6 Ways To Get To The Top Of Search Engines

Getting to the top of the search engines isn’t as simple as it used to be. All you needed back in the day was some great keywords and backlinks but these days it is a lot more complicated with many more factors to take into consideration.

While those things are still important it is vital you take steps to meet some other criteria that will improve your standing in the search engines.

Top 6 ways to get to the top of the search engines

Create content for unique queries

Most people optimize their websites for questions that are commonly asked but to do that means you are ignoring the fact that 450 million searches each day are wholly unique. Just make sure that the queries you are answering are directly related to the content of your site and this could make a difference in your ranking.

Optimizing for local presence

Local SEO is key, especially for businesses. It is a good idea to optimize your Google My Business page. Here are some of the considerations you should keep in mind:

You need a good sized and wholly unique description of your business
Choose categories that describe what you offer best
List when you open and close
Update the page on a regular basis
Be sure to have a local phone number and address
Use plenty of attractive imagery
Another local SEO tip

Make sure you have reviews and listing on sites such as Yelp, 411 and Google Places as they can also play a role in your local SEO. Just ensure that all of the information on all sites is always up to date and accurate.

Optimize for voice searches and natural language

With most devices having the ability to take instructions verbally these days it is important that you optimize your site for natural speech patterns. Since 2008 voice search queries have risen 35X, and if you want to see your ranking in the search engines rise as well, you need to take this into consideration.

Google has put an enormous amount of work into their voice query programs and since people ask questions out loud in a more natural and direct way than they generally do typed searches you need to provide content for these more direct questions.

Be optimized for mobile

Mobile content is now used as a ranking signal and more and more people are using their phones to visit all types of websites. You don’t want to get left in the dust so if this is not something you have yet considered and put into practice, you should go and do that right now.

Implementing AMP and using Top Stories

Getting your content into Google News can mean a big boost in short term traffic but these are not evergreen articles that will continue to draw traffic for the rest of time. However, if you can get on there regularly it can lead to others using your site as a source and these links are always welcome.

Top Stories is the mobile version of Google’s In the News section and it is rapidly filling up with Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). AMP allows people to provide their pages stripped down so they load super fast. It’s great for those on the go and is gaining in popularity.

While AMP is not yet a ranking signal, chances are good it will be in the future and it never hurts to be ahead of the pack.

This list will give you a good place to start when it comes to getting to the top of the search engines. Don’t wait though, because nothing happens overnight and the sooner you start the sooner you will see your rankings go up across the board.