Long-tail keywords may not generate as much volume as short-tail keywords but it produces more quality leads that are easier to convert into sales .
2 . Stay current and provide value with blogs The freshness of a website ’ s content is one of the factors for ranking on top of Google . But we all know that no one updates their website information all the time . Hence , we use blogs .
Blogging does not only give your website fresh content , it also puts your expertise into a display and gives you a chance to truly connect with your prospect by educating , appealing , and providing value .
3 . Create a wave of social signals In 2014 , former Google Head of Webspam , Matt Cutts , stated that social shares have nothing to do with Google search ranking , but in 2018 , Hootsuite conducted a test on the effects of social media shares on the search engine results pages ( SERP ).
The result showed that links from a website that are shared on social media had a positive impact on its Google ranking . But remember , to create a wave of shares and recognition on social media , you need valuable content and you should never bombard your audience with redundant and uninteresting content . Doing so will damage your reputation and might cause your followers to unfollow . The lesser following you have , the lesser chance of getting your message over to your prospects .
4 . Be mobile-friendly Most Google searches are now done on mobile devices . In fact , the numbers have risen to 63 % in the past two years . But even before that , Google has foreseen the increase in mobile usage and announced a penalty for websites that deliver unsatisfactory mobile experiences back in 2013 . Penalties are mainly based on faulty redirects and smartphone-only errors .
Faulty redirects happen when a smartphone user gets redirected to an irrelevant page on a smartphone-optimized website . To put it simply , a user gets directed somewhere he doesn ’ t want to be .
It will cause confusion and may stop the user from continuing his search .
Smartphone-only errors are misconfigurations that prevent mobile users from accessing web pages that are available on the computer .
In 2015 , Google launched a mobile-friendly update that boosts the rankings of mobile-optimized pages when searches are done on mobile devices . This shows how serious Google is when it comes to delivering a quality user experience .
If you really are interested in ranking on top , your website ’ s mobile-friendliness should be one of the firsts on your list . Chances are you will find most of your prospects on their mobile devices .
5 . Get listed on citation websites Remember the old , bulky Yellow Pages Directory ? It ’ s now online , and so as many credible business listing websites that have surfaced over the past two decades . The most notable ones include Google ’ s very own Google My Business , along with Yelp , Bing Places , and Better Business Bureau .
Business listing websites are also called citations . Citations include the name , address , and phone number of a business ( NAP ). Most of the websites offer an option to filter results based on the user ’ s current location which benefits local small businesses .
Make sure that you are listed in the top citations and your information is correct . If you are changing phone numbers or any crucial information , don ’ t forget to update your business list .
Google continues to dominate the search engine market . But even with multifold webpages , you can still attract highly-qualified leads .
Focus on quality , be empathetic , aim to educate , be seen on different platforms , and provide convenience especially by being mobile-friendly – all these are little steps but , if combined and executed properly , they will place your website on the first organic results of Google where prospects will find you at the moment that they are ready to take action , turning them into high-quality leads .
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