hosting or domain company. Especially unsolicited emails about SEO.
“Amazingly, we get these spam emails too: “Dear google.com, I visited your website and noticed that you are not listed in most of the major search engines and directories…” Reserve the same skepticism for unsolicited email about search engines as you do for “burn fat at night” diet pills or requests to help transfer funds from deposed dictators. No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a “special relationship” with Google.” Google Webmaster Guidelines, 2020
Disclaimer
Disclaimer: “Whilst I have made every effort to ensure that the information I have provided is correct, It is not advice.; I cannot accept any responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions. The author does not vouch for third party sites or any third party service. Visit third party sites at your own risk. I am not directly partnered with Google or any other third party. This website uses cookies only for analytics and basic website functions. This article does not constitute legal advice. The author does not accept any liability that might arise form accessing the data presented on this site. Links to internal pages promote my own content and services.” Shaun Anderson, Hobo
How to Get to the Top of Google Search Results in 2019
Do you ever click through to the second page of Google’s search engine results?
No. No one does.
In fact, less than 3% of searchers make it to the second page.
Understandably then, most business owners who come to us are wondering how to get to the top of Google search results. There are several suggestions to get your business on page one of Google (even WikiHow has something to say about it)—but we have a tried-and-true method of making it happen.
But first, you’ve got to understand that there are a few different areas of Google’s search results you can rank #1 for: rich snippets, PPC ads at the top, organic listings at the bottom, and local map listings in the middle:
That means you have four separate opportunities to rank your content on page one. Blue Corona’s philosophy and strategy to get that spot on the first page and outrank competitors starts by breaking it down into solving four main questions, each one aimed at a different part of the search results page:
Below you’ll find the answers to these questions along with some on-the-ground tips to help you claim that coveted number one spot on the first page of Google.
Editor’s Note: We started writing this post in 2013. Google has changed since then, so we’ve updated it—a lot—and will continue to do so to reflect the most recent statistics and information on getting your business on the first page of Google search results. Enjoy!
Don’t have time to read this whole post? Get it on-the-go by downloading the ebook here »
What Goes Into Google’s Ranking Algorithm in 2019
Before we dive into how to get to the top of Google search, you should know what the ranking factors are that Google looks for:
“You want the answer, not billions of webpages, so Google ranking systems sort through the hundreds of billions of webpages in our Search index to give you useful and relevant results in a fraction of a second.
These ranking systems are made up of a series of algorithms that analyze what it is you are looking for and what information to return to you. And as we’ve evolved Search to make it more useful, we’ve refined our algorithms to assess your searches and the results in finer detail to make our services work better for you.” – Google
There are more than 200 actual ranking signals, but here’s what you should focus on if you want to get your business on page one of Google’s search results in 2019:
Want to know more ranking factors? Search Engine Land’s SEO Periodic Table is what you want to see:
1. How to Rank in Google Featured Snippets (the Knowledge Graph)
Would you be surprised to learn that 48% of Google searches result in no click at all? It’s true—and it’s because more and more searchers are getting the information they need right there in the search results through rich snippets/featured snippets.
A featured snippet is often used when the search query is a question. Frequently referred to as “position zero,” rich snippets always appear at the very top of the search results page. You’d be smart to try and get a few pages featured as rich snippets considering Google is rapidly becoming the world’s Answer Engine.
Here’s what snippets can look like in the search results:
There are five major types:
Certain types of content and queries tend to rank better for rich snippets:
To optimize your content for rich snippets:
The main difference between knowledge panel results and rich snippets is how much control you have over the content in it. You have less control over rich snippets, and you can actually claim and edit knowledge panels.
2. How to Get to the top of Google Search with PPC Ads
With SEO, the goal is to get to the top of Google for free, just because your web page is THE BEST ONE out there.
With PPC you essentially pay Google for top search results listings, in the form of ads.
While you might think SEO and PPC are at odds with each other, they actually work hand in hand—and I highly recommend you invest in both.
However, don’t think you can just throw a bunch of cash at Google and expect your business’s ads to automatically claim that top spot. Google ensures only the highest-quality, most relevant ads show for each different search query.
Taking out pay per click (PPC) ads has always been a cost-effective way to get more leads and sales from the web. Why? Because you’re guaranteed a spot on the page, and people like them–75% of people who click on ads say search ads make it easier to find the information they need when searching online.
