SEO is the buzzword of today’s world. Since businesses are rapidly moving online, their visibility to their target audiences is paramount for owners. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Every task undertaken to increase your website’s ranking in Google’s Search Engine Results Page comes under Search Engine Optimization marketing. SEO ranking factors depend on various things such as content quality, image optimization, web design and, mobile-friendliness, etc.
Well, don’t be because you only have to take care of the seven factors to rank on top of SERP. Let’s discuss each of them in brief:
7 factors to rank on the top of SERP
1. Install an SSL certificate
First things first, a website’s security should be your primary concern. Cybercrimes are on the rise, and no business (big or small) is spared by cybercriminals. Moreover, Google has also stated that it will only rank websites protected by an SSL or Secure Socket Layer certificate on its SERP. On the contrary, it will mark such websites as “Not Secure” that are not SSL encrypted.
An SSL is a security protocol that secures your website’s connection by encrypting the communication between your server and the customer’s web browser. As a website owner, you need security for your payment page, protect your blog and, even your online shopping page.
Buying a separate certificate for all these domains would be costly and hard to manage, which is where a wildcard SSL certificate comes in. A wildcard SSL can protect both your root domain along an unlimited number of first-level subdomains. In addition, you can get a domain or organization validated certificate that will help comply with Payment Card Industry guidelines.
This means that a cheap SSL wildcard certificate can protect your payments, shopping site, and your blogs as it comes with many exciting features and seems cost-efficient too. Buying an SSL will satisfy your customers by featuring a secured padlock in front of your site’s URL. It will also comply with Google’s guidelines for ranking. So, get one today.
2. Watch out for content
Content is king and will stay that way. Without high-quality content, your SEO skills won’t help you gain leverage over your competition.
So, what will high-quality content look like in 2021?
With the advancement in technology, content has changed over the past years. High-quality content in today’s world would comprise of mobile-friendly images, error-free content pieces and, supported by statistics.
Moreover, voice blogs are doing well these days. Just add a voiceover for your blog, and users can listen to the information along with just reading it.
3. Choose your keywords
Keyword integration can help you rank high in SERP. When a user searches for some phrase, Google looks for relevant and genuine results.
If the exact phrase is strategically integrated into your content, you will appear in the user’s search results. But keyword integration is not just about stuffing the searched phrases in your content; you must place them wisely in meta descriptions, title tags, blogs, image alt texts, and headings.
Moreover, the keyword should make sense from a content piece; it should add value, and the content should revolve around it.
4. Optimize your URLs
If you are one of those who think URL text is insignificant for SEO, you are wrong. URL helps search engines identify what type or page you will redirect your user to if they click on it.
For example, www.domain.com/xjsnfdk&#% does not make any sense. This is because search engine crawlers can’t tell where this URL will redirect its users, which is why it ranks someone whose URL is like www.content.com/blog that clearly says that it will turn a user to a website’s blog section. So, optimize your URLs with the right keywords that clearly define the page.
5. Watch out for your page speed
Page speed is another factor that plays a crucial role in deciding your search rankings. The faster it loads, the better it ranks.
Google measures the page speed, and if it isn’t up to the mark, the search engine decreases the website’s search rankings.
Ideally, a page should load within 3 seconds. Anything more than that will significantly increase the bounce rate and decrease search rankings.
But, how do you increase your speed?
Well, decrease the size of your images, don’t upload videos; instead, link them to your site through YouTube, uninstall unnecessary plugins, and use an authentic hosting provider that facilitates quick loading. If you implement these strategies, your page speed will skyrocket.
6. Is your website mobile-optimized?
With over 50% of internet users being mobile users, mobile optimization’s importance cannot be sidelined. Google also indexes pages for mobile-first, which is why the mobile-first approach is so essential if you want to rank high.
Ask your developers to optimize your site for mobile and then check their performance. A regular audit is necessary to ensure the website is working appropriately on all devices or not.
7. Update your content regularly
Content is not a one-time thing, and you cannot just upload a blog and then forget about it. With the advancing technology, content needs advancement too. If you research deeply about the blog post you have written a couple of years back, it might have changed. Maybe the tools that you have mentioned in it are now outdated.
So, you need to keep up with your older content, and you must create a schedule for regular content upgradation.
Depending on your schedule, you can choose to audit your content once every three months. Regular upgradation also signals Google that your content is fresh. Users can now rely on your older blogs for information.
To Conclude
To improve the SEO ranking factor(s), you need not change the overall site structure; all you need is to organize it.
If you create high-quality content, integrate your keywords correctly, and ensure that it loads faster, you have laid a strong foundation for your website to flourish.
Just season your website with protocols like an SSL certificate, and your website will be ready to be served to your target audience. So, follow these seven tips given above, and your rankings will blow through the roof.
