1. Use Long-Tail Keywords
Gone are the days when targeting single keywords was sufficient for ranking high in search results pages. Today, it’s important to focus on long-tail keywords – search phrases that are several words long – that are specific to your niche. These not only attract more targetted traffic but also have a lower competition rate. But be sure not to overuse long-tail keywords in your content. Seek a balance between targetted keywords and natural writing.
2. Optimize Website Content
Your website has to provide value to your prospects if you want them to stay and/or keep returning. Unique, informative content can not only keep people on the page longer, but also can increase the online visibility along with the chances of attracting links from others. By using the right keywords and phrases in your site’s content, you make it easier for search engines to crawl and rank your site. Plan a content strategy that includes regular blog posts, whitepapers and other types of educational materials that highlight your knowledge of your business, product, or service.
3. Optimize for Mobile
Google has explicitly stated that mobile-friendly websites will be shown preference in search engines over those that are not optimized for mobile devices. This is also a practical consideration as more people now use smartphones to search for information online than desktop/laptop devices.
4. Make Your Site User-friendly
Providing excellent user experience is essential as site users who are happy and engaged, will stay on your site for longer periods. Plus, it directly affects how often and how long a visitor will spend on your site. Thus, make sure your site is easy to navigate and interactive. Use visual elements, such as images and videos, to engage your audience while using clear calls to action (CTAs) to prompt users to engage with your site. Poorly designed sites that lack engagement lose business, so don’t neglect this critical aspect of your website development.
5. Ensure fast page speed
A recent Google update shows that load time can have a significant effect on ranking. Websites with slow load times can harm users experience, adversely affecting the overall user journey. It’s essential to maintain a fast loading time for your website pages. Use tools like GTmetrix and Google Pagespeed Insights to analyze your website load speed and performance. You can take steps such as compressing image files, optimizing server response time, reducing HTTP requests, and minify CSS and scripts to enhance your site’s speed.