If you’re not investing in PPC, you’re basically giving those clicks to your competitors.
Want to learn more about how to enhance your paid search campaign? Check out the following posts:
3. How to Get Your Website to the Top of Google with SEO
We’ve seen that the paid results claim the first half of the page, but if you want to rank higher in search engines for free, you need to rely on SEO. To be exact, you need to be in one of the first three organic positions.
Why?
Take a look at the graphic above. That’s the percentage of users that click on the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth positions. A whopping 55% of users click on the first three entries.
Getting in those spots, especially if you’re a new business, is tough. The best way to get in one of those top spots is by adding content to your website. High-quality content increases your rankings and also creates a better user experience for your customers. In addition, the more quality information you have on your site, the more likely others are to reference it. When other people link and reference your website, the search engines interpret your site as more authoritative and display it more prominently in search engine results.
Unfortunately for you, there’s much more to SEO than just adding content to your website. From a technical standpoint, you also need to make sure the search engines can easily crawl, understand, and index your website (read more here). This involves things like improving your site speed, using a search-engine friendly site navigation menu, creating a well-structured XML sitemap, building a responsive site for mobile and tablet users, and more.
I already discussed what goes into Google’s ranking factors at the beginning of this article, so for a refresher, just pop back up to the top and join us when you’re done.
Notice I didn’t put “keyword” in there. While SEO was built on keywords, their weight in the ranking algorithm has lessened to make room for other important ones, like site speed and mobile friendliness. So, while keyword research and choice of keywords is important, you can’t get to the top of Google’s search results just by repeating a key phrase 50 times on a web page.
A huge part of dominating search results is to focus on more than one service or key phrase. At Blue Corona, we always recommend you try to get as many listings on the first page as possible (what we call “maximizing your online real estate.”)
Want more SEO tips from Blue Corona? Check out our SEO blog.
4. How to Get Your Business on Google Maps and Increase Local Leads from Local SEO
When you Google something like “plumber,” “ac repair,” “digital marketing company,” you’ve probably noticed that Google uses your location data to display nearby businesses. Obviously, if you own a local business, you want to get in those local listings (the “local pack”) in between the PPC ads and organic listings.
To get your business on Google’s map listings, you need to optimize your NAP (name, address, phone number) citations across the Web. The more local citations you can build with consistent NAP information, the better.
You also need to have a flawless Google My Business page. Here’s what that means:
For best results using Google My Business:
Brands, organizations, artists, and other online-only businesses aren’t eligible for Google My Business listings.
Your name should reflect your business’ real-world name, as used consistently on your storefront, website, stationery, and as known to customers. Accurately representing your business name helps customers find your business online.
Add additional details like address and/or service area, business hours, and category in the other sections of your business information.
For example, if you were creating a listing for a 24-hour coffee shop in downtown San Francisco called Shelly’s Coffee, you would enter that business information as:
Including unnecessary information in your business name is not permitted, and could result in your listing being suspended. Refer to the specific examples below to determine what you can and can’t include in your business name.
CUSTOM NAMES
To pick a unique short name, try to use words that represent your business name, brand, location, or other description. For example, you can use your business name with your location, like your city or neighborhood.
Keep your short name simple so you can easily promote it, and customers can remember it.
ADDRESS — BUSINESSES THAT SERVE CUSTOMERS AT THEIR OFFICE
Use a precise, accurate address and/or service area to describe your business location. P.O. boxes or mailboxes located at remote locations are not acceptable.
ADDRESS — BUSINESSES THAT DO NOT SERVE CUSTOMERS AT THEIR OFFICE
WEBSITE AND PHONE
Provide a phone number that connects to your individual business location as directly as possible, or provide one website that represents your individual business location.
BUSINESS HOURS
BUSINESS DESCRIPTION
CATEGORIES
Categories help your customers find accurate, specific results for services they’re interested in. In order to keep your business information accurate and live, make sure that you:
If you’re a local business, you NEED to get savvy with local SEO. Learn more about local SEO and why it matters here >>
Other resources you might find helpful:
Other Strategies for Getting to the Top of Google Search Results
While the paid listings, organic listings, and local listings are the main three SEM strategies for getting your business on the first page of Google, I have a few other (arguably) under-utilized tactics for getting even more listings on the first page (especially following Google’s decision to limit domain crowding):
Microsites
A lot of companies—especially those with multiple business lines—opt to have more than one website. These companies tend to have a main or primary domain complemented by one or more microsites.
