Did you ever wonder how odd it was that google knew where to find the nearest Red Robin and your location wasn’t even on nor did you tell it which one? Well local search and many other factors are actually just part of organic search engine optimization and a set of guidelines to rank key phrases, developed by your’s truly, Google. As a new marketeer, fresh in the field you may think you understand the basics to optimizing keyword phrases to help businesses generate traffic to their desired web pages but soon you find that the giant Google’s ranking these phrases poorly and hindering your success. Well don’t fall victim to poor click through rates and and follow these recommended techniques below, to help you perform.
Relevance is Key
- Are the keywords your traffic searches for, relevant to the web pages you intend for them to go? If a search for a recipe for chicken noodle soup is performed do you want the first link to be how chickens are raised? Certainly not so utilizing key words and phrases that are closely matched to where you intend your user to end up is key.
- Avoid Duplication: If another user is searching for a car, specifically a minivan and you’re a local car dealer, do you want every search for a minivan to land on the your home page, possibly, but not highly recommended. Instead you want that user to be directed to your page of minivans or similar family type vehicles. Another customer looking for a truck wouldn’t want to be directed towards the homepage or minivans, instead trucks or utility type vehicle searches would direct them here as well. The point is use unique and different key word phrases so that when an organic search is performed the SERP matches the key word on a specific page and doesn’t lead the customer to all the same pages.
- Your relevance (keyword/phrases) can also be maximized through the URL, Title Tag, Header Tags, Main Content, Image Alt Text and File Name and Anchor Text.
Other Key Ranking Factors:
These next factors also make up the big picture in how Google ranks your ads and key words. Through the use of many Google programs you to can stay on top of your marketing game. The following will generate higher rankings on Googles scale:
- High Click Through Rate from SERP A website can influence its pages click through rate through (title tag, the snippet (summary underneath the title), and the choice of URL)
- Low Bounce Rate from Landing Pages-When a customer clicks your link and instantly goes back. Content if a big part of this, especially if the customer immediately saw something they weren’t looking for.
- Short Load Times (time it takes for the website to load) (Google Page Speed Insight tools for help) if you page isn’t loading in a timely manor, whether on a desk top or most importantly, mobile device traffic can be deterred. Don’t let this happen to you!
- Original/Fresh Content (don’t duplicate, like I mentioned before, make quality count!
- Quantity Content (A lot of content means a lot of pages and every page should have at least 100 words of content)
- Quality Content Thanks to Googles RankBrain, artificial technology, might be so sophisticated that SEO efforts should focus more on creating quality content rather than formatting that content for the benefit of search engines.
- According to, Digital Marketing Essentials, e-text, utilizing another one of Googles many tools, Search Console, can constantly monitor all pages located within a website. By doing this you can discover that even though you may have great content, if search engines can’t optimize or access the page with the great content, due to lack of proper indexing because of technical issues, customers and google cannot find these key words within a web page. Key words left out due to in access to the adjacent web page will then hinder your ability to rank high.
- Poor optimization, not just being desktop friendly but google even ranks those who don’t consider their mobile users into account and will give them poorer rankings because of it.
- Security is of concern as well and is considered a minor but important ranking to keep servers and clients transaction in tact and hidden from the black hat hackers.
How do Small Businesses Survive?
- Local Search brings up results for local area rather than cross county searches (restaurants for example)
- Registering with MyBusiness, a google program helps keep your business, site and information credible, having been verified by google.
- NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) offers your result to display this important information alongside.
- Structured Citations (Yelp for example) & most importantly Reviews
Lastly if you’re having a hard time coming up with the right key words and phrases, be the consumer! How would you search for something and what would you expect to come up? Use phrases that you think people would also use, whats popular and has high relevance to your product, Google offers a program for that to! Utilize every tool your given to your best advantage. Are you looking for coffee or are you looking for Starbucks?
- Larson, J., & Draper, S. (2017). Digital marketing essentials.
- https://twicesocial.com/4-crazy-reasons-your-website-isnt-ranking-on-google/
