Need To Improve Your Content For Better Search Ranking? Here are The Questions You Need to Ask Yourself
Search rankings are undeniably the pinnacle of successful online businesses in the world today. Unfortunately, most search engines including Google, Bing and Yahoo only give 10 search results per page. The first page grasps the attention of 75% of users, with only about 25% being interested in the results on ALL the subsequent pages. We have drafted for you the questions that you need to ask yourself in order to improve your content for better search ranking.
- How relevant are your keywords?
Search engines place emphasis on the keywords used, which are then used to rank the search results in order of relevance. Ensure you research the popular key words and phrases that users in your field use most when running a search. Google Analytic tools can help with this. The keywords then need to be included in the headline, headings and context in a natural manner. Search engines like Google place emphasis the keywords in the headings, which are usually depicted by having a larger font size. The first 100 words are critical. Embed the keywords in a clever natural manner to improve the ranking. Keyword stuffing gets you penalized, leaving you of the top results.
- Do I have any internal links?
Search engines gauge the relevance of your content by the quality of links. Internal links aid in controlling how you pass the page rank between one article and another. Make use of cross linking, which involves using links to relevant blogs that you have written in the past. This helps to improve the ranking of older posts. Additionally, remember to occasionally update older posts with links from newer articles, since older posts command more authority over new ones. While creating such internal links, ensure they are not too stuffed with anchor texts that interfere with the natural flow of keywords.
- Do external links help?
Linking your blog to an external but related website supports the viability of your article by way of back linking. Google among other search engines use this to identify which keywords your blog should be ranked for, improving your chances of better result. Additionally, ensure to email the webmaster of the linked website to inform them of the link. It goes a long way in sharing your blog as they can back link your website on their articles too.
- How relevant is the content?
Whatever you write as your content determines what you are ranked (and not ranked) for. That being said, ensure all articles written are well researched, tailored and relevant to the topic being discussed. Also, avoid any content duplication as you may get penalized, like the case of Google’s Panda Update. Additionally, ensure your content is lengthy enough as most of the top results by search engines contain websites with articles of 2000 words.
- How unique is my URL?
The URL on your web page influences your ranking by a margin. Short custom URLs with a few of the keywords improve your search rankings. Also ensure you settle for a permanent URL with about 3 unique numbers. This helps your website to be featured on platforms like Google News or Bing’s daily briefing.
Conclusion
As search engines keep updating their search ranking policies, ensure you constantly consult experts such as TeamSoda for the right guidance on ensuring high rankings for your website.