A microsite (sometimes called a minisite) is a website used to supplement a company or organization’s primary domain. More often than not, the microsite will have a URL distinct of the primary domain and has its own unique design and navigation.
Microsites can help you target different buyer personas, appear more relevant and authoritative, as well as get multiple listings in organic search results.
You can read more about the benefits of microsites in one of our older posts, “Should I Build Multiple Websites?”
Videos
To improve its own customers’ user experience, Google likes to display a wide variety of media in its search results—including videos. Take a look at the organic listings below—a video hold the second spot. A video is 60% more likely to get ranked in a search result than a landing page on the same topic.
Having a YouTube channel and embedding videos onto your site are great ways to increase the chances that you’ll show up in related search results.
Using YouTube ads are also a great way to bypass organic and go straight for paid results at a low cost per video view.
Social Sites
You already know about social sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. But depending on your industry, there are other social sites you should consider joining to increase your chances of showing up on the first page of Google. Pinterest, Houzz, Tumblr, and Yelp are all good examples.
Images
Optimizing the images on your site can help you get on the first page of Google when it displays image results:
Google Product Listing Ads
If your business operates an ecommerce site, Google product listings ads represent another way to get your site (and products) featured on the first page of Google:
Putting press releases out for your business can potentially score you a spot in the News section of Google, particularly for branded terms:
Get Your Business to the Top of Google with Blue Corona Digital Marketing Services
None of this matters if you rank behind your competitors. That’s the point, right? Outrank your competitors in Google’s search results?
Getting on the first page of Google in 24 hours isn’t realistic if you don’t have a partner who knows what they’re doing. Give me a call, and we can talk about a unique strategy for getting your business on the first page of Google. If you have an irrational fear of speaking to people on the phone, fill out this form; I’ll analyze your site, and show you what it takes to get that number one spot in Google’s SERPs:
About The Author: Blue Corona’s Editorial Staff is determined to help you increase your leads and sales, optimize your marketing costs, and differentiate your brand by passing on our tribal knowledge. The team vigilantly stays on top of the latest in digital marketing, bringing you the top insights with expert commentary. Want to see something on our blog you haven’t seen yet? Shoot us an email and our marketing team will get to work.
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21 Steps Guide On How To Get Top 10 Rankings on Google
Everyone who deals with website promotion has one important wish. Whether he or she is an SEO newcomer or SEO expert, they want to find out how to get to the Top of Google. The truth is, getting high rankings turns out to be a real headache, especially after yet another Google update. But fear not, LinksManagement is here to take all the hassle out of your link building campaigns. Make sure to carefully read this entire guide and follow ALL of the advice given to secure the top positions in Google search results. Success will be inevitable if you follow EVERY given recommendation.
Among our customers, there are those who have successfully achieved the Top 10 on Google with our guidance, but still, there are some who choose not to follow our tips and fail to get top Google rankings. Thus, every month we carefully examine and analyze each factor that influences the success and failure of our customers. We will update this guide every time there are some fresh details to report (this is the latest update as of February 20, 2021). We uncover the main reasons WHY people lose out on their way to the top 10 on Google and explain what exactly you need to do – and how to do it – in order to successfully achieve #1 on Google in 2020 & stay there for many years!
Note: It’s essential to follow each of these 21 steps. If you skip any of them, it may result in a failure to get to Top 10 on Google. Now let’s get to the tips!
1. Create a semantic core – a list of targeted keywords
Start with keyword research. Don’t focus on just a few keywords – you will need to draw up a long list of them and undertake keyword research.
2. Fix up your website structure for better SEO
If your website structure is a mess – there’s no way you can rank high on Google. The search engine focuses on navigation and user experience, so make sure your structure is balanced and clear. It’s also important to link the pages within your website properly.
A clear site structure will boost your site’s visibility to search engines and will lead to higher rankings on Google.
3. Find out the cost of Top 10 for your keywords
How can you outshine your competitors, you ask? First of all, you need to understand your competitors’ tactics and select your methods for an efficient SEO campaign based on what you learn about your rivals. Our Free SEO Cost Calculator Tool allows you to find out the number of links that you need for your SEO and how much it will cost to outrank your competitors. Determining the cost will reveal the most suitable and appropriate keywords (based on your budget) you need to get to Google’s top 10 fast.
Google Analytics will collect data of every single page of your website. Landing pages with appropriate keywords tend to be the best traffic generators. As a result, they will bring prominent traffic and high figures to your website rankings.
4. Prepare a detailed link building plan
Having a precise plan is half the battle. If you do something without an exact plan, it may bring you results that you weren’t necessarily expecting.
The more quality backlinks your site has, the higher rankings in Google it receives. Having vast experience in helping business owners get to the Top 10 on Google, we have developed a free and powerful tool – SEO Cost Calculator that will provide you with a link building plan. Besides that, it will indicate keywords and a budget you need to outplay your competitors. Our backlinks analyzing tool operates under the latest Google ranking rules. Using this service, you will learn the type and number of backlinks you need to buy in order to run a smooth SEO campaign.
The very first thing in your link building campaign is getting backlinks. But the trick is that your backlinks profile should look natural to Google. Don’t try to make your site successful overnight! Be consistent and steady.
The most important thing is buying/getting your backlinks gradually. If you buy too many backlinks at once, Google may disregard them.
To provide a solid foundation for your website, start your link building campaign from backlinks with low SB Ranks (SB Rank 1-SB Rank 4). And within 1-2 months, you may acquire backlinks with higher SB Ranks.
5. Get backlinks with diverse, unique anchor texts & different keywords
1 Always get links for different anchor texts. For instance, if your keyword is “how to get higher rankings” and you aim at the US market, then your anchor texts may look like:
2 About 45% of your anchors should contain your website URL or even consist of merely your URL.
3 About 30% of your anchors should consist of a brand name or the domain name of your website.
4 To make your website promotion more natural, always use multiple diverse keywords in your link building campaign.Make use of synonyms and close words:
5 Approximately 14% of your anchors should be generic for better ranking in Google.Generic anchor texts contain common call-to-action phrases. A short list of generic words is below:
These practical tips will improve your Google ranking without any risk of penalty. If you have any further questions, learn more about how to choose the best anchor texts. Remember that you can always address us and our SEO specialist will manually select the most appropriate backlinks for you!
NEW 6. Use the synergic effect of Google’s Algorithms Update
Since Penguin became an integral part of Google’s algorithm, SEO strategies have changed. This time, we’ll need to cope with yet another broad Google’s algorithm update. In the beginning of August, folks from Google confirmed a new update which was soon dubbed as “Medic” Core Update for its impact on health and wellness websites. This update signifies that it’s important to focus on a broad range of measures to get impressive results. That is the synergic effect in practice. Let us explain how it works.
Our recent SEO research showed that the promgirl.com website got to the Top 10 on Google using more than 30,000 keywords (according to SEMRush) and got more than 2,500,000 visitors a month with only 2,300 referring domains. If you divide 30,000 keywords by 2,300 domains, you’ll see that 1 backlink provides Top 10 positions for every 13 keywords on promgirl.com.
Another customer achieved good results as well. This website appears in the Top 20 of Google SERPs using more than 300 keywords (according to SEMRush) with more than 2,000 visitors every month and only 200 referring domains. Dividing 300 keywords by 200 links shows that 1 backlink results in the Top 20 positions for every 2 keywords for lasitlaser.com.
Does it seem like a miracle? This miracle has a simple explanation – the synergic effect of Google’s Penguin Algorithm. Websites from both of these examples have used a full range of measures for their better rankings and natural backlinks profile. Please note that you can benefit from the synergic effect only if the following actions are combined:
7. Surround your links with content
It is a good idea to have keyword-centric content within your links. In this way, they seem more natural to Google, whereas other methods of increasing Google ranking may look thin. Keep in mind that targeted keywords in your content play a significant role and bring additional link juice to your existing backlinks.
When you purchase links at LinksManagement, you may indicate additional content before and after the link. In total, your link will be surrounded by 500 characters of unique and appropriate content. Thereby, links acquired at LinksManagement look natural to Google and other search engines; this natural look will improve your website rankings.
