Search engine optimization (SEO) requires long-term dedication – it takes time to learn how to improve your Google rankings. However, sometimes, you need your content to rank as quickly as possible. But how do you push new content to the top of search engine results pages (SERPs)? Luckily, several strategies can help.
Let’s take a closer look at six steps to take to give your new content a much-needed boost.
1. Focus on Site Design and Setup
Google is becoming increasingly picky about the overall quality of the sites it ranks. Therefore, if you want your new content to rank well, your website must be Google-friendly. First, you must make sure the site has Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) encryption. This became an important ranking factor in 2014, and it remains crucial to SEO success today.
Next, you should check your site to ensure it’s mobile-friendly. Google recognizes the importance of mobile users; therefore, they reward websites that work well on both smartphones and personal computers. Finally, it’s essential to take the time to improve your metrics. For example, your site should have a lower SEO bounce rate and a good average time on page. Page-loading speeds (on both mobile and desktop) are also essential SEO ranking factors.
2. Study Search Intent
Keywords are a significant aspect of SEO; however, it’s equally important to study the search intent for the content you are preparing to publish. When people are browsing the internet and come across your website, what were they searching for in the first place?
You should create content that fills the need for highly searched queries. To find these, check your Google Search Console to see which queries are bringing people to your site. From there, you can determine the intent behind each search and craft keyword-rich content that satisfies it.
Studying search intent is also a great way to learn how to rank for featured snippets, which give you a prime spot on SERPs. This often provides a huge traffic boost, and you can increase your chances of landing thereby crafting content that answers the questions people are actively asking.
3. Focus on Your On-Page Optimization
New content won’t rank well if your on-page optimization is weak. While these components are more technical than keywords and search intent, they are just as important.
But which on-site factors currently carry the heaviest weight? Metadata, including title tags and page descriptions, remains critical. This data faces searchers directly and often determines whether someone clicks on your link or ignores it. And because your click-through rate helps to encourage a higher rank, you want to ensure your metadata is well-written and enticing.
On the website itself, H1 and H2 headings, alt tags, image descriptions, and page titles are also essential. While searchers don’t see these components first-hand, they’re still necessary, as they communicate with Google about the purpose of your site.
As you focus on optimizing your on-page ranking factors, don’t forget to consider voice search. Recent studies indicate that by 2020, half of all Internet searches will be done by voice. And if people who use wearable tech and virtual assistants (like Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa) can’t find your site, you won’t be able to increase your SERP ranking.
4. Use Appropriate Schema Markup and Rich Snippets
A rich snippet is a search result that includes more information than just your title, URL, and description. It may contain an image, star review rating, publication date, or something similar. To qualify for rich snippets, you must add appropriate schema markup code to your pages.
Whether you are publishing a product page, recipe, FAQ, or how-to article, you can secure a prime spot on Google’s SERP by using the appropriate schema markup.
5. Index Your New Content
In addition to having the proper schema markup, you must make sure your new post is properly indexed within your site’s XML sitemap. This allows Google and other search engines to crawl the new content easily. If your website doesn’t have a sitemap, creating one should be your priority. Without this structure, Google won’t know that your new content is there, which will prevent you from securing a good SERP ranking.
6. Use Social Media and Other Outlets to Get Shares
social media can be an excellent tool to drive your new content to the top of the SERPs. If you’re asking yourself, “how do I rank higher on Google in 2019?” the answer must include social media. Posts that go viral on various social platforms are quickly pushed to the top of results pages. However, this effect can be temporary. Viral content will be ranked quite high, but it may not stay there long-term. You will need to combine social media marketing with other SEO elements to ensure your ranking lasts.
Don’t limit yourself to social media, either. Email blasts, newsletters, text blasts, and off-site linking from authoritative sites can all help boost your new content’s ranking. You can even invest in your PPC advertising efforts to help with SEO.
Boost Your Rankings with Help from Our SEO Experts
If you’re struggling with low-ranking content, then it may be time for professional help. Learning how to rank well on Google takes time, and the determining factors seem to change regularly.
Zero Gravity Marketing offers a comprehensive list of digital marketing services. Our team of SEO experts can help you improve your search engine rankings and see greater success online. For more information about our services, contact us today!
