Many business owners understand the value of ranking high on Google but are unsure about the specific strategies required. While some hope for organic improvement, without active measures, these aspirations are unlikely to materialize.
According to Forbes magazine, between 71 and 92% of all Google search activity occurs on the first page. If your business is not ranking on any of the first five pages of Google, you’ll inevitably miss out on a huge chunk of the market.
Fortunately, making just a few fundamental changes can significantly improve your business' overall performance on Google (and other search engines). Here, we will discuss five reasons why your business may currently be struggling to land on the front page and how you can improve your website in order to get the best results.
1. Slow Page Speed
When optimizing your website, page speed is incredibly important. Five seconds may not seem like a very long time but, in terms of page speed, it is an eternity. Statistics show that websites that load in 2 seconds will lose 9.6% of all visitors, while websites that take 7 seconds to load will lose 32.3% of all visitors.
Each additional second it takes for a website to load causes 5% of visitors to leave. This metric, known as the “bounce rate” has a major impact on your site's long-term success. Slow page speed can have even more serious implications if not resolved. Google analyzes your site's bounce rate and can drop your result from the first page if the bounce rate is well above that of comparable sites
There are quite a few things you can do to improve your current page speed. Simplifying images, videos, and other add-ons will make the page load quicker and decrease the ratio of visitors who leave. Considering that 48.7% of web browsing is done via mobile devices, optimizing your site for these specific devices will also improve its overall performance.
2. Low Content Quality + Readability
Google encourages content that is both relevant and easy to read. If the majority of content on your page is too difficult to digest, your web rankings will start to decline.
For businesses in highly technical industries, creating readable content is incredibly important. You can enhance your content's readability in various ways. Google estimates that the average internet user reads at around an eighth-grade level, setting the standard for evaluating readability. By minimizing paragraph length, using proper grammar, and checking for readability scores, people will have a better experience with your content and it will rank higher on Google searches.
3. Poor Meta Titles & Descriptions
Regardless of your business's physical location, you need a meta title and description. These are crucial for Google to understand your business and its offerings.
A good meta description should be concise, specific, and easy to read. Instead of trying to “sell” your business, as if it were an advertisement, you should focus on describing your business as objectively as possible. Ensure that all titles and keywords in your content are compatible with what people are searching for. If your content aligns with common Google search queries, it's more likely to rank higher for those search terms.
4. Weak (or Limited) Reviews
Google highly values customer reviews. Instead of relying solely on a business's own claims, Google prefers feedback from past customers. A large number of positive reviews (4+ stars) can significantly boost your search engine ranking.
While a reputation management service can help, organically cultivating reviews is even more beneficial. Encouraging and incentivizing your clients to leave reviews can improve both the quantity and quality of your online feedback.
5. Few Backlinks
Backlinks help connect websites to either other websites or other pages within their own domain. If your site is a completely “dead” link without connections leading to or coming from the page, people will naturally be much less likely to ever stumble upon it.
While you should avoid going overboard with backlinks, incorporating links into your content can improve its web visibility. As a good rule of thumb, incorporating one link for every 300 words of content will help to make your site more credible and accessible. Just be sure to confirm that every link you incorporate is currently live and running.
Earn Google Rankings with Peaks Digital Marketing
Achieving top Google rankings requires dedication, but it's attainable. By addressing these five key factors, you can significantly improve your content's visibility and get listed on the first page of Google search results.
Peaks Digital Marketing is a full-service digital marketing firm in Denver, Colorado. Our team of experts can help you implement these strategies and achieve your SEO goals for optimal rankings. For more information and to request a proposal, visit our website or contact us at (720) 432-7115.