8. Obtain backlinks from pages with different SB Ranks
As you know, PageRank is no longer available. So, ScanBacklinks has elaborated its metric to understand the value of any web page better. This metric is called SB Rank, and it considers not only PA/DA metrics, but other metrics as well. For this reason, we use SB Rank, because it gives us more reasonable information about any website.
Google likes diversity, so you have to avoid using links with only a high SB Rank as well as links with only a low SB Rank. Make sure that your backlinks come from pages with diverse ranks. This strategy will prove Google that you got those backlinks in a natural way.
If your current backlink profile does not meet these requirements, just add appropriate backlinks to make your website look natural to Google.
It is important to note that your backlinks should come from relevant pages. There is no point in buying expensive backlinks if they are irrelevant to your niche. Google will not appreciate that. Our SEO Expert Tool will select the most relevant backlinks for you. Moreover, contact us if you want to obtain manually selected backlinks.
9. 50% of backlinks should point to the inner pages of your website
Make sure that about 30-50% of backlinks are pointing to the homepage and 50-70% to other pages of your website. These percentages are especially important for content-heavy sites. It has been proven that sites with backlinks linking to all pages of their website, including inner pages, have much better rankings on Google than those with backlinks pointing only to their homepages.
If about 50-70% of your backlinks point to your inner pages, it seems more natural to Google and results in higher rankings. Here are some accurate records of our clients who have a large percentage of backlinks pointing to their subpages: btcmanager.com has about 80% of such links, khojdeal.com – 70%, cryptoledge.com – around 70%. As a result, Google has deemed these websites natural and boosted their positions.
Our research proved that websites with a high percentage of backlinks pointing to their homepages and very little percentage of backlinks pointing to their subpages had significantly worse rankings than their competitors with fewer backlinks but more natural backlink profiles.
10. On-page optimization is a solution for high rankings
Present-day Google has nothing to do with former Google. There is no point in believing that off-page optimization (i.e. backlinks) will be enough to find a solution to an issue like getting to the top of Google. Without a refined SEO strategy, even a thousand backlinks will make no difference to your rankings. You should have unique and relevant content on your website. Here is a quick checklist for on-page optimization:
Only relevant and targeted keywords. Once you’ve identified your keywords, you have to be sure that your content is properly optimized for them. After that, include those keywords on your website. But keep in mind the importance of every keyword’s placement. Some pages are much better for on-page optimization. Here’s a list of some of the most important points for optimization according to the chosen keywords:
Create at least 60 pages with unique content (each page should consist of at least 500 words). The more content, the better. Highly informative content that is useful for people improves Google rankings. It is also essential to update the content as often as possible. Optimize your content for simple updating.
Avoid all of the duplicated content or use a robots.txt file to close it from indexing. This is a must! After the Penguin 4.0 update, the road to Google Top 10 is closed for such sites. So, pay careful attention to the content quality because this factor is becoming more and more crucial. SmallSeoTools or Copyscape will assist you in finding and deleting the duplicated content.
If you are hell-bent on increasing the Google rankingof your website, note that there is one more vital thing to do – create a sitemap. A great variety of sitemap generators offer you easy and quick solutions which you can upload to Google.
To get the most out of your investments, start with the pages that bring you a lot of traffic. Then, as you create more pages in future, be sure to optimize them as you go. To gain a better understanding of smart on-page optimization, read this ultimate On-Page SEO Guide.
11. Avoid these 5 tricky SEO mistakes
The main reason why many people lay off their link building campaign is that they don’t get quick results. There are several reasons for that:
1. The number of purchased/built backlinks is not enough to be in the Top 10 rankings on Google. With the help of our Free SEO Cost Calculator, you can reveal the proper number of backlinks you need to get into the Top 10. Besides that, it will figure out WHICH EXACT links you need for the successful performance of your website. If you want to outsmart your co mpetitors and spend money wisely, you should know how many backlinks you need. Below you find out more about your link building strategy.
2. If you canceled your purchased links within 1 month after their placement, or the links were deleted within 3 months, that means you just muddled away your money because Google ignores links younger than 3 months.
3. Perhaps, you over-optimized your backlinks profile with an exact anchor text match. Remember that too much of a good thing is good for nothing.
