What if your website has everything except an audience?
It’s not enough to have a site with great content and awesome design. You need to also have a site that customers can find.
The best way to do this is to end up on the first page of their search results. However, most businesses don’t know how to get on the first page of Google.
Fortunately, we’ve uncovered the secret. Keep reading to learn how to land on the first page in simple steps!
Organic vs. Inorganic
Before we dive into the guide, it’s important to clarify a couple of key terms. In this case, those terms are “organic” and “inorganic.”
Basically, there are two ways to boost your Google search results. The first is to help your website grow in popularity over time by tweaking its design, SEO, and so on. This is an organic method.
Inorganic methods include things like paying for featured ads, collaborating with top-ranking websites, and so on.
The good news is that you don’t have to choose just one method. Many businesses will achieve more success over time if they master both styles.
Keep reading to learn more about how to get started!
1. Long-Tail Keywords
Getting your site higher in the search rankings starts with SEO. However, not all SEO is created equally.
A rookie mistake many businesses make is to focus on shorter keywords. There is one big problem with this approach: these terms are very popular, meaning you’ll have plenty of competition.
However, most users actually search using long-tail keywords. If you focus on a better long-tail strategy, you can boost your search results and grow your search popularity.
2. Cold, Hard Cash
Most of our methods on this list focus on organic methods of boosting your results. However, the number one inorganic method is to simply pay for Google Ads.
Google Ads is a form of PPC (or pay-per-click). You basically bid on certain keywords and then pay that bid amount every time someone clicks on the keyword.
What’s the catch? Well, the higher you bid, the higher you’ll appear in the results. So getting on the first page may mean paying a premium price.
However, long-tail keywords sometimes cost less than their shorter counterparts. That means you may be able to combine this strategy with the first one and ultimately save some money.
3. Rich Snippets
Our next tip is a relatively modern one. It focuses on helping users to answers questions.
Ever Google a direct question and get an answer? These answers are at the top of the results and delivered via “rich snippets.”
The snippets are selected bits of info from a single website. The Google algorithm believes that this info directly answers the question the person was searching for.
You can increase the likelihood of being featured as a rich snippet. Do this by answering questions fully, featuring images, and condensing information into things like bullet points.
Not only does being a rich snippet propel you to the top of the results, but answering someone’s question makes it far likelier they will go ahead and visit your site!
4. Blog Like Crazy
Google and its algorithm know that what users really crave is content. So, one way to get yourself onto the front page is to create content like crazy!
This is harder than it may sound. You can’t just create junk content — instead, these need to be real articles powered by strategic SEO.
In practical terms, that means this is a long-term strategy. It’s not something that is going to get you to the first page of results in the blink of an eye.
On the bright side, every new article is an opportunity to sell more products and services. So your long-term trip to the front page may end up being a very profitable one!
5. Easy to Load, Easy to Read
Pop quiz: do you know how long it takes your site to load? If you don’t, it’s worth finding out ASAP.
Slow-loading webpages lead to high bounce rates from customers. The idea is simple: they get frustrated waiting for your site to load and end up searching out the competition instead.
Google knows this, which is why slow-loading sites creep towards the bottom of the results. The good news? You can reverse this trend by making your site load quicker.
You may need a web designer to help get you on the Google first page. But it’s all worth it once you land there.
You can discover more about such services today!
6. Better Local SEO
So far, we’ve talked a lot about SEO. However, one such category that often gets overlooked is local SEO.
You’ve probably noticed Google helpfully showing you local businesses when you are searching for categories such as “restaurant.” But have you ever wondered how those sites get featured in this way?
Believe it or not, it’s all about having their business name, address, and phone number listed. The more places it’s listed, the likelier such a business is to pop up on local searches.
That means you can get in on this action as well! Be sure to spread your local info far and wide so you jump to the top of the results for locals surfing the web.
7. Get Reviewed
We saved the simplest technique for last. How can you get on the first page of Google? With a little help from your friends!
Try to cultivate relationships with high-ranking sites. Afterwards, try to get your business reviewed or otherwise featured on that site.
When users read their high-ranking article, they’ll end up visiting your site. And between the increased prominence and increased visitors, you’ll end up higher on the search results.
How to Get on the First Page of Google: The Bottom Line
Now you’ve learned more about how to get on the first page of Google. But do you know who can keep the good advice coming?
At iStats, we bring you all the tips and tricks you need to boost your website’s bottom line. To see how we can transform your business, check out our promotional articles today!