New SEO Tips to Rank on First Page of Google
1. Assess your site using Google Search Console
(previously known as Google Webmaster Tools). The best SEO Tips to Rank on First Page of Google includes the ability to check indexing status in order to optimize site visibility.
Google Search Console :
- Check site for a sitemap
- Check site for a robots.txt file to help discover pages that are blocked in robots.txt accidentally.
- List internal and external pages that link to the site.
- See what keyword searches on Google led to the site being listed in the SERPs, and the click through rates of such listings.
2. Design Site for all device types and sizes
including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. Now Google penalizes sites that are not mobile friendly. Use the mobile friendly testing tool to test how well your pages work on mobile devices, and get feedback on what needs to be fixed.
3. Using Google Webmaster Guidelines, create quality content using descriptive tags.
Include unique, descriptive titles, good meta descriptions, and optimize images with descriptive ‘alt’ attributes. This helps users and Google quickly and easily understand content on your site. Submit a Sitemap of your website to Google.
4. Add your business on Google Maps
Encourage customers to post a Google Review.
5. Google Promotions
Books: If you wrote any, promote any books online and sell your titles through Google’s eBook store.
News: If you have news content, share timely reporting on matters that are important to Google audience and submit to Google News.
6. Old SEO vs New SEO
The Old SEO process was about finding target keywords and building a campaign based around those keywords. In addition, “off-site optimizations” — link building, article marketing and comment linking were a primary focus. If early to market and your competition was low, some basic tweaks might result in success. However, in 2016 and beyond, the old SEO method is not effective, and any short term gains quickly fade.
Best SEO Tips to Rank First on Google includes putting the focus on great content, user experience and great business! Google has been successful in removing many of the browser ranking shortcuts webmasters had been using for years. Paying for links is not advisable anymore. Link building is still important, however it’s now about quality not quantity.
Create many high quality articles and integrate them effectively with social media. Educate first, sell later. Keep in mind, nobody outside of Google administration can control who they list on the first page, and your overall business popularity has a huge effect on browser ranking. No magic SEO pill exists anymore. Just practicing the above principles in all your digital marketing affairs will reap tremendous rewards.
Bonus SEO Tips for 2018
Avoid Purchasing Fake Online Reviews
Many ad agencies and internet marketing companies are paying employees to write phony positive reviews online. Taking these short cuts does not end well. Read my article ‘How To Spot Fake Online Reviews‘.
How To Optimize for Voice Search
The way people search for information online is changing rapidly. Increasingly, people are using voice search on their smartphones, tablets or voice assistants to search for info online.
Reputable sources say 60 percent of searches are now performed on a mobile device, and with more people searching on mobile devices, it’s often easier to use voice to search instead of typing on small screens.
Searching by voice is a hot SEO topic in 2018. At a recent conference, Benu Aggarwal gave a very popular session on the subject, “Optimizing Content for Voice Search and Virtual Assistants.” During that session, she outline gave some new SEO strategies for voice searches.
Siri, Cortana, Alexa and Google Assistant
Mobile devices, smartphones and smart home devices featuring digital assistants like Siri, Cortana, Alexa and Google Assistant are on the rise.
These new voice devices and technology make it easy for people to ask a question and get pertinent info quickly from their device without the use of hands. Some suggest that using a conversational voice is a more natural way to interact with machines. Using voice, we can now play music, turn on lights, search for a local restaurant, order products, and get info on any topic.
And interconnectivity between various devices is an interesting part of voice search technology. For instance, a Google Home tip can even show up on your desktop, giving you advice on how you can best use your Google Home voice assistant:
How Voice Search Differs from Text Search
Voice search is more conversational and natural in tone than searching using typed keyword phrases and is often locally focused. Voice search queries are typically longer than text keyword search queries and voice search suits mobile devices very well.
Search software such as Google, attempts to find easily identifiable, short and relevant pieces of content to serve back to the searcher.
Tips To Optimize for Voice Search: Conversational keywords
Keywords in voice search are no longer single words, but rather long-tail, conversational phrases that should mimic how people talk and ask questions. Start thinking about the types of questions you get when customers call you on the phone to ask questions about your business, then start documenting and recording the exact words they use when they talk to your customer service representatives.
Make a list of customer questions and statements, then create content around those long, conversational search terms.
Voice Search Using Questions (FAQ) Keyword Phrases
A great strategy is to create FAQ pages that focus on those long-tail conversational keyword phrases. Grouping common questions on the same page, and using real questions instead of the old SEO keyword stuffed phrases that we used to use.
Rather than general searches such as “best laptop”, expect more specific questions from searchers such as “Alexa, where can I buy the best Macbook Pro laptop?” Answers to voice search questions should be brief and to the point.
Answering questions well will bump your site up in google rankings, lead to more conversions and attract backlinks.
Creating pages and snippets of content around specific questions people are asking will help your site display in voice search results and likely increase your chances of appearing in a Google “Featured Snippets.”
Do You Need PPC?
After taking the above important steps, if you are still unsatisfied with your site’s organic browser ranking, consider PPC (pay-per-click) with Google Adwords.
Here’s another article that may help you understand better how to use website analytics effectively. Mining Website Gold
by Mark Lovett
Google Plus Reviews
“Mark Lovett is wonderful to work with! I am a graphic designer with limited web experience, so when I needed a website for my own firm, I turned to Mark for help. He enthusiastically agreed to work with me—he did all the setup and technical work, but at the same time, we sat together and he taught me how to get in the back end and do some things myself. He was patient and had a great sense of humor as I tried to grasp this foreign language!
I would highly recommend Mark for organizations who need him to handle EVERY aspect of their website, as well as for others, like me, who need help, but also want to be able to change things themselves. Thanks to Mark, I now have a website I am extremely proud of. In addition, he made it happen quickly, which to me was imperative. Bravo Mark and many thanks!”
Lena Markley
Dovetail Design Studio