4. Consider your presence in social media. It is great when people can share info about your website. So, adding “Share” buttons on your website is helpful. Do not forget that accounts in social media give you free links from reputable resources to your website along with boosted traffic.
5. As you may know, Google is as cunning as a fox. So if your rankings began dancing after the recent organic or purchased link building campaign, keep calm and go on with your link building. This is a tricky algorithm from Google (which is proven by their own patent 8,244,722). Our clients, SEOmoz experts, and other SEO resources noticed this catch too. Just stick to your carefully planned link building strategy, and eventually, the situation will settle down. Here we explain why your site rankings may drop.
12. Keep it up until you accomplish your link building plan
One of the most common SEO mistakes, and why people often stop their link building campaign, is that they do not see any quick, visible feedback. Bear in mind that SEO does not produce results overnight. Arm yourself with patience and wait for at least 3-6 months, better even 12 months, to obtain positive results and get your investments back.
Follow your link building strategy until it’s complete. And in several months you will enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Bear in mind that quite often, the rankings of your website may bounce up and down until you get to Google’s Top 10. Check out the 11 Most Costly SEO Mistakes 99% of People Make to avoid possible hurdles.
13. Rely on SEO experts
It’s no secret that skilled professionals are above rubies. Especially when it comes to your website promotion and profit increase. So, if you are not an SEO guru, then the most reliable, prompt, and reasonable way to secure the Top spots on Google is to hire an SEO expert.
Although we’ve covered a lot of crucial moments for SEO on our blog, it’s impossible to squeeze all of our experience and knowledge into a single article. And even if you manage to read our blog from A to Z, you won’t achieve the expertise necessary for tackling some tricky SEO issues. Because:
The only proven method for avoiding those painful mistakes is hiring an experienced professional who will tackle all of your SEO issues properly. While we believe that this article can be very useful to our readers, we have found that our customers, even after reading this article, continue making the same mistakes. So, if you are a middle SEO specialist, we are confident that you can run the whole SEO campaign on your own. But if you hire an SEO expert too, you’ll immediately see the difference – you’ll save a whale of time and heaps of money!
14. Download our free SEO Checklists
You’ve probably heard that compiling checklists works wonders. And it actually does! If you want to capture the Top spots on search engines and generate a lot of traffic with thousands of visitors per month, you need to have a thorough checklist.
The good news is that we’ve created 2 Free Checklists for your easy start.
Go for one of them and you’ll see the difference – all your SEO efforts will be targeted at the specific goal without random minor fixes that do nothing to reach your big SEO dream.
15. Positions tracking
How will you know that your website is successful if you don’t check your competitors’ progress? Whatever you do, you should always know where you are heading within the framework of your business goals and niche peculiarities.
To save your time, there are the list of services to help with your objectives:
There are many other, equally effective services that let you track your positions automatically: SemRush, Moz Rank Tracker, SERPWatcher, Ahrefs, etc. The key ingredient of your website progress is properly selected keywords. You can easily get your keywords analyzed and receive tips on how to surpass your competitors.
16. Organic traffic is all you need
Traffic is a welcomed thing for every website owner. The more traffic you have, the more visitors, money, and other goodies you get. Here are 5 reasons to get a clue about what might be wrong with your traffic:
1. Your content is dull. Search engines are extremely good at identifying valuable content. There is no need to generate a lot of blog posts that have zero value for your users. Search engines will spot this and demote your position, and thus traffic, heavily.
2. Improper semantic core. We’ve already told you that keywords selection is an important thing if you want to rank high in Google. If your website has plenty of competitors and your niche is too crowded then take a look at long-tail keywords. Some of our customers have reached the first position on Google with this method. For instance, Danil Netu moved from the second page to the second position on Google Search using long-tail keywords.
3. Load speed of your website is low. Remember: your visitors bring you traffic, and traffic brings you money. And your task is to make your visitors more than satisfied with your website. Take off every user experience issue on your website, or let us do it for you. One of the main reason for a high bounce rate is a website’s low load speed. A rare user will wait more than 3 seconds for the web page to load.
4. You were hit by Google’s Algorithms. The truth is that changes happen so frequently that it’s impossible to keep track of them and react properly on your own. The right tactics for your website optimization will be prepared by an experienced SEO specialist.
5. You are acting too quickly with your link building. Getting backlinks is a long and steady process that should indicate to Google that your website really deserves to get the most lucrative and desired positions. But many website owners ignore the steadiness in link building and arouse Google’s suspicion. Where do you get those backlinks if you have low traffic? Depending on where you’re getting these backlinks from you’ll be marked unnatural.
17. Get backlinks from diverse sources
You need to get backlinks from different sources (nevertheless, this is pointless for us to tell you but this is something you ought to know if you want to get high rankings). Diversity matters a lot if you are going for high and stable results. We offer you the following:
We’ve launched an additional service that allows you to get backlinks that perfectly suit your needs! This customized service is available today. Just let us know which backlinks you’d like to add to your backlink profile and our specialist will find just what you want!
We’ve started a close cooperation with our partners – adsy.com. This is a cutting-edge content marketing platform that helps you succeed with your valuable content. You can order article links from them. You get top-quality permanent backlinks and a whole article devoted to your company or related topic. This is not a cheap service, but it is totally worth it! Article links are more credible in Google’s eyes. Plus, Adsy moderates every platform meticulously so you can be sure that you’ll find only the best platform in their inventory!
18. Update your blog
Having a corporate blog is a good idea if you want to capture more visitors and earn Google’s trust. But writing articles isn’t an easy thing to do. You have to do it in accordance with the best SEO practices and provide your readers with relevant and trustworthy information. You have to solve people’s problems and cure their pains.
You can write articles on your own, or get high-class articles from Adsy. They always compile a keyword core and write enchanting articles. Do you enjoy our articles? Some of them were created by Adsy!
19. Budget planning
Budget planning is a thing we do in our everyday life. And we would argue that planning in SEO is even more important. Here are some reasons why we think so and some mistakes people tend to make in their SEO campaigns:
4. And, sure, there is no need to rush to extremes and buy all the backlinks you can afford. Any extremes in SEO will lead to unnatural website optimization. So, take care of your website’s technical issues, proper anchors distribution, writing valuable texts, and building a thorough SEO campaign for at least 12-18 months, and only after all this is done should you go for link building. Let our SEO Calculator count how many backlinks you lack and our SEO Expert Tool will gradually purchase them for you.
20. UI/UX trick: make your website mobile friendly
Google Mobile First Index that saw the world in October 2018 became a complete gamechanger. Ever since Google has been keeping a close eye on your website mobile friendliness. And taking into account that there will be over 2.8 billion smartphone users in 2020 worldwide, you cannot ignore the responsive design of your website.
Garry Illyes also admitted that a mobile version of any website will be crawled first. Which means that in no time mobile friendliness will prevail. Accordingly, you have to take care of your landing pages, design layouts, and selling texts. All they should work perfectly to bring in more traffic to your site. A convenient, responsive, and quick website results in great behavioral factors of your visitors.
If a user doesn’t like how the website looks, she leaves. Then, Google degrades your positions on the search results page, and all your efforts on link building, on-page optimization, and articles go unnoticed. Moreover, if your competitors have a higher lead conversion rate you’ll have less of a chance to surpass them.
For this reason, we recommend that you pay careful attention to the mobile version of your website. Need help with your website? Just let us know, so we can help make your website mobile friendly!
21. Finally, keep track of your results and remember the following
1. Instead of traffic increase, you should focus on rankings improvement from your link building campaign. That is because only the first three Google positions get significant traffic.
2. The best option is to automatically track any ranking changes on your website throughout the first 100-200 search results. It is useless to do it manually within the first 10-50 search results.
3. Follow your link building strategy until the end. Be patient, and after a while, you will see rewarding results.
Ensure that your SEO campaign looks natural to Google. This includes:
These easy-to-follow steps are appropriate for any website. So use them to the fullest for higher rankings and boosted traffic!
Don’t have time to manage the SEO issues of your website but still want to be sure that you are on the right side of your SEO? Rely on our SEO experts!
Do not forget to share your stories about getting on Google Top 10 in your comments below, or if you have any problems with achieving the Top 10, ask us your questions below and we’ll be happy to help. We would highly appreciate it if you like and share this guide with your friends and colleagues! Thank you for your time and shares